How to participate in the military cross band test,

We have no way of knowing what Frequency will be clear until the actual event. We will look for a clear frequency, and then announce that as the frequency we are listening to.

 

The term cross band test has been used as long as I can remember. I have been licensed for a bit over 50 years and have never heard it called anything else. Just call it tradition. It is published every year in QST and has been since the beginning.
73
Fred W4JLE/NNN0GBS
Navy Marine Corp MARS
South Carolina State Director.

 

Thanks for the clarification. things are a little tighter over here and to the best of my knowledge a licenced amateur is only supposed to operate within the Amateur bands and that includes listening, for instance listening on 27 mhz is forbidden as is eavesdropping on emergency frequencies (police, fire etc).
In this case however the transmission, even though it's outside our allocation, is intended for Amateur participation so hopefully that'll make a difference, I'll certainly try to participate in this event and plead ignorance if I'm pulled for it.

 

One thing about CW use during the event. 20 years ago +/-, when I was trying to get my code speed up for the 20WPM test, one source of practice for me was listening to Navy/Coast Guard COMSTA NMN, an annual participant in AFD. And I hoped to someday work them during AFD--kind of fulfillment of the Cosmic reverse current, you could say. When MARS announced the end of the use of CW, it was well known by AFD that there would be no more CW the following year.

I broke a several year habit and stayed home from Hamvention that year with the intention of working NMN on the mode. And I wasn't the only one. While hams were elbow to armpit at Hara, I spent all day Saturday and the small hours of Sunday trying to break NMN's pile-up. And my pipsqueak signal never succeeded.

Now that MARS and some AFD participants are again using the mode, I hope to have a chance to try again some year. Though NMN was on last year, it was not a CW participant. But NMN's disitinctive wheel and fist can be heard most years during the annual Maritime History Night of Nights. So, even if you can't work 'em, you can hear 'em then.

 

To WW5RM:
I guess you are not going to participate in the annual AFD event, which as W4JLE says has been going on over 50 years (I operated at NPG Skaggs Island, CA, back in the mid 1960's, so I can only vouch for over 40 years). I also operated at NAV in the 1990's when it was located in Cheltenham, MD.

I think that is a good thing, based upon your writings on this subject.

Also, thank you for your service to our country.

Ed, WB6NCO

 

Ah haa!

 

Listening is not illegal....talking is......listen out of band talk in band....simple.... try it its fun and during a time of
problems we can assist with listening and crossbanding....

 

Really? I don't know anything about the laws of Ireland or the E.U. but I find it hard to believe that you are forbidden to listen to parts of the HF spectrum. Maybe... I obviously don't know but it's a real surprise to hear that.

That I can believe. Many countries allow that but I could believe some don't. Some countries have laws that say you can listen to anything but you can't make use of information not intended for you.

I assume you mean to transmit. That might not be legal for you. You would be communicating with a military station in a foreign country. Is that legal for Irish hams? Probably not is my guess. I'm sure you're free to listen but... you might want to check your regulations before attempting to reply. Most hams are not permitted to communicate with another service. FCC regulations have a specific exception for this event but that doesn't apply to you.

I'm not sure if the MARS stations even intend to communicate with non US amateurs in this event.

 

Now that we have the x-band, in-band, out-of-band, and the other highly important stuff under control, I'm looking forward to trying to work the stations.

Thank you for posting the info, and lets hope propagation is good for the events!

 

Steve,

Curious where you got your date/time info? The original post (listed) says something entirely different?

From original QRZ post ......

USS Yorktown back on the air!
-Fred Hambrecht W4JLE/NNN0AAG-

On May 14, 2011 the call sign NWKJ will be heard on the airwaves for the first time in forty one years. Yorktown will be activated by South Carolina Navy Marine Corp MARS members as well as operators from other states in Region Four for the annual military cross band test. Yorktown has been the site for WA4USN on the amateur bands under the auspices of the Charleston Amateur Radio Society; however this will be the first use of Yorktown’s military call since its decommissioning. It required that Yorktown be relisted in ACP 113 to allow the use of the “Fighting lady’s” military call on military frequencies.
The amateur frequencies being listened to will be announced by the operators on the frequencies listed below. QSL cards will be sent to all contacts.

Yorktown WILL be operating on the following frequencies:
USS YORKTOWN (CV-10) (14 MAY 1200Z - 15 MAY 0400Z)

FREQUENCY EMISSION AMATEUR BAND
4010.0 KHZ LSB 80M
7348.0 KHZ LSB 40M
14478.5 KHZ USB 20M
20994.0 KHZ USB 15M
POC: Fred Hambrecht NNN0GBS
ADDRESS: 129 Indian Trace Court
Gilbert, SC 29054
COMMERCIAL: 803-657-3602

End of Quote ......


Gene W5DQ

 

With all due respect, and I know this has been addressed already, but it shows that familiarity with §Part 97 should be required BEFORE individuals take the Tech, General, or Amateur Extra exam, not just the questions in the individual question and answer pools.
If that were the case, this thread wouldn't be more than one or two posts in its entirety.

 

Again, this (Crossband Test with military stations) is SPECIFICALLY addressed and authorized in §Part 97.111 (a)(5)

 

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Well, you SEEM to get it straight to a point. The "Test" is cross-band because it's MARS band to Amateur band. The two are NOT the same "band," even if close in frequency. Since it's been going on for decades, I suggest you simply accept the terminology traditional to MARS and Amateur Radio, rather than rant about your perceived misunderstanding.
The event is held to provide an example of interoperability should such be necessary in times of national emergency, and as a way to promote awareness of the MARS system to licensed Amateurs. (Remember, "fostering good will" is part of the Amateur Creed and actually included in §Part 97.1)

I would hope our current government administration would reconsider (if such were not their official decision) to devote enough time to compose messages to honor our Armed Forces (past, present, and [unfortunately,] future) for this event.

 

The event, for as long as I have been aware, has been in that time frame from 1300 Saturday to 1300 Sunday, but I may be off by an hour. And not all stations are on throughout the event. Yorktown may not be on after 0400, but other participants will be--unless something has changed that has not yet been announced.

 

I didn't see this addressed, but some misinformation here. The frequencies used on the MARS side are not necessarily assigned to MARS-- military comm stations like WAR, NAV, AIR participate. They are not MARS stations but military. One does NOT need an amateur radio license to operate them. and full time military personnel might be legally operation MARS on a military facility without having an amateur license. I was a full time MARS operator in the navy for 2 years in the 1960's on both sides of the pond. Many had ham licenses but not all did nor were they required to by the military.
A military station operating on 4015 is not in the 75 meter amateur band, thus making this a "cross band" operation. Nitpicking? Yes.