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IOTA FAQFAQ about IOTA - Frequently Asked Questions about Island On The Air award What is IOTA ? IOTA is: Island On The Air. IOTA award was created 30 years ago by Geoff Watts,(an English SWL). Since 1985 RSGB manage IOTA program, devoted to Island Chasers (DXers interested to make contacts with islands worldwide). In IOTA award, Islands are grouped into "groups" (because they are far too many!). Sometimes an Island can count as separate. Every group, is identified by a REFERENCE NUMBER. (i.e. EU-005, that is Great Britain), and don't matter which Island of the group You work. Your goal is to contact major number of IOTA groups. There are several IOTA awards available, graded in difficulty. Basic IOTA award can be obtained when you have a confirm from a minimum of 100 different IOTA groups. IOTA award is a fast growing award, where You can be an Hunter or a IOTA activator. You can feel the emotion to be the PileUp master, without going to a rare DX site. If You live near the sea, surely there is an Island listed on IOTA Directory, where You could go. There are many Island Maniacs worldwide, that expect Your DXpedition! Every day there are many Islands active on the air, and You can participate into PileUp to increase your IOTA score. How to participate to IOTA program ? To participate to IOTA program, you must obtain a IOTA Directory, that is a book with all detailed rules, complete list of world groups with relative reference numbers and checklist. When you obtain a IOTA Directory, you receive a Directory number, (i.e. I-002 for Italy). The Directory number is personal and permits You to obtain IOTA awards and endorsements. After You have obtained the requested numbers of IOTA groups for the basic awards, You must submit QSLs to Your local IOTA Check Point and wait for the award certificate. You can find information about IOTA Island activity, in magazines, Packet Clusters, BBSes and now in Internet, reading messages, reports and bulletins (like Island News Bulletin, edited by IK1TZO and posted on rec.radio.amateur.misc Usenet Newsgroup. If You have an Internet access You can receive a copy of Island News Bulletin (INB) via e-mail, sending a message to IK1TZO@inrete.alpcom.it with the word "subscribe" into message. If You have questions about IOTA not covered in this FAQ file, please refer to Your local Check Point or Country Assistant, or send an e-mail to me: IK1TZO@inrete.alpcom.it How to obtain IOTA Directory ? Following points are the only authorized from IOTA Committee to distribute IOTA Directory: Italy : (Italian paper version, Italian/English software version for EasyLog 4) Microware Software North America only: French: Les Nouvelles DX (LNDX) German: Hans Georg Goebel, DK1RV German Braille: Polish: Rafal Krawiec, SP6TPM Portuguese: Russian: Spanish: Remember: Who is my authorized Checkpoint ? Check Point IOTA, are Hams, authorized from IOTA Committee to validate Your QSL cards. They are: UK, Ireland, Portugal, Spain France, Germany Italy All other European countries USA and all Caribbean andPacific island
stations with US Zip codes Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific Africa, Asia, Centraland South America DXCC Countries Islands are valid IOTA references ? The Countries Islands count separately. An island shared by two or more DXCC countries count as a single credit. Largest islands with a size of more than 25,000 square miles count separately. What are the IOTA frequencies ? The main frequency is 14.260 MHz. CW frequencies are: It is recommended that operations should include a frequency above 7.025 when the band is open to North America. 14.260 is the frequency used from nets around the world for information when band is open to North America.
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