RSGB Contest Committee

W1END
Conditions seemed better than last year. Many strong signals.

G4DBW
Condx Poor. Nothing heard at all on 28MHz at this QTH

G4XPE
No 10 meter propogation during my short operating period. Apologies for the delay in submitting entry due to major computer problems
G3JRM
ENJOYED BUT AGN LOTS OF STN'S ONLY INTERESTED IN DL CONTESTG4EBK
very slow same as last year but I decided to give it a better effort this year

W4/G4BUE
Only able to spend half an hour on 15 metres as lots of work to do at the QTH here after the three recent hurricanes!

G3YEC
I did say when HFCC killed the 40m CW contest that they should bear in mind the sunspot cycle and what was coming. If we are to persist with the 15/10m contest lets (a) make it both CW and SSB and (b) lets have it on another date when the German contest is NOT on.

G3HKO
Not much doing. Gave up after an hour or so. The tail was WAGging the dog. Roll on the sunspots. Thanks for the contest

GW4HBK
DIDN'T HEAR MUCH ON THE VERTICAL, NOTHING ON TEN.

P3J
Hard going again, but not so hard as last year! Nevertheless, an enjoyable contest for me. Good opening to UK on 10m in afternoon, but many Gs did not find it.
As last year, no GD/GI heard on either band. Clash with WAG is a problem at this location.

G3VYI
Comments: Poor condx, much QSB , good fun though part time with
gardening !!

M0AJT
Some nice DX but much more would have been better.

Chris G3SJJ was a clear winner in the UK Open section this year, with John G4RCG following. Open and Restricted section QSO totals were remarkably similar, the usual run of DX stations available to only the Open section guys mostly absent this time around. A mixture of perserverence and understanding of the nature of the high band propagation was the key to success. For example, several entrants were pleased to work a Seychelles station on 28 MHz, who appeared to be at that time the only person on the band! P3J was able to make QSOs on 28 MHz for most of the contest, but was still elusive to many. Well done to all who battled on, and were rewarded with those vital extra few QSOs and multipliers to climb to the top of the tables.

In the Overseas Open section, I comiserate Alexander RA3XO, who found the highest number of UK stations on 21 MHz, but didn’t find any 10m propagation. This left Alan 5B4AHJ, operating as P3J, to take the victory. RA3XO thought the contest sounded just like it was in the 1970’s – there were plenty of G3’s and G4’s in evidence, but very little from G0 or M0 stations. What can we do to improve this ? Mention must be made of yet another win by Rumen LZ2RS, operating QRP, who made a score better than 90% of the Open and Restricted guys.

Looking at last year’s results as a comparison, there were both more entries, and more UK stations active in the 2004 event, despite the 28 MHz propagation being decidedly worse. So the overall scores are reduced, but the average number of QSOs made on 21 MHz are higher. There were many comments made about the propagation, and also about clash with the all-band all-mode WAG contest which attracts more support. The HFCC are considering the future of this contest and the feedback is useful and welcome.

Lee Volante, G0MTN

* = award winner

(M) = Multi-operator station

SOAPBOX:

G4HZV
Can tell we're on the downward slope of the sunspots

M0CMQ
I've enjoyed about 7 hours familialisation on this type of contest and getting to use my recently installed SD logging software program, Some activity on 15m but only squeeks and bumps on 10m. I must investigate WinKey for SD.

G3VQO
Nothing at all heard on 10m!!! I really admire the dedication of those few non-UK stations who battle through the hoards of WAG contesters to find us, but I really wonder if this contest can survive as the solar cycle declines further. Certainly an effort to de-conflict it with the WAG would help, but would that leave enough activity anyway? Sadly, I suspect not.

G4RCG
TERRIBLE CONDX AND A REAL SLOG TO KEEP GOING A FEW OPENINGS BUT VERY WEAK TO THINK WE HAVE ANOTHER FEW YEARS OF THIS MAKES ME WANT TO HIBERNATE

GM4HQF
Band condx not good enough for my set up. Most DX stations heard were working the WAG contest. Thanks for running the contest Be no more moaning when the bands are wide open!

G3KKQ
Band Conditions very poor. Only 1 QSO on 10M Only managed a couple of hours.
WAG Contest seemed to have more support My 1st QSO I didn't send the District code

G3ZRJ
APOLOGIES FOR NOT DOING FULL 12 HOURS I HAD MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER TO STAY AND SO SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH HER. CONDITIONS SEEMED WORSE THAN THE SSB LEG OF THE CONTEST NOTHING HRD ON 28MHZ BUT SOME RTTY THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK

M0CYB
Bad conditions again on 10 meters and 15 was not much better. Plus getting called into work twice during the day did not help. Hopfully next year will be better. Cybernetics Department University of Reading

G4FAL
Very few contacts on 10m except one with Seychelles who was not in the contest - isn't propagation a wonderful thing? There didn't seem to be enough non 'G' stations to make the contest worthwhile - perhaps it was a good thing that I couldn't give 12 hours to it! The Bulgarians were fantastic and need to be thanked for their contribution. Can the RSGB send a letter of thanks to LZ?

G3WRR
ANTENNAS - 12AVQ triband vertical at ground level Only popped once once my Sunday chores were complete! Conditions seemed poor by the time I got on, but there
were Ws in there to be worked - was even called by a W7! This log should prevent somebody more deserving from coming bottom....

G3LIK
Very difficult with the German contest at the same time They were using high power and often encroached on a frequency occupied. Did not hear a thing on 10m
although I called CQ each hour.

MU0FAL
so slow that even the memory keyer got amnesia. nice opening to west USA on 15m

W1RM
First time I've entered this contest -- lots of fun Thanks to those who QSYed to 10 for me Please note error of working 5B4AGC on 10 and dupe number 58, sent twice. Both errors on my part.

VK8AV
Hello; enjoyed the contest despite QRM from the WAG contest.

GM4SID
Poor Conditions especailly on 28 MHz

G0RDO
R7000 vert was down for maintainance so struggled on using a Discone RX ant. Still my favourite comp.

GW3SB
I had very little time so this is only a token entry. Nothing heard on 28. 21 was full of G stations and Russians calling CQ TEST but replying SRI DL ONLY Could the date not clash with WAG in future?

G3RSD
Unless this Contest can be arranged on a Sunday other than the one when WAG Contest takes place then I for One will not be interested

G4DDX
Poor conditions of course nothing on 10m . Enjoyed the contest.A ZD7 would only work WAG stations unfortunately as I need it for DXCC !!!

G3BFP
SAME AS LAST YEAR WAG TEST MOST OF THE TIME. This contest is now past its sell-by date. Two options should be put to the UK Contest fraternity - Change to a dual mode event or scrap it the two events, SSB and CW.

G3SJJ
My last QSO XE3ARV was straight after he had worked GW3NJW. His CW so poor, it was difficult to decide whether he was repeating his number or indeed query to NJW who gave him 12 or whether he gave Clive 120 and then me 121

RA3XEV
Thanks for the nice test. Hope to see you in the next year.
All the best. 73.

RA3XO
Looks like in 1973 - G3 and G4, some G0 and few M3/M0.
No G1,G7 and other modern G/M. Have remembered
G pile ups on MP4BJR and MP4BJS in 1973. Time has gone.
My great thanks to everybody who gave me points and mults.
Nice to meet old mates-contesters. Good luck my friends.