IOWA’s NEPM Military-Amateur Cross-Band Activation for Pearl Harbor Remembrance

The Battleship IOWA Amateur Radio Association (BIARA) and the IOWA’s Innovation, Engineering and Technology Team (IET) will activate the ship’s original NEPM Navy call sign on December 7 and 8, 2024. Hours of operation both days are expected to be from 0700 PST (1500 UTC) to 1700 PST (0100 UTC).

This activation will be in memory of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and all the radio amateurs and aficionados who answered the call taking their skills into the military and civilian war efforts. Enjoy Radio at War (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUx_hqwHM1I) and Amateur Radio Before and During WWII (https://bw.billl.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Radio-History-03-Amateur-Radio-Before-and-During-WWII-By-Dan-Davis-W8LUX.pdf) to follow what amateur radio operators brought to bear during this period.

We thank the ARRL and their legal team for working with the Federal Communications Commission to obtain a waiver to Section 97.111(a) to allow appropriately licensed amateur radio operators to work NEPM for this limited event.

Amateurs are reminded that they may NOT transmit on the military frequencies issued to NEPM. Amateur radio operators must operate within the privileges of their licenses. Licensees of other countries not under the US’s FCC jurisdiction are advised to refer to the regulations imposed by their licensing agencies before calling NEPM.

Note that all phone operations are on UPPER SIDEBAND as the military does not authorize us to use LSB.

NEPM transmit frequency and mode:                              Expected listening frequency:

7.469 MHz USB/J3E                                                      7.261 MHz USB/J3E

12.382 MHz CW/A1A                                                     14.061 MHz CW/A1A

14.667 MHz USB/J3E                                                    14.261 MHz USB/J3E

19.160 MHz RTTY                                                         21.150 MHz RTTY

21.856 MHz USB/J3E                                                    21.361 USB/J3E

            Please note that listed listening frequencies are a starting point. The operator will tell you where we are listening to minimize your causing interference to stations in band that are not aware you are communicating with NEPM outside the amateur bands.

For an NEPM QSL please follow the instructions found on our Web site at https://biara.org.

The National Museum of the Surface Navy at Battleship IOWA will formally open on the US Navy’s 250^th birthday on October 13, 2025. Under the management of the Pacific Battleship Center the IOWA is open for tours from 1000 to 1600 Pacific Local Time year-round except Thanksgiving and Christmas. To arrange a visit to the Communication’s Center and BIARA’s radio operations or to guest operate NI6BB, you may email info@biara.org or w6hb@biara.org.