John Moyle Memorial Field Day 2010 Contest
Saturday, March 20 to Sunday March 21
0100 Saturday– 0059UTC Sunday
Contest Manager Denis Johnstone VK4AE/VK3ZUX
vk4ae@hotmail.com Phone : (07) 4723 4229
Aim Of The Contest
The aim is to encourage and provide familiarisation with portable operation, and provide training for emergency situations. The rules are therefore designed to encourage field operation.
Contest History
The contest is run each year in memory of the late John Moyle who was a long term editor of the Wireless Weekly, (later Radio & Hobbies - later Radio, Television & Hobbies) magazine from 1947 until his untimely death in 1965. Serving in the RAAF during WWII, he served with distinction and was responsible for a number of innovative solutions in keeping radio and radar equipment working under wartime operations and difficult working conditions.
The WIA decided that a suitable long term memorial to John Moyle would be a Field Day with a focus on portable or field operation. The contest has been conducted annually ever since.
The rules of the contest have gradually changed over time and are still revised regularly.
The contest is still primarily for portable or field operators, though home stations can of course take part, but using a different scoring system.
Though multiple operators and Club Stations are actively encouraged to take part in the contest, they are not competing with the single operator stations, as there are effectively two seperate contests running at the same time. Hence a single operator station only competes against other single operator stations.
Contest Rules
The contest is open to all VK, ZL and P2 stations. Other stations are welcome to participate, but can only claim points for contacts with VK, ZL and P2 stations.
Single operator portable entries shall consist of ONE choice from each of the following (e.g. 6 hour, portable, phone, VHF/UHF):
a 24 or 6 hour;
b Phone, CW, Digital or All modes;
c HF, VHF/UHF or All Bands.
Multi-operator portable entries shall consist of ONE choice from each of the following (e.g. 24 hour, portable, phone, VHF/UHF):
a 24 or 6 hour;
b Phone, CW, Digital, or All modes;
c HF, VHF/UHF or All Bands.
Home and SWL single operator entries may be either 24 hours or 6 hours, but only All Modes, and All Bands.
Disqualification
General WIA contest disqualification criteria, as published in
Amateur Radio from time to time, apply to entries in this contest. Logs which are illegible or excessively untidy are also liable to be disqualified.
Definitions
1) A portable station comprises field equipment operating from a power source (e.g. batteries, portable generator, solar power, wind power) independent of any permanent facilities, which is the normal location of any amateur station.
2) All equipment comprising the portable station must be located within an 800m diameter circle.
3) A single operator station is where one person performs all operating, logging, and spotting functions.
4) A single operator may only use a call-sign of which he/she is the official holder. A single operator may not use a call-sign belonging to any group, club or organisation for which he/she is a sponsor except as part of a multi-operator entry.
5) A multi-operator station is where more than one person operates, checks for duplicates, keeps the log, performs spotting, etc.
6) A multi-operator station may use only one call sign during the contest.
7) Multi-operator stations may only use one transmitter on each band at any one time, regardless of the mode in use.
8) Multi-operator stations must use a separate log for each band.
9) Logs submitted electronically can use a separate Excel worksheet for each band linked to a summary sheet. A typical example is shown at http://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/johnmoyle. This file is
only a typical example which can be copied and adapted for the
individual use of either a single or a multi-operator station.
10) A station operated by a club, group, or organisation will be considered to be multi-operator by default.
11) None of the portable field equipment may be erected on the site earlier than 28 hours before the beginning of the contest.
12) Single operator stations may receive moderate assistance prior to and during the contest, except for operating, logging and spotting. The practice of clubs or groups providing massive logistic support to a single operator is, however, totally against the spirit of the contest. Offenders will be disqualified, and at the discretion of the Manager may be banned from further participation in the contest for a period of up to 3 years.
13) Phone includes SSB, AM and FM.
14) CW means Morse Code.
15) Digital modes include any other mode other than the above (Rules 13 and 14), such as RTTY, Packet, PSK31 etc. Another station may be worked only once per period on any digital mode: i.e. you cannot work them on RTTY, then on Packet, then on PSK31 - only one digital contact, regardless of mode, per period (see rule 18).
16) All Modes can also include ATV operation.
17) All amateur bands may be used except 10, 18 and 24 MHz. VHF/UHF means all amateur bands above 30 MHz. Note: On 50 MHz, the region below 50.150 has been declared a contest-free zone, and contest CQs and exchanges may only take place above this frequency. Stations violating this rule will be disqualified.
18) Cross-band, cross-mode and contacts made via repeaters or satellites are not permitted for contest credit. However, repeaters may be used to arrange a contact on another frequency where a repeater is not used for the contact.
19) Stations may make repeat contacts and claim full points for each one. For this purpose, the contest is divided into eight consecutive three-hour blocks: 0100-0359, 0400-0659, 0700-0959, 1000-1259, 1300-1559, 1600-1859, 1900-2159, 2200-0059 UTC. If you work a station at 0359 UTC a repeat contact may be made after the start of a new block, providing they are not consecutive or are separated by at least five minutes since the previous valid contact with that station on the same band and mode.
20) Stations must exchange ciphers comprising RS(T) plus a 3 digit number commencing at 001 and incrementing by one for each contact.
21) Portable stations shall add the letter "P" to their own cipher, e.g. 59001P.
22) Multi-operator stations are to commence numbering on each bandwith 001.
23) Receiving stations must record the ciphers sent by both stations being logged. QSO points will be on the same basis as for Home Stations, unless the receiving station is portable.
24) The practice of commencing operation and later selecting the most profitable operational period within the allocated contest times is not in the spirit of the contest, and shall result in disqualification. The period of operation commences with the first contact on any band or mode, and finishes either 6 or 24 hours later.
Contest Scoring
Portable HF stations shall score 2 points per QSO. Contacts on CW Only score 4 points per contact. Digital and All mode contacts score at the same rate as Phone contacts.
Portable stations shall score the following on 6m:
a 0-49 km, 2 points per QSO;
b 50-99 km, 5 points per QSO;
c 100-149 km 10 points per QSO;
d 150-299 km 20 points per QSO;
e 300-499 km 30 points per QSO;
f 500 km and greater, 2 points per QSO.
Portable stations shall score the following on 144MHz and higher:
a 0 to 49 km, 2 points per QSO;
b 50 to 99 km, 5 points per QSO;
c 100 to 149 km, 10 points per QSO;
d 150 to 300km, 20 points per QSO.
e 300 kms and greater, 30 points per QSO.
For each VHF/UHF QSO where a score of more than 2 points is claimed, either the latitude and longitude of the station contacted or other satisfactory proof of distance such as the 6-figure Maidenhead Locator must be supplied.
Home stations shall score:
a Two points per QSO with each portable station.
b One point per QSO with other home stations.
Submitting Your Log
For each contact: UTC time, frequency, station worked, RST/serial numbers sent/received and claimed score. (VHF and above location of other station and distance showing the Lat, Long or Maidenhead Locator to 6 figures for the station worked.)
Logs must be accompanied by a Summary Sheet showing: call sign, name, mailing address, section entered, number of contacts, claimed score, location of the station during the contest, and equipment used, and a signed declaration stating "I hereby declare that this station was operated in accordance with the rules and spirit of the contest and that the Contest Manager's decision will be accepted as final". For multi-operator stations, the names and call signs (legible) of all operators must be listed.
Send Logs : By mail to "John Moyle Contest Manager, 27 Laguna Ave, Kirwan 4817 Qld", or to WIA Contest Manager JMMFD, PO Box 2042, Bayswater, Victoria, 3153.
By e-mail to in EXCEL, Microsoft Word, ASCII text or electronic log programs such as VK Contest Log (VKCL). Logs sent by disc or e-mail must include a summary sheet and declaration, but the operator's name (legible) is acceptable in lieu of a signature. Logs must be postmarked no later than
2010 April 23.
Contest Results
The results of the 2010 John Moyle contest will be posted to the WIA web site, published in AR and announced on the WIA News Broadcast as soon as the logs have been received, checked and scored.
Contest Award
At the discretion of the Contest Manager, certificates will be
awarded to the winners of each portable section. Additional
certificates may be awarded where operation merits it. Note that entrants in a 24 hour section are ineligible for awards in a 6 hour section.
The President's Cup, a perpetual trophy held at the National Office, will be awarded to the portable Australian Club Station, with the highest score entered in the 24-hour, All Modes, All Bands section.
For the purpose of this contest "Club Station" means a club
affiliated with the WIA. The winning club will receive an
individually inscribed wall plaque as permanent recognition.
Logging Software
Please check the website for your favourite logging programme for the most up-to-date version, as most of the programmers are now doing a rewrite to allow for this years rule changes.
Contest Sponsors
The Wireless Institute Of Australia
