RoPoCo SSB 2014

Entries and stations active were almost back to the level of the first RoPoCo SSB in 2011 with 99 stations in the logs, including four from Europe.  Unfortunately contacts with non-UK do not count for points but did introduce some unusual exchanges as ‘post codes’ extracted and passed on from these stations were a mixture of number strings and locators.  Some non-entrants understandably did not know the rules and sent their own post code to everyone and this caused at least one exchange to become dominant in the last 20 minutes.

In first place this year is John Slater G8FMJ operating G4DAA.  John also had the highest placed error-free log so is awarded the Verulam Silver Jubilee Trophy.  There were only five other error-free logs from M0UKD/P, G3TBK, M0PCB, G6GLP, and G0VQR.  Note that duplicates and contacts with non-UK stations are not counted as log errors.

The mean error rate was 2.5 per log with the majority of errors in received post code.  The remainder were mainly callsign, RS reports and ‘not in log’.  The adjudication software flags all inconsistencies for manual verification and the majority of logs just required this minimal additional intervention, however two logs had consistent errors that doubled the overall work needed.  The robot does issue warnings on defective logs to allow entrants to re-submit.  Failure to do this may lead to a points deduction or disqualification.

John Cockrill G4CZB