I received my latest global WWFF Park to Park certificate today. It is issued for making 1,244 Park to Park contacts.

Thank you to all of the park activators and thanks to the P2P Awards Manager Swa ON5SWA.

The weekend just gone (Saturday 27th March & Sunday 28th March 2021) was the 2021 CQ Worldwide WPX Contest. The WPX Contest is based on an award offered by CQ Magazine for working all prefixes. The SSB part of the contest is held on the last weekend of March each year, while the CW part is held in May. This is one of the biggest contests on the amateur radio contest calendar and attracts thousands of entries from around the world.

I took part in the contest entering into the Single Op All band Tri band/wire category. I spent most of my time hunting across the bands looking for new countries.

I ended up logging a total of 355 QSOs on 10, 15, 20, & 40m SSB. I worked a total of 65 DXCC entities as follows:-

• Alaska
• Asiatic Russia
• Australia
• Austria
• Bahamas
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Bolivia
• Bonaire
• Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Cayman Islands
• Chile
• China
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• England
• Estonia
• European Russia
• Germany
• Finland
• France
• Georgia
• Guam
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• India
• Indonesia
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Martinique
• Netherlands
• New Caledonia
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Panama
• Peru
• Philippines
• Poland
• Portugal
• Qatar
• Korea
• Romania
• Samoa
• Scotland
• Serbia
• Singapore
• Slovak Republic
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Turkey
• Ukraine
• United States of America
• Virgin Islands
• West Malaysia

The world map below shows my contacts during the contest.

I heard some new DXCC entities for me during the contest, but only managed two new countries on 40m and that was Martinique (FM5BH) and the Bahamas (C6AGU). I almost snared the Bahamas on 80m SSB, but my 100 watts just wasn’t quite making it.

There were also the usual special prefixes and rather rare DXCC entities. Also a couple of unusual calls. The first being D1DX in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The second being Z61DX in the Republic of Kosovo. Unfortunately I could not break through the European pile up to log these two stations (I have worked Z61DX previously).

There were some very nice openings into Europe on 15m and 20m on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings. Sunday long path and Sunday short path into Europe were exceptionally busy. I did not call CQ as it was almost impossible to find a clear frequency, such was the busy nature of the 20m band with the European stations. I also found that getting through to many of the European stations was quite difficult because of QRM they were experiencing.

The 15m band proved best for contacts to Japan and south-east Asia.

Some of the more interesting contacts during the contest were as follows:-

• OG73X
• OG66X
• 8N0J – Joetsu-city Municipal 50th Anniversary.
• 8J17CALL – 30th anniversary special event call for the Japanese 7 call issuance.
• ZF5T – Cayman Islands
• C6AGU – Bahamas
• FM5BH – Martinique
• PJ4DX – Bonaire
• OH100SRAL – special event call for the centennary of the Finish Amateur Radio League
• LY31A – special call for the independence of Lithuania from the Soviet Union
• OM77PA – special call to tribute SK OM3PA
• CP5HK – Bolivia
• OA4SS – Peru
• CE7VPQ – Chile.

Thank you to everyone who called me during the contest.

The 2021 John Moyle Memorial Field Day Contest (JMMFD) was held on Saturday the 20th day of March 2021 and Sunday the 21st day of March 2021.

The aim of the JMMFD is:-

“to encourage and provide familiarization with portable and field operation, and provide training for emergency situations.” 

The contest is held annually and is in memory of the late John Moyle.

For some very interesting information on John Moyle, the man, please see my previous post…….

https://vk5pas.org/2017/03/19/totness-recreation-park-vkff-1754-and-the-john-moyle-memorial-field-day-2017/

Late on Saturday afternoon I headed to my local park, the Bullock Hill Conservation Park 5CP-265 & VKFF-0873. The park is a very short drive from my home and about 60 km south of Adelaide.

There are two ways of accessing the park. The first is at the end of Haines Road which runs off Signal Flat Road. The second is via Wattle Flat Road. I chose Wattle Flat Road. There is a small carpark there with just enough room to park a car.

I took part in the 6 hour portable single operator category of the JMMFD.

In the 6 hours I made a total of 241 QSOs on 20, 40, & 80m SSB.

I worked VK1, VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5, VK6, VK7, New Zealand, Netherlands, Japan, & Belgium.

Band conditions on 40m were very good with many portable QRP stations logged.

Thank you to everyone who called me.

References.

Wireless Institute of Australia, 2021, <https://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/johnmoyle/>, viewed 22nd March 2021.

On Sunday 14th March 2021 and Monday 15th March 2021, Marija VK5MAZ and I operated as VK100AF, for the 100 year anniversary of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

We made a total of 321 QSOs on 10,15, 20, 40, & 80m SSB.

This included 13 different DXCC entities.

Countries worked were as follows:-

• Australia
• Canada
• Fiji
• Hawaii
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Philippines
• South Cook Islands
• Spain
• United States of America.

This was down by about 21 countries from our time as VI100AF a few days earlier. Conditions on the 20m band were very poor. So bad, that the ANZA DX Net closed early on Sunday. Just a handful of Europeans were worked on the 20m band on the longpath on Sunday. We did manage some Europe contacts on 40m using our rotary dipole and just 100 watts.

The majority of our contacts, a total of 273, were with Australian amateurs – VK1, VK2, Vk3, VK4, VK5, VK6, VK7, and VK8.

We logged 23 Japanese stations on 15m and 10m.

The big surprise of the 2 days using the special call, was to be called by Alan K7ACZ in Nevada on the 80m band. Initially Marija and I thought it was a VK7 in Tasmania, but we were very suprised when an American voice came back to say we were 5/5 in Nevadsa.

Thank you to everyone who called. We will next be on air as VK100AF on Friday 23rd April 2021 and Saturday 24th April 2021. We hope to get you in the log.

Over the past 2 days (Wednesday 10th March 2021 & Thursday 11th March 2021) Marija VK5MAZ and I were on air using the special callsign of VI100AF to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). On the 31st day of March 2021, the RAAF will mark 100 years of service to Australia.

Below is a short video on the Centenary of the Royal Australian Air Force.

Over the 2 days Marija and I made a total of 516 QSOs on 15, 20, 40, & 80m SSB & 2m with a total of 34 different countries logged. We were very pleased to work a number of serving and former members of the RAAF.

DXCC entities worked were as follows:-

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• China
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• England
• Estonia,
• European Russia
• Germany
• Fiji
• France
• Greece
• Hungary
• Italy
• Japan
• Malta
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Korea
• Romania
• Slovenia
• South Africa
• South Cook Islands
• Spain
• Switzerland
• Ukraine
• United States of America
• Wales

The map below shows our contacts around the world.

The majority of our contacts (347) were to VK’s all around Australia. We also made contact with 17 New Zealand stations, and one station in Fiji.

On both days it was very very noisy at night on 80m and 40m with static crashes getting up to strength 9 and above. The map below shows the storms around Australia on Saturday.

To our great pleasure, long path on the 20m band opened up to Europe on Wednesday with 41 European stations logged. I then pointed the beam to the north and logged 22 stations from Japan and one from Korea.

The 20m band performed even better on Thursday with 70 European stations logged, many with strength 9 and above signals. However, the opening only lasted for about one hour and dropped out very quickly.

The map below shows our contacts into Europe and the United Kingdom.

Below is a short video of the European pile up on 20m on Thursday afternoon.

VI100AF will be on air until the end of May, while VK100AF will be on air until the end of August, being used by a number of operators around Australia. Marija and I are fortunate to have the use of both calls quite a few times over the next few months.

For more information on VI100AF and VK100AF check out QRZ.com. You can find lots of great photos there, video, and QSL information.

You might also want to check out the RAAF website.