Christmas Cumulatives 2015

Activity increased by 21 entrants this year (up 13 entries to 85 in single op fixed section and up 8 entries to 22 in the open section), that is an increase of 43 entrants in the last 2 years so this contest is growing in popularity. Activity varied day to day with Boxing Day having the lowest number, the opposite to last year. Maybe there was more turkey than usual to consume the day after Christmas? The weather again meant no great tropo openings and 70cm was especially hit with poor conditions but spirits were high and a number or portable stations taking to the hills and even one station setting up on a picnic table on top of a hill, surely not a barbeque for lunch?!

Logging was pretty good this year with not too much mis-sequencing. There were a few clocks out from 2 hours to 8 days and plenty of broken reports with many weak signals and QSB.

There were lots of positive comments on the contest so most of you enjoyed escaping to the shack for a radio fix and I am sure that if conditions were just flat rather than extremely flat there would have been more DX to be had. Let's hope next year for a stable high pressure, winter es or maybe a Christmas aurora or 2!

The open section - Last year's winners managing to retain the top slots again:

1st place were G3PIA/P -Ann and Mike. Winning all bands ro retain their 1st place.

2nd place were G8NEY -David and Pete.Not too far off G3PIA/P, a few more QSOs and next year it will be close.

The single operator fixed section - Top slot retained with a new 2nd placed station:

1st place was G4ASR -David. Winning 1 of the 4 bands and a reasonable score on the 2 of the other bands kept David ahead of the rest

2nd place was G4BWP - Fred. A great score by Fred on 2 entered bands just pipped GW8ASD - Tony to the 2nd slot.

6m

Very poor tropo and a lack of winter sporadic e again on the band. GI4SNA providing many with their ODX and a few PA stations made it into other logs.

4m

Conditions hit hard on 4m with low QRBs in general and weak signals. A few G to GM QSOs were the highlight.

2m

Again 2m was the main band and many making reasonable distance QSOs over the 500km mark. The best DX goes to G0BBB working GM3WOJ. A notable lack of DLs in peoples logs.. How do we encourage our European neighbours to join in our fun?

70cm

Grim sums it up. This band suffered the most from poor conditions with some stations failing to make more than 1 QSO. Still though, G and GW to GM were possible and PE1EWR - Frank worked all he could raise so not a total disaster.

The following stations also receive certificates:

Leading Foundation Station SF Section - M6HLR Lauren

Leading Intermediate Station SF Section - 2W0JYN Steven

Leading Intermediate Station Open Section -2E0IBF/P Andy

Leading Overseas Station SF Section - PE1EWR Frank

Leading Overseas Station Open Section - F8BRK Gerard

Leading Fixed Station running 25W or less to a single antenna - G8LZE David

73 de

G7RAU - Dave Edwards