OnAllBands is devoting part of our contest guide to some of the special event stations on the air this August. You’ll find a nice selection of special events to keep you busy every month at the ARRL website.
We love the low-key fun and educational component of making QSOs with stations that bring attention to local and regional history, important landmarks, and people who have shaped our world. Here are a few to mark on your calendar:
King Midget Micro-Car 80th Anniversary
The Athens County, Ohio, Amateur Radio Association is celebrating the smallest street-legal car ever made in America—the King Midget. More than 5,000 King Midgets were manufactured in Athens, Ohio, by the Midget Motors Corporation from 1946-70, with the first kit models costing $270 and the 1970 “commuter” model marked at a still minuscule $1,295. At one point, the car was marketed as “the 500-pound car at $500.”
Depending on model speed and engine size, the small but mighty King reached top speeds of 30 to 50 mph. It is estimated that about 20% of the cars produced have survived. Even today, local and state regulations generally permit them for use on city streets and roads, but it’s best to steer clear of the highway.
From Aug. 6-9, dozens of these cars will visit Athens for the 80th Anniversary King Midget Jamboree.
For those who are wondering, the road-legal Peel P50, a three-wheeled micro-car (legally classified as a three-wheeled motorcycle) produced on the Isle of Man from 1962-65 and then from 2010 to present in England, was listed in the 2010 “Guinness World Records” as the smallest production car ever made.
Now back to the King Midget and ham radio: You can reach special event station K8M Aug. 5-9, 0000Z-2359Z, on 7.245 and 14.245.
National Navajo Code Talkers Day
In celebration of National Navajo Code Talkers Day (August 14, 2026), contact Herb Goodluck, N7HG, Aug. 8-14, 0024Z-0004Z, on 14.265 and 7.265.
For many years, hams around the world have contacted special event stations to honor the bilingual Navajo speakers who played a vital communications role while serving with the U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific theater during World War II. Translating English code words into their native language, the “code talkers” sent confidential messages from battle lines to air bases and other locations, saving countless lives yet going unnoticed for their bravery until much later after the war. President Ronald Reagan declared August 14 as National Navajo Code Talkers Day in 1982.
International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend
Taking place the third weekend in August, this annual 48-hour event is one of the most popular of all international amateur radio activities, attracting around 500 participants who operate from lighthouses in over 40 countries. The event runs this year from Aug. 15-16. View the list of registered lighthouses here, from the Punta Mogotes Lighthouse in Argentina to the Mumbles Lighthouse in Wales (below).
Read this OnAllBands article from Troy, AC8OW, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, about his club’s activation of the Marblehead Lighthouse, about two hours away from DX Engineering headquarters.
Steamboat Nannie Byers Disaster
The Clifty Amateur Radio Society (W9EFU) of Jefferson County, Indiana, will be operating special event station N9B in remembrance of the 15 lives lost after the collision of the steamboat “Nannie Byers” with the steamer “E.C. Hillman.” The collision occurred on February 24, 1866, at 2:30 a.m. on a windy night on the Ohio River near Madison, Indiana, causing the “Nannie Byers” to sink in four minutes.
Reach special event station N9B Aug. 15, 1400Z-2200Z on 28.328, 14.325, 7.250, and 20 and 10 meters FT8.
In addition to these special events, hone your skills before the year’s major blockbusters with these contests:
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- King Midgets on display at a Summit Racing car show. Summit Racing has been DX Engineering’s parent company since 2000. (Image/Summit Racing)
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- (Image/OnAllCylinders)
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- Dave, N8NB, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, received this card from the N7C special event station. (Image/DX Engineering)
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- (Image/MumblesLighthouse2 by Lilo Lil | CC BY 2.0)
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