70 MHz CW, 2004


The level of entries and activity in this event continues to slowly rise. This year 30 stations were active in G, GD, GM and GW. While activity dropped off in the final hour, 16% of all contacts made were in this period. Conditions were reported as average to poor. The usual 4 metre QSB made copy difficult and some entrants will notice large reductions to their claimed scores due to logging inaccuracies.
This years event sees a new winner. Congratulations to Bill Capstick G3JYP who used his new antenna to good effect. Roger G3MEH takes the runners up position after a close fight. Congratulations to Clive O’Hennessy who wins the open section from his lonely remote location. Frank Howe G3FIJ was the leading low power station

Roger, G4BVY
G4BVY@blacksheep.org

Comments from the logs

G3IKR
Poor. Real struggle with GM4DIJ. Some tone A and a few meteor bursts occurred

G3JYP
Reasonable – noticeably less QSB than normal, though this may be due to change of antenna,

G3LVP
Activity & conditions poor, I spent a long time listening to another station trying to work a GM who I was copying easily only to hear the GM fade into the noise before I had the chance to work him. Perhaps an earlier start & finish would be more appropriate for this contest.

G3TCU
Conditions 'barely average'. Activity quite good but no station outside G & GW hrd here

GM3TAL
Moderate

GM4VVX
Don't know why I bother. I must be a masochist or I like gold stars for good attendance Hi Hi. WX was the best ever ! Very warm, put the ant' up in tee-shirt, no wind and bright sunshine. Could hear the Buxton beacon and Angus beacon off the back of its beam so looked forward to a bit of activity. At contest start G3JYP was very loud and got him to look my way after a few calls. A GM op' started calling me on ssb every time I keyed but he was too weak to resolve, and he spent a long time trying.
Could not attract attention from anyone else. Only a few qrz to my calls, and the low power could not make others realise I was "up North". Could hear GM4DIJ working G stations for most of the contest but he never beamed my way. Heard several G stations but only frustrating not being able to get back to them. G3MEH was strong for a few minutes but I think he is QRO? By the end of the first hour the Buxton beacon was fading and was very weak from then on. This has been noted several times before in 70MHz contests. As the sun rises and becomes due South to me, conditions fade. I am trying to get a cheap amplifier so maybe next time ………

Section SF

Pos Call Locator QSOs Score Mults Total ODX Kms Power Ant
1* G3JYP IO84SN 16 3915 20 78300 G3TCU 395 120 15 ele colinear
2* G3MEH IO91QS 22 2639 20 52780 G3JYP 334 160 2 * 5 ele
3 G3TCU IO91QE 20 3027 17 51459 G3JYP 395 150 6ele
4 G3XPU IO92HM 13 1483 14 20762 GD0TEP 273 50 3 ele
5 G3IKR IO82XF 12 1429 11 15719 GM4DIJ 420 150 4 ele
6* G3FIJ JO01KV 8 1159 8 9272 G4ASR 263 10 4 ele
7 G3LVP IO81WV 9 958 9 8622 G3JYP 297 150 4 ele
8 GM3TAL IO86GA 1 175 2 350 G3JYP 175 20 6 ele

Section O
Pos Call Locator QSOs Score Mults Total ODX Kms Power Ant
1* GM4VVX/P IO78UB 1 405 2 810 G3JYP 405 10 6 ele