This 2025, the LHFA program celebrating its 20th anniversary

On May 1, 2005, the diploma program was first announced on the LY2FE website.
On June 4, 2005, the start of the program was announced and the first activations of hillforts began.
During these years, a long way has been covered. Hundreds of hillforts have been activated. Radio amateurs have walked thousands of kilometers through meadows and forests.
Tens of thousands of QSOs have been made with Lithuanian and foreign radio amateurs.

To celebrate this occasion of "LHFA - 20th" anniversary, activity is being organized !
Starting on June 4, 2025 and will finishing on December 4, 2025.

Throughout this period, participants aim to work in two ways

• As an Activator, a radio amateur visiting hillforts and making QSOs from hillforts with Lithuanian and foreign stations,
• As a Hunter, a radio amateur making QSOs with activators or SWL registering QSO between activators and hunters.

Each participant can do both, hunting hillforts and activating them.
Each activation of hillfort is counted as one activation for the score. Repeated activation or hunting of a hillforts will not be counted.

Award categories

Participants will compete of the following categories:

• Activator
• Activator under 26 (youth)
• Hunter
• Hunter - SWL

There are 4 type of prizes for each category:

• Platinum
• Gold
• Silver
• Bronze

5th to 8th place participants will also receive additional prizes.

Each participant who has activated or hunted hillforts during this period and has reached the appropriate position on the list.
And who has submitted QSO logs to the coordinator can apply for the award.

The following conditions apply to the activation of hillforts

1. The amateur radio station that activates the hillfort, during QSO:
   • Must be no further than 100 meters from the top of the hillfort (according to the hillfort coordinates published in the LHFA list), and operate under the call sign of a portable station (/p),
   • Transmit the LHFA hillfort identification number during QSO,
   • The station cannot be mobile (/m, /am, /mm),
   • The station cannot use active repeaters.
2. For the activating station, the hillfort is counted when at least 30 QSOs have been made with different correspondents.
   When working only in the VHF bands (50 MHz and above), at least 5 QSOs with different correspondents must be made.
3. Powers, modulation types and frequencies are unrestricted, but they must meet the requirements of the amateur radio license.
   It is recommended to use as many ranges as possible for the activation of the hillfort, to achieve a greater number of correspondents from other countries.

Results and award applications

From 8 of December 2025, the coordinator will publish the final scoreboard.

A radio amateur or SWL who has fulfilled the requirements and apply for the award from December 8, 2025 to March 8, 2026 must submit an application to receive the award by e-mailing us to -> lhfa@qrz.lt. A free-form message with the call sign, name, and surname is sent. In the message kindly indicate that you want to receive and collect the award.

Awards will be prepared on July 24, 2026, and will be presented during the LRMD hamfest on July 25th - 26th, 2026.
All information about the awards and the process of their presentation will be provided on the competition page.

QSO log

All QSO logs must be submitted until December 5, 2025 !!!

Activators must submit a log in ADIF format to the LHFA coordinator to allow for QSO to be recorded.
It is recommended that the QSO logs must be submitted within 10 days of the hillfort expedition.
During the competition, logs can be submitted after each activation, but the QSO in the logs must not be duplicated.

The ideal file name should be: LY0XX_P.adif

Remember that all references must be provided by the activator himself. He/She is also responsible for correctness of data.
The ADIF format must contain only the necessary columns, it's order does not matter.

    <CALL:5>PY0XX                  - correspondent's call sign
    <QSO_DATE:8>20200407 
    <TIME_ON:6>171827 
    <BAND:3>80M 
    <FREQ:7>3.60000
    <STATION_CALLSIGN:7>LY0XX/P    - activator station
    <OPERATOR:5>LY0XX              - activator station operator
    <MODE:3>SSB 
    <RST_RCVD:2>59 
    <RST_SENT:2>59
    <COMMENT:11>KA-01 / J19        - LHFA hillfort identification number / WAL locator
    <GRIDSQUARE:6>KO24AV           - LHFA hillfort WWL Locator

There should be no name, QTH, notes or other fields not specified in the example. By submitting the logs accordingly of above example, it will be efficient to coordinator to save the data.
Send the log to LHFA by e-mail -> lhfa@qrz.lt

Hunters are not required to send a QSO logs, but it is recommended for statistical purposes.
SWL submits the logs in the same format as activators, with the additional SWL annotation in the "comment" field:

    <COMMENT:17>KA-01 / J19 / SWL

Final provisions

• Every radio amateur respects and protects the cultural heritage of the nation, therefore, when activating the hillforts, it is forbidden to drive around the hillfort territory in places not designated for this purpose,litter, dig, destroy the slopes or otherwise damage the hillforts.
• The diploma coordinator is not responsible for the actions of the hillforts activators.
• The coordinator reserves the right to change and supplement the competition regulations after informing about the changes on the competition page.
  His decision is final and cannot be appealed.

Gratitude

The program coordinator extend appreciation in helping the preparation of the rules and gathering information for this activity.

Below are the following people:
Rolandas - LY4Q, Vilius - LY2PX, Andrėjus - LY2BVB, Vygis - LY2XW, Rolandas - LY0NAS

For editors comments:
Petras - LY2KM, Rolandas - LY0NAS

Layout and design of website and English translation:
Leah V.