144MHz Trophy 2006



After two successive events with excellent conditions, it would have been hoping for too much for a repeat this year. Most entrants rated the conditions as poor or flat. Some east coast stations benefited from a lift into LA/OZ/SM and there was a more general lift into southern France and Spain. In total there were 67 QSOs over 900kms with 26 of these over 1000kms. Many stations commented on the poor levels of activity. The standard of logging has improved noticeably with half of the entrants losing less than 3% of their score.

The VHFCC are particularly concerned about reports of poor quality signals. In this event one entrant attracted a number of complaints. Following investigation, the offending station has been penalised by a reduction to their adjudicated score.

The weather dominated the event with widespread heavy rain and dangerous gusting wind. Many groups had problems with antennas and had to operate with them at reduced height or in fixed directions. Few major disasters were reported!

There were the usual crop of equipment failures. Some were weather related with broken antennas, failed rotators and water in coax. Preamplifiers and power amplifiers continue to fail when stressed in portable contests. One group lost the axle on their trailer mast on the way to their site. Another group operating from a fixed location suffered from a long duration power cut and had to revert to a generator.

Congratulations go to:

  • The Parallel Lines, G8P, who returned after a year's absence to win the multi-operator section and re-claim the Mitchell-Milling Trophy.
  • G0KPW, operated by Andy G4PIQ, who won the single operator (fixed) section and retains the Thorogood Trophy.
  • The Warrington Contest Group, G3CKR/P, operated by Mike G0CDA for winning the single operator (others) section.
  • The Reigate Amateur transmitting Society, M2F, who won the six-hour (others) section.
  • Roger, G3MEH, who won the six-hour single operator fixed section.


These stations together with those marked * will receive certificates.

Roger Dixon, G4BVY

Section M
Pos
Callsign
Locator
QSOs
Score
ODX Call
ODX Kms
Power
Ant
Group
1 *
G8P
JO01QD
851
346,046
EB3EHJ/P
974
400
4*10 + 2*17 ele
Parallel Lines Contest Group
2 *
G4ZAP/P
JO02EB
571
216,694
EA2RL/P
1,030
400
2*12 + 2*12 + 4*12 ele
A1 Contest Group
3
G0VHF/P
JO01PU
469
186,347
EA3CQQ/P
1,053
400
2*15 + 4*9 ele
Colchester Contest Group of Colchester RA
4
G8T
JO01KJ
468
157,316
EA3CQQ/P
1,006
400
4*10 + 1*10 ele
Blacksheep Contest Group
5
G5B
IO92WS
378
135,777
F6KEH/P
1,128
400
4*12 ele
Five Bells Group
6
M8C
IO91JH
339
122,626
EA3CQQ/P
1,031
400
2*17 ele
Cray Valley Radio Society
7
G0FBB
JO01EI
288
98,933
OL8R
906
400
2*17 + 2*17 ele
Windmill Contest Group
8
G2XV/P
JO02CE
230
67,894
DL0GTH
753
400
2*9 + 1*17 ele
Cambridge & District ARC
9
M0RRC/P
JO02AA
179
56,638
EA2RL/P
1,019
400
4*6 ele
Rusty Radio CG
10
GM2T
IO86QG
134
51,202
TM2F
772
400
8*7 ele
Cockenzie & Port Seton ARC
11
GM3HAM/P
IO74WV
103
35,678
F6BEE/P
742
80
17 ele
Lothians Radio Society
12
G3WIR/P
IO91KG
92
26,455
HB9WW
746
160
13 ele
 
13
G3YNN
JO00EU
79
23,419
F1UCQ
902
90
4*9 ele
QRZ Amateur Radio Group of Sussex
14
G6GS/P
IO91TF
94
16,754
GM4ZUK/P
651
100
17 ele
Guildford And District Radio Society
15
G0VJG/P
JO01BL
89
16,661
DL0GTH
751
50
11ele
Cray Valley Radio Society
16
G0HRW/P
IO83RP
42
7,470
TM2F
514
10
9 ele
 
Section SF
Pos
Callsign
Locator
QSOs
Score
ODX Call
ODX Kms
Power
Ant
1 *
G0KPW
JO02RF
758
312,143
EA3CQQ/P
1,093
400
2*17 + 2*17 ele
2 *
G4DEZ
JO03AE
268
98,784
TM1Y
848
400
2*12 ele
3
M5BFL
IO91OO
112
30,032
EA3ZG/P
1,162
80
11 ele
4 *
2E0NEY
IO81VK
107
26,934
DR9A
815
50
17 ele
5
G3RHH
IO90DR
45
12,819
TM1Y
733
200
9 ele
6
M5ADF
IO91TO
45
7,765
GM4ZUK/P
610
25
9 ele
7
G4HHJ
IO91US
38
7,000
DK0BN
601
70
8 ele
8
G4JZS
IO91SO
42
6,511
GM2T
538
100
12 ele
9
G0GWI
IO83UJ
6
236
GW0PZO/P
74
5
3 ele
Section SO
Pos
Callsign
Locator
QSOs
Score
ODX Call
ODX Kms
Power
Ant
Group
1 *
G3CKR/P
IO93AD
464
180,914
EA3EZG/P
1,241
400
2*18 + 2*17 ele
Warrington Contest Group
2 *
GM4ZUK/P
IO86RW
198
84,929
DK0BN
1,031
400
4*13 ele
 
3
G0KAD/P
IO91VC
30
7,402
GM2T
597
100
17ele
Crawley ARC
4
G3WKS/P
JO01CE
25
4,642
DF0OL
558
35
13 ele
 
Section 6O
Pos
Callsign
Locator
QSOs
Score
ODX Call
ODX Kms
Power
Ant
Group
1 *
M2F
IO90JO
177
66,299
EA1BFZ/P
964
400
3*10 + 3.5*9 ele
Reigate Amateur Transmitting Society
2 *
M9T
IO80AQ
130
39,948
DF0OL
851
400
2*10 eleY
Moors Contest Group
3
G0AOD/P
IO93BA
101
25,003
F8KOP/P
775
100
9 ele
 
4
G8WSM/P
IO81MH
79
16,284
GM4ZUK/P
626
150
9 ele
Weston Super Mare RS
5
G4ZUL/P
JO01FO
55
11,736
TM1Y
689
200
17 ele
 
6
G8ZRE/P
IO83PF
46
9,238
TM2F
484
10
7 ele
 
7
M0SGB/P
IO83TP
40
7,380
TM2F
508
5
12 ele
 
8
G3PIA
IO91IN
35
5,027
PI9CM
490
10
17 ele
Harwell ARS
9
G1ORC
IO83WN
26
4,239
TM2F
491
25
17 ele
Oldham Radio Club
Section 6S
Pos
Callsign
Locator
QSOs
Score
ODX Call
ODX Kms
Power
Ant
1 *
G3MEH
IO91QS
144
38,283
HB9Y
835
400
2*9 ele
2 *
G4HGI
IO83PL
111
30,818
TM1Y
986
400
2*7 ele
3
G3YDY
JO01FQ
52
14,370
DF0CI
676
100
9 ele
4
G1CDO
IO93HP
48
13,768
DK0BN
750
200
17 ele
5 *
G4XPE
IO92GU
33
8,059
OR6Z
484
25
10 ele
6
GW4EVX
IO83KE
23
5,579
F6BEE/P
543
50
7 ele
7
G0JLF
IO81SG
20
4,103
ON4WY
378
70
9 ele
8 *
M3LQA
IO83WN
3
291
G4DEZ
150
10
12 ele
Comments from the logs
G0AOD/P
Suffered from a bit of wind.
G0FBB
Wild wet and windy with less activity and DX than expected for this time of year. Too windy to wind mast to full height. Plagued with power line noise. Good selection of beer at the local pub.
G0GWI/P
My first contest - can't wait to try another one. Will be better prepared next time!!!
G0HRW/P
Wet and very windy in IO83. Some DX to compensate. Southern stations had better conditions, hence higher scores. Reduced antenna height halfway through due to wind. Main entry in Backpackers.
G0JLF
PI4Z often the best signal on the band, but didn't work them. Good UK activity. Wished I'd operated /p rather than from the terrible valley VHF location at home...Poor to the East, dire to everywhere else! Congratulations LIP, you were well ahead of everyone else
G0KAD/P
A good test for the SDR1000. Very happy. This was the only few hours I could spare over the weekend but good fun.
G0KPW
Poor conditions to East, but OK to South and nice to make 7 QSOs > 1000 km. Only just QRV in time - lots of hard work to build the station. SP9FOW/MM gave QTH as Amsterdam (after calling as just SP9FOW!!)
G0VHF/P
Flat. Flat as y'r 'at.
G1CDO
Not as good as last year
G1ORC
Relaxed enjoyable morning of contesting. For the 1st time from this location good opening's to Europe. Poor Weather, had to lower antennas due to winds
G2XV/P
Very windy with dangerous gusts. Nearly lost a mast and tent damaged. Activity low, lack of operators, hard work
G3CKR/P
Suffered from new source QRN for all contest in main se beam path. Some good conditions in south F and north EA and also good to HB9/DL. Quite a struggle with QRN and single op had 5 hr break overnight. 2 x 18y spaced incorrect, issue!, due to wind had to get them up quick
G3MEH
Winds were gusting too strongly to raise the mast on Saturday and a bit strong early Sunday so I had to content myself with the last six hours. Conditions a little above average at times but deep QSB.
G3RHH
Good propagation to the South-East, not so good to the East. As in previous years, this was a fine opportunity to work some nice DX. Unfortunately a rotator problem brought operation to a premature end.
G3WIR/P
Our first time bands buzzing but died Sunday PM. Weather wet and very windy both Linears blew up!
G3WKS/P
Back packers section seemed more active
G3YDY
Conditions about normal
G3YNN
4*9 elements tonna initially. After 0700local on Sunday single 9ele due to water in coax.
G4DEZ
Poor conditions and limited DX
G4HGI
Some decent DX on Saturday evening had to watch for tvi with the football being on though !!!
G4HHJ
Good fun. Conditions seemed reasonably flat, but plenty of European stations to be heard.
G4XPE
Reasonable tropo conditions despite high winds.
G4ZAP/P
Good to South, Poor to East
G5B
Lost mains power approx 15 mins before contest start. Big run around. Eventually got on air but in rush had further problems-rx 50-60dB low. no second array until power back on (10:30 Sunday morning). Left limping most of contest, but fun playing catch-up on Sunday! High winds near start of contest resulted in lowering 2x18ele 5w/l & luffing eventually replaced by 2x12 ele BUT still could not use until power restored. First time - as I recall - that we've had to use a generator from a fixed location. More is the pity we were not expecting the power cut and so unable to cope properly. FINAL INSULT WAS LOSING LOG ON POORLY COMPUTER!!
G6GS/P
Miserable weather and conditions but fun none the less!!
G8P
Very high winds caused problems with antenna directions. Not able to move much away from the direction of the wind for fear of losing the mast. Conditions remarkably good. Fine weather during set up and packing up made life a lot easier than it might have been.
G8T
High winds throughout the event - consistent force 7 gusting 9 hampered station build and break down at end. Main antenna system had high VSWR (>2:1) and performed poorly, in addition it spent a considerable time acting as a weather vane and facing north-east, as a consequence the majority of QSOs we worked on the single antenna. Conditions were considered flat to poor with lower than expected activity.
G8ZRE/P
Rain and wind not much DX. Main entry in Backpackers.
GM2T
Very disappointing conditions from GM this year. Never heard a DL all weekend. Activity was also down on the norm for the contest. Did Saturday's international football matches really have this much impact on this? Sunday did see a slight improvement of both conditions and activity but still nothing like previous year. There's always next year!
GM3HAM/P
Hard going with 2 operators, amplifier problems.
GW4EVX
Just a token 2 hour entry from the home station after having to abort my backpacker attempt. I arrived at the summit in good time and started assembling the station when I suddenly hit a snag - no clamp for the antenna! It was back at home so I had no choice but to pack up and trudge back home :-(
M0RRC/P
High winds, heavy rain, axle came of trailer mast en-route to site, broke 2 rotators. All good fun! Conditions were fairly flat but got some reasonable DX
M0SGB/P
Very wet and windy
M2F
This is probably a contest to forget. We had intended to do 24 hrs but the gales never let up. Visibility 10 metres and after 2 hrs conditions died. Genny failed, aerials broke. We caved in and just did 6 hrs. Brilliant sunshine after contest!
M5ADF
Very Windy!
M8C
Weather terrible! Horizontal rain & gale blowing. Power line noise S7. Hard work generally poor conditions although some DX. Just glad antennas stayed up & tent didn't blow away. I think we were all pleased when it was over.
M9T
High winds and driving rain. Conditions fair to poor. Pre-amp failed before start! Otherwise a fun contest:-)