If you'd like to submit the log of the 1 of 5+1 WAOARC 2026 activities please go to –> Activity Log Link

We encourage Short Wave Listeners (SWLs) to take part in WAOARC 2026. Short wave listening is inextricably a part of amateur radio. Your reports and QSL cards are always welcome. At the end of the WAOARC all SWLs that took part will receive a commemorative badge.

This year during WAOARC weekly SSB Net we will pass a six digit “SWL Token” for SWLs to copy and log.

Activate or hunt 6 character Maidenhead grid. Example grid: EL98dl. This is a tribute to the original WAOARC activity as designed by Simon - M0SMU. Examples of the activities:

• Mass POTA
• SOTA Day
• Radio on a bike
  

All participants are encouraged to come up with their own activations. Advertise on OARC Discord so that hunters can get points too by hunting them. Record of this activity will be submitted as Google online form. Activators can submit the form even if there are no OARC hunters, as long as they can support their activation. This means some pictures from the activity on Discord are encouraged. WAOARC team will not police this. We count, as any other time, on the honesty of our participants. However, if we spot foul play goings on, questions will be asked. This activity counts towards both Sapphire In and Checkin Award and Emerald Out and About Award.

Solve the riddle, receive transmission, profit! Examples of the activities:

• WSPR on Fx with “Call + number”
• APRS and figure out grids they were at
• Chain frequencies for every week - need to know all Fx to make the last one
• SSTV Beacon
  
• Go to a landmark and someone needs to make contact to ask you where you are

Radio Riddle is a new activity we will trial this year. The idea is that there is a riddle presented to the community every week on Friday. Could be a Discord message in #activity-hub, could be posting on the OARC Wiki page. This riddle will, upon solving, have information about time, band and maybe a mode of operation of the WAOARC Riddler. The riddler will for example beacon their message, make a contact, give another clue. Depending on the type of the riddle participants will log activity in the Google form, or wait for the next clue. This activity requires paying attention because the team will make it interesting. The riddles however will vary in level of complexity. There will be short and sweet riddles too. Solving the riddle and logging it counts towards WAOARC Sapphire In and Checkin Award.

Build WAOARC kit or your own kit/design The WAOARC kit was a great success. This year we will repeat the exercise. The kit should not be too hard to build and will serve a useful purpose. More info will follow. An attempt at building counts towards WAOARC Sapphire In and Checkin Award.

In this year's edition of WAOARC we encourage all members of Online Amateur Radio Community to construct a radio related project. Projects can be submitted by the teams as well as the individuals. All that submit a build will be awarded I build with OARC. Project needs to be built for the purpose of presenting it for this activity. Previously built projects might be considered at the discretion of the WAOARC team.

At the end for WAOARC all builders will get a chance to present their projects to the community.

WAOARC team will present an option to the WAOARC participants to group buy a WAOARC Builders Kit. WAOARC team will then check who is interested in the kit and will organise a group buy or otherwise deliver the kit.

• Kit Launch Presentation video (YouTube)
  
• WAOARC Kit Order Page (Google Forms)
  
• WAOARC Kit Software Guide
• WAOARC 2025 WSPR Kit Build - Construction Guide

From 1st of August to 31st of August WAOARC team will be active on air using three calls to collect:

* Lead operators might not be the only operators using the call.

To qualify for this activity, participants must make a contact with all three stations on any mode. This activity counts towards WAOARC Sapphire In and Checkin Award. If participants would like to activate any of the calls it will count to the Emerald Out and About Award. Special provision is made here as it might not be outdoors necessarily.

Worked All OARC 1 hour SSB net - MX0OUK - will take a place at 19:00 Irish Standard Time (18:00 UTC) every Thursday on 40m band. Frequency will be 7.121MHz +/- QRM. Activity will take place between Sunday 01^st of June 2025 and Sunday 31^st of August 2025.

This is the WAOARC staple. The added change to WAOARC net is a special SWL token. It is a six digit token exchanged during the net. All participants including SWLs can take a note of it and submit it with the log. Net takes place on Thursdays at 1800 UTC (1900 local in UK&I) on 40m band or sometimes on 80m band if conditions do not allow for 40m. Watch out for details in #activity-hub. This activity counts towards WAOARC Sapphire In and Checkin Award.

Special shout out to newly licenced amateurs, WAOARC nets are very friendly and accommodating. If you have never taken part in the net, WAOARC net is for you. We will do our best to make sure we can hear you. Often the net has 3 controllers in 3 different locations, one of us will hear you. We also make sure you can make contacts on the net.

Live SWL reports can be submitted directly on OARC Discord server. Click here to join OARC Discord. Otherwise live reports can be sent to [email protected] Thomas M5LGM

Activities organised by OARC members. Examples of the activities:

• 24h digital net
• WSPR Event
• JS8Call net with use of messages
• Show and tell or a talk (I built something here is how it works etc.)
• Digi nets
• Meet in person (at least 3 participants)
  

These are the community activities that are not portable square activation mentioned in the Portable Ops. These activities must be registered with Eoin M0NVK or Vic EI5IYB to qualify. They will be given a serial number that will be logged. In exchange these activities will be advertised on OARC Discord as an event. This is to make sure they are known and people can participate. We want to ensure that the organiser has fun during them, and maybe gets a little pile up! These activities will qualify towards both Sapphire In and Checkin Award and Emerald Out and About Award, depending on the activity’s nature.

As with the previous years at the end of WAOARC swag will be posted to the participants. More info to follow on the design.

Emerald Out and About Award - This medal is awarded to those OARC members who activated or chased 15 six character Maidenhead squares.

Sapphire In and Checkin Award - This medal is awarded to those OARC members who took part in at least 3 out of 5+1 different WAOARC activities.

Special “I build with OARC” Award - for those who submit their attempt at building of the WAOARC Kit or any other build during WAOARC.

WAOARC Badge - Every participant that logged at least one activity out of 5+1 WAOARC activities.

Important Note: This year is the last year that we will produce commemorative badges. This is the last chance to get one.

WAOARC Trustees - Vic “Main Suspect” EI5IYB | Eoin “Culpable” M0NVK

Portable Ops - Robin “Hood” G5OUT

Radio Riddle - Vic “Main Suspect” EI5IYB | Robin “Robbin” M0JQQ

WAOARC Build - Eoin “Culpable” M0NVK | Jon “Stenographer” GI3JMC | JD “Judge Dredd” ME1JDU

WAOARC Hunter Gatherer Trophy - JD “Thomas “Brief Bandit” M5LGM | Vic “Main Suspect” EI5IYB | JD “Judge Dredd” ME1JDU

WAOARC Weekly Nets - JD “Thomas “Brief Bandit” M5LGM | Larry - “Liable” M0LRY | Robin “Hood” G5OUT

WAOARC Support Team - Mark “El Marko” 2M0IIG | Shaun “Star Witness” M7WVV | Kevin - “Expert Witness” G7BCS

WAOARC Swag Team - Francis - “Objection” M0UKF | Chris “Cover Up” MM0UHR | Neil “Loophole” MI1NTC