Subj : 13 Colonies Event Founder Passing the Reins After 16 Years
To   : QST
From : ARRL de WD1CKS
Date : Fri Jun 06 2025 02:25 pm

06/06/2025

The 13 Colonies[1] 2025, a popular summer operating event, will take place less
than a month from now, on July 1, 9:00 AM to July 7, midnight EDT (July 1 -
1300 UTC - July 8 - 0400 UTC).

This year the event will honor founder Ken Villone, KU2US, who is passing the
torch to Tony Jones, N4ATJ. Villone has led the event for 16 years by working
with state and bonus station coordinators and has grown from making
approximately 12,000 contacts in 2009 to making 292,496 contacts around the
world in 2024.

This year, one station will be operating in each of the 13 original British
colonies, K2A - K2M, along with three bonus stations - WM3PEN, Philadelphia;
GB13COL, England, and TM13COL, France - each representing their city, state, or
country's role in America's colonial period.�

Villone said event actually started 2008, right after he finished participating
in the ARRL Sweepstakes.

"I remembered how fun it was but I could not figure out why there were not more
of these types of special events on the air," said Villone. "So I decided to
try my luck and create one, for one year only, to see what happens and to have
some fun. I knew we had to offer a special QSL card and/or certificate plus
have on hand a printer and supplies. The hard part was deciding what the event
would commemorate and when to do this. I needed a theme that all could relate
to and the event would have to be the type with multiple event stations
involved, like the ARRL Sweeps."

"Then it hit me...13 colony states, during the 4th of July week and offer a
certificate with the theme for the year. I made sure the theme was different
each year with a different certificate design, to make it interesting and to
also make the cert collectable. The theme would highlight some event or thing
connected to the American Revolution."

"The inaugural event was held July 1st to the 4th, 2009, 4 days, with no
advertising except on QRZ. I had a hard time getting 13 different ops, one from
each colony state, but it worked out. All in all it was a success!"

Amateur radio operators and SWLs can participate in the event. Complete
information about the call for each colony station and the bonus stations can
be found on the event website[2] or on Facebook at 13 Colonies Special Event
Community[3].


[1] https://arrl.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0zMzU0MzkxJnA9MSZ1PTUyNTgxODI4NCZsaT0zODMyMTIyOQ/index.html
[2] https://arrl.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0zMzU0MzkxJnA9MSZ1PTUyNTgxODI4NCZsaT0zODMyMTIyOQ/index.html
[3] https://arrl.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0zMzU0MzkxJnA9MSZ1PTUyNTgxODI4NCZsaT0zODMyMTIzMA/index.html

---
� Synchronet � Whiskey Lover's Amateur Radio BBS