This weekend, the International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW) will feature amateur special event stations at many of the world's lighthouses and lightships. Many will be using distinctive call signs. As always, it begins Saturday at 0001 UTC (Friday evening in the US), and lasts exactly 48 hours.
This has become a very popular event, attracting utility DXers along with hams seeking to work the lighthouses. From its creation by the sponsoring Ayr Amateur Radio Group 16 years ago, ILLW has grown from a few lighthouses to this year's 450 plus.
ILLW's on-air activity coincides with International Lighthouse Weekend, organized by the Association of Lighthouse Keepers, in which many of these iconic facilities will hold open houses at some point in the weekend. The goal is to promote public awareness of the continued value of lighthouses, and their keepers, in the GPS era. As many know, both are becoming endangered species.
Full details
KMZ file for Google Earth
List of all participants
