The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (as AMSAT is officially known) was formed March 3, 1969 as a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered in the District of Columbia. Since its founding, AMSAT has designed, constructed, and, with the added assistance of international government and commercial agencies, successfully launched, 20 Amateur Radio satellites into Earth orbit.
To help celebrate 50 years of Keeping Amateur Radio in Space, AMSAT is proud to announce the AMSAT 50th Anniversary Awards Program. Throughout 2019, your satellite and HF QSOs can help you achieve one of these special awards:
- 50th Anniversary AMSAT OSCAR Satellite Communications Achievement Award
- 50th Anniversary AMSAT Satellite Friends of 50 Award
- AMSAT on HF 50th Anniversary Award
50th Anniversary AMSAT OSCAR Satellite Communications Achievement Award (Limited Edition)
Unlike the AMSAT Satellite Communications Achievement Award, the 50th Anniversary AMSAT Satellite Communications Achievement Award will be issued on one of the original goldenrod paper stock certificates and signed by AMSAT’s founding President, Perry Klein, K3JTE (now W3PK). With only 20 original certificates available, this award will certainly become a collector’s item.
The first 20 applicants to successfully submit 20 confirmed, qualifying contacts on any satellite will receive this award. A qualifying contact is defined as the establishment of two-way communication on any amateur radio satellite, with another station in a U.S. state, Canadian call area, or DXCC entity, no two of which may be the same.
- All contacts must be made between March 03, 2019 00:00 UTC and December 31, 2019 23:59 UTC.
- A U.S. state shall mean any state of the United States and the District of Columbia.
- The 14 Canadian call areas are VE1 – Nova Scotia, VE2 – Quebec, VE3 – Ontario, VE4 – Manitoba, VE5 – Saskatchewan, VE6 – Alberta, VE7 – British Columbia, VE8 – Northwest Territories, VE9 – New Brunswick, VO1 – Newfoundland, VO2 – Labrador, VY0 – Nunavut, VY1 – Yukon, VY2 – Prince Edward Island.
- Only one qualifying contact is allowed for each U.S. state, Canadian call area, and DXCC entity.
- Qualifying contacts may not be counted for multiple types of entities. As an example, a QSO with Alaska counts as an additional state or DXCC entity, not both.
- Contacts must be made from same location, or from locations, no two of which are more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) apart.
- Previous recipients of the AMSAT Satellite Communications Achievement Award, may apply for the 50th Anniversary AMSAT Satellite Communications Achievement Award.
The cost for this award is $25, plus postage. Certificates will be mailed upon receipt of payment. Certificates will be sequentially numbered.
To apply for an 50th Anniversary AMSAT OSCAR Satellite Communications Achievement Award, you must email the AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards [kk5do (at) amsat (dot) org]. This email must include:
- The name of the award you are applying for as the subject line.
- Your name as you wish is to appear on your issued certificate
- Your AMSAT member number. If you are not an AMSAT member, then state so.
- Attachment(s) providing proof of your qualifying contacts. Acceptable proof of each qualifying contacts is limited to scanned copies of a QSL card or a screen capture/printout of your LoTW confirmation. Acceptable email file attachments include .jpg and .png. You may also paste the images in a Word or Adobe PDF document.
After your email application has been accepted and approved, you will receive a reply email instructing you how to make your payment on the AMSAT Online Store. Your certificate will then be sent to you, using the shipping address you used with your online payment.
50th Anniversary AMSAT Satellite Friends of 50 Award
To achieve this award, you must work 50 amateur radio operators on any satellite (limit of 1 contact per day) during 2019. There is no requirement for operating at the same location for all contacts, as long as your home call sign is used somewhere in the operating call sign (e.g. KK5DO/MM, KK5DO/VE5, etc.).
The cost for this award is $15, plus postage. Certificates will be mailed upon receipt of payment. There will be no sequence number on the certificate.
To apply for this award, visit the AMSAT 50th Anniversary Award section in the AMSAT Online Store and select the 50th Anniversary AMSAT Satellite Friends of 50 Award. In the comment section, enter or copy and paste the required log information, which must include:
(1) Date, (2) UTC time, (3) Satellite name, and (4) Station worked.
EXAMPLE: 20190115 1835 AO-91 VE3ABC
Once you are satisfied with your entry, select PURCHASE and complete your payment method.
AMSAT on HF 50th Anniversary Award
To achieve this award, you must work at least one AMSAT Member on any HF band, in any mode, during 2019. In addition, there are additional level of this award, based on the number of AMSAT Members you contact on the HF bands:
- One AMSAT member contacted earns the basic OSCAR-1 award
- Seven AMSAT members contacted earns the AO-7 endorsement
- Twenty-Nine AMSAT members contacted earns the FO-29 endorsement
- Fifty AMSAT members contacted earns the SO-50 endorsement
- Ninety-Two AMSAT members contacted earns the AO-92 endorsement
- Two Hundred AMSAT members contacted earns the ISS endorsement
AMSAT member members are encouraged to call “CQ AMSAT 50” on any HF band/mode. The minimum exchange is your call, signal report, and your membership number. Life members use LM and your number.
Cost is $15, plus postage. Certificates will be mailed in early 2020. There will be no sequence number on the certificate.
To apply for this award, visit the AMSAT 50th Anniversary Award section in the AMSAT Online Store and select the 50th Anniversary AMSAT Satellite Friends of 50 Award. In the comment section, enter or copy and paste the required log information, which must include:
(1) Date, (2) UTC time, (3) Band, (4) Mode, (5) Station Worked, and (6) their AMSAT number.
EXAMPLE: 20190115 1835 20 CW W1ABC 1234
Once you are satisfied with your entry, select PURCHASE and complete your payment method.