June 2026 SKN Report

By Neil Sanderson ZL1NZ, SKN manager
15 Jun 2026

• At least 19 operators participated, and 10 of them submitted logs.
• Three Australian operators participated (the rest were from New Zealand).
• In addition, at least two operators listened and plan to participate in the future.
• We again used the QSY Rule. Thanks everyone for remembering to QSY.
• The Bruce Scahill Best Fist Award went to Paul ZL1AJY and Grant ZL2GD.

How well did you copy?

Here are the exchanges sent by each station, either as reported in their submitted logs, or, where no log was submitted, by what other operators reported in their logs. How well did you copy these?

CALL    LOCATION      NAME      KEY         TX       PWR
VK3OU	              ANDY	JUNKER		
VK4DRK	WYREEMA	      DEREK	HIMOUND	    KNWD     100
VK5GG	ADELAIDE      GRAEME	HIMOUND	    IC7300   100
ZL1AJY	AK	      PAUL	SUPREME	    K3	     100
ZL1BDS	BLENHEIM      GRAEME	VK5	    IC7300    80
ZL1CJB	AKL	      CLIVE	SUPERIOR    FT710    100
ZL1DRS	WK            DON	GPO	    G90	      20
ZL1NZ	AKL	      NEIL	2 CURRENT   IC7610   100
ZL1PX	WAIUKU	      PETER	ITT	    TS520    100
ZL1RQ	MANGONUI      ALAN	VPLEX	    IC7600   100
ZL2AUA	KERIKERI      MIKE	HOME MADE   IC7610   100
ZL2AUB	PALM NTH      PETE	PO	    IC7300    50
ZL2GD	OXFORD	      GRANT	ZC1	    7300     100
ZL2IR	RAKAIA	      NORMAN	ZC1	    TS830S   100
ZL2LN	MOTUEKA	      BARRY	PO	    TS430    100
ZL2TE	NEW PLYMOUTH  GRAEME	PO	    SDR	      75
ZL3TK	LEVIN	      STAN	WIGRAM	    IC7300    70
ZL4GW	DUNEDIN	      GREG	PO	    QMX	       4
ZL4IG	INVERCARGILL  ROBIN	DENTSU	    TEN TEC   50

As usual, the New Zealand operators favoured PO (Post Office) and ZC1 (WT 8 Amp No. 2) keys. Only one New Zealand-made Supreme key was head this year.

Graeme ZL1BDS probably had the newest key, a Xeigu VK5, while Neil ZL1NZ possibly had the oldest, a Double Current made in 1918.

It was great to have ZL4IG back on CW after a long absence. Robin was also running a classic CW rig, the Ten Tec Century 21.

The highest number of contacts (13) was reported by ZL1NZ and ZL2GD. ZL4GW made a very creditable 11 contacts running just 4 watts.

Comments received

ZL1BTR – Robert
I dialed into a SDR receiver in Onewhero and another in Hawke’s Bay and had a listen in between sorting out some other stuff. Not a lot of stations on but they all had a go and that’s what it was all about. I will be up next contest from somewhere. I have a couple of grandsons who have seen those videos of CW contacts on their phones and they say it looks like fun, which we know it is. Even heard a ZL3 in there and a lot of ‘new’ calls. Just saying thanks, these things take work to put together.

ZL1NZ – Neil
Many operators reported good conditions. Although signals were also good at my location in Auckland, the noise was extraordinarily high, even for 80 metres. I was typically sending reports of “RSN 5NN”.

ZL4GW – Greg
Great night, some interesting fists. Condx OK, as worked most stations called. Not one reply to my CQs. 80m seemed to improve as the hour proceeded.

ZL4IG – Robin
What I really, really liked about the SKN is that it is not high-pressured and I felt that I could take my time to ease into things. Better still, it has rekindled my enthusiasm for HF operating and I now want to brush up my CW skills and see if I can get back to some decent operating speeds and accuracy. Let’s see if I can do better in December!