Thanks for all the reports so far on the 2026 Commonwealth Contest.
We only have 24 hours in the year for this (unlike the early events that lasted for a week) so we are at the mercy of the propagation gods over the period. This year we were affected by a solar flare or whatever. I can start a brief report with what I didn’t work this year:
10m no VEs, VKs, ZLs or Caribbean. 15m no VEs west of Ontario, only 2 ZLs (both in the last hour) and 5 VKs (one in the last hour). 80m no VEs west of Ontario, only 1 ZL and 2 VKs. Nothing in the Pacific. I might have found a few more had I been assisted.
On the other hand, what I did work was encouraging:
All five of the Nootka Sounders from VE7 on 20m and four of them on 40m, four VUs, five ZSs – thanks guys, please keep entering.
Other than UK HQs, the only five band QSOs were with P3X and Colin ZF2CA. I guess 3B8 also but Nigel on four bands and Ian on 80m (I am not too confident of the serial number from him).
Four band QSOs with 3B8XF 5B4AGN 5Z4VJ 9H1CG 9H6A CF3A GB5CC J38YI VA3RAC VE1RAC VE3EJ VE3JM VE3KI VE9DX VE9ML VK6T VO1HP VO2AC VP9I & ZS1C. Most of these were missed on 10m and a few on 80m, neither of which were in good shape.
I worked one SA station, 9Y4M who was on 10m in the SA contest but said hello.
137 callsigns from 21 countries in my log.
I tried various CQs calls – “CQ CC M5DX”, “CQ CC M5DX M5DX” or “TEST CC M5DX”. I preferred the TEST one as it is slightly shorter and therefore better for alternating CQs on two bands, which I did some of the time – when you eventually get a caller, you think, which band did they call me on? It isn’t RSGB only who would prefer “CC” but the other Commonwealth country sponsors too. I see this as important if we want to encourage more VU and ZS participation.
Despite the conditions, I still get a thrill from hearing a caller with a remote prefix, for which this contest is brilliant. I hope Bob G3PJT would be pleased with the participation this year, bless him. The Commonwealth Contest might not have continued to 2026 but for his efforts in promoting it.
BAND QSO DUP BONUS HQ POINTS AVG
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80 38 0 22 7 345 9.1
40 78 1 41 11 745 9.6
20 111 5 54 14 1080 9.7
15 45 0 33 8 420 9.3
10 17 1 14 3 155 9.1
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TOTAL 289 7 164 43 2745 9.5
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FINAL SCORE: 6 885
If you didn’t take part this year, please make sure the contest is in your diary for 2027 – it will be the 90th Commonwealth Contest. If you did, thanks for the QSOs.
73 Nick G4FAL (M5DX for the Commonwealth)