13 Colonies Event July 1–7
Post idea from WB9NBA — Roger Young.
Here is a great operating idea for SARC members: get on the air for the 13 Colonies Special Event.
The 13 Colonies Special Event is an annual, not-for-profit amateur radio event celebrating the original 13 American colonies. The event activates one station for each colony, K2A through K2M, along with three bonus stations: WM3PEN in Philadelphia, GB13COL in Great Britain, and TM13COL in France.[1][2]
For 2026, the event runs from July 1 at 9:00 AM Eastern Time through July 7 at midnight Eastern Time. In UTC, that is July 1, 2026 at 1300 UTC through July 8, 2026 at 0400 UTC.[1]
The goal is simple: make contact with as many colony and bonus stations as you can. You can make one contact, chase a few states, or go for a clean sweep by working all 13 colony stations and the three bonus stations.[2]
Event Snapshot
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | 13 Colonies Special Event |
| 2026 dates | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 AM Eastern Time through July 7, 2026 at midnight Eastern Time |
| UTC operating window | July 1, 2026 at 1300 UTC through July 8, 2026 at 0400 UTC |
| Main stations | 13 colony stations, K2A through K2M |
| Bonus stations | WM3PEN, GB13COL, and TM13COL |
| Clean sweep target | All 13 colony stations plus all 3 bonus stations |
| Spotting | Operators are encouraged to spot active stations for others, and the event site suggests DX Summit.[1] |
13 Colony Stations
Listen for these special event call signs:
| Call Sign | Colony |
|---|---|
| K2A | New York |
| K2B | Virginia |
| K2C | Rhode Island |
| K2D | Connecticut |
| K2E | Delaware |
| K2F | Maryland |
| K2G | Georgia |
| K2H | Massachusetts |
| K2I | New Jersey |
| K2J | North Carolina |
| K2K | New Hampshire |
| K2L | South Carolina |
| K2M | Pennsylvania |
Bonus Stations
| Call Sign | Bonus Station |
|---|---|
| WM3PEN | Philadelphia |
| GB13COL | Great Britain |
| TM13COL | France |
Quick Visual Graphs
Station Count Graph
13 Colony Stations | ************* 13 Bonus Stations | *** 3 Clean Sweep Target | **************** 16
Operating Window Graph
Start Finish July 1, 2026 1300 UTC |======================| July 8, 2026 0400 UTC July 1, 2026 9:00 AM ET July 7, 2026 Midnight ET
Bands, Modes, and Exchange
All HF bands are in play, including the WARC bands, with the exception of 60 meters. Simplex operation on 2 meters and 6 meters is encouraged. Because the special event stations are on the East Coast and are close to each other, the event site encourages the use of 40 meters through 160 meters for those closer-in contacts.[3]
Modes may include SSB, CW, RTTY, digital modes, and others depending on the individual colony state station.[3]
| Exchange Item | What to Send |
|---|---|
| Call sign | Your amateur radio call sign |
| Signal report | RS, RST, or RSQ, depending on mode |
| Location | State, province, or country |
The official exchange is call sign, RS/RST/RSQ, and state/province or country.[4]
For example, a SARC station might send:
N9RJV, 59, Illinois
How to Participate
This is also a good event for newer HF operators. The exchange is short, the stations are active, and there are many chances to practice listening, calling, logging, and handling pileups.
The event FAQ says participation is as easy as turning on the radio, listening for a 13 Colonies activating station calling CQ, and answering with your call sign, name, state, and RST. Operators can also monitor or search spotting networks such as DX Summit.[6]
flowchart TD
A[Turn on the radio] --> B[Listen for K2A-K2M or bonus stations]
B --> C{Hear a station calling CQ?}
C -- Yes --> D[Answer with your call sign]
D --> E[Send RS/RST/RSQ and state, province, or country]
E --> F[Log the contact]
F --> G[Spot the station for others when appropriate]
C -- No --> H[Check another band or a spotting network]
H --> B
Suggested SARC Operating Plan
| Operator Goal | Simple Plan |
|---|---|
| First-time special event operator | Try for one colony station and practice the exchange. |
| Casual operator | Work three to five colony stations on the bands and modes you already enjoy. |
| HF chaser | Track each K2A–K2M call sign and add bonus stations as they appear. |
| Clean sweep attempt | Work all 13 colony stations plus WM3PEN, GB13COL, and TM13COL. |
| Club helper | Spot stations after you work them and share useful band openings with other SARC members. |
Important Operating Notes
| Topic | Note |
|---|---|
| Spotting | If you work a colony station, the event encourages you to spot it for others.[1] |
| Repeat contacts | The FAQ says the event is not a contest and there is no limit on how many times you can contact the same activating station, but it asks operators who have already made contact to wait until a pileup clears before calling again.[6] |
| Personal logs | Participants do not submit logs to 13 Colonies. Only activating stations submit logs to the event, though participants are encouraged to upload their own logs to Logbook of The World, eQSL, QRZ, or another online logging database.[6] |
| Automatic operation | The FAQ states that automatic operation is not allowed. Software-assisted FT8 operation is permissible only when a designated control operator remains responsible for the station and can ensure proper operation when needed.[6] |
Certificates and QSL Information
Participants can request a 13 Colonies certificate after the event once the station logs have been uploaded. For 2026, the event site says there will be three ways to get a certificate: a free download, an online order for a printed certificate, or a mailed log form with payment.[5]
The certificate page says the link to order certificates will be posted on July 21, after the event team has time to compile logs from all 13 Colonies stations. Free downloadable certificates are expected to be available approximately two weeks after the event. Printed certificates cost $8.00 for U.S. stations and $10.00 for DX stations. The cutoff date to submit a 2026 certificate request is October 31, 2026.[5]
The 13 Colonies Special Event does not provide one QSL card for the whole event. Instead, each station may issue its own special QSL card, so check the individual station information through the QSL links on the official event website.[6]
flowchart TD
A[Make contacts during July 1-7] --> B[Wait for activating station logs to upload]
B --> C[Use the certificate request page after it opens]
C --> D{Choose certificate option}
D -- Free download --> E[Download certificate]
D -- Printed online order --> F[Order printed certificate]
D -- Mail request --> G[Mail log form and payment]
E --> H[Keep or print your certificate]
F --> H
G --> H
SWLs and DX Stations
Shortwave listeners can also qualify for the certificate. The SWL and DX page says one or all 13 stations logged qualifies an SWL, and DX stations are welcome to participate.[7]
A Little Background
The event was founded by Ken Villone, KU2US, in 2008 after he participated in the ARRL Sweepstakes and wanted to create a multi-station special event tied to the original 13 Colonies and the Fourth of July period. According to the event history page, the first year produced more than 12,000 contacts, and the 2010 event produced more than 32,000 contacts.[2]
Give It a Try
The 13 Colonies Special Event is a fun way to get on HF during Independence Day week, practice your operating skills, and add unique special event contacts to your log.
Thanks to Roger Young, WB9NBA, for suggesting this operating idea for SARC members.
For full details, station information, certificate instructions, and updates, visit the official event website at https://www.13colonies.us/.
References
- “The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event.” Publisher: The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event official website. Accessed July 3, 2026. Full URL: https://www.13colonies.us/ ↩
- “History | The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event.” Publisher: The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event official website. Accessed July 3, 2026. Full URL: https://www.13colonies.us/history ↩
- “Bands and Modes | The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event.” Publisher: The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event official website. Accessed July 3, 2026. Full URL: https://www.13colonies.us/bands ↩
- “Exchange | The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event.” Publisher: The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event official website. Accessed July 3, 2026. Full URL: https://www.13colonies.us/exchange ↩
- “Certificates | The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event.” Publisher: The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event official website. Accessed July 3, 2026. Full URL: https://www.13colonies.us/certificates ↩
- “Frequently Asked Questions | The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event.” Publisher: The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event official website. Accessed July 3, 2026. Full URL: https://www.13colonies.us/faq ↩
- “SWL & DX | The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event.” Publisher: The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event official website. Accessed July 3, 2026. Full URL: https://www.13colonies.us/swl_dx ↩