VHF NFD 1-2 July 2017

The weather varied greatly over the UK during this contest. In many locations in the south of the UK, sun cream and sun hats were the order of the day. Further north, entrants were not so lucky with rain and generally unsettled weather. Sunday was generally the best of the days weather-wise.

There were several comments from entrants in the Sweeper section of a failure of some portable stations, mainly those in the MS and Low Power sections, to call CQ regularly. Sweeper section entrants are not permitted to call CQ either on the air or via Internet chat sites such as ON4KST so if portable stations don't call CQ, it makes it impossible for Sweeper stations to work them! Portable entrants please note!!

The rules were changed for 2017 to permit groups entering the Mix & Match and Restricted sections to operate on all five bands with the best four scores counting toward the group's total score. The Multi-band, Single Station (MS) section for portable entrants is now five years old and saw a welcome increase in entrants this year.

Several site inspections were made during the weekend and nothing untoward was found. Several complaints of interference/broad signals between portable entrants (on 144 MHz and 432 MHz) were received by the adjudication team. Some stations recorded the complaints and acted to resolve the issues. Other stations didn't record the complaints or take any action to investigate the complaint. If you receive a complaint/comment that your signal is less than perfect, you are required by the contest rules (VHF General Rule 2.e) to record the complaint/comment in your log. You also need to investigate if your signal is causing the reported issue; the complaining station is expected to assist in this investigation!

In contrast to last year, the band plan appeared to have been respected this year with no complaints about contest stations calling on the calling/centre of activity frequencies. Once again, no stations were observed to be operating within the segment of 50 MHz reserved for Intercontinental working - thank you.

In the Open section, this year's Overall Winner is the Reigate ATS and Crawley ARC (JO01) with an overall normalised score of 3862 points. They win the Surrey Trophy. In the Runner-Up position with 3839 points, is the Colchester and A1 CG (JO01). In Open section results table at # position with 4024 points lies Wexford VHFG (IO62). Readers are reminded that only UK & Crown Dependency-based (UK&CD) entrants are eligible for Awards and all band-scores are normalised against the highest scoring UK&CD station. As a consequence, Wexford VHFG's normalised scores on 50 MHz and 70 MHz are each greater than 1000. In 3rd place is the Windmill CG (JO01) with 2820 points. The highest placed Scottish station is Aberdeen VHF Group (IO86), who win the Tartan Trophy as the Leading Resident Scottish group.

In the Restricted section, this year's Overall Winner is the South Birmingham RS (IO92) with 3257 points. They win the Martlesham Trophy. In the Runner-Up position is the Lothians RS (IO74) with 3043 points who win the Cockenzie Quaich as the highest placed Scottish Group. In 3rd place lies the North Bedfordshire Gentlemen's CG (IO92) with 2283 points.

This year's Overall Winner in the Low Power section is the Warrington CG (IO93) with 3000 points (the maximum attainable). They win the Arthur Watts Trophy. Loch Fyne Kippers (IO75) is the Runner-up this year with 2256 points and, as highest placed Scottish station, retain the Scottish Trophy for another year. In 3rd place are the Sutton Coldfield RS (IO92) with 746 points.

This year's Overall Winner in the Mix & Match section is the Trowbridge & DARC (IO81) with 3208 points and they receive the G5BY Trophy. This year's Runner-Up is the Telford & DARS (IO82) with 2380 points. In 3rd place for the third year running is Drowned Rats RG (IO91) with a score of 2118 points.

In the fifth running of the Multi-Single (MS) section, the Overall Winner is Lagan Valley ARS (IO74) with 2282 points and this group was the band leader on 70MHz and 144MHz. In the Runners-Up position is Tall Trees CG (IO93) with 2822 points and this group was the band leader on 50MHz. In 3rd place lies Workington & DARC (IO84) with 2169 points and this group was the band leader on 1.2GHz.

50 MHz Band Leaders and Scores:

Open section: Numerical Leader, Position #: EI9E/P Wexford VHFG (IO62), Score 55454

Open section: 1st UK & CD: G5LK/P Reigate ATS and Crawley ARC (JO01), Score 44949

Restricted section:: GM3HAM/P Lothians CG (IO74), Score 30420

Low Power section: GM3TAL/P Loch Fyne Kippers (IO75), Score 3810

MS section: M1DDD/P Tall Trees CG (IO93), Score 15604

70 MHz Band Leaders and Scores:

Open section: Numerical Leader, Position #: EI9E/P Wexford VHFG (IO62), Score 31944

Open section: 1st UK & CD: G0VHF/P Colchester and A1 CG (JO01), Score 27264

Restricted section: GM3HAM/P Lothians RS (IO74), Score 25988

Low Power section: GM3TAL/P Loch Fyne Kippers (IO75), Score 7744

MS section: GI4GTY/P Lagan Valley ARS (IO74), Score 14240

144 MHz Band Leaders and Scores:

Open section: G5LK/P Reigate ATS and Crawley ARC (JO01) Score 227295

Restricted section: G8OHM/P South Birmingham RS (IO92) Score 86763

Low Power section: G3CKR/P Warrington CG (IO93) Score 71564

MS section: GI4GTY/P Lagan Valley ARS (IO74), Score 21423

432 MHz Band Leaders and Scores:

Open section: G0VHF/P Colchester and A1 CG (JO01), Score 49883

Restricted section: G8BNE/P North Bedfordshire Gentlemen's CG (IO92), Score 19829

Low Power section: G3CKR/P Warrington CG (IO93), Score 19580

MS section: G3RCV/P Cray Valley RS (JO01), Score 11192

1.2 GHz Band Leaders and Scores:

Open section: G0VHF/P Colchester & A1 CG (JO01) Score 34650

Restricted section: G2BQY/P Trowbridge & DARC (IO81) Score 16253

Low Power section: G3CKR/P Warrington CG (IO93) Score 13653

MS section: G4VFL/P Workington & DARC (IO84) Score 1624

Fixed Station Sweeper Section

In the Sweeper sections, (FSO and FSR) certificates are awarded for top and runner-up best overall normalised score and, for each section, Band Leader and, if appropriate, Gold, Silver and Bronze awards for contacting 90%, 75% and 50%, respectively, of registered and active VHF NFD (Portable) stations. To facilitate this, a list of stations which had registered by the closing date was published on the RSGB CC website in advance of the Contest. The adjudicators have taken account of those registered stations that were not 'active' during VHF NFD.

The Overall Leader in the Sweeper section was G3XDY (JO02) with 3000 points from a three band entry and was the Band Leader on 70 MHz (FSO), 432 MHz (FSO) and 1.2 GHz (FSO). The Overall Runner-up was GW4SHF with 2134 points from a four band entry and was the Band Leader on 144 MHz (FSR). In 3rd Overall place was G3RLE with 1719 points from a three band entry and was the Band Leader on 50 MHz (FSR).

Sweeper Band Awards:

50 MHz FSO (6 Entrants): Band Leader & Silver Award: G4ELJ (IO91)

50 MHz FSR (23 Entrants): Band Leader & Silver Award: G3RLE (IO83)

FSR Bronze Award: GW4SHF (IO82), G8FMC (IO91), G3MXH (JO02), M0CGL (JO03), G8LZE (IO91), G8PX (IO91)

70 MHz FSO (4 Entrants): Band Leader & Silver Award: G3XDY (JO02)

FSO Silver Award: G3MXH (JO02), G3NPI (IO92)

FSO Bronze Award: G4KCT (IO93)

70 MHz FSR (12 Entrants): Band Leader and Silver Award: G4YHF (IO92)

FSR Silver Award: GW8ASD (IO83), G8FMC (IO91)

FSR Bronze Award: G4HGI (IO83), G8LZE (IO91)

144 MHz FSO (7 Entrants): Band Leader & Silver Award: M0CGL (JO03)

FSO Silver Award: G1PPA (IO93)

FSO Bronze Award: F1CBC (JN09), G4TSQ (IO90), GM3WOJ (IO77)

144 MHz FSR (31 Entrants): Band Leader & Silver Award: GW4SHF (IO82)

FSR Bronze Award: M0HOM (IO93), G4PDS (IO80), G4CTU (IO82), G8PX (IO91), G3RLE (IO83), G4XPE (IO92), GW8ASD (IO83), 2W0JYN (IO83), G4LPD (IO92), G0TAR (JO01), G8LZE (IO91), GW3ATZ (IO83), M0XAC (IO81), M0WGF (JO01), G8EOP (IO93), G4CIB (IO81), G1MZD (IO92), G4VPD (IO92), M0KEP (IO91)

432 MHz FSO (4 Entrants): Band Leader & Silver Award: G3XDY (JO02)

432 MHz FSR (21 Entrants): Band Leader & Bronze Award: G1PPA (IO93)

FSR Bronze Award: G3YKI (IO92), G3UBX (IO82), G8LZE (IO91), G8PX (IO91)

1.2 GHz FSO (3 Entrants): Band Leader & Silver Award: G3XDY (JO02)

FSO Bronze Award: G4KCT (IO93)

1.2 GHz FSR (4 Entrants): Band Leader: G8EOP (IO93)

Congratulations to all recipients of Trophies and Certificates and thank you to all participants.

73 from the 2017 VHF NFD Adjudication Team:Ian G0FCT, Mike G0KAD, Stephen GW4SHF and Jacqui G6XSY