World Amateur Radio Day

Every April 18, radio amateurs worldwide take to the airwaves in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day. It was on this day in 1925 that the International Amateur Radio Union was formed in Paris.Amateur Radio experimenters were the first to discover that the short wave spectrum — far from being a wasteland — could support worldwide propagation. In the rush to use these shorter wavelengths, Amateur Radio was “in grave danger of being pushed aside,” the IARU’s history has noted. Amateur Radio pioneers met in Paris in 1925 and created the IARU to support Amateur Radio worldwide.

Just two years later, at the International Radiotelegraph Conference, Amateur Radio gained the allocations still recognized today — 160, 80, 40, 20, and 10 meters.  Since its founding, the IARU has worked tirelessly to defend and expand the frequency allocations for Amateur Radio. Thanks to the support of enlightened administrations in every part of the globe, radio amateurs are now able to experiment and communicate in frequency bands strategically located throughout the radio spectrum.  From the 25 countries that formed the IARU in 1925, the IARU has grown to include 160 member-societies in three regions. IARU Region 1 includes Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Northern Asia. Region 2 covers the Americas, and Region 3 is comprised of Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific island nations, and most of Asia. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has recognized the IARU as representing the interests of Amateur Radio.

Today, Amateur Radio is more popular than ever, with more than 3,000,000 licensed operators!

World Amateur Radio Day is the day when IARU Member-Societies can show our capabilities to the public and enjoy global friendship with other Amateurs worldwide.

We have provided a poster for World Amateur Radio Day.  Any club may download it and use it to promote WARD in their area.  The poster comes in two sizes: 61cm x 91cm and a small (A4) flyer.

Groups should promote their WARD activity on social media by using the hash tag #WorldAmateurRadioDay on Twitter and Facebook. IARU will list all WARD activities on this page. To have your WARD activity listed, send an email to IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ.

April 18 is the day for all of Amateur Radio to celebrate and tell the world about the science we can help teach, the community service we can provide and the fun we have.

We hope you will join in the fun and education that is World Amateur Radio Day!
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Activation Information:

Brazil:
LABRE station PV8AA will be active on several bands and will also conduct a satellite activity with the Boy Scouts.
Please see the link below:
http://www.labre-rr.org/18april2018.html

Denmark:
In Denmark we will be very radio active on the HF bands using the special call signs
5PØWARD for CW, SSB and Digital
5P0WHD for CW, SSB and especially  FT-8
Amateurs all over Denmark will be making contacts with the whole world and you may apply for a special WARD award.
See all the rules at  https://www.qrz.com/db/5p0ward

Germany:
The club station at the Nuremberg Institute of Technology DF0OHM (Kesslerplatz 12, 90489 Nuremberg, Room KA.642) will have “open doors” from 4-6 pm local time.

India:
8T1WRD – 0001 through 2359 India Standard Time. 7.155/14.205 MHz. http://www.amateurradioday.com 

Poland:
SP2YMS & SP9YFF. Special certificate available. http://www.sp9yff.pl/

Puerto Rico:
KP4FD – HF and VHF. Electronic certificate via kp4fd.ward@gmail.com

United Kingdom:
The Furness Amateur Radio Society will be running GB4ARD (Amateur Radio Day) on 20 and 40 meters between 08.00 and 17.00 GMT on Wednesday 18 April to celebrate World Amateur Radio Day. www.fars.org.uk

EchoLink:
World Radio Network: Special WARD IRLP/ECHOLINK Net
16:00 -17:30 (12 NOON EST, 9AM PST) UTC via the World Conference server (IRLP 9251) W2JLD, Net Control. Stations around the world are encouraged to check in.
World Friendship Net: Special WARD IRLP/ECHOLINK Net
00:00 – 01:30 (8PM EST, 5 PM PST) UTC via the World Conference Server (IRLP 9251)
W2JLD and KM4OOC, WH6DWF, Net Control. Stations around the world are encouraged to check in.