70 MHz CW 2010

The 70MHz CW contest was reinstated this year by popular demand after a gap of four years. In the intervening period there has been an explosion of activity on the band and many more countries now have access. In 2005 when the contest was last run, there were eight entrants with the leader making nineteen QSOs. This year there were seventeen entries with the leader making twenty six QSOs. In total there were thirty four stations active in DL, G, GM, GW and ON. S5 was heard briefly but no complete contacts took place.

Activity levels were moderate and over half the total contacts were made in the first hour. However, there were extra stations and multipliers available throughout and capturing these had significant impact on the final placings. Conditions were flat with the usual four metre QSB. Only six contacts over 400kMs were completed, with a lack of activity in the extremes of the UK.

This band provides a challenge to provide the equipment for a competitive station and there was a vast array homebrew and commercial transverters and amplifiers and a variety of antenna types.

Logging standards were variable from perfect logs to stations who will note that they lost over 30% of their claimed scores. Interestingly the biggest source of error was copying the incoming RST.

Congratulations go to the section winners: The Flight Refueling ARS, G4RFR, and John, G4ZTR. Stations marked (*) will receive certificates.

Roger Dixon G4BVY