Canadian radio amateurs will take part in the previously announced CW-only special event operation on 600/630 meters this fall. The Maritime Radio Historical Society (MRHS), which maintains the KPH/KSM commercial coast stations, also will participate in the event. ARRL 600 Meter Experimental Group Coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR said the MRHS participants will conduct a mini “Night of Nights” operation, with special attention to MF operation.

“This will give listeners the best chance of copying their MF signals by operating during the fall and extending our operating hours well into the evening hours Pacific time,” he said. Coast station KPH will keep 500 kHz and 426 kHz active, as well as HF, with special messages, press and weather and will verify listener reports. Raab pointed out that the event will coincide with the 106th anniversary of the Berlin Treaty that created the international distress frequency at 500 kHz.

Amateur Radio operators in Canada gained access to the 472-479 kHz band on May 1. Three Canadian radio amateurs will conduct cross-band communication tests with amateurs operating on 80 and 40 meters. Joe Craig, VO1NA, in Torbay, Newfoundland, will transmit on 477.7 kHz starting at 2130 UTC on October 31 and continuing until 0130 UTC on November 1, and listen on 3562 and 7062 kHz. On the West Coast, Steve McDonald, VE7SL, on Mayne Island, British Columbia, will be active November 1, 0200-0600 UTC, transmitting on 473.0 kHz and listening on 3566 and 7066 kHz. John Gibbs, VE7BDQ, in Delta, British Columbia, will be on the air 0100 until 1000 UTC on November 1, transmitting on 474.0 kHz and listening on 3536 kHz.

All stations will either call CQ or run “VVV” marker beacons while listening on their respective receive (QSX) frequencies, which will be included in the CQ or marker beacon.

“The official time period is 0000 UTC on November 1 through 2359 UTC on November 2,” Raab said. “These include Friday and Saturday evenings in North America. Stations on the East Coast may start a little earlier if they like.”

All activity will occur between 465 and 480 kHz and between 495 and 510 kHz. “Different licensees have different frequency authorizations,” Raab noted. “The designated calling frequencies are 475 kHz for the lower band, and 500 kHz for the upper band.”

Raab noted that this may be the last such event that includes operations on 500 kHz itself. “This band is not being included on new experimental licenses, as it is supposedly reserved for a new maritime-data service,” he explained.