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.

A few days ago I verified my LOTW contacts in the WIA Awards System and this resulted in me being able to upgrade in a number of certificates.

Last Thursday (18th February 2021) I attended the Annual General Meeting of the Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society (AHARS). At the end of the AGM proceedings I delivered a presentation on the AHARS website, of which I the Webmaster. I was also very pleased to receive a Certificate of Appreciation from the AHARS Committee for my service to AHARS.

Being very slack, I had not uploaded my logs to the WIA Award system in some time. As a result of my recent upload, I received a few award certificates. Thanks to the WIA Awards Committee.

In early February I checked out eQSL after a long absence and to my great pleasure, I found that I had qualified for a stack of awards.

On 31st March 2021, the Royal Australian Air Force will mark 100 years of service to Australia.

Stuie VK8NSB has organised 2 special event callsigns (VK100AF and VI100AF) which will be on air from 1st March 2021 to 29th May 2021.

I am very humbled to have been asked to take part in the event.

I will be on-air as VK100AF on the following dates:-

• Sunday 14th & Monday 15th March 2021
• Friday 23rd & Sat 24th April 2021
• Thursday 6th & Friday 7th May 2021

And also on air as VI100AF

• Wednesday 10th & Thursday 11th March 2021
• Thursday 29th & Friday 30th April 2021
• Saturday 22nd, Sunday 23rd, Monday 24th & Tuesday 25th May 2021

More information on the 2 special callsigns can be found on QRZ.com at…..

https://www.qrz.com/lookup

More information on the RAAF Centenary can be found at…..

https://airforce2021.airforce.gov.au/

I qualified for my latest VKFF Hunter Honour Roll certificate yesterday. It is issued for having worked 1,425 VKFF references.

The certificate features a photograph I took of a Water Dragon in the Croajingolong National Park VKFF-0119 in Victoria.

Thanks to all of the VKFF activators.

On Tuesday evening (19th January 2020) I delivered a presentation via Zoom to members of the Peel Amateur Radio Group in Western Australia. The presentation was entitled ‘Having fun in the field’.

The presentation covered a brief rundown on the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program, why get involved in portable activity, equipment to be used whilst portable, spotting & alerting, and some tips for both activators and hunters.

There were a number of PARG members in attendance in person at their meeting venue, along with a number of people who joined via Zoom. This included Hans VK6XN who is the VK6 rep for VKFF.

Sue VK5AYL followed me with a presentation on her excellent parksnpeaks app.

This was followed by a presentation by Tony VK6DQ who spoke about learning and operating CW.

Thanks to Mark VK2KI/VK6QI and for Geoff VK6GHD for asking me to deliver the presentation.

I have now been asked to deliver the same presentation to the Western Australia VHF Group.