Update June 3, 2026: The last 24 has been very windy, impacting operations. There has also been a solar flare and ionospheric disruptions.

Today we hardened the vertical with an extra set of guys, and made adjustments to the doublet.

Everyone is now well rested and we expect to be more active... 40 through 10m, with a little on 80m. Note that VK is permitted SSB on 30m too.

All ops will help to get more SSB into logs and CW will ramp up.

Please note we run 100W on FT8 to comply with VK regulations. 

We are also operating in the DX Marathon contest.

For more info visit our QRZ page and track real time activity on ClubLog Livestream.

Please do not contact the team for broken log entries - all QSL queries to Charles Wilmott per his instructions.

The FlexRadio Auroras are doing an outstanding job.

GL es c u in the pileups.

Update June 2, 2026: We arrived here (LHI) safely on Monday 1st June and by 6pm we had all three stations up and running. Two x FlexRadio Aurora 520Ms and a trusty old IC7000 dedicated for FT8. Antennas are DX-Commander and an 80m Doublet, with a 2nd short vertical for the IC7000. Bands will be as planned, 80 -10m, CW, SSB and FT8.

Thus far all is going really well the FlexRadio Aurora 520Ms radios - a few things jumping out for the team:

   • Plug and play. We took radios out of the travel case, plugged them in along with an antenna, morse key and headset and we were live.

   • The receiver is nice and quiet and easy to listen to - lovely quiet filters, no ringing and no operator fatigue. 

   • Great filtering. Last night the IC7000 was running 100W FT8 into a vertical about 50m away. We could see the signal on the scope but when we moved down 10-15khz there was ZERO interference. This is not something we've been able to do before without external BP filters. Very impressive to run 2 stations on the same band. CW on 7015 and FT8 on 7080kHz.

   • Unsurprisingly, the best spectrum scope in the business. 

Today there was an M-Class flare which depressed conditions noticeably, but we are hopeful the impact will pass this evening. We have the benefit of the Ionosonde on Norfolk Island and it confirmed the MUF dropped to below 7MHz. Even on 7MHz, conditions into JA and NA have been disappointing this evening.

And in a first for our team: ClubLog Livestream. Check it out if you haven't a great way to see what bands we are on and who we are working, not to mention getting near real-time confirmation of your QSO.

If you need (or just want) Lord Howe Island in your log, continue to listen out or us; we're here until 14th June running three stations.

73, Chris VK3QB

A team of 7 operators will activate  Lord Howe Island from 1 – 14 June, 2026. This will be a DX-Marathon activation, and we will be aiming to work as many DXCC entities and Zones as possible in the 2026 DX Marathon contest. Of course, this will be a great opportunity for DX-Marathon contestants to get LHI in the log for 2026 as well.

We will be using the contest callsign VJ2L. This is also a great opportunity for operators to add Lord Howe Island to their DXCC count or fill those much-needed band-slots. QSL VIA Charles, M0OXO

As well, those chasing POTA, SOTA and IOTA slots can use this opportunity to get much needed QSOs in the log. We will also be promoting DX Marathon by encouraging greater participation from those in the Oceania region. We will be sponsoring a plaque for the Top CW Result for VK in 2026, as well as running a separate mini-awards program. Visit https://dxmarathon.com/ to learn more.

The team is pleased to announce that FlexRadio are supporting this activation with the provision of two Aurora 520M radios. For a remote DX-pedition like Lord Howe Island, minimizing complexity, transport weight, and potential points of failure is critical, and the Aurora platform directly addresses these challenges.

Each 520M integrates a 500-Watt transceiver, power supply, full SDR transceiver, automatic antenna tuner, and 7-pole filtering into a single 8.5 kg unit. This level of integration significantly reduces the amount of equip ment we need to ship, assemble, and maintain on-site.

Already in the planning phase, the impact has been clear. Instead of coordinating separate radios, amplifiers, power supplies, tuners, filters, and extensive cabling, our station setup is streamlined to essentially the radio, a laptop, and operator accessories. This allows us to focus more on operating time and less on station complexity.

This activation will also serve as a real-world deployment of the Aurora platform in a demanding DXpedition environment, and we look forward to sharing our experience with the wider amateur radio community.

Learn more about the Aurora series here: https://www.flexradio.com/aurora/

Our focus will be on 40 metres through 10 metres on CW, FT8 and SSB (no 6 metres and no 160 metres). The decision for 80 metre operation will be made when we get on-site. With seven operators we expect to be very active and will structure our schedule around propagation openings and demand.

We’ll also be using a DX-Commander Expedition vertical antenna once again; easy to transport and fast to deploy. And a top performer for DXing.
https://dxcommander.com/product/dx-commander-expedition-kit/  

In what we believe is a first, the VJ2L team will be providing award plaques for the following:
  1. First past the post – working us on all bands CW – sponsored by CWops Oceania (not open to VK or ZL)
  2. First past the post – all bands - FT8
  3. First past the post – all bands - SSB
  4. 1,000 miles/Watt Award – first past the post CW
  5. Certificates for all who achieve 1,000 miles/Watt award

More details about these awards will be provided on our QRZ page closer to the activation.

So, mark VJ2L in your diaries. We’re excited to operate these new FlexRadio Aurora 520M radios and even more excited to work as many ops as we can on SSB, FT8 and CW.

Subject to ongoing tests and internet reliability, we intend to run ClubLog Live Stream.

If you have any questions, please contact Chris, VK3QB.

Refer qrz.com for contact details. Charles, M0OXO will be looking after QSL services. www.M0OXO.com  

Lord Howe Island is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea, located about 600km east of Port Macquarie, Australia. Renowned for its pristine beaches, Kentia palms, and rare birdlife, it offers top-tier diving at the world's southernmost coral reef and hiking up Mt Gower. Only 400 visitors are allowed at once, ensuring an exclusive, nature-focused experience.

Note: The Australian regulator changed the callsign allocation for Lord Howe Island from VK9 to VK2 with the introduction of the Class Licence in 2023 (effective date 19 February 2024). Of course, Lord Howe Island remains its own DXCC entity and is recognised by most logging programs and awards programs as VK9L. So, when you log VJ2L, check it’s recorded
as DXCC VK9L.

  Lord Howe Island 2026
  1st - 14th June 2026
  Queries to VK3QB.