Head for the Hills: WIA Spring VHF-UHF Field Day This Weekend

It is time to charge the batteries, find the Yagis and identify a hilltop with an unreasonable amount of wind. The 2026 WIA Spring VHF-UHF Field Day takes place this weekend, Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September, giving amateurs around Australia the opportunity to get portable and see just how far they can make contacts on the VHF, UHF and microwave bands.

There is an important change this year. The Spring Field Day has moved from late November to the third weekend in September.

The contest runs for 24 hours from 0100 UTC Saturday 19 September to 0059 UTC Sunday 20 September, with the established VK6 timing arrangement of 0400 UTC to 0359 UTC. There are separate sections for single and multiple operators, together with 8-hour sections. Home Station section means you don't have to operate portable to participate.

The objective is straightforward: get on VHF, UHF and microwave bands, make contacts and work stations as far away as possible. Scoring is distance based using six-character Maidenhead locators, encouraging operators to activate new grid squares and stretch the capabilities of their stations. All contacts are simplex, so repeaters and satellites cannot be used. Voice operation can include SSB, FM and AM, with voice contacts logged as PH.

Logs are now submitted through the VK Contest Log Checker and are due within 14 days of the Sunday of the event. Operators can use VKCL or N1MM Logger+, with VKCL output requiring conversion to Cabrillo 3.0 before submission. Full 2026 rules, logging information and supporting material are available from the WIA Field Day page.

Image sourced from the WIA Website.

WIA VHF-UHF Field Days: rules, dates and information - Link

VK Contest Log Checker - Link

Page Last Updated: Friday, 18 Sep 2026 at 10:42 hours by Justin Giles-clark

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