What better way to honor America’s 250th anniversary than by making QSOs with stations in the original 13 colonies? We can’t think of any at OnAllBands, so grab some sparklers, blast your preferred Sousa march, put on your favorite tri-cornered hat, and get ready for some serious star-spangled fun on the air!
13 Colonies (July 1-7, 2026) is the perfect fusion of history and ham radio. Celebrating its 18th year, this annual challenge has grown to become one of the most anticipated weeks on the amateur radio calendar. How anticipated? Last year, operators logged more than 264,000 QSOs in their quest to reach special event stations in Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.
In addition to breaking through large pileups to reach stations up the East Coast, operators will again have the challenge of making QSOs with three bonus stations: GB13COL (Great Britain), TM13COL (France), and WM3PEN (Philadelphia). Modes of operation (SSB, CW, RTTY, Digital, et. al.) are up to each colony/state and bonus station.
In honor of the 250th anniversary, there will be a specially designed certificate and unique QSL cards given out to participants.
There’s still time to give yourself an edge in pursuit of that clean sweep by visiting DXEngineering.com, where you’ll find shack upgrades including transceivers, HF amplifiers, antennas, antenna tuners, CW keys and paddles, high-quality coaxial cable, and more.
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