2025 Activator's Bunkerteer Challenge

1st January - 31 December 2025

UKBOTA Activators – Are you ready for a real challenge?

Welcome to the 2025 Bunkerteer Challenge for UKBOTA Activators. There are many tasks, some easy some not so easy. How many can you manage?  You have the whole of 2025 to pick at the list (all QSO must take place in 2025). Remember this is a marathon not a sprint, but keep a tally as you go and the points will soon mount up! This award runs concurrent with all other UKBOTA awards.

There are bound to be things on this list that you have not tried before. Here’s your chance to try something new.  Whether you haven’t got an antenna for 80m, have never tried SSTV or have never done a night owl activation, whatever it is you’re sure to find lots of UKBOTA community members eager to help with advice and suggestions.

To ensure the challenge stays fresh we will be asking for community suggestions each month for the monthly bonus tasks

Tasks - 1 point each

  1. Complete a bunker activation entirely on 80m
  2. Complete a bunker activation entirely on 40m
  3. Complete a bunker activation entirely on 20m
  4. Complete a bunker activation entirely on 15m
  5. Complete a bunker activation entirely on 10m
  6. Complete a bunker activation entirely on 6m with a minimum of 10 QSO. 
  7. Complete a bunker activation entirely on 2m with a minimum of 10 QSO.
  8. Complete a bunker activation using no fewer than 3 bands
  9. Complete a bunker activation using no fewer than 5 bands
  10. Complete a bunker activation entirely in SSB
  11. Complete a bunker activation entirely in CW
  12. Complete a bunker activation entirely in FT8 and/or FT4
  13. Complete a bunker activation entirely in RTTY
  14. Work 10 stations using SSTV from UKBOTA bunkers (can be over multiple activations)
  15. Complete 5 bunker to bunker QSO in CW (can be over multiple activations)
  16. Complete 5 bunker to bunker QSO in FT8/FT4 (can be over multiple activations)
  17. Complete 5 bunker to bunker QSO on 80m (can be over multiple activations)
  18. Complete 5 bunker to bunker QSO on 40m (can be over multiple activations)
  19. Complete 5 bunker to bunker QSO on 20m (can be over multiple activations)
  20. Complete 5 bunker to bunker QSO on 15m (can be over multiple activations)
  21. Complete 5 bunker to bunker QSO on 10m (can be over multiple activations)
  22. Self-Spot 10 of your activations on the WWBOTA Cluster. (10 different activations)
  23. Work 20 different USA States from UK bunkers (can be over multiple activations) 
  24. Work Japan, Australia and Brazil from UK bunkers (can be over multiple activations)
  25. Work 10 DXCC from the same activation (includes all UK DXCC as separate DXCC). Must include 1 DXCC outside Europe/UK.
  26. Work 20 DXCC from the same activation (includes all UK DXCC and separate DXCC). Must include 2 DXCC outside Europe/UK.
  27. Work 30 DXCC from the same activation (includes all UK DXCC as separate DXCC). Must include 3 DXCC outside Europe/UK.
  28. Work 50 stations or more stations from a single activation
  29. Work 100 or more stations from a single activation
  30. Work 150 or more  stations from a single activation
  31. Work 500 or more stations from the same bunker (can be over multiple activations!). The same station can be worked on different days.
  32. Activate a UK bunker using 5W or less
  33. Activate a UK bunker using 1W or less
  34. Complete two separate activations, each with at least one bunker and one lighthouse reference(s) in the same activation
  35. Complete two separate activations, each with at least one bunker and one POTA reference(s) in the same activation
  36. Complete two separate activations, each with at least one bunker and one WWFF reference(s) in the same activation
  37. Activate a bunker in England
  38. Activate a bunker in  Scotland
  39. Activate a bunker in Northern Ireland
  40. Activate a bunker in Wales
  41. Activate a bunker on the Isle of Man
  42. Activate a bunker on the Channel Islands
  43. Activate five 3fer bunkers
  44. Activate two 4fer bunkers
  45. Activate a 5fer bunker
  46. Activate a bunker between midnight and 0600 UTC (all QSO to take place in this time window)
  47. Activate bunkers on 5 consecutive days
  48. Activate a bunker on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and a Sunday. Does not have to be the same bunker, or on consecutive days.
  49. Activate 3 night owl bunkers (3 different activations)
  50. Produce an electronic QSL card that includes both the UKBOTA and WWBOTA logos.

Notes:
1 – 7, once the bunker has been activated on the specified band (25 QSO HF, 10 QSO VHF) you are free to QSY and continue additional QSO on other bands.
15 – 21, each 5 must be different B2B combinations.
28-30, all three points may be claimed (if not previously claimed) in a single 150 (or more) activation.
43-44, each must be different.

Monthly Bonus Tasks - 2 points each

One bonus task will be added each calendar month in 2025. The monthly bonus task is worth 2 points. The monthly bonus task will be determined through UKBOTA community suggestions. Examples of monthly tasks could include: Activate a bunker eniterly on 160m, and activate a bunker using WARC bands only.

51. January 2025 – Activate 4 different Airfield Battle HQ bunkers in January

52. February 2025 – this is a double pointer with 4 points available! Activate a bunker that you have not activated before (since UKBOTA began in October 2023). Score one point per ‘new to you’ bunker activated, up to a maximum of 4 bunkers. Where ‘new to you’ bunkers are clustered, eg. a 2-fer, then even if both bunkers are ‘new to you’ only one point can be claimed for the activation. The activator may return to the cluster, at any time in February, to claim additional points from the remaining ‘new’ bunkers, again at 1 point per activation.

53. March 2025 – this month we offer another double pointer with up to 4 points available. This task is focussed on working B2B with other WWBOTA schemes (ie. not UKBOTA bunker to UKBOTA bunker).

     * For 2 points: Work a minimum of 10 WWBOTA B2B with a minimum of 1 each with 5 different WWBOTA schemes.

      or

     * For 4 points: Work a minimum of 20 WWBOTA B2B with a minimum of 1 each with 8 different WWBOTA schemes.

     * Note: All QSO must take place in March 2025. 

54. April 2025 – ‘Take a Mate’. Escort a first time bunker activator to successfully activate 2 bunkers, using their callsign. Note: This must be 2 separate activations, ie. not one 2fer. All activations must take place in April 2025.

55. May 2025 – ‘The Early Bird’. Complete a morning bunker activation on HF before 0830 UK Local in May (2 points). Complete 3 x morning bunker activations (different bunkers) on HF before 0830 UK Local in May, each of the 3 must be on a different day (4 points).

56. June 2025 – ‘The Magic Band’. To coincide withe the Sporadic E period, this 6M bonus task is in 4 parts, each worth a point:

* Successfully activate 2 bunkers, on two different days. 25 QSO for a valid activation which must include at least 10 QSO on 6M per bunker.

* Work 6 different countries (excluding those in UK & NI) during a single bunker activation on 6M.

* Work a station outside Europe during a bunker activation on 6M.

* Work 6 different countries bunker-to-bunker (B2B) (excluding those in UK & NI), this can be done on different activations throughout May (not all 6 countries must be worked in a single activation), on 6M any mode.

57. July 2025 – tbc
58. August 2025 – tbc
59. September 2025 – tbc
60. October 2025 – tbc
61. November 2025 – tbc
62. December 2025 – tbc

Special Bonus Tasks - 5 'welcome' points each

These bonus tasks are basic ‘welcome’ tasks for the newcomer. The intention is to welcome newcomers to the hobby and/or bunker activating. These bonus tasks are aligned with the RSGB Brickworks programme although membership of RSGB is not required to claim these Bunkerteer welcome points.

These additional points can only be scored by those first licenced on or after 1st January 2024 and who have never previously successfully activated a bunker.

63.  Activate a bunker, on each of two different days, on HF (25 QSO each).

64.  Activate a bunker on VHF (5 QSO, simplex only – no repeaters, any band or combination of bands 50MHz and above).

Another two bonuses!

Finally, bonuses of 3 points each are available for completing the following tasks in 2025:

65. Give a talk in person or online to your local amateur radio club on the subject of bunkers on the air

66. Make an activation report on the BunkerWiki

Cumulative Points

Multiple points may be scored on the same activation but the points for each task can only be scored once in 2025. The challenger will inevitably get harder as the year progresses and as many of the ‘easier’ tasks have been completed!

Cumulative points example:

On 1st January 2025 M1AAA/P activates the 2 bunkers at the same time: B/G-1973 and B/G-1975. He works 107 stations all on 40m SSB, including 6 Bunker to Bunker (B2B) QSO, and works 13 DXCC (including Canada). Before his activation M1AAA/P had noted that his activation location is also in the activation zone for POTA GB-3475 Kilnsea Westland Nature Reserve.

Score breakdown:

Task 2 – Complete a bunker activation entirely on 40m –  1 point
Task 8 – Complete a bunker activation entirely in SSB – 1 point
Task 18 – Complete 5 bunker to bunker QSO on 40m (can be over multiple activations) – 1 point
Task 25 – Work 10 DXCC from the same activation (includes all UK DXCC) – 1 point
Task 28 – Work 50 stations from a single activation – 1 point
Task 29 – Work 100 stations from a single activation – 1 point
Task 37 – Activate a bunker in England – 1 point

Total points = 7
Note: M1AAA/P does not get the POTA point (Task 35) for this activation if it is his first POTA multi-activation.

Levels

Bunkerteer Level 1 (Bronze) = 10 points

Bunkerteer Level 2 (Silver) = 20 points

Bunkerteer Level 3 (Gold) = 30 points

Bunkerteer Level 4 (Platinum) = 40 points

Bunkerteer Level 5 (Diamond) = 50 points

Bunkerteer Level 6 (Master Bunkerteer) = 70 points or more

The Highest Possible Score is 82 points (92 for newcomers)

Keeping Track

No tracker or check-sheet is offered for this award, activators are recommended to ‘keep track’ using whatever method suits them best (although scraps of paper and Post-it notes are not recommended!). A simple list numbered 1 to 66 with notes may suffice, or you may wish to ‘go tech’ and produce your own spreadsheet.

Award Claims

Awards will be available for issue from 31st January 2025.  All award claims to awards@ukbota.org

Trophies

Trophies will be available (at cost) for those achieving Level 5 and Level 6. Details to follow.

UKBOTA