this event has now ended

On 7 June 1923 the first New Zealand amateur callsigns were allocated. To commemorate this historic centenary NZART has launched a special Callsign Centenary Award.

Your challenge is to work enough amateur radio stations to accumulate all 26 letters of the alphabet from the suffixes of their callsigns.

There will be bonus citations on the award for any station working a branch call sign that was one of the first callsigns allocated.

Those stations are:

• ZL1AA Auckland branch
• ZL1AB North Shore branch
• ZL1AC Western Suburbs branch
• ZL2AB New Plymouth branch
• ZL3AC Christchurch branch
• ZL4AA Otago branch

From Stewart ZL2STR the NZART Awards Manager, the following information that will be of assistance to those aiming to work Bonus citation stations:

ZL1AC will be available outside normal Sked times Wed Morning 9am – 12pm on Klondyke 146.625Mhz On Wednesday Evenings 7.30pm – 8pm on 3650 kHz and on Friday Evening on 7.30pm – 8pm 3650 kHz

ZL2AB on the 1st Monday 2030hr on 3660kHz Branch 27 HF net. Also for the Taranaki Award Sept. 27th thru - Oct 1st on 3660kHz at 2000hrs. Also during the day on the National System and on local repeaters, New Plymouth 720, Hawera 705, and Wanganui 690.

ZL4AA on the 1st Monday at about 2000 on 3610kHz +/- and 2030-2055hrs every Friday on 3610kHz +/-

Also note that Rick ZL3RIK is doing a Lakes tour in the North Island from 21 October thru 9th November and some of the time he will use the ZL3AC Branch 05 call.

When activity information is received from the remaining clubs ZL2STR will publicise it via the Official Broadcast and HQ Infoline.

The NZ Callsign Centenary Challenge Award runs until the 7th of December 2023. All two-way contacts are eligible, including repeater contacts and any digital mode.

Applications for the award (with details of the contacts claimed) should be made by email to strobnz@gmail.com by 31 December 2023. There is no charge for this Award, which will be emailed to successful applicants in pdf form ready for home printing.

The NZ Callsign Centenary Challenge runs until Thursday the 7th of December 2023.