CHOTA 2026

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3 August 2026 | by Frank K4FMH | Share | | Leave a Comment (0)

Go to Church on September 12, 2026…and Bring a Radio!

20M US-UK calling frequency at top of each hour: 14.247MHz

It’s nearing the time of Churches and Chapels on the Air again! Here in the U.S., Churches and Chapels on the Air (CHOTA) is a fairly new concept. A few years ago, I was fortunate to play a leading role a couple in getting a few operators on this side of the pond to get on the air for this very special event. For over a half century now, it has been led by WACRAL, The World Association of Christian Amateurs and Listeners. As a regular participant, I recently received this email from WACRAL:

Thanks to all who have entered CHOTA this year – Saturday 12 September. If you are hoping to put a station on and have not let me know please reply to this email.The latest list should be on the WACRAL site. Many thanks for your support over the last 20 years CHOTA has been running. With every Blessing , 73 John G3XYF

Please send your entry info to John G3XYF directly (not through me) at: [email protected].

This year, Mike N5DU and I will be activating the historic St. Marks Episcopal Church in Raymond MS. I’ve been there several times both during and outside of Sunday services. At the top of every hour, we plan to QSY to the 20 meter band with a target of 14.247 mhz in order to attempt to “jump the pond” and work UK stations. Let’s make that happen this year although it will require UK stations to stay on beyond the usual 4pm UTC ending mark.

Here is a bit of history for this beautiful historic church:

St. Mark’s Episcopal, the oldest church structure in the town of Raymond, Mississippi, was organized as a congregation in 1837. However, the church was not built until 1854. The National Register of Historic Places makes reference to St. Mark’s … “The church dates from the same time as most of the antebellum homes in town. The church utilizes both Greek and Gothic revival motifs. ” During the Civil War the church suffered a great deal of damage while being used as a hospital for Union soldiers. In 1866 Bishop Green stated … “the church was robbed of its benches during the time it was used as a hospital.” Blood stains are still visible on the old pine floors.
https://stmarksepiscopalraymondms.org/

*St. Marks Episcopal Church, Raymond MS USA*

There is a Fellowship Hall behind this church. We will set up our station on the patio there (in the shade and under a fan!). N5DU and I plan to be on the air by 8am Central Time, if not before. We will likely use a vertical antenna with a wire antenna as backup if we can hang it properly. It will be publicized locally for hams and non-hams to visit to watch and participate if desired.

For readers of this article who want to activate a church, note that it was a mega-public relations hit in 2023 when I activated my church in Ridgeland MS. So consider that when you plan whether to participate this year. It can be a highly effective way to publicize amateur radio in your community and in ways that are not in emergency situations. We can benefit from a diversity of media attention as long as it is positive.

Frank Howell, K4FMH, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Mississippi, USA. Contact him at [email protected].