VHF UHF Field Days
Contest Manager
Roger Harrison VK2ZRH [Interim Manager !]
Dates for the 2020 Summer VHF-UHF Field Day are posted below.
At right: the VK2KFJ / VK2ZRH 2019 Field Day camp at QF56PU, northwest of Bathurst.
 For those venturing forth to remote sites, check state bushfire alerts and warnings to ensure your safety. Find and download your state's bushfires locations app. Listed below are online resources for state-based bushfires information.
Bushfire alerts and real-time info
VK1:
ACT Rural Fire Service
esa.act.gov.au
Facebook - ACT Emergency Services Agency
twitter.com/actfirerescue
ABC local radio
VK2:
Download "Fires Near Me" app.
Rural Fire Service
rfs.nsw.gov.au.
twitter.com/nswrfs
Facebook - NSW Rural Fire Service
ABC local radio
VK3:
Country Fire Authority
cfa.vic.gov.au
twitter.com/CFA_Updates
Facebook - CFA (Country Fire Authority)
ABC local radio
VK4:
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services
qfes.qld.gov.au
twitter.com/QldFES
Facebook - Queensland Fire and Emergency Services - QFES
ABC local radio
VK5:
SA Country Fire Service
cfs.sa.gov.au
twitter.com/cfsalerts
Facebook - SA Country Fire Service
ABC local radio
VK6:
Emergency WA
emergency.wa.gov.au/
twitter.com/dfes_wa
Facebook - facebook.com/dfeswa
ABC local radio
VK7:
Tasmania Fire Service
fire.tas.gov.au
twitter.com/TasFireService
Facebook - facebook.com/TasmaniaFireService/
ABC local radio
DATES FOR FUTURE VHF-UHF FIELD DAYS:
A paper setting out an algorithm for determining future Field Day dates (updated recently) is posted below; titled "Algorithm to determine future VHF-UHF FD dates_VK2ZRH_Nov19." It includes a table for the dates each year through to 2021.
Contest Introduction
The VHF-UHF Field Days provide VHF-UHF operators with the opportunity to "head for the hills" and see how far and how many they can work.
The Field Days have separate sections for single and multiple operator stations. The duration of the Field Day is 24 hours, but there are also 8 hour sections for operators who may not be able to camp overnight. Most club stations prefer to operate for the full 24 hours.
The Field Days also generate plenty of activity from home stations, so there is also a separate Home Station section.
All contacts must be simplex: contacts through repeaters or satellites are not allowed. There is plenty of FM activity, but one feature of the Field Days is a high level of SSB activity.
It is possible to do very well with only modest antennas if you pick a good hilltop. Another option, if your station is easily transportable, is to operate from more than one location during the contest period.
Aim Of The Contest
The overriding aim is to get away for the weekend and have fun! But next after that, the aims are:
to encourage more activity on VHF and microwave bands;
to encourage people to work greater distances than usual by operating portable, and
to provide opportunities for people to activate or work into new grid squares.
This Years Winners
Results of all VHF-UHF Field Days are available in the "Files for Download" section.
Previous Years Winners
Results of all VHF-UHF Field Days are available in the "Files for Download" section.
Contest History
The first VHF-UHF Field Day was run as a trial in January 1989. It was quite well received so it has continued since then. In 1998, there was a trial Spring Field Day which also proved a success. Support for the Field Days continued to increase, and a third event - the Winter VHF-UHF Field Day - was introduced in 2008.
In 2014, the WIA board decided that the contest should be run with two parallel sets of rules and scoring systems. John Martin VK3KM departed as Contest Manager after the Winter 2014 event.
Since the Winter 2019 event, the Field Days have used a single set of Rules, using distance-based scoring, as per the previous Division 2 Rules. This resulted from the clear preference of participation and log entries moving to Division 2 over Division 1 across the prior year.
Upcoming Contest Date & Time
Summer 2020 - Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 January.
Contest Rules
Full details of the contest rules are available in the "Files for Download" section below.
Contest Scoring
Full details of the scoring system, and scoring sheets, are available in the "Files for Download" section.
Further Information on Maidenhead Locators
Each four-digit Maidenhead locator (Square) identifies an area which covers one degree of latitude and two degrees of longitude. Detailed explanation of the Maidenhead locator system can be found in the Download section below. Also available is a computer program that can convert latitude and longitude into grid locators, and vice versa.
An easy way to find your latitude and longitude from a Google map is to click this Link to the iTouch Map web site.
To find the six digit Maidenhead locator for any location, click this Link to the F6FVY web site.
Submitting Your Log
Logs should be accompanied by a cover sheet including a scoring table as described in the rules. A sample scoring sheet is available for download at the bottom of this page.
Only electronic logs in ASCII (.txt) format are accepted now. Upload your log files to the Field Day web site via this Link
Contest Results
The aim is to have results finalised approximately four weeks after the Field Day, with the results posted here, publicised via the usual WIA channels and then published subsequently in Amateur Radio magazine.
Contest Award
Each top-scoring station in every Section–Sub-section will receive a colour certificate in .PDF format, sent to the contact email address on their log cover sheet.
Top-scoring Foundation stations will also receive a colour certificate.
Logging Software
Any logging software can be used so long as the necessary information is included in the log. Please refer to the rules for details about this.
A suitable logging program is VK Contest Log, developed by Mike VK3AVV. It is available for download on the author's web site by clicking on this Link.
Contest Sponsors
The VHF-UHF Field Days are sponsored by the WIA.
Files For Download
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Software to find Maidenhead locators, distances and bearings
DXLOC30.zip
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Page Last Updated: Thursday 2 January 2020 at 16:56 hours
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