IT'S TIME FOR REMEMBRANCE DAY - BUT WHAT TIME, EXACTLY?

It's that time of year when many hams prepare for the Remembrance Day Contest, a major amateur radio event here in Australia on the Saturday closest to the 15th of August. It marks the signing of the Armistice and Japan's unconditional surrender, ending the second World War in 1945. It honours amateurs who died in that conflict.

However, another potential conflict persists - one of time. The contest starts at 1300 Australian Eastern Standard Time, which is 0300 UTC on the 15th of the 8th month -- August - but observers of history know that the Armistice was signed later that year.

The answer is: radio! Although history records the signing correctly on September 2nd of that year, this important contest makes note instead of the time and date that Japan's Emperor Hirohito broadcast his nation's surrender over radio. He delivered an announcement at noon on the 15th of August. With Japan's time being UTC plus 9 hours, that places its timing at 0300 UTC. With AEST being UTC plus 10, that places the time at 1300 UTC.

Got that? We thank Michael Johnston, VK2HFN, president and secretary of the Central Coast Amateur Radio Club, for sorting this one out, all the while keeping an eye on the clock before the contest started.