so i finally did my first WWFF activation last weekend, been meaning to try one for ages but kept putting it off because honestly the whole process seemed complicated from the outside. its really not though once you just dive in.

i picked a local nature reserve that was already registered in the WWFF database, took me a while to find one nearby that wasnt super remote since i dont have 4WD and some of these references are way off the beaten track. ended up at a state conservation park about 45 minutes from home, nice spot, had a picnic table which was a bonus.

ran the KX2 into a linked dipole strung between two gum trees, maybe 6 meters up. worked mostly 40m and had a go at 20 as well. got my 44 contacts which i think is the minimum for a valid activation? and then kept going for another hour or so because the pile up was still going and the weather was nice. logged about 90 QSOs total which felt pretty good for a first go.

uploading to WWFF.us was a bit confusing, i had to convert my log from ADIF and make sure the reference number was in there correctly. took me two attempts but it got accepted. anyone else find the upload process a bit fiddly or is it just me?

congrats on the first one, 90 QSOs is a solid effort especially if condx were anything like they've been here lately. yeah the 44 contact minimum is right, thats what you need for it to count as a valid activation in the WWFF program.

the upload thing tripped me up too when i started. what software are you using to log? if youre on HAMRS or even just a spreadsheet, there are a few quirks with how the WWFF reference gets exported into the ADIF. i ended up just manually editing the ADIF file in notepad to make sure the WWFF_REF field was in every record, bit tedious but it worked. pretty sure some of the newer versions of logger apps handle it automatically now though.

once you get a feel for it the whole thing becomes pretty addictive honestly. i started trying to activate references that hadnt been activated before, theres still a heap of them sitting at zero in the database which is kind of wild. great excuse to go bushwalking with a radio on your back too.

oh man i didnt even know WWFF was a thing until like three months ago and now ive done four activations lol. the pile ups are so much fun, way more chaotic than i expected. people calling from all over the place.

do you find hunters are pretty patient when youre still figuring out your operating rhythm? i had one guy get a bit grumpy at me for not sending signal reports fast enough but most people are really nice about it.