W8USR - Special Events

Kentucky Statehood Bicentennial On-Air Celebration

The Special Event

In June 1992, the Commonwealth of Kentucky celebrated its 200th anniversary of statehood, commemorating its June 1, 1792 entry into the Union as the 15th state. The official Kentucky Bicentennial Commission organized synchronized statewide events across all 120 counties. Because it was a major historic milestone, amateur radio operators across the Bluegrass State launched a massive on-air celebration over the peak weekend of June 6–7, 1992. The purpose of the activation was to promote Kentucky’s rich history, hand out rare Kentucky county contacts to operators worldwide, and celebrate 200 years of the Bluegrass State.

This specific event took place at Bowling Green, Kentucky under the callsign WA4QMQ. The call sign belongs to Dr. John W. Reasoner, a long-time, active amateur radio operator. John is a highly decorated operator in the global amateur radio community, having achieved the prestigious ARRL DXCC Honor Roll—meaning he has confirmed contacts with nearly every country on Earth. He is a member of the Western Kentucky DX Association and the Southeastern DX Club. By operating from Warren County in south-central Kentucky, the station provided an essential contact for hams chasing regional awards or trying to sweep all of Kentucky’s counties during the bicentennial window.

On the morning of my contact with them, I caught the late-morning ionospheric opening, where the 20-meter and 40-meter bands were wide open for strong, clear regional and national communications.

The Equipment Used at the Event

The station was anchored by a legendary 1970s tube-driven HF transmitter prized for its warm audio—the Drake Transmitter T4XC—paired with the Drake R4C Receiver. Together, they formed a "Drake twin" station, sharing the receiver’s highly accurate analog VFO (Variable Frequency Oscillator) to stay perfectly on the same frequency. To go along with the pair, a Heathkit SB-200 Amplifier provided a heavy-duty signal bump up to roughly 600–1200 watts. Finally, the antenna system included a directional Yagi beam antenna for the higher bands and multi-band wire dipoles for the lower bands.

The bicentennial activation heavily utilized the High Frequency (HF) bands to ensure nationwide reach. The primary Bands used throughout the weekend were 20 Meters (14 MHz), 40 Meters (7 MHz), and 10 Meters (28 MHz).

Station Log: Contact History

Date / Year	Special Event Call	My Callsign Used	Time (UTC)	Frequency	Band	Mode	Operator's Name
June 6, 1992	WA4QMQ	N8SWQ	15:22 UTC	7.242 MHz	40 Meters	SSB	John