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In 2026, ARRL is commemorating America’s 250th birthday with a yearlong on-the-air celebration: the America250 Worked All States (WAS) Award. Running from January 1 through December 31, this special operating event challenges amateurs of all license classes to contact all 50 US states and confirm those QSOs via ARRL’s Logbook of The World (LoTW). Modeled after the classic WAS Award, America250 WAS encourages activity across nearly every band — from LF through microwaves — and on CW, phone, and digital, culminating in a commemorative, frame-worthy WAS certificate. Participants can pursue America250 WAS in many ways, with endorsements recognizing achievements by band, by mode, Triple Play (all three modes), by satellite, by contacting ARRL Affiliated Club Stations in all 50 states, and by contacting W1AW/portable in all 50 states. Throughout 2026, the iconic W1AW call sign will be “loaned” to stations nationwide, activating each state twice during the year. All confirmations are handled through LoTW, making it easy to track progress and apply for awards and endorsements. ARRL members can read all the details in the Jan/Feb 2026 issue of On the Air magazine.
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Look for the following W1AW/portable activations. Operations begin 0000z on Wednesday, and end on 2359z Tuesday (7 days total for each activation). See the complete schedule at www.arrl.org/america250-was. W1AW Portable Schedule – America250 Worked All States 01/07/2026 — New York, W1AW/2 (hosts WU2M/NQ2U/KD2QLH) 01/07/2026 — Nebraska, W1AW/0 (host KA0BOJ) 01/14/2026 — West Virginia, W1AW/8 (host W8CMK) 01/14/2026 — Louisiana, W1AW/5 (host N5YS) 01/14/2026 — South Carolina, W1AW/4 (host KG9V) 01/21/2026 — Illinois, W1AW/9 (host W9KXQ) 01/28/2026 — Maine, W1AW/1 (host N1EP) |