CW National Field Day 2019

The rules for this contest were unaltered this year . There were 38 entries from portable stations with 8 groups entering the QRP sections, 22 groups entering the Low Power Unassisted section and 8 groups entering the Low Power Assisted section. The Fixed Station section attracted 36 entries. This is a decrease  on the UK entry level for 2018, maybe reflecting the downturn in HF conditions generally.

The  band  conditions were generally reported as poor , reflecting the state of  the sunspot cycle, and 10m was only briefly open  for some southern stations early on Sunday. Some Dx was  worked including BY LU and W7, even by the QRP stations, and a number of portables took the time to work some  of  the D Day celebration stations.The multiplier count was again most important in the final scores, not just QSO points. The German and Russian portable stations provided most of the points, and the UK entry was reported as disapointing by some entrants.

The equipment in use was again mainly the Elecraft K3 series . The preferred antennas in the QRP and Low Power Unassisted sections were the usual 270  foot  doublets and dipoles. The Low Power Assisted section generally favoured beams for the HF bands and dipoles for the LF bands, and doublets were also used in  the renewable energy section .Most UK groups had reasonable weather. And some shared  the event with local fairs.

The winner in the QRP section was again Horsham ARC (M5O/P) who receive the Reading QRP Shield. They did suffer from local QRN but carrried on  regardless, the runner-up was Reading ARC , G3ULT/P.

The winner in Low Power Unassisted Portable section was G2NF/P , the Radio Ga Ga group, who receive the NFD Shield. Last year's winner the  Sussex Downs CG, G4FNL/P are the runners up . In third place was  the Aberdeen club GM3BSQ/P, who were band leaders on 15m, with Scottish and  Welsh groups participation being reduced this year, The winner of the  Leading Single Operator award, the G3MVZ Memorial Cup, was G2DX/P ,the Farnborough club operated by M0URL.

The winner in the Low Power Assisted Portable section was again the De Montford University ARS (M2A/P) who receive the Bristol Trophy. They were also  the band leaders on all bands  except  15m. The runner-up was again  the Stockport RS (G5O/P). The Weston group  G4WSM/P were third.

In the Fixed Station section, the winner was EU1WW with 5B/RN3QO  in the runner-up slot.The leading UK  fixed  station was G9F operated  by G4BVY.

Congratulations to all the winners and congratulations ,and many thanks, to all those groups who were able to get a station on the air.Thanks to all who sent in photos, and some will be used in the Radcom article to  be published. Two of the leading portable UK stations were inspected, with no issues.

73

Mike G3VYI