Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society
Encyclopedia
Founded in 2000 by Jim Weidner, K2JXW, the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) is devoted to maritime
communication
s, amateur radio
, lighthouse
s, and lightship
s. Its members frequently travel to lighthouses around the world where they operate amateur radio equipment at or near the light. Collecting lighthouse QSL
s is popular for some amateur radio operators. ARLHS is a membership organization with over 1665 members worldwide as of July 2009.
Initial registration and membership is US dollars $25 and each renewal thereafter is $20. Once a member, always a member. The member number is never reassigned or given to someone else, even if the subscriber becomes inactive or fails to renew yearly. A yearly convention is held in October each year. In 2010 the gathering will be in Biloxi, Mississippi
. In years past it has been held in Solomons, Maryland
, St. Simons, Georgia
, Port Huron, Michigan
, and other sites. Membership benefits include a newsletter
, email reflector, extensive awards program, lighthouse expedition sponsorship, certificates, embroidered shoulder patch, the world's most complete list of every known light beacon in the world capable of supporting a ham station (over 15,000 entries at last count—see "World List of Lights" info below), an extensive web site at http://arlhs.com, and much more. The ARLHS has been featured in national magazines, such as CQ and WordRadio. Jim Weidner remains its founding President; and Jim buffington, K5JIM, is Vice President. Club call sign is KC2HOU and web site is http://arlhs.com
(ATN) and can reasonably accommodate an amateur radio operation. Lights that are no longer in existence, but were once an ATN, also show up on the list, designated as historical. With over 14,000 entries, the WLOL is one of the most complete lighthouse catalogs in existence.
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
s, amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
, lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
s, and lightship
Lightvessel
A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction...
s. Its members frequently travel to lighthouses around the world where they operate amateur radio equipment at or near the light. Collecting lighthouse QSL
QSL
QSL is one of the Q codes used in radiocommunication and radio broadcasting. A Q code message can stand for a statement or a question . In this case, QSL? means "do you confirm receipt of my transmission?" while QSL means "I confirm receipt of your transmission". Some also take it to mean "Query...
s is popular for some amateur radio operators. ARLHS is a membership organization with over 1665 members worldwide as of July 2009.
Initial registration and membership is US dollars $25 and each renewal thereafter is $20. Once a member, always a member. The member number is never reassigned or given to someone else, even if the subscriber becomes inactive or fails to renew yearly. A yearly convention is held in October each year. In 2010 the gathering will be in Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....
. In years past it has been held in Solomons, Maryland
Solomons, Maryland
Solomons is a community and census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,536 at the 2000 census...
, St. Simons, Georgia
St. Simons, Georgia
St. Simons is a census-designated place located on St. Simons Island in Glynn County, Georgia, United States. Both the community and the island are commonly considered to be one location, known simply as "St. Simons Island", or locally as "The Island". St...
, Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
, and other sites. Membership benefits include a newsletter
Newsletter
A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. Newspapers and leaflets are types of newsletters. Additionally, newsletters delivered electronically via email have gained rapid acceptance for the same reasons email in...
, email reflector, extensive awards program, lighthouse expedition sponsorship, certificates, embroidered shoulder patch, the world's most complete list of every known light beacon in the world capable of supporting a ham station (over 15,000 entries at last count—see "World List of Lights" info below), an extensive web site at http://arlhs.com, and much more. The ARLHS has been featured in national magazines, such as CQ and WordRadio. Jim Weidner remains its founding President; and Jim buffington, K5JIM, is Vice President. Club call sign is KC2HOU and web site is http://arlhs.com
World List of Lights
To facilitate efficient information exchange between amateur radio operators when communicating from lighthouses, the ARLHS maintains a catalog of lighthouses called The World List of Lights (WLOL). Its main feature is a short, unique and easily transmitted identification number for each lighthouse. The WLOL lists any lighthouse that is or was an Aid to NavigationNavigational aid
A navigational aid is any sort of marker which aids the traveler in navigation; the term is most commonly used to refer to nautical or aviation travel...
(ATN) and can reasonably accommodate an amateur radio operation. Lights that are no longer in existence, but were once an ATN, also show up on the list, designated as historical. With over 14,000 entries, the WLOL is one of the most complete lighthouse catalogs in existence.