DDRCi July 2026 meeting: Di Main and Ham Radio as a sport

Join us on 13 July 2026 to explore another important facet of our hobby, and one that has driven experimentation, discovery, and connections.  Contesting!  Nothing works better to spur a bit of activity that friendly competition.   And whether that’s making 20 contacts in a day, achieving the one impossible feat of engineering in a distance record, or doing 15 contacts a minute for 24 hours:  a little competitive spirit goes a long way.

Di Main is one of Australia’s leading Ham Radio competition leaders, and has the world’s best callsign to boot.  In addition to participation in events on an almost continual basis, Di finds the time to help run competitions so that we can all enjoy the activity.   Di is a local, and a past member of the Darling Downs Radio Club’s executive.

At our next club meeting, Di will spill the beans on what competitions are, why you should enter, what you can take away, what you can learn, and – most importantly – how to have a bit of fun in the process.  and in particular, what does it take to win?  Yes Di has a few tips about that too.

Di Main, along with her husband Bill, runs a five acre station setup down in the hollows of the Lockyer Valley, somewhere around QG62EM (and if you don’t know what that means, THERE is a perfect reason to come along – all will be revealed). From her home shack she spends lots of time DXing, antenna building, and being competitive on-air.

Di will be joining us in person for this session, and maybe it’s time to come along and be inspired. Bring the family, especially the young ones, and meet someone who has demonstrated the benefits of having a go.

The timing of Di’s talk will be excellent: we have two contests coming up in the near future; the Trans Tasman Low Band Contest on 16 July, and the Remembrance Day contest – that’s the RD contest – on 15th of August – and now is the time to get started with preparation for that one.

The meeting will be held at the Guide Hut, 18A Memory Street Harristown.

Date:  13 July 2026 starting from 1900.   Tea, coffee and TimTams available, and we’ll have a bit more of the kit for sale on display.

And it will be televised for those unable to make the trek.