RSGB Contest Committee

G4EDG
Conditions and activity dreadful after the break!

G4EKT/P
Not many /P stations on
Hard to find anyone to work after the lunchbreak!

G4LMW/P
A bit like pulling teeth. Rates of 5 an hour at times. This is such a great little contest, it is a pity there are not more participants.

G4LWB
Poor conditions deep fading at times

G4XPE
Band conditions fair on 80mtrs and good on 40mtrs.
Some stations disappeared into qsb especially on 80mtrs.
Family commitments limited operating to a.m.session only.

G6NUM
FT1000 9W to W3DZZ trapped dipole at 29ft.
Good condx for first session - 15 mins into second session rain showers started with high static noise.
By the end had S9 power line noise - apologies if I missed some stations who were below my noise level.
Worked one station who gave 001 and only sent power when asked and he then gave 100W (not QRO as per rules)
Would have liked to have heard more of the QRP stations who took part in the 80m CC contests.

G8QM
FT817 + Half-size G5RV

GM3BSQ/P
Wx light winds sunny & hot in tent unlike forecast
Great help from club in rig/derig
K2 went faulty 20 mins into contest fell back on TS50S
Seemed busier than last year
Could we NOT abandon 80M for contest and use 20M?

GM3JKS
Did not do my usual portable operation because of wet WX here in GM

GW0ETF
First attempt at this contest. 40m seemed in good shape for the morning session but struggled on both bands after lunch.
Something about someone CQing in your face when they're S8 and in the clear - that's qrp I guess!
K3 and 100ft doublet

GW4HBK
80m very noisy very frustrating with 3w
could hear stations but band did not open at all

M0TDK
FT1000MP MK V Field on 3W + 200' doublet
Rainthunderstorms etc convinced us to operate from
indoors rather than /P in a field. Perhaps a wise choice?

M6ZSE
Good fun but blown away away by heavy QRM both bands. Hope this was local. See you next year

MM0DFZ
Conditions dire on 80m

PA5V
TS-140S 10W output ant 2x20M
POOR CONDX ON 80MTRS SO WAS MAINLY ON 40MTRS

PE1FJN/P
TEN-TEC T1340 Home Brew & KENT Straight Key Power 12V battery Antenna Buddipole Dipole 16 foot mast and Long Whip HAD TO STOP DUE TO BAD WEATHER, rain and too much wind 73 MARC

Both the ionosphere and the troposphere presented challenges to portable entrants with a wet and windy Sunday across most of the UK. With the rain came high levels of static on 80m, some entrants claiming this resulted in fewer QSO's on that band. One or two entrants have suggested including 20m instead of 80m, grateful for feedback on this idea from other entrants.

One facet of this contest that differs from others on HF is the high number of non-599 reports that are sent. Unfortunately, probably due to logging software automatically filling in the 599 report, there were a higher number of adjudicated RST errors. Overall, mistakes by stations operating portable were in the majority, more attention to detail would prevent losing precious QSO points.

Congratulations to Dave G3TBK who won Section A for the 10W Fixed event and keeps the 1930 Committee Cup for another year. The 10W Portable section was won by GM3BSQ/P operated by MM0ROV and GM3WIJ who receive the Houston-Fergus trophy.

In the 3W sections, Frank GM3JKS stayed indoors this year to win the 3W fixed section and receives the HFCC Trophy while Tim G4ARI/P  again wins section D for the 3W Portable event and receives the Southgate Trophy.

Check logs are gratefully acknowledged from G0AZS, G3XMM and MM0DFZ

Mark David
G4MEM

SOAPBOX:

9A4LW
RU-20 (PRC-515) Pout= 2W

DD1IM
Hi qrp cw fans. Once agn hard condx here in DL: 80 mtrs seemed dead & strong qsb on 40 mtrs - maybe due to the rainy wx... getting btr on later afternoon. Lost mni G-stns - sri friends! - & wasn't heard by some... pity.
Anyhow did meet lots of qrp stns on the band - mni tnx guys for every
contact & hpe cuagn. I guess my ears won't get btr but hpe the condx
will ;-) Vy 73 gl es cwfe de Sascha DD1IM (member of DARC DOK K27).

DF4WX/P
Elecraft KX1 running with internal AA cells 1W into 10m fibreglass vertical.
Could only participate on 40 for a limited time.

DF5TR
Elecraft kit K1; 2x13m Inverted-Vee

G0ORH/P
Op's...Ken G0ORH David G3KLH.
K3 10w 40/80 dipole. Computer logging. condx not good heavy rain windy. not good. one consolation
the plugh Inn was 2 minutes up the road so beer wine and sunday dinner made up for the lost points wx condx etc.

G0VQR/P
I put on a station at the McMichael Rally car boot.
Operating in between selling things on the Reading
club table. The 80m whip kept coming up with high SWR
so could only go on 40m. Great fun all battery power.
Amazing what you can do with 5 watts and a simple mobile
40m whip

G3EAO
Band conditions terrible - I gave up !

G3GWB/P
Hard work on 80m very few people were hearing me concluded
I must be below their local noise level therefore matching must be very
inefficient. Rebuilt it mid-afternoon when 40m dried up and picked up
some useful qsos on 80m with comparative ease in the last 40 minutes.
Rain protection for the lash up was minimal so it wouldn't have lasted much
longer with the battering from those squally showers late in the day!

G3HEJ
Not too many stns on & many old calls seemed missing this time !
I really do like this 'Test' & it's great to encourage 'CW Learners'

G3IGU
FT-450 10 Watts Doublet Ant + 138 ft End fed

G3LHJ
40M was the best band - good fun reasonable turnout.

G3SWC
First QRP contest - most enjoyable although rather slow
80m quiet until near the end Lot of QSB.

G3TBK
FT1000MP 9W TO 80m Dipole at 75 feet rotatable 40m Dipole at 60 feet.
Condx quickly deteriorated on 80m but 40m was in great shape for morning session.
Hard to find anything new in last hour. Rain in afternoon brought s9 static to 80m
hope rst is part of adjudication - no sympathy with loggers that will only accept 599!

G3UJE
FT-1000MP 80M INV Vee + 40M SLOPER

G3VIP
RIG IC7000 3W - Dipoles - Homebrew logger
Sigs weak on 80m deep QSB both bands. Good work out for the ears!!!

G3VYI
SD excellent
All had good ears
Hope the portables were dry
Thanks to the portables for QSO's
Activity goodcondx good.

G3YMC/P
A slightly shortened entry. After a heavy deluge at 2pm I decided
I had had enough and went home to dry out...
Good inter-G conditions on 40m but 80m a little disappointing.
Hopefully the weather will be more favourable next year!

G3ZGC
Trouble is this clashes with the McMichael Rally which I like.
So a very limited entry from home.
Rig IC7700 set to 10w. Ant 80m wire 40m half size G5RV.

G3ZRJ
Glad to hear so many stations on sorry couldnt
put in a full entry but have to look after xyl
who is not too well at present

G4ARI/P
Good to hear short skip on 40 metres for a change
WX Mixed - Rain - Wind - Cloud
At one point the rain was so heavy on the car roof I
could not hear the audio even though I was wearing
headphones!
Great fun. Thanks for all the QSOs see you next year

G4BLI/P
Outdoor fun??? Atrocious weather on Dartmoor this year.
WINKEY worked really well with SD

G4CKH/P
On holiday in the caravan so i thought i'd have a bash
missed pc logging and winkey hard work using paper and
pen. Xyl was not feeling to great so couldent devote
as much time to the contest as i would have liked.
Hf condx not to bad.

G4DDL
Just giving away a few points
conditions not too good some very deep QSB
Apologies to G4EKT/P who tried to work me twice on 40m
and I lost him in the noise both times
Nice to meet many old friends

G4DDX/P
A very lively contest with rain wind and thunder.
Made my best ever score due to better aerial at least.
PM was very slow.Needed h/phones due to rain on car and
thunder forgot I needed dupe sheet.Comp logging does
spoil one. Forgot earth rod shocks reminded me.Hi

G4EBK
Conditions not good on eighty at all. Very high noise all day.
40 ok in the morning and poor after the first hour in the AM.
Still miles better than last year though.