70 MHz Trophy 2009

This year saw the level of activity and the number of entrants increase slightly over 2008. Just under 200 stations in 12 countries (CT, DL, EA, EI, G, GD, GI, GM, GU, GW, LX, S5) appeared in the logs.

Conditions were average with the deep 70MHz QSB causing problems. Stations who reverted to CW were able to complete contacts on marginal paths. There were nine tropospheric contacts over 600kMs. Two brief periods of Sporadic E boosted the scores. The first was a brief late morning opening into S5 and the second a forty minute opening into CT and EA which commenced at 13:40. While the Es opening was accessed by stations geographically spread around the UK, a number of entrants heard nothing. A number of stations noted that increasing urban electronic hash is adversely affecting this band.

While the level of activity fell away after the first two hours, the final hour with the sporadic E and a number of new stations appearing accounted for 13% of all the contacts. Pockets of FM activity around the country increased the activity and the scores.

Weather conditions across the country varied dramatically. A number of people were content with their dry and sunny conditions. However in GM and GI there was widespread wind and rain resulting in interesting antenna shapes and a local farmer being required to extract one station from their site.

Congratulations go to:

The Kintyre Window Cleaners, GI3TCU/P, who continue their epic journey around the UK for this event and won the open section and are awarded the VHF Managers Trophy.
Bryn, G4DEZ, who won the single operator (fixed) section.
Erik, G8XVJ/P, for winning the single operator (others) section and, as the highest scoring single operator entry, is awarded the Four Metre Cup.
The three sections runners up: G0VHF/P, G3LVP and GM4ZUK/P.
David, G8LZE as the highest placed fixed station running 25watts or less into a single antenna.

These stations together with those marked * will receive certificates.

Roger Dixon, G4BVY

Section O
Pos	Callsign	Locator	QSOs	Score	Multiplier	Total	ODX Call	ODX Kms	Power	Ant	Equipment	Group
1 *	GI3TCU/P	IO74BE	96	34,127	72	2,457,144	EA7BYM	1,965	160	2*6 + 3 ele	IC7000 + HB Tvtr + PA	Kintyre Window Cleaners C.G.
2 *	G0VHF/P	JO01PU	88	25,197	65	1,637,805	EA7BYM	1,807	160	8 + 2*4 ele	FT-847 + PA	Colchester Contest Group of Colchester RA
3	GM3HAM/P	IO74NP	74	23,213	56	1,299,928	G0JBA	548	160	11 + 6 ele	FT847 + PA	Lothians Radio Society
4	G1EHF/P	IO80WP	77	19,176	64	1,227,264	GM4ZUK/P	701	160	8 ele	IC275E + HB Tvtr	EHF + SJH
5	G4RFR	IO90AS	86	17,024	62	1,055,488	GM4ZUK/P	687	150	12 ele	IC746 + Meon Tvtr + PA	Flight Refuelling ARS
6	G8LED/P	IO92LE	61	9,794	49	479,906	GM4ZUK/P	537	25	8 ele	FT847	Northampton Radio Club
7	G8CUL	IO91JO	50	9,472	44	416,768	EA1YV	1,203	65	6 ele	TS940s + Tvtr + PA
8	G7HAH	IO93NN	33	7,189	30	215,670	EA1YV	1,403	20	4 ele	Spectrum Tvtr	Finningley ARS
9	G1ONE/P	IO83RO	23	4,062	20	81,240	GM4ZUK/P	371	40	5 ele	FT817 + ARAC Tvtr + PA	Bolton Wireless Club
10	G7RIH	IO91RR	21	2,796	19	53,124	GI3TCU/P	450	10	5 ele	FT847	Dacorm Amatuer Radio Club
Section SF
Pos	Callsign	Locator	QSOs	Score	Multiplier	Total	ODX Call	ODX Kms	Power	Ant	Equipment	Group
1 *	G4DEZ	JO03AE	74	18,076	61	1,102,636	EA1YV	1,397	150	8 ele	FT847 + PA
2 *	G3LVP	IO81WV	56	9,240	48	443,520	GM4ZUK/P	562	160	6 ele	TS850 + HB Tvtr + PA
3	G0ODQ	IO91MR	50	8,273	46	380,558	GM4ZUK/P	589	150	5 ele	FT1000 + WPO Tvtr + PA
4	G3JYP	IO84SN	38	9,053	39	353,067	G1EHF/P	437	120	8 ele	FT847 + PA
5	G0JBA	JO01KD	44	8,886	39	346,554	GI3TCU/P	567	100	7 ele	IC756 + Tvtr
6	GW4EVX	IO83KE	31	5,963	31	184,853	GM4ZUK/P	419	100	6 ele	FT817+ Tvtr + PA
7 *	G8LZE	IO91SO	31	3,937	28	110,236	GM3HAM/P	449	20	5 ele	FT897 + HB Tvtr
8	G4PDS	IO80KR	24	4,431	23	101,913	GI3TCU/P	428	20	4 ele	FT-817 + Tvtr
9	G1KHX	IO81MI	23	4,006	23	92,138	GM3HAM/P	388	90	6 ele	FT101zd + Meon Tvtr + PA
10	G1WKS	JO01CE	22	3,087	21	64,827	G8XVJ/P	363	25	5 ele	FT847	West Kent ARS
11	GW4HBK	IO81KP	17	3,572	18	64,296	EA1YV	1,145	60	5 ele	TS570D + Spectrun Tvtr + PA
12 *	S51DI	JN76VL	5	8,551	7	59,857	MI0AYR	1,791	100	8 ele	Tvtr
13	G4RYV	IO91OI	17	2,368	15	35,520	GI3TCU/P	465	25	5 ele	IC-706 + Tvtr
14	G8HGN	JO01FO	15	1,720	15	25,800	G8XVJ/P	333	10	HB9CV	FT-847
15	G3YJR	IO93FJ	9	1,680	12	20,160	EI3IO	306	5	2 ele	FT817 + G8HCZ Tvtr
16	M5ADF	IO91TO	13	1,147	12	13,764	G4DEZ	179	25	21 LPY	IC-746 + Tvtr
17	G0VOF	IO83SS	4	582	6	3,492	G3LVP	210	25	Dipole	FT897D + Tvtr
18	GM4VVX	IO78TA	1	437	2	874	GI3TCU/P	437	25	6 ele	FT101 + Tvtr
19	G3VQO	IO91UB	2	132	3	396	G4RFR	122	10	Vertical	FT847
Section SO
Pos	Callsign	Locator	QSOs	Score	Multiplier	Total	ODX Call	ODX Kms	Power	Ant	Equipment	Group
1 *	G8XVJ/P	IO84SA	106	23,212	75	1,740,900	EA1YV	1,405	160	8 ele	TS850 + OZ2M Tvtr	Warrington Contest Group
2 *	GM4ZUK/P	IO86RW	34	17,935	34	609,790	EA6CA	1,985	60	8 ele	K3 + Elecraft Tvtr
3	G3TCT/P	IO81FF	41	10,896	40	435,840	S51DI	1,505	120	3 ele	K3 + HB Tvtr
4	G0PQF/P	JO01AX	41	6,474	35	226,590	GI3TCU/P	466	25	4 ele	IC706 + Tvtr
5	G4VRC/P	IO90OW	31	5,436	29	157,644	GM4ZUK/P	677	10	5 ele	FT817 + Spectrum Tvtr
6	G8ASD/P	IO91IV	19	2,137	18	38,466	GI3TCU/P	399	10	Halo	FT847

Comments from the logs

G0JBA

Period of heavy noise level and no sporadic e's here. Conditions normal.

G0PQF/P

Good WX but conditions pretty flat. No Es here. Very enjoyable contest.

G0VHF/P

Good Activity. Out of the Es (but one).

G1EHF/P

Good weather with plenty of sunshine. Tropo not too good, with some GMs weak and no Es spotted (unfortunately!)

G1KHX

Deep qsb difficult at times.

G1ONE/P

Dry, but very overcast and windy. Some strong signals in the first hour, but then conditions seemed to fade out. Very few signals on FM.

G1WKS

Seemed slow. Where were the GWs?

G3JYP

Average condx. Missed the E dx and low activity from GM

G3LVP

Tropo conditions only average with no SpE heard here producing a lower score than last year however number of QSO's up by almost 10%. A number of QSO's lost due to stations being too weak & reluctant to use CW. As is usual these days no QSO's with stations in any of the big Cities or with Foundation or Novice stations.

G3TCT/P

My 1st attempt at solo /P very pleased to work 9 countries, many thanks to all who called.

G3VQO

Oooooh, the excitement! I found TWO stations to work!

G3YJR

My first 4m contest! I used a G8HCZ transverter (a modified DK7ZB 6m design) to the Moxon 10/6/4m nest.

G4DEZ

Some very splattery signals for "150"w. Only one ES QSO but 8 countries worked.

G4PDS

Some Es.

G4RFR

Conditions flat contacts slow towards the end. Thanks to all who called us during the contest

G4RYV

Conditions seemed fair to start but as contest progressed signals fell away with deep QSB and an increase in urban hash making reception difficult.

G4VRC/P

WX overcast, then hot and sunny. Some good signals from the North. Too far South for Es to EA. Could just hear EA1YV being work by stations in the North. Very enjoyable first Trophy contest for me. Thanks everyone.

G7RIH

Good DX for about 8 watts out of the FT847 but missed the E.

G8ASD/P

Deep QSB. Just parked at the side of the road giving a few points away.

G8CUL

1st outing for new prime mover! Slow going

G8HGN

Heard GM,GI on tropo' & EA7 very breifly, but no other ES.

G8LED/P

Great fun. Wx excellent. Very quiet after lunch

G8LZE

Sorry to the couple of stations lost in qsb. Best qso? G4NHO/P - 500mW with a PP3 battery and 19 inch whip. Top man.

G8XVJ/P

Forgot all ropes and pulleys wx rain till 12.00 windy sunny later dry

GI3TCU/P

Tropo propagation seemed average. We had one Es QSO to the East and one to the South. Activity seemed quite good. Access to the site was difficult and the Wx came close to making operating impossible. It was all great fun & we hope we've given a new country

GM3HAM/P

Fairly flat Tropo. Es was too brief, heard and missed EA and S51. Very Windy. Antenna bowed like a banana and we nearly lost the operating tent . Both vehicles had to get tow out of mud by Farmer at field entrance. The Smoke Fairy took out the linear halfway through, so we swapped in a SS lower power Amp. In spite of all that we both had fun.

GM4VVX

wx = rain & strong winds. Very little avtivity ! Only 2 callsigns identified in 6hrs, I really do not know why I bother.

GM4ZUK/P

WX wet & windy although improved later. Nice Es opening to EA in the afternoon. No activity within 80 miles - did not have QSO with own Postcode or adjacent either. New antenna only completed on night before contest.

GW4HBK

Hung on near end of contest nobody to work then up popped ea1yv!