Worked All Twitter 2020, the ninth anniversary.
On the Thanksgiving before establishing her ham creds with an epic cross-country venture*, Connie @NR4CB announced a Twitter operating event. Thanksgiving week would become an opportunity for hams to arrange and make contacts over the air for fun. There’s Worked All States, and Worked All Continents, so why not Worked All hams on Twitter?
There are no prizes other than bragging rights and connecting with hams on another level. Since it’s not a contest, all bands and all modes are valid. AB4UG (@imabug) captured the spirit of #WATwitter on his blog. Here are the updated guidelines:
WATwitter Guidelines
This year the WATwitter Thanksgiving QSO party will take place between November 25-29, 2020. These are some guidelines proposed by Connie/NR4CB for the WATwitter Thanksgiving QSO Party
Who: Any licensed operator who also uses Twitter
Where: All bands, all modes. To let as many people as possible participate, use the portion of the band open to the most people, i.e. the technician portion of 10m, the general class portion of 20m, etc
Exchange: Your normal exchange plus your Twitter handle, especially if it’s not your call sign
Spotting: Self-spotting is practically required. Tweet your frequency, interact with people on Twitter, and get other people to meet you on the air at a specific time and frequency.
Hashtags: #WATwitter and either #hamr or #hamradio
Why: Connect with people using both social media and on the air
Have fun! Log your contacts, tweet your tallies to others, but there are no scores or awards.
So make the best of being stuck at home this year. Or invite your guests into your shack to share the fun. It’s always fun to throw a #WATwitter into your QSO throughout the year as you work another Twitter buddy on the air.
See past activity on Twitter.
* Connie didn’t have a blog at the time of her journey, and what she put together afterwards is gone. Here are some of her memories about that time:
I can tell you how it started. Pretty sure it was Thanksgiving 2010. I was first licensed in June 2010, and I was on vacation from my job that I was then later laid off from in April 2011. A year later I was in school full time but still had time off over Thanksgiving. Went home again, but this time with a plan to do #WATwitter instead of its being spontaneous. My mom was still alive then. She died in Feb 2012. Then worked toward planning that road trip, starting the blog, etc.
All bands. All modes. Starts Wednesday the day before the US Thanksgiving holiday. Goes through the Sunday after the US Thanksgiving holiday. Exchange includes your Twitter name. Goal is to turn online friends into on the air friends.
One thing I remember somebody telling me on Twitter when I’d go home to dad’s house (and have access to an HF rig) is that “everybody wants to work NR4CB. She’s more rare than North Korea.” Still cracks me up. Dad is WA4BXC.