2nd 144MHz Backpackers Contest of 2009

For once, the weather was almost universally hot and sunny for this contest over all of the UK. Unfortunately, the band conditions were poor with some QSB and little continental DX available.

The new 10H section continues to be popular with almost two-thirds of the entrants choosing to enter this category.

The 10H section was won by Dave Hewitt, GW8ZRE/P with Rhys Thomas, GW4RWR/P in second place.

The 3B was won by Keith Haywood, G8HXE/P with Tony Jay, G8JAY/P in second place.

Check logs are gratefully acknowledged from G0HIK, G2KF, G3VQO, G6CSY and GM8OTI/P.

Ian, G0FCT

Section 10H
Pos	Callsign	Locator	QSOs	Score	Multiplier	Total	ODX Call	ODX Kms	Power	Ant	Equipment
1	GW8ZRE/P	IO83JA	166	27,726	34	942,684	OQ4U	602	3	7 Element Yagi	KENWOOD TR751E
2	GW4RWR/P	IO83GC	136	25,298	35	885,430	PA0PVW	637	10	9el Tonna	FT-225RD
3	G8BGV/P	JO01HP	97	15,500	31	480,500	GI4SNA	548	10	7 Ele DK7ZB	FT817 + Amp + Pre Amp
4	G0HDV/P	IO93UK	82	14,723	28	412,244	G4LXS/P	434	10	13 EL	IC 746
5	G0OVA/P	IO91QI	64	9,988	26	259,688	GM0AYR/P	525	3	13 EL. TONNA	IC706
6	G4HUN/P	IO92XA	74	10,285	22	226,270	GM0AYR/P	485	5	9 el Tonna	FT817nd
7	G4RQI/P	IO94JF	54	10,243	21	215,103	G4LXS/P	464	10	10 ele Cushcraft	ic746
8	G1ARU/P	JO01AX	60	8,637	23	198,651	MI0AYR/P	483	10	9el Tonna	IC706
9	M0BAO/P	IO80LV	52	8,849	22	194,678	G4YBS/P	348	10	13 ele yagi	ICOM IC7000
10	G3ATZ/P	IO82KV	84	11,947	16	191,152	F/OT3T	400	10	5 ELE Yagi	FT-857D
11	G0BWC/P	IO83RO	91	9,520	19	180,880	G4LXS/P	361	3	12 zl	tr751e
12	M0COK/P	IO82XJ	79	8,215	17	139,655	PA0PVW	536	10	12 Ele ZL Special	Yaesu FT897
13	G7IVF/P	IO91JP	28	3,721	13	48,373	G3ZXZ/P	307	10	5 Element Yagi	Yaesu FT857D
14	G7PVZ/P	IO91OO	32	3,052	14	42,728	EI9HQ/P	402	3	9 Ele Tonna	Yaesu FT-817ND
15	G3CO/P	JO02PV	11	2,548	13	33,124	ON4KBE	344	10	9 Ele Yagi	Yaesu Ft 857
16	G0LJD/P	JO01GH	12	1,452	9	13,068	G3ZXZ/P	358	2.5	13 ele Yagi	FT817
17	2E0MMI/P	IO91RU	17	1,397	8	11,176	G3ZME/P	178	3	Tonna 9 element	Yaesu FT897
Section 3B
Pos	Callsign	Locator	QSOs	Score	Multiplier	Total	ODX Call	ODX Kms	Power	Ant	Equipment
1	G8HXE/P	IO83RP	84	9,894	22	217,668	G4LXS/P	365	2.5	SOTA SB5	FT-817
2	G8JAY/P	IO81OW	60	8,782	22	193,204	G8PNN/P	386	2.5	9el Tonna	FT-817
3	G4VRC/P	IO90OW	39	6,374	20	127,480	MI0AYR/P	525	2.5	12 ele ZL Special	FT817
4	G4XZL/P	IO90NW	40	5,107	19	97,033	EI9HQ/P	420	3	9 Element DK7ZB yagi	FT-817
5	G0FUW/P	IO81PH	39	4,693	19	89,167	G3ZXZ/P	363	3	7E MET YAGI	FT817
6	G4IDF/P	IO82TC	44	4,611	14	64,554	GM4YEQ/P	382	3	17el Tonna	Icom IC 202
7	M3XRU/P	IO91GI	33	4,200	14	58,800	G3ZXZ/P	340	2.5	9 element tonna	Yaesu FT-290
8	M0EAV/P	IO92XD	26	3,168	16	50,688	MI0AYR/P	467	2.5	3 Element SOTABeam	FT-817
9	G7NBE/P	IO92FP	29	3,098	13	40,274	MI0AYR/P	353	3	3 el beam	FT 290R2
10	G8LZE/P	IO91SO	16	2,361	13	30,693	G4LXS/P	316	2.5	9 element	FT817
11	G0VZJ/P	IO83RO	7	734	9	6,606	MI0AYR/P	238	2.5	Miracle Whip Vertical	FT817

Comments from the logs:

2E0MMI/P

Great weather and enjoyable contest. Good training for two inexperienced operators. Limited to 3W as also entering PW144MHz QRP Contest and used car (under 100m) to support mast.

G0BWC/P

Bright and sunny

G0FUW/P

Fantastic weather but radio conditions very flat, nothing remarkable but some good clear signals from all directions

G0HIK

Just operated for my dinner break hr plenty of stations to work on the vertical, shame the Es didn't get this far north.

G0LJD/P

Hot and sunny. Sudden loss of battery volts caused curtailment of contest. (Entry in 10 w class as car only 30 mtrs away - will have to find new site for backpackers after all these years)

G0OVA/P

Weak and watery to the north. Not a lot of local stations. Generally hard going

G0VZJ/P

Sunny with scattered clouds.

G1ARU/P

Superb WX but poor conditions

G2KF

qsb

G3ATZ/P

Very good WX. Should have done better...!!

G3CO/P

bright and sunny

G4HUN/P

Lovely Wx, but not much from Europe. Good fun!

G4IDF/P

Strange that the band was so quiet - faulty aerial connection in the rig!!

G4RQI/P

poor activity in the north

G4VRC/P

Hot and sunny. No GM worked from the South Downs, but good to work EI and MI.

G4XZL/P

Conditions over Europe above average but no activity Nearly fell off seat when I heard SV3BSF via SPe but alas no contact

G6CSY

Glad to give a few points away!

G7IVF/P

Good to start with but increasing problems with fading as contest progressed

G7PVZ/P

Only made it on for a very short time. Tnx to everyone.... See you next time.

G8JAY/P

Hot and Sunny, good to the north.

G8LZE/P

A very pleasant couple of hours and better than mowing the lawn

GW4RWR/P

Good wx and activity. Tropo enhancement apparent on some GM and PA signals.

GW8ZRE/P

Good sunny weather and little wind. Excellent number of stations and squares worked. First time out /P in 2009. Missed serial 162 sent by accident. No stations worked in JO03 IO94/95.

M0COK/P

What a change in weather! Excellent day for radio! Some odd QSB but largely consistent