Welcome to the U.S. Islands Awards Program (USI) website. USI is an amateur radio award program centered around chasing and activating river, lake, and ocean shore islands within the 50 United States and its Territories and Protectorates.

Numerous achievement awards are available for both island activators and island chasers.

U.S. Islands is a great way to go on a mini-DXpedition without spending a lot of money. Discovering islands in your own backyard and setting up a station outdoors is always a good time. If hams have only operated outdoors during Field Day, we offer another route to get outside and enjoy portable ham radio in a different way.

USI has two operating activities each year:

• One-Day-Getaway (1DG) is just that, a casual day of island portable operations the second Saturday of May. Activating or qualifying a new island, 1DG is a perfect way to hone your on the air operating skills and perfect your portable or mobile “field day kit”.
• U.S. Islands QSO Party (IQP) is our once-a-year, 15 hour “contest” that has a class for just about any individual or group. Operate from a friend’s island “Fixed” QTH, take your club on a single island “Expedition”, or go on a mobile or waterborne “Rover” adventure. The last full weekend of August.

Any way you like it, portable, walk-on, paddle to, motor to, mobile, drive on, USI is a year-round ham radio fun.

Please consider joining the USI Facebook group.

 Webmaster’s Photo Pick

On 12/5/2025, Liz N6LY and Kevin K0SQ made their 5th Annual Alcatraz visit. N6LY made 485 contacts on 40, 20, 17, 15 and 10 meters SSB plus 2m and 70cm from CA005S Alcatraz, POTA US-7888. Yaesu 891 and a Bioenno battery, Alpha HF MOTO antenna with a 13′ mil whip sitting on a Faraday cloth ground plane.

We are not affiliated in any way with the Islands On The Air (IOTA) awards program offered by the Islands on the Air (IOTA) Ltd.

Page Last Updated on Jan 1, 2026 @ 11:48 utc by ADMIN