Leo VK2LEO, in his first contest, and old hand Dom VK2JNA log a contact on the computer, while Leo’s dog and unofficial club mascot, Scout VK2SCOUT, in the background patiently monitors for pats…

Raw video from the field here.

The John Moyle Memorial Field Day roared into life at midday on 18 March, as did the Society’s centenary Special Event Station VI 100 MB /portable.

Dom VK2JNA, Leo VK2LEO, and Nick VK2FS set up the club’s portable station, at Culburra Beach just east of Nowra NSW, locator QF55JB.

Icom IC-7300 in “go box” configuration, plus laptop for logging and sugar water (operator fuel)

The transmitter is the club’s portable station, an ICOM IC-7300, with two antennas: an Off Centre-Fed Dipole at about 10m for daytime use, and an 18m high vertical with radials at the edge of the local saltwater mangroves for working the low bands at night.

Squid pole supporting end of the OCF dipole. Tinny and canoes just incidental details
18m high squid pole supporting the vertical antenna
Matching unit and battery at the antenna base
Solar panels to keep the battery topped up

VI 100 MB was active for the entire 24 hours of the contest, and the team clocked up 171 contacts on the 160m, 80m, 40m, 20m, 15, and 10m bands, for a claimed score of 342 points.

VK2WA: “The Culburra Crew sound like they’re having fun, I had to settle for making 100 QSO’s using my own call (including a couple with VI100MB).  80-15m EFHW antenna working well (I’m using stainless steel wire, but Tim’s Theorem applies!).”

History of the Contest and the Contest Rules

More about the club centenary and Special Event Station VI 100 MB, or check out VI 100 MB on qrz.com.

VK2BT: “Perhaps not me ….. I have a previous commitment to accompany family to Thirlmere festival of steam – and now I discover that it is on the same weekend as JMFD! Wouldn’t you know it??”