VK5FIL - Flinders Island

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VK5FIL Flinders Island, IOTA OC - 261.
Hello everyone!
We are pleased to announce a new IOTA project for 2024 VK5FIL - Flinders Island, South Australia - OC-261 The team that activated VK5TIL OC-139 last year is going to be active again this year from Flinders Island, South Australia, between 14-21st April 2024. 6 operators (VK5GR, VK5PAS, VK5HS, VK5LA, VK5FR and VK5GA) will be running all modes from 160m-70cm, including both terrestrial and satellite modes. We will be participating in both the IOTA (OC-261) and the WWFF programs with the main station located in VKFF-0175. In addition, we are planning additional portable activities from WWFF parks zones (VKFF-1717 and VKFF-4307) that are defined on the island . It's particularly worth noting that the last IOTA activation from the island was by Craig VK5CE/P back in August 2013 so this has been dormant for over 10 years now. We hope that the combination of IOTA and WWFF activity will be of interest not only domestically but globally as well. QSLs will be handled by Charles M0OXO via his OQRS service. Cards and LOTW will be available at the appropriate times. We are also looking at how we might use CLublog during the event as well. If you would like to find out more, you can visit our website - https://vk5fil.com . We will be adding further information once the project planning is completed. The team is looking forward to working everyone in April! 73 de VK5FIL Project Team



Flinders Island, Australia. Author - Frances Jayne.

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Its not long now and we will be off on another adventure! Our 6 man team is in the final throws of preparing to depart Adelaide and head to Flinders Island off the coast of Eyre Peninsula! Almost all of the planning is complete and gear is being packed ready for the crossing in the barge. Lets hope for good weather!

If all goes to plan, VK5FIL should be on the air by ~0800z 14th April from IOTA OC-261 & VKFF-0175. We will have 4 stations operating at the homestead and a number of the operators are also bringing their portable parks equipment as well to activate VKFF-4307 and VKFF-1717 in the days that follow while we are there.
Requests for skeds particularly for the satellite operation can be emailed to vk5fil.dx@gmail.com. We will also be watching 6m TEP, Sporadic E (which is still proving active if this past week is anything to go by) and hopefully Meteor Scatter, as well as 2m-23cm for tropospheric contacts around Southern Australia. The usual VK VHF spotting networks will be activated to alert people to our VHF activity.

Special event call VI60IOTA will be activated at some point through the trip as well. It will be used to activate VKFF-1717 with OC-261. Keep watching our expedition news for the one day special event activation.

For more information, head over to vk5fil com where you can also find band plan information and propagation planning thanks to the VOACAP team.

Finally, if the internet connectivity is stable, we do hope to have the ClubLog Livestream service operating so we will be easier to find. We will confirm that once we get the IT network running on the island

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VK5FIL from Flanders Island on 7142 now.

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VK5FIL from Flinders Island on 14245 now.

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VK5FIL from Flinders Island, South Australia on 18073 now.

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VK5FIL from Flinders Island, South Australia on 14191.5 now.

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VK5FIL from Flinders Island on 21074 now FT8.

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Hello Everyone,

We are now in Day 3 of full operation here on Flinders Island. We have up to 4 stations active, mostly 100W but one has a linear and a beam.

As this is a dual WWFF Parks (VKFF-0175) and IOTA (OC-261) activation, there are a lot of callers. I am keen however to make sure that any IOTA chaser who wants OC-261 gets a chance. We can run CW, SSB and digital modes. If there are any IOTA Chasers who specifically want to try a sked and have not been successful in the pileups, please drop a PM to vk5fil.dx@gmail.com and we will try to schedule it in. (If we have missed a band opening also let me know so we can try to be there for you).

Our last high power transmissions will be ~Saturday afternoon around 0600z and we will be completely QRT by 1400z 20th April. (The barge will be picking us up around 0100z 21st April).

73 from the team here on Flinders Island
Regards,
Grant VK5GR

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VK5FIL Flinders Island, Australia
Log update from the team on Flinders Island (IOTA OC-261).
You can find the log on Clublog and on M0OXO OQRS.
73 Charles, M0OXO.