Volunteers On The Air (VOTA) – Colorado

2023 is being celebrated by ARRL as “The Year of the Volunteer.” The first adventure has been announced as a project called “Volunteers On The Air (VOTA).” ARRL members get ‘points’ for each contact they make with another ARRL volunteer or member. So, if two ARRL members contact each other, they will each receive a point for that QSO. No special codes are required, no sequence numbers need to be exchanged, and no section information needs to be passed. Make contact with a fellow ARRL member, and you each receive a point. Both of you must upload the QSO to the Logbook of The World (LoTW) to receive the points. Your points are calculated when the QSO is matched. This could be an FT8, CW, simplex 2M FM, RTTY, or an SSB rag-chew contact.

To add more interest to the year-long operating event and help demonstrate the ARRL volunteer value, each level of volunteer activity has been assigned a point level which is shown in the table below. For example, if you contact the Colorado Section Manager, you’ll get 175 points for that one contact.

I’m hoping you will be able to get some certificates, or wallpaper, for your efforts. More details on this as they are fleshed out.

So, get your HF gear running, make sure your LoTW connection is working, and see you on the air!

VOTA Program Rules

These rules will be extended or revised, so please return here to check for updates. This operating event starts January 1, 2023, at 0000Z and ends December 31, 2023, at 2359Z. This event is for ARRL members. You can join or renew online at https://arrl.org/join/. All QSOs must be uploaded to the ARRL QSO matching system, Logbook of The World (LoTW). No repeater contacts are allowed. Contacts can not be made on the 12 M, 17 M, 30 M, 60 M, 630 M, or 2190 M bands. All other bands can be used. Contacts can be made on any legal mode of operation. You receive ‘points’ based on the volunteer level of the ARRL member you contact. Points range from 1 point for an ARRL member to 300 points for ARRL President Rick Roderick K5UR. The point levels are listed below. Each QSO will get only one point value. For example, someone who is a member, a life member, and an Assistant Section Manager will be worth the value of the highest role, 35 points, for the ASM role. Stations can contact each other once per band per operating mode: CW, Digital, Voice. So, each operator pair can count up to 3 QSOs on each band, one per mode.

Logbook of The World (LoTW)

The reporting for this VOTA effort will be handled automatically by the ARRL Logbook of The World (LoTD) QSO matching system. If you already log your QSOs from your favorite logging software and it uploads them to LoTW, you will automatically be participating. Your QSOs will be verified normally, and the callsigns of the hams you work will be searched to find the appropriate points (table shown below) that you receive for each QSO.

Setting up Logbook Of The World

If you aren’t set up to use LoTW, now is the time to set it up. The LoTW quick-start page is a great place to start, and the “What is LoTW Document” explains the whole process. You must authenticate yourself with the system by receiving a postcard mailed to your FCC-registered address. The TSQL program is used by your logging program, N3FJPN1MMDX Lab Suite, or something else to authenticate and upload to LoTW.

If you need help setting up your LoTW account, watch some YouTube videos, or contact your Elmer, or a local club.

W1AW/0 Portable Operations

As a part of the Year of the Volunteer celebration, the mystical callsign W1AW will be used portably to the corners of ARRL-land. Members in each state/territory will be asked to operate their stations for two different weeks using the callsign W1AW/x where x is one of the local regions: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, KL, KH0, KH2, KH6, KH7, KH8, KP2, KP3, or KP4. For example, Colorado’s first week starts May 24, 2023, at 0000z and will run through May 30, 2023, at 2359z, using the callsign W1AW/0. Each state coordinator will approve the time/band/mode slots throughout the week, and hams can operate their stations using W1AW/0. You can schedule your Colorado operating time by clicking this link at https://ok.arrl.org/w1awco/.

Traveling W1AW rules include:

  • Remember that each operator must follow the rules for their license class. Stay in the sub-bands that you’re legally allowed to operate in.
  • Operators can operate from anywhere in the state/territory.
  • Members that contact the portable W1AW stations will receive 5 points for those QSOs.
  • Each band/mode combination can be activated simultaneously. For example, N5OP could be working on 20 M SSB, N5OK could be working on 20 M CW, N5AZQ could be working on 20 M FT8, and N5HZR could be on 40 M SSB, all at the same time.
  • State operations start at 0000z each Wednesday.
  • State operations stop at 2359z the following Tuesday.
  • Operations should not happen on the 12 M, 17 M, 30 M, 60 M, or 2190 M bands.
  • All operation log files for the week must be consolidated into one ADIF file and sent to the state coordinator, to be uploaded to LoTW.

Volunteers Point Value Table

Note: These appointments are for current appointees unless otherwise noted. Eg: Assistant Director (AD) is only for the current Assistant Directors. Past office-holders and appointees are only eligible if the title listed includes the word “Past,” such as “Past Section Manager (PSM).”

Abbreviation Full Position/Title Name Point value
PRES ARRL President 300
PE President Emeritus 275
PP Past President 275
HVP Honorary Vice President 250
VP ARRL Vice President 250
DE Director Emeritus 225
DIR Director 225
PVP Past Vice President 225
VD Vice Director 200
SM Section Manager 175
OFF Staff Officer, Treasurer, Counsel 150
PD Past Director 150
PV Past Vice Director 125
ARRL W1AW ARRL HQ Station 100
CLM ARRL Charter Life Member 100
PSM Past Section Manager 100
DM ARRL HQ Department Manager 75
HQ ARRL HQ Staff Member/Volunteer 50
MAX Maxim Society Member 50
AC CAC/DXAC/ECAC Advisory Members 40
AD Assistant Director 40
ARDF Direction Finding Coordinator 35
ASM Assistant Section Manager 35
EMC Electromagnetic Compatibility Committee 35
LOTW Logbook of the World Committee 35
PRC Public Relations Committee 35
RF RF Safety Committee 35
YC Youth Committee 35
ACC Affiliated Club Coordinator 30
DEC District Emergency Coordinator 30
NCJ NCJ Editor 30
PIC Public Information Coordinator 30
QST QST Columnist 30
SEC Section Emergency Coordinator 30
SGL State Government Liaison 30
STM Section Traffic Manager 30
SYC Section Youth Coordinator 30
TC Technical Coordinator 30
DC Diamond Club Member 25
LAB W1INF Lab Museum Operations 25
LC W1HQ HQ Operations 25
CM Contest Managers/Log Checkers 20
QSM Incoming QSL Bureau Manager 20
VC Volunteer Counsel 15
VCE Volunteer Consulting Engineer 15
ADC Area Digital Coordinators 12
ADEC Assistant District Emergency Coordinator 12
ANM Area Net Manager 12
ASEC Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator 12
ASTM Assistant Section Traffic Manager 12
BM Bulletin Manager 12
EC Emergency Coordinator 12
LGL Local Government Liaison 12
OBS Official Bulletin Station 12
OES Official Emergency Station 12
ORS Official Relay Station 12
PIO Public Information Officer 12
RNM Region Net Manager 12
TCC Transcontinental Corps Directors 12
TS Technical Specialist 12
TA Technical Advisor 10
NM Net Manager 7
AM Awards Manager 5
CC Card Checker 5
INST Registered Instructor 5
State Abbrev W1AW/x around the USA (work each state twice) 5
VE Volunteer Examiner 5
QSL Incoming QSL Bureau Sorters 3
LM ARRL Life Member 2
AFF ARRL Affiliated Club Call Sign 1
MEM ARRL Member 1

Colorado Volunteers

Code First Name Last Name Call
OES Charles Rexroad AB1CR
TS Charles Rexroad AB1CR
ASEC Charles Rexroad AB1CR
EC Josephus De Groot AB1DO
DEC William Storey AB1LZ
EC Stephen Sant Andrea AG1YK
EC Jon Perelstein AI1V
EC Donald Gouin K1CMM
EC Marc Simont K1CTT
ORS Betsey Doane K1EIC
OES Betsey Doane K1EIC
ASM Betsey Doane K1EIC
ORS Barbara Lombardi K1EIR
OES Barbara Lombardi K1EIR
ORS Lawrence Buck K1HEJ
OBS Lawrence Buck K1HEJ
PIO Martin Diamond K1MGD
OES Michael Gardner K1MLG
ORS Michael Gardner K1MLG
ADEC Michael Gardner K1MLG
PIO Michael Sperber K1NAS
EC Roger Jeanfaivre K1PAI
OES Roger Jeanfaivre K1PAI
OES Donald Moore K1QPN
PIO S Khrystyne Cracraft-Keane K1SFA
DEC Steven Williams K1SJW
ORS Anne West K1STM
STM Anne West K1STM
SEC Philip Crombie K1XFC
OES Leeann Grimaldi K1YKH
EC Theodore Jansen K1YON
EC Michael Abramowitz KA1EOU
EC Henrietta Horvay KA1JVN
TS Eugene Modzelewski KA1RJQ
EC Albert Petrunti KA1TCH
PIO Dana Borgman KA1WPM
EC Dana Borgman KA1WPM
PIC Dana Borgman KA1WPM
TS Dana Underhill KB1AEV
EC Bernard Dubb KB1DGY
EC Quentin Hinton KB1EWM
EC Frank Cassella KB1IFX
EC Cameron Chandler KB1JLG
EC John Will KB1LYP
ORS Ethel Kramer KB1NMO
NM Ethel Kramer KB1NMO
TS Edward Cholakian KB1OIE
EC Christina Martin KB1QFW
ORS Robert Gale KB1RGQ
ADEC Paul Gibb KB1TOR
ORS Wilton Hawes KB1UAU
ORS Christopher Perreault KB1YNE
ADEC Michael Goldweber KB3IXO
EC Kevin Bradley KC1GLN
ORS William Curlew KC1JTS
ADEC Timothy Rodgers KC1TWR
EC Josh Johnston KE5MHV
ADEC Oscar Fuller KO1F
EC Craig Kalley N1ABY
OES Craig Kalley N1ABY
OES Steven Clark N1AD
EC William McCasland N1AKF
TS Jon Krijgsman N1BDF
ORS Philip Zocco N1BOW
ASEC Wayne Gronlund N1CLV
ASM Wayne Gronlund N1CLV
ORS James Clarke N1DIO
OES Richard Martin N1DWM
OES Jeffrey Sutton N1ESA
ASEC Rod Lane N1FNE
EC Gary Adams N1GSA
EC James De Marest N1GTW
TS Paul Danzer N1II
TS James Pompano N1KLB
PIO Larry Garvin N1LFG
OES Michael Therrien N1MD
ORS Chip Griffin N1MIE
TS David Malicki N1OFJ
EC Richard Lachnicki N1UIL
TS Bruce Marcus N1XG
OES Michael Grimaldi N1YKH
PIO Leonard Schachter N3RPQ
ORS Christopher Soulias NK1J
EC Douglas Gerard NP2GG
PIO Peter Miller W1AMJ
EC John Spigel W1AN
ADEC David Wilcox W1DJW
EC David Heiden W1DVE
ADEC Joseph Getlein W1FAI
PIO Alexander Cohen W1FXQ
OES Donald Izzo W1FYG
TS Edward Harper W1FYM
OBS Joseph Ull W1GDZ
EC Timothy Walker W1GIG
TS Michael Loukides W1JQ
NM Michael Tucker W1MCT
SM Nicholas Kozloff W1NSK
OES W1OKY
OES W1OKY
OES Peter Turbide W1PT
ADEC Harlan Ford W1QH
EC Daniel Fegley W1QK
ASM Pete Chamalian W1RM
TC Steven Simons W1SMS
EC Vincent Alianiello W1VJA
ORS Frank Van Cleef W1WCG
EC Edward Snyder W1YSM
ACC Edward Snyder W1YSM
NM Daniel Wall W1ZFG
TS Mx Asuna Gilfoyle W2FUR
TS Mx Asuna Gilfoyle W2FUR
PIO Mx Asuna Gilfoyle W2FUR
EC William McCasland W7YY
EC Raymond Irwin WA1FFT
OBS Stanley Horzepa WA1LOU
DEC Douglas Sharafanowich WA1SFH
SYC Douglas Sharafanowich WA1SFH
EC William Kerber WA2ILY
EC Mark Hertzberg WA2IZQ
SGL Jonathan Beatty WF1H
EC Jonathan Beatty WF1H
OES Harold Kramer WJ1B
EC Gregory Davis WR1Z
EC Ronald Klimas WZ1V
EC John Thomas