The Slovak Amateur Radio Association invites all fans of very short wave work to the peak of the summer season - the 3rd subregional competition, which is traditionally known as VHF Field Day in our country. This important amateur radio competition will take place during the first full weekend in July, specifically from Saturday, July 4, 2026 from 14:00 UTC to Sunday, July 5, 2026 from 14:00 UTC. The competition represents an ideal opportunity to test equipment in portable conditions, verify the profitability of directional antennas and try out operation on microwave bands directly from heights and elevated positions.
VHF Field Day combines traditional contesting with the technical challenges of building temporary broadcasting stations in the field. Not only operators looking for long-distance connections on two meters or seventy centimeters will find their place, but also microwave transverter designers and QRP enthusiasts, for whom the efficiency of antenna systems and spectrum purity are key factors for success.
Competition rules overview
The competition rules are based on the official conditions of the Slovak Amateur Radio Association for subregional competitions and respect the General Conditions of VHF competitions and competitions. The competition is held on all amateur radio bands from 144 MHz to 76 GHz. Allowed modes are CW and FONE. The complete list of categories for individual frequency bands is given in the following table:
| Frequency band | Singles category | Category for teams (Multi) |
|---|---|---|
| 144MHz | 144MHz – Single | 144MHz – Multi |
| 432MHz | 432MHz – Single | 432MHz – Multi |
| 1.3GHz | 1.3 GHz – Single | 1.3 GHz – Multi |
| 2.3 GHz to 76 GHz | Single op for each band | Multi op for each band |
During each valid connection, stations are required to exchange a competition code, which consists of an RS or RST report, a connection sequence number starting from zero (001) and a full six-character WW locator, which defines the exact location of the station. The scoring of connections is directly proportional to the distance between the opposing stations. For every one kilometer of distance covered, a station receives one point. If a connection with an opposing station is established in its own small locator square, one point is counted as a flat rate. The overall result of the competition is given by the sum of the points for all recognized connections on a given band.
All components of the competition station, including antennas, transmitters and receivers, must be located within an imaginary circle with a maximum diameter of 500 meters during the competition. The use of remote receivers or remote transmitting stations via internet networks is strictly prohibited. All radio exchange of information, including reports and codes, must take place exclusively via radio waves.
The competition log must be generated exclusively in electronic EDI format. The deadline for sending the log is set for the first Wednesday after the end of the competition by 23:59:59 UTC. The log is uploaded via the official web interface at vkv.szr.sk, with the decisive indicator of timely submission being the time of receipt by the server.