The Pennsylvania Keystone Award (PKA) was created to promote two way contact with Amateur Radio stations in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The award is given to amateurs who directly contact 100 different Pennsylvania amateur radio stations. No retransmitted contacts may be counted, including repeater and digital retransmissions, of course. Applying is easy – no QSL cards are required. If you already have a PKA certificate in your shack you can earn endorsements for it as well.
Many amateurs apply for the award after participating in the annual Pennsylvania QSO Party in October. This event is the most popular QSO party in the United States.
History
The PKA award was created over 60 years ago. The program was dormant for a period and revitalized in 1992. The award has always been sponsored by the Harrisburg Radio Amateurs’ Club. The organization has over 150 members from south central Pennsylvania and has been an ARRL affiliated club for 50 years. Today over 420 PKA awards have been issued to amateurs worldwide.
Endorsements
An endorsement is available for working 100 different Pennsylvania amateur radio stations in any calendar year after the year the certificate is originally issued.
Application
Send an alphabetical-by-call list of 100 different Pennsylvania stations worked. The list must include:
-
Station Call
-
Date
-
Time
-
Band
-
Mode
The following statement must also be made on the submission:
“I certify that the above list is a true record of the contacts of Amateur Radio Station ______”.
(Please see the “Charges” and “Submissions” sections below to complete and transmit your application package.)
Charges
United States and possessions: $3.00 US. There is no charge for endorsements.
Outside the U.S.: 3 International Reply Coupons (IRCs)