Exercise Blue Ham  provides an opportunity for Cadet radio operators to experience distinctive styles of radio operating, CCF (ARMY), ACF and SCC may participate in Exercise Blue Ham.

 

RAFAC Callsigns will be active 0700-1700 UTC over the weekend 18-19 October 2025.

 

OBJECTIVE

The exercise will deliver safe and rewarding training activities for cadets to:

Improve their communication skills.

Provide an environment that is challenging and interesting.

 

OPERATING TECHNIQUE 

RAFAC and Cadet stations use standard ICAO – NATO radio procedures. To provide the opportunity for Cadet operators to interact with different operating techniques. Radio Amateur radio operators are requested not to adopt the ‘Cadets’ radio procedure but maintain their own personal amateur radio style of operating.

 

OPERATING 

Phase One

Initial contact will be the customary exchange of the following information.

It is required for the station Blue Ham contact log.

* Time (Zulu)

* Frequency in use

* Contact Callsign

* Radio Check results

* Contact Location (Maidenhead Locator)

* Contact Transmitter Power

* Contact Antenna Type

* Contact Antenna Direction

Others information is optional like equipment Make and Model, operator name, location, local weather conditions, will also be logged by the Cadet operator.

In the interest of Safety, Cadet operators will maintain the formality of RAFAC radio procedure, no operator names, personal amateur callsigns or actual unit location will be given.

Cadet units will use the Maidenhead Locator square to give a 6-character reference of the Unit location.

 

OPTIONAL – Phase Two

Exercise Ice Breaker

Repeating of the initial contact information listed at Phase One in second or subsequent contacts with a Callsign already contacted may become boring for both Cadet and Amateur operators.

An OPTIONAL extension to the exercise has been included.

The Amateur station may be asked if they are willing or able to participate in Phase two, ‘Ice Breaker.’

Participation in Ice Breaker

The following information is required for the Contact Log.

* Time (Zulu)

* Frequency in use

* Contact Callsign

* Radio Check results

If conditions are favourable and the other station is prepared to participate in Ice Breaker, the exchange of the message and reply can take place.

 

Maidenhead Locator Encode

Using https://dxcluster.ha8tks.hu/hamgeocoding/

Taking RAF Cranwell as an example, the Maidenhead Locator square 6-character reference for RAFAC HQ at RAF Cranwell is: IO93RA, an identifiable feature is located at IO93RA88OS.

The simple message would be what is located at,

IO93RA88OS.

The reply would be Lord Trenchard statue (RAF Cranwell).

Or if the Maidenhead locator is given as IO91XM01TU

the reply would be the Ravens Enclosure (Tower of London).

 

Maidenhead Locator Decode

Using https://hamnut.com/geocode/locator

Type in the 8 or 10- character Locator to identify the location or feature.

 

EXERCISE BLUE HAM FREQUENCIES

RAFAC stations should change (QSY) to a new exercise frequency every 20 minutes.

Note If operating on SUNDAY, RAFAC stations will vacate 5.398.5 kHz from 15:00 to 1530 UTC. The frequency will be used by the GB2RS News Broadcast.

 

RAFAC SPOT FREQUENCIES IN THE MOD 5MHz (Shared) BAND

Frequency

Blue Ham Channel

Assignment – Use

5278.5 kHz

1

 

5298.5 kHz

2

 

5301.0 kHz

3

 

5304.0 kHz

4

 

5320.0 kHz

5

 

5335.0 kHz

6

 

5354.0 kHz

7

WRC-15 Allocation, available to European radio amateurs

5363.0 kHz

8

WRC-15 Allocation, available to European radio amateurs

5365.0 kHz

9

 

5366.5 kHz

10

Not in use for Exercise Blue Ham

5369.0 kHz

11

 

5371.5 kHz

12

 

5379.0 kHz

13

 

5395.0 kHz

14

 

5398.5 kHz

15

Not to be used 1500-1530 UTC on Sunday

5403.5 kHz

16

Available in the US and Canada