144MHz CW MARCONI CONTEST, 4th/5th NOVEMBER 2023

For the third year in succession, there was a fall in the number of entries in the 144MHz CW Marconi Contest with 30 entries (two in section 6O, 17 in section 6S, four in section O and seven in section SF) plus two check logs. Three of the logs were from non-UK&CD stations in HA, OK and PA. The number of entries was 58% down on the peak of 62 in 2020, and we have to go back as far as 2014 to find a lower number of entries (28).  In addition to two check logs submitted directly to the RSGB, an additional 645 were received via IARU R1 for checking purposes.

A total of 391 different callsigns appear in the logs (160 from UK logs) from 107 big squares (47 from UK logs) and 20 DXCC entities - 9A, DL, E7, F, G, GI, GM, GU, GW, HA, HB9, I, OE, OK, OM, ON, PA, S5, SP, YO & YU (12 - DL, F, GI, GM, G, GW, HB9, OK, OM, ON and PA - from UK logs).  The best DX at 851km was between G3XDY in JO02 and DF3M in JO650 - less than half that in 2022.

An almost universal theme in entrants' comments - with over half the entrants who made comments noting it - was that UK activity was very low: the most upbeat comment was that it was 'uninspiring'. Similarly the majority of entrants commented that conditions were flat or poor (with the euphemistic 'uninspiring' cropping up again). However there were a couple of comments that some good contacts could be made via tropo, and that aircraft scatter had saved the day.

The continued fall in the number of entrants is clearly a matter of concern, with one entrant commenting: 'We will lose these CW contests from the UK contest calendar due to lack of interest if we are not careful.....'. Let's hope for better things in 2024.....

Congratulations to the certificate winners as listed below.

Quin Collier G3WRR

g3wrr@rsgbcc.org