SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX005
ARLX005 Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test Scheduled for May 11

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Special Bulletin 5  ARLX005
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  May 2, 2013
To all radio amateurs 

SB SPCL ARL ARLX005
ARLX005 Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test Scheduled for May 11

In celebration of the 63rd anniversary of Armed Forces Day (AFD),
the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are
co-sponsoring the annual Military/Amateur Radio Crossband
Communications Test. Although Armed Forces Day is traditionally
celebrated on the third Saturday in May -- May 18 in 2013 -- the AFD
Military/Amateur Crossband Communications Test will be conducted on
May 11 to prevent conflict with the Dayton Hamvention, scheduled for
May 17-19.

The annual celebration features traditional military-to-amateur
crossband communications SSB voice and Morse code tests. These tests
give Amateur Radio operators and short wave listeners an opportunity
to demonstrate their individual technical skills and to receive
recognition from the appropriate military radio station for their
proven expertise. QSL cards will be provided to stations making
contact with the military stations.

Military-to-amateur crossband operations will take place on the
dates and time in UTC on the frequencies listed for the Army, Air
Force and Navy/Marine Corps and Coast Guard MARS stations. Voice
contacts will include operations in single sideband voice (SSB);
some stations will use CW to provide the opportunity to check in by
Morse code. Depending on propagation and staffing, some stations may
not operate the entire period. Participating military stations will
transmit on selected military MARS frequencies and listen for
Amateur Radio stations in the amateur bands. The military station
operator will announce the specific amateur band frequency being
monitored. Duration of each voice contact should be limited to 1-2
minutes. The annual Secretary of Defense message will be transmitted
via digital modes, including RTTY, PACTOR, AMTOR, PSK-31, MFSK and
MT63 from certain stations.

Check the MARS Armed Forces Crossband Test website at
http://www.usarmymars.org/home/announcements for schedules and
frequencies of participating military stations, including a list of
stations that will be transmitting the annual Secretary of Defense
message. Instructions on how to copy and submit the message are also
included.
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