Volunteers On The Air (VOTA) – Iowa

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 Bruce Dagel WB0GAG, the Iowa 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, Iowa’s first week starts May 3, 2023, at 0000z and will run through May 9, 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 Iowa operating time by clicking this link at https://ok.arrl.org/w1awia/.

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

Iowa Volunteers

Code First Name Last Name Call
NM Mark Lukins AB0DX
EC Mark Lukins AB0DX
TS Ken Warren AD4OS
OES Thomas Bicket AE0TB
EC Thomas Bicket AE0TB
ASEC Thomas Bicket AE0TB
EC Timothy England AE0TI
ADEC Timothy England AE0TI
EC Timothy England AE0TI
DEC Joseph Hoepfner AE5EI
STM Joseph Hoepfner AE5EI
EC Benjamin Jutting K0BJJ
DEC Michael Rosenblatt K0BMW
NM Michael Rosenblatt K0BMW
EC Tom Decker K0FBP
EC Leonard McClellan K0FFX
EC Clint Miller K0GR
OES Pastor Clark Pantel K0IIR
ASEC Michael Vititoe K0ISP
ASEC Michael Hartley K0IVY
ADEC Keith Schmidt K0MST
EC Ronald Vought K0RJV
EC J Goetsch K0RTF
EC Dan Case K0WOI
EC Anthony Lawson K9ADL
EC Gerald Johannsen K9STP
ASEC Alan Kakac KA0EQM
EC Robert Spangler KA0WJZ
EC Robert Crawford KA0YKC
EC Dave Cooper KA9OZP
EC Van Kaiser KB0NBE
OES Michael Sullivan KB0THC
EC Jim Currie KB0TLC
TS Allen Jones KB0VGG
OES John Titsworth KC0HYD
OES Evan Bachtell KC0NJO
ADEC Evan Bachtell KC0NJO
OES Clair Franzen KC0RFN
EC Anthony Shackleford KC0RJL
EC Cory Bennett KC0RY
EC Larry Locke KD0GFY
OES Scott Schabacker KD0GFZ
EC Scott Schabacker KD0GFZ
OES Donald Kirchner KD0L
EC Glenn Thorne KD0Q
EC Brad Proctor KD0WFX
OES Robert Buelow KD4WNH
EC Jason Knapton KE0EJS
ADEC Jason Knapton KE0EJS
EC Josh Boehmer KE0HBR
ORS Jeffery Bixby KE0MBX
ACC George Riedell KE0RG
EC Kenneth Mehrhoff KE0YR
OES Alain Zarinelli KE3R
EC Cory Ryan KF0CVR
EC Robert Hoting KF0EHL
NM Douglas Beard KF0VF
NM Tom Sawyer KT0M
OES Chris Conklin N0CF
OES Richard Allen N0CFL
EC Ronnie Smith N0EJD
OES Kenneth Gray N0FRQ
EC Michael Johnston N0FUK
NM Gregory Ross N0GR
EC Mitch Carroll N0ISU
TS James Joseph Goudy N0JG
OES Billy McCall N0KJ
LGL Billy McCall N0KJ
LGL Leonard Thompson N0LCT
EC Cary Richardson N0MRZ
EC Scott Kirstein N0OOD
EC Drue Powers N0OSC
EC John Owens N0RHS
EC Neil Johnson N0SFH
ORS Steve Miller N0SM
OES Thomas Reis N0VPR
OES John Breeding N0XOA
EC Lynn Reasor N0XOB
EC Eric Grams N0ZJT
EC Christopher Ciesla N2RDP
TS Michael Ihry N5KB
SYC Mark Colby N8TWO
EC Donald Brown W0AF
EC Charles Angel W0ALO
ASEC Craig Hoepfner W0CAH
EC Clayton Conard W0FS
OES Robert Eastwood W0RJE
ORS David Hallock W0SS
EC Donald Johnson W0WND
ORS Lester Entringer W0YLS
DEC Paul Cowley W0YR
EC Colin Wheatley W9UPK
ORS Marlin Gilman WA0AUX
EC Brian Nitzschke WA0IUG
EC Paul Cartwright WA0PAC
EC Michael Howard WA0SPG
SM Lelia Garner WA0UIG
SEC Lelia Garner WA0UIG
EC Dale Svetanoff WA9ENA
TS Dale Svetanoff WA9ENA
EC Larry Newby WB0B
EC Stanley Siems WB0EMJ
SGL Alan Erickson WB0OAV
EC Keith Carpenter WD0FIA
EC William Theisen WT0V
TS William Theisen WT0V
TS Francis Harrington
EC Arnold Krauel
OES John Nelson