50 MHz CW 2013

This year sees the second year of the 50MHz CW contest.  While the number of entries and  the number of stations active has fallen since 2012, there was still a healthy entry of thirty eight stations.

Tropo conditions were reported as "awful", "tough" and "average" with deep QSB requiring numerous repeats of information and probably being a prime source of errors.  Sporadic-E was present throughout the event and was responsible for 70 QSOs.  Of these 55% were in the first thirty minutes and 14% in the second thirty minutes.  There were 126 stations in 51 squares (22 UK and 29 outside the UK) reported in the logs.  Outside the UK stations in 4X, 9A, 9H, DL, EA, EI, F, I, IS0, OK, ON, OZ, PA, S5, SV, and TK were worked.

There were two main sources of errors in the logs.  Errors in the locator were responsible for 38% of all errors.   Many of these were typical CW errors of "S" for "H" etc.  A more interested source of error is that 33% of errors were "mis-copies" of the incoming RST!  50MHz is a meeting of cultures of HF stations used to the "599 culture" and VHF operators used to giving "real" reports.  A number of entrants logged the default 599 irrespective of the report received and there were a number of instances of "you are 599 but please repeat the information many times" !!  I would encourage the use of "real" reports in future events.

Congratulations go to:

•  G4TSW - operated by Tim G4FJK, Paul G4RRA and Alan G0IFC for winning the Open section.
•  John G4ZTR for winning the SF section.
•  The other certificate winners who are identified in the results tables.

(Note: As your adjudicator gained a 2nd place certificate, the adjudication was verified by Ian G0FCT, The Contest Committee Chairman).

This contest is the second leg of the 2013 VHF CW Championship.  G4TSW maintain their lead with G4ZTR and G3MEH close on their heels.

Roger - G4BVY