International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend: A Guide for Hams
Every August, hundreds of radio amateurs leave their shacks and set up beside lighthouses and lightships all over the world. They put up a wire antenna, switch on a transceiver and call everyone they can hear. The event is the International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend, usually shortened to ILLW, and it is one of the friendliest operating events in amateur radio. This guide explains what the ILLW website says about the event: what it is, when it takes place, why it is deliberately not a contest, how close to the light you have to be, what counts as a lighthouse, how to call CQ, and how to register. Always read the organizers’ current guidelines before you plan an operation.
What the ILLW Is
The ILLW website explains that August has become the international month for lighthouses. In the United States, August 7 is National Lighthouse Day, and during the first week of August American amateurs set up portable stations at lighthouses in an activity known as US National Lighthouse Week. In Britain the Association of Lighthouse Keepers runs the International Lighthouse Heritage Weekend on the same weekend as the ILLW, to encourage managers, keepers and owners to open their lighthouses to the public. The ILLW itself began in 1998 as the Scottish Northern Lights Award run by the Ayr Amateur Radio Group, and it has since grown into an event that the site says attracts over 500 lighthouse entries located in over 40 countries. The site also states that more than 90 countries have taken part over the years.
The purpose is stated clearly in the guidelines: to promote public awareness of lighthouses and lightships and their need for preservation and restoration, and at the same time to promote amateur radio and foster international goodwill, while remembering the dedication of those who served as lighthouse keepers. In other words, it is half radio and half heritage, and the public relations side is as important as the contacts. For background on the structures themselves, the Wikipedia article on lighthouses is a good reference.
Dates
The event is normally held on the third full weekend in August. For the next event, the site lists 00:01 UTC on 21 August 2027 to 24:00 UTC on 22 August 2027, which is 48 hours. The site also has entrants lists for 2026 and 2027, so you can see which lights are registered for which year, and reports from earlier years. If you read this guide months before the event, you have plenty of time to find a lighthouse and arrange permission, which is often the longest part of the planning.
Why It Is Not a Contest
The guidelines are firm on this point: the ILLW is not a contest. There are no prizes, certificates or other enticements to participate, and for that reason participation is free. Each station’s operators decide how they will operate in terms of modes and bands, within the terms of their amateur licence. Participants are not committed to being on the air for the entire period, only for as long as they can manage. There are no restrictions on antennas or power. The organizers ask that stations take time to work other lighthouses and lightships, as well as slow operators, newly licensed stations and QRP stations.
That attitude changes the way you operate. Instead of rate and multipliers, the aim is a friendly conversation and a chance to explain what you are doing. If you are used to the pace of a contest, our guide to the special event station gives a good model of the more relaxed approach that suits events like this one.
How Close to the Light Do You Have to Be?
The guidelines require that the station must be at or adjacent to the light. Adjacent means next to or as close as possible. Because space in many lighthouses is limited, the activity does not have to take place inside the tower itself: a field-day-type set-up at the light or in a building next to it is fine. The idea is that the station should have a visible presence for passing members of the public who visit the lighthouse over the weekend. Permission to operate from a lighthouse or lightship should be obtained from the relevant authorities, and the guidelines discourage operation from imitation lighthouses or lights on poles.
What Counts as a Lighthouse or Lightship
The definition is stricter than many newcomers expect. A lighthouse is generally a structure that is or has been listed officially as an aid to navigation in a recognized publication and that falls into the classic concept of a lighthouse: a substantial tower with an internal staircase, a revolving lens and a designated keeper at some point. Lighthouses moved to museums for historic reasons are also permitted. Being listed in an official document does not automatically qualify a structure; range lights, channel markers and breakwater lights are examples that may not qualify. Lightships are those that are or have been listed officially as floating aids to navigation, and lightships used as restaurants or other commercial operations are not acceptable. Faux lighthouses that were never an active aid to navigation are discouraged.
| Structure | Accepted by the ILLW? |
|---|---|
| Classic lighthouse listed as an aid to navigation | Yes |
| Lighthouse moved to a museum for historic reasons | Yes |
| Lightship listed as a floating aid to navigation | Yes, unless used as a restaurant or commercial operation |
| Range light, channel marker or breakwater light | Not automatically; listing alone does not qualify |
| Replica, miniature or decorative lighthouse | Discouraged and generally not on the entrants list |
| Light on a pole | Discouraged |
The site has a page of examples of lights that were submitted and rejected. If you are unsure whether your chosen light qualifies, read the guidelines page at illw.net guidelines before you register.
Frequencies, Modes and Calling CQ
Because the event is not a contest, you may operate on any authorized frequency and mode allowed by your licence. The organizers do not list particular frequencies, because more than 50 countries are involved and each has its own band plan. Digital modes are allowed. The guidelines say the main purpose is to show the public what amateur radio can do by making voice contacts with other lighthouse stations, and that an HF transceiver and a wire antenna tell the story best. They add that if you want to use FT8 there are no restrictions: these are guidelines, not rules. If you choose a digital mode, our guide to setting up WSJT-X for FT8 covers the basics.
To help other stations identify you, the site asks CW operators to add LT for lighthouse or LS for lightship when calling, and other operators to add the word LIGHT, LGT, LIGHTHOUSE or LIGHTSHIP after their call. Some stations also obtain a callsign with the letter L in the suffix to help others recognize them. A typical phone call would be “CQ lighthouse weekend, this is” followed by your callsign, then “lighthouse” again. If you are unsure how to give a clear callsign, the phonetic alphabet guide is useful.
Lighthouse Numbers
The organizers have compiled a list of lights that have taken part, with an identifying number for each. These numbers are there for use when conditions make it hard to understand the name of the lighthouse over the air. The list is not a definitive list of all lighthouses, and if your light is not in it you can leave the number field blank on the registration form; a number will be allocated after your entry is received, provided the structure complies with the guidelines. The numbers are mainly for use during the event. You can use any other reference number if a contact is chasing an award that requires a qualifying number.
Registering Your Station
Registration is optional, but it helps other people know which lighthouses will be on the air. The guidelines ask that multiple entries with different callsigns not normally be accepted unless there is a valid reason, though other callsigns can be used on the air. It is not unusual for a second registration to be submitted by a different group for the same lighthouse, and the organizers do not refuse it in the hope that the two groups can coexist. If you want to take part, review the registration form and the lights list on the website, choose a light that meets the guidelines and send your entry in good time.
Planning an Operation
- Choose and approach the light. Contact the owners or managers early and explain what you plan to do and who will come.
- Plan power and shelter. Lighthouses are often windy and exposed. Our guide to battery and power options for portable operation will help you choose a power source.
- Prepare for visitors. A poster, a few printed handouts and an operator who can talk to the public turn the weekend into a public event.
- Prepare a QSL. Many chasers want a card or an electronic confirmation, and our article on QSL card design shows what to include.
- Log carefully. Record the lighthouse number and name with each contact so that later requests are easy to answer.
Tips for Talking to the Public
The guidelines make clear that one of the aims is publicity, and that the organizers invite the press and, where the site allows, the public. That changes what a good operating position looks like. Put the table where visitors can see it, keep a headset spare so a child can listen to a real contact, and use a simple sign explaining that you are an amateur radio station taking part in an international event. A short written explanation of what you are doing, the name of your club and a way to contact it, will turn casual curiosity into an interested new member.
Keep the demonstration concrete. Visitors respond to hearing a station from another country, or from another lighthouse a few hundred kilometers away, much more than to technical explanations. If propagation is poor, a local VHF contact with another lighthouse group is a reasonable alternative, as long as it is within your licence and the spirit of the event. Always remember the weather: lighthouses are exposed, and a sudden change can make operating uncomfortable or unsafe, so have a plan for packing up quickly.
Common Mistakes
- Registering a light that does not meet the guidelines, such as a replica or a minor channel marker.
- Operating too far from the structure, so the public cannot see the station.
- Forgetting to obtain permission from the relevant authorities.
- Treating the weekend as a contest and rushing contacts, instead of giving attention to slow or new operators.
- Not logging the lighthouse number or name, which makes later QSL requests hard to handle.
How to Chase Lighthouses
You do not have to be at a lighthouse to enjoy the event. Many hams spend the weekend at home working as many lights as they can, using the entrants list to see which are active. The organizers invite you to give extra attention to the less experienced stations. If you also enjoy other portable programs, you may find the approach familiar from our guides to Parks on the Air and Islands on the Air, which also reward finding and working special locations.
The Bottom Line
The International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend is a free, relaxed, 48-hour event on the third full weekend of August in which amateurs operate at or next to lighthouses and lightships and everyone else tries to work them. It is not a contest, so there are no prizes, no mandatory frequencies and no power or antenna restrictions. Pick a qualifying light, get permission, register if you wish, call with LT, LS or LIGHT after your callsign, and make the most of the chance to show the public what amateur radio can do.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the ILLW held?
Normally on the third full weekend in August. The site lists 21 to 22 August 2027 for the next event, running 48 hours from 00:01 UTC on the Saturday.
Is the ILLW a contest?
No. There are no prizes, certificates or other enticements, and participation is free.
Do I have to be inside the lighthouse?
No. The station must be at or adjacent to the light, and a field-day-style set-up next to the lighthouse is acceptable.
Which modes and frequencies can I use?
Any authorized frequency and mode under your licence. The organizers prefer voice demonstrations but state that FT8 and other modes are allowed.
How do I identify myself as a lighthouse station?
CW stations add LT for lighthouse or LS for lightship, and others add LIGHT, LGT, LIGHTHOUSE or LIGHTSHIP after the callsign.
Is registration required?
No, but it is encouraged because it lets other stations know which lighthouses will be on the air.