vk5pas

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Totness Recreation Park VKFF-1754 and the John Moyle Memorial Field Day 2017

Posted: 18 Mar 2017 08:13 PM PDT
https://vk5pas.org/2017/03/19/totnes...ield-day-2017/


Yesterday afternoon (Saturday 18th March 2017), for the John Moyle Memorial
Field Day (JMMFD)Â*I ventured out to the Totness Recreation Park VKFF-1754
for a 6 hour stint in the Field Day. Â*Totness is located about 35 km south
east of Adelaide and just 2.5 km from my home QTH.


Above:- Map showing the location of the Totness Recreation Park in the
Adelaide Hills. Â*Map courtesy of Location SA Map Viewer.

I had been up to Totness 4 days prior for the regular Friday get together
for the VK5 National & Conservation Parks Award. Â*In fact this was to be my
fourth activation at the park which is very close and handy to my
home. Â*Last year I operated from TotnessÂ*for the Remembrance Day (RD)
Contest.

For full information on the Totness Recreation Park and my previous
activations, please see my previous posts at

https://vk5pas.org/2017/03/15/totnes...k-vkff-1754-2/

https://vk5pas.org/2016/08/15/totnes...he-rd-contest/

https://vk5pas.org/2016/08/03/totnes...ark-vkff-1754/


Above:- Aerial shot showing the location of the park in respect to my home
QTH. Â*Image courtesy of Location SA Map Viewer.

In 2016 for the JMMFD I operated portable from the Monarto Conservation
Park, about 30 km east of my home. Â*And in previous years I have operated
from the Coorong National Park. Â*This year I decided to operate from
Totness, simply due to its closeness to home.



I operated from my normal operating spot at Totness, in the southern
section of the park, off Haines Fire Track. Â*There is a small area here
where you can park your car off the track, at the gate leading into the
park. Â*There is also a nice cleared area of about 4 metres, between the
boundary fence and the scrub. Â*Plenty of room to string out a dipole.


Above:- Aerial shot showing my operating spot in the south western section
of the park. Â*Image courtesy of Location SA Map Viewer.

My operating equipment

For this years JMMFD I ran the Yaesu FT-857d, 40 watts output, and a
20/40/80m linked dipole, supported on a 7 metre heavy duty telescopic squid
pole (antenna was inverted vee configuration). Â*I powered the radio with a
Matson 44 amp hour power pack, and used my solar panels to top up the
battery. Â*I used VK Contest Log on my Mac laptop. Â*This is terrific logging
software by Mike VK3AVV. Â*I was set up in the park under the shade of some
gum trees, sitting in a deck chair, with my equipment on a fold up table.






What is the John Moyle Memorial Field Day?

The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) website states the aim of the
JMMFD is:
The aim is to encourage and provide familiarisation with portable and field
operation, and provide training for emergency situations. The rules are
therefore specifically designed and focussed to encourage field operations.

It further states:

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) from 1947 until his untimely death in 1960.

Who was John Moyle?

Last year I decided to do a bit of research on John Moyle, the man in whose
name the event is named after. Â*The information below is courtesy of
research I undertook on the web, and also Peter Vk3RV, the WIA historian.

John Murray Moyle (VK2JU) was born on the 28th February 1908 in Malvern,
Victoria. Â*He was educated at Scotch College in Melbourne where he was the
Editor of the school magazine and involved in the debating team. Â*John’s
first role in radio was with radio station 3DB in Melbourne where he
assisted well known broadcaster Ren Miller in the commercial advertising
department and also wrote short stories and technical articles on radio for
the ‘Listener In’ (Melbourne). Â*In 1932, John joined the staff of ‘Wireless
Weekly‘, a Sydney publication, and soon became Assistant Technical Editor,
and then Technical Editor. Â*John was also first licenced in 1932 as a radio
amateur.
John Murray Moyle. Â*Image courtesy of Peter VK3RV

In 1933 John married Alice Marshall BrownÂ*(1908 Bloemfontein South Africa
-2005). Â*She was one of the seminal figures in Australian ethnomusicology
and founding members of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.
Alice Marshall Moyle nee Brown. Â*c/o discogs.com

John and Alice had two daughters, Josephine and Carolyn.
The Moyle family, c. 1950s. Â*Image courtesy of
hiddenheroesofaustralianhistory.wikifoundry.com

In April 1939, ‘Wireless Weekly‘ became a broadcasting programme weekly
publication, with its technical activities separated into a monthly
magazine entitled ‘Radio and Hobbies‘. Â*John was the Technical Editor of
the new magazine, and some became the Editor.

John served as a Squadron Leader with the Royal Australian Air Force during
World War II. Â*His service number was 263664. Â*He was in charge of all
radar publications at the Melbourne RAAF Headquarters, and was discharged
on the 18th January 1946.

John Moyle served for many years as a Federal Councillor with the WIA and
President of the NSW Division. Â*In 1959 he was selected to represent the
WIA as an officially accredited member of the Australian delegation to the
Administrative Radio Conference of the International Telecommunications
Union, held in Geneva Switzerland. Â*He also made weekly technical
broadcasts on radio station 2UE in Sydney.

John Moyle died on the 10th March 1960, aged just 52 years, after a short
illness. Â*His resting place is the Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and
Crematorium in North Ryde, NSW.



My results fromÂ*this years JMMFD

I entered in the Six Hour Portable Operation category. Â*Specifically the
Single Operator, Phone Only, HF Bands section.

I operated from 3.20 p.m. South Australian local time (0450 UTC) until 9.20
p.m. (1050 UTC). Â*I chose to operate a little later in the day due to the
heat. Â*It was nearly 35 degrees C here yesterday and very hot.

My first contact of the Field Day was with Adrian VK3VFR on 40m. Â*My final
contact of the Field Day was on 40m with my mate Gerald, VK2HBG who was
operating portable.

Within my 6 hour block of operating I made a total of 241 contacts. Â*These
were all on SSB on the 20, 40, and 80m bands.

20m = 3
40m = 171
80m = 67


The graph below shows all of my activity during the contest.



The vast majority of my activity was on the 40m band. Â*The graph below
shows my activity on the 40m band during the Field Day.



I only made 3 contacts on the 20m band. Â*Those stations were Colin VK4PDX,
VK6NC/p and an old friend Miles VK6MAB. Â*This was Miles first time on air
in 2 years. Â*I was tempted to try 20m for some DX, but it can get rather
confusing with local contests as Ive experienced in the past. Â*So I was
rather pleased when no Europeans responded to my CQ calls. Â*The graph below
shows my very limited activity on the 20m band.



The 80m band was particularly noisy due to all of the storm activity in New
South Wales. Â*But despite that I managed a total of 67 contacts there from
VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5, VK7, VK8, and New Zealand.



DX worked during the contest.

As I mentioned above I was very reluctant to put out CQ calls on 20m during
the late afternoon, as it can become very confusing with local contests
with the DX. Â*As I was in a park, many of the European stations would have
been very keen to work me, but explaining re the JMMFD and successfully
logging exchanges has proven difficult in the past.

I was pleased to work Bill ZL3VZ/p in Blenheim, New Zealand, a number of
times on both 40m and 80m.

Park to Park contacts

Neil VK4HNS/p, Lamington National Park VKFF-0280
Tony VK7LTD/p, Narawntapu National ParkVKFF-0005
Peter VK3YE/p, Mornington Peninsula National Park VKFF-0333
Jim VK1AT/2, Kosciuszko National Park VKFF-0269
Hans VK6XN/p,Swan Estuary Marine Park VKFF-1455


How does my score compare to previous years?

This year I made a total of 241 contacts with a claimed score of 482 points.

2016 = 229 contacts (458 points). Â*First place in the portable, single op,
phone only, HF, 6 hour category.
2015 = 238 contacts (476 points). Â*First placeÂ*in the portable, single op,
phone only, HF, 6 hour category.
2014 = 155 contacts (310 points). Â*First placeÂ*in the portable, single op,
phone only, HF, 6 hour category.


Some final comments and tips for newbies to Contests.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself again for this years JMMFD. Â*I love getting out
portable at any time, and the JMMFD is just another excuse to do exactly
that. Â*It is also a little more laid back compared to some of the very big
international contests that are held during the year.

I experienced some quite long periods of calling CQ without any callers.

Here are a few tips for newcomers to Contests/Field Days.

Read the contest rules

again this year I was called by a handful of amateurs who did not know the
rules of the JMMFD. Â*It is essential that you read the rules and check out
the basic facts before participating.


Do not call the station if youre not prepared to exchange contest reports

Yes, I had a few calls from stations who stated Im not in the contest, but
I thought Id give you a call. Â*Thats ok, even if youre not in the
contest. Â*But dont tell the station that you are not going to exchange
contest reports. Â*Some of the real serious contesters will get quite angry
with you. Â*In essence, all you are doing is wasting valuable contest time.


Do not call the station unless you know their callsign

Do not call the station unless you are aware of their callsign. Â*You may
have already logged the station and therefore cannot work them again. Â*This
happened a few times.


Be concise and brief

Do not engage the contest station in a lengthy conversation unless they
engage you. Â*All that is required is a signal report and an exchange of
sequential numbers for the contest. Â*Contests are competitive by nature and
every second counts. Â*Do not engage the other station in conversation about
your station, the weather, our QTH etc.




And what about this 59 signal report all the time? Â*By gentlemans
agreement, the exchange between stations for signal reports in contests is
59. Â*Even if the station is only 55, the general exchange is 59. Â*Some
amateurs may not like that, but it is common practice in contests, to avoid
having to listen for and log the real signal report.



It was a slow drive along the tracks back home, as there were plenty of
Kangaroos out and about. Â*Once home I enjoyed a nice meal of Marijas home
made lasagna.



References.

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies,
2016,
http://aiatsis.gov.au/collections/co...oyle/biography,
viewed 20th March 2016.

Commonwealth of Australia, 2016, http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/, viewed 20th
March 2016.

Discogs, 2016, https://www.discogs.com/artist/1792346-Alice-M-Moyle,
viewed 20th March 2016