The Oceania DX Contest gives operators worldwide a reason to turn their antennas toward a part of the world that can be surprisingly easy to overlook. Grant VK5GR and Holger ZL3IO are experienced contesters and members of the community behind the Oceania DX Contest, an event whose history reaches back to 1935. They explain how the contest works, why roughly half of submitted logs come from outside Oceania, and why organizers would like to see significantly more North American participation. For DXers, the propagation discussion is particularly useful. Grant and Holger explain why long path can be bread-and-butter operating from Oceania, including 20-meter opportunities that North American and European operators may miss simply because they're pointing their antennas in the expected direction. Holger also puts the immense geography of Oceania into perspective: from his New Zealand station, reaching either edge of the region can mean paths approaching 10,000 kilometers. We also look at the overlap between the SSB weekend and the California QSO Party. Contacts with Oceania can count in both events when properly logged, creating an additional opportunity for California and other North American operators to find activity across the Pacific. The 2026 phone contest runs October 3 at 0600 UTC through October 4 at 0600 UTC, followed by CW October 10 at 0600 UTC through October 11 at 0600 UTC. And these aren't casual perspectives on contesting. Holger describes logging roughly half a million contacts from New Zealand and the development of the ZM4T station; Grant operates 20–30 contests a year and has helped assemble a portable multi-multi effort. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio.
Given the band condition's i dare say i won't see or hear much action on the higher bands, 15m especially... but here's hoping.
NEVER NEVER rule out the higher bands like 10m, There's SO MANY different types of propagation and you'll miss out on a rare treat!! I have so many stories of working something exotic when most people would think 10m is dead!! EXAMPLE: 5B4 when the band was dead quiet and NO BEACONS... 310 confirmed on 10m here and still working DX... CALL CQ..
Hi all - I look forward to reaching out from the NYC area! Both 20 and 40 meters are best, conditions permitting.
Yep. Confirmed QSO with VK3DUT on 10m FT8 a couple of days ago; when the band was very quiet. This right after ZL3TX on 15m FT8 (15m was busier).
Low power...no tower/Yagi here. Looking forward to this Oceania DX Contest, as I have missed the previous 15 years of HF radio teaching FEMA classes. Got some catching up to do. I too have worked some DX on "poorly" propagated days: C91CCY on 40 meters, ZD7FT on 15, when no one was looking. Agreed, call "CQ", look sharp, head/ears(?) on a swivel. See you on the bands next weekend. Have fun out there! 73 de Me "We are punished by our misdeeds, not for them." ---Eric Butterworth
I worked someone on 10m SSB two years ago, on 20w to an EFW. We were surprised, and decided to keep dropping the power to see how far we could go and we ended up running one watt ONE WATT! and had a comfortable QSO
I hear ya! I’m not holding out any hope for any Oceania on 10, or 15. Then again, I won’t even be home for the phone contest so this is all moot anyway.
Missed both legs of this last year due to poor WX and diary clashes but the forecast for the weekend is good so I will be out in the marshes at sunrise on Saturday morning hunting. Recent propagation on 20m doesn't actually fit the doom-and-gloom narrative I've seen in many places on social media. Of course 15m and 10m are starting to fall back but that just makes it even more important to catch the openings that occur. "Contest propagation" is likely to be in effect on both.
Been making 10m and 15m contacts today. Not like earlier this summer but there is plenty of activity if you work at it.
