1997 Summer Contest Results!

Report by David Whitaker BRS 25429, UKSMG Contest Manager

Review

Well, Murphy did it yet again for our Summer Contest. Not content with last year’s effort, he went the whole hog this time! Generally speaking, band conditions could not have been worse on the day. But saying that some of the better sighted stations did reasonably well by working mainly into G. What little DX there was came from short bursts of MS.

A few Gs, who persevered into the latter hours of the contest, were rewarded by the appearance of CT3 and EH8. I assume this must have been second hop sporadic E - whatever happened to the first hop?!

Your committee would like to thank all members and non-members who took part in the contest and to congratulate the section winners. Some 750 callsigns were noted in the logs from 39 countries - did someone mention conditions were bad? Of the 750 callsigns, 389 came from the United Kingdom. UKSMG members totalled 216, so well done lads and lasses for giving us the extra points. Sadly, there were no novice entries this year. There were quite a few mentioned in the logs so hopefully, by next year, they will all have become UKSMG members.

Observations

Presentation of the logs were good except in one instance where I keep getting a scribbled version from the station log! I do request that all entries now show a separate list of countries, grid locator and membership number worked/heard. Most computer logging programs do have the facility to print out this information. Believe me, by having these separate lists, I can complete the checking in half the time! Thanks for your future co-operation.

Some members were found to be exchanging there own incorrect membership number whilst previous members thought they could still exchange their old number. Does anyone have a suggestion as to how we can stop this happening?

• YT1AU was worked by a few Europeans giving his locator square as KN13DU. This was confirmed by YT1AU from his contest entry, yet some stations were still recording his old locator - KN04CP.

• CT3FT worked approx. a dozen members between 20.04 and 20.23.

• EH8BPX worked EH1TA at 16.12, GJØNYG at 20.52, G4DCJ at 20.59 and GØLCS at 21.02.

• DJ6TK was the only station to work LY2BAW, at 10.28z.

• OZ6MTR worked Z38/OH3MIG at 12.37 in KN11 and Z32MA at 13.02.

• ZA1MH worked ON4PS, 9A3FT/P and F8OP.

• ON4PS was the only station to work CT1DYX at 14.20z.

Summer Contest Results

Section 1. Single Operator

Section 2. SWL

Section 4. Multi-op & Portable

Section 5. Rest of Europe

Section 6. Rest of World

Section 7. European Multi Op & Portable

Statistics

As previously mentioned, 39 countries were noted from your logs. In brackets you will find the number of contest participants from each country who were known to be on: G (334), GW (33), GM (7), GJ (6), GD (5), GU (2), GI (2), EI (1), F (25), DL (33), PA (63), ON (20), LX (1), OZ (29), SM (10), OH (4), LA (1), ES (5), LY (1), I (79), Z3 (2), 9A (5), YU (14), YO (5), LZ (5), ZA (1), SP (16), OK (3), OE (4), SV (2), 9H (6), CT1 (1), CT3 ( 1), EH (3), EH8 (1), 4X (3), CN (1), W (11), VE (5).

Members: G (115), GW (12), GM (5), GJ (4), GD (2), EI (1), F (2), DL (11), PA (17), ON (4), OZ (5), SM (4), OH (2), I (16), 9A (1), YU (1), YO ( 2), SP (4). OE (1), SV (2), 9H (2), EH (1), 4X (1), W (1).

I expect these figures will raise a few eyebrows in the UK, but of course when you have entries coming in from other countries it is always interesting to judge the actual activity on the day.

Locator Squares Worked

130 grid squares were worked from Europe, which also included EH8, CT3, and 4X. Two entries from across the Pond showed a further 10 squares worked. I have highlighted the squares on the map.

Members’ Groans and Moans

G4DCJ: "What happened to Six on Saturday? Heard, but could not work, IW5AVM. Signals were going up and down as if someone was up there with a yo-yo!" Congrats on working the EH8, Dave. Dave was using a FT690R.

GW6VZW: "No Es whatsoever except to be spotted on the Packet Cluster by a CN8! Contest should have a new title - The Lack of Es Contest!"

G6HKM: "CT3FT brought the band to life when I worked him at 20.05 but a contact with IW5AVM at 16.07 failed to complete." Thanks, Ela, for a nicely presented contest entry. Ela used the ICOM 575H, 100W to a five ele yagi at 15m agl.

4X1IF: Ralph sent an account of his field day station (see page XX). Thank you for your efforts, Ralph. Please use the contest logging sheets I sent you last time - it makes checking so much easier here.

G1IOV: "What a disaster! The night before, I broke a finger in my right hand, so logging was slow and painful at times. I then blew up my amplifier during the contest! Then, to top it all, it rained all day so I could not even dig the garden." Think positive, Cliff - there is always another year!

GØNYL: "Poor conditions, swift QSB with much QRN. Thank heaven for meteor pings!"

GØAEV: "All it takes is the word ‘contest’ and all propagation is shut down for the duration!" Steve was one who actually enjoyed the contest and always likes a challenge. OK Steve, not everyone has a station like yours (IC 706, 100W, 50m Westflex to seven ele yagi at 40' agl)! Congrats on winning the Single Op Section.

F8OP: George mentions that he had good conditions on the Friday and Monday on Six but nothing happened on the Saturday. George suggests the contest date be fixed on the first Saturday of June. The problem with this date is that it would clash with National Field Day.

G7DWI/P: "Quite pleased with the number of UK stations worked. The WX was diabolical - high winds made rotating and holding the antenna in one place impossible. But as true contesters we all say ‘roll on next year!’". This station was QRV from Firle Beacon in JO00 square.

G3HBR: "Great fun, but conditions were pretty awful. CT3FT came from nowhere as did EH8BPX who faded out before I could complete the QSO." Brian was using the TS680+200W Linear + LNA. Antenna was a three ele quad at 11' agl.

G6FQZ: "The conditions were so poor, I thought I had better send my entry anyway as a gesture of support." You are a true gentleman, Colin and I only wish there were a few more like you.

G1KTZ: "I thought I was in with a chance as some of the BIG stations in the North were missing. Then someone pulled the plug!". Thanks, Dave for showing the flag from the tip of Cornwall. Dave was using the FT72R to a five ele Yagi at 275m asl.

ON4PS: "Very poor conditions. The next day, of course, the band was in good shape - Murphy’s Law."

9A3FT/P: "Little Es, with most QSOs worked on tropo. Some MS in the morning hours." Renko went portable from Korcula Island in JN82IW. His QTH was 350m asl. He used a FT290R + transverter, three ele yagi and 10W.

GW3JXN: "Very few comments! How can the band be so flat? God does not like UKSMG!" I know the feeling, John. It took me four hours to hear my own grid square! John was using the IC736 with HB linear (2 x 4CX250) giving 400W to a four ele wide spaced at 60'. QTH 650' asl. From his QTH, John was able to work EI7GL, GI4SNA and GI4OPH.

MM1BGI/P: "Conditions in GM during the contest were sad - fog, rain and 25 mph winds. Still, it was fun and I look forward to next year. Conditions must get better!" Hi Jim and thanks for your efforts from GM. And welcome to the UKSMG! Jim was operating from his club - Cockenzie and Port Seton ARC.

G4OBK: Phil made a few suggestions as to how he feels the contest could be improved. Thanks for these Phil and I will put them to the UKSMG Contest Committee. Sorry about the conditions but we both live in area’s of low amateur population. I can hear the echoes from Darlington!

EH8BPX: Martin made a brief but very welcome appearance from the Canary islands - IL18SK. Apologies to George G4PCI as you were not in Martin’s log.

G4AFJ and BRS 32525: Thanks for your suggestions which I will put before the committee.

G3GIQ: "Conditions were a disappointment, but I had decided that this would be the first contest for which I would put a score in.". Nice to have you on board, Henry - long time no see! QSP my regards to the Chilton gang.

GWØGEI: "Pretty hard going again this year. New eight ele Create yagi at 20m did not help much due to lack of activity." Steve was the only one to work CN8LI in IM64. Well done.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it for another year (for what’s its worth!). Let us all hope Murphy gets his act right in 1998! Next year’s UKSMG Summer Contest will be held on Saturday July 13th, 1998. My thanks again for your support and hopefully you will all join me for the two Winter Contests on the 7th December and 4th January - see the August ‘Six News’ (but also see below for an important rule change).

At this point, I don’t think it is too soon to be thinking about what types of contest we should be having in 1999 and beyond. Yes, it sounds a long way ahead but time does fly! I have already had one suggestion for a contest in the Autumn of 1998. By then propagation and band conditions could be quite different to what they are now as the new sunspot cycle starts its climb. So perhaps those of you who were around, say, ten years ago, can put your thinking hats on and let me know what type of contests we should be having in late 1998 and then into 1999.

Winter Contest 1997/1998 - Rule Correction

There was a minor but important error in the Winter Contest rules published in the August ‘Six News’. This year the total Countries and UK Counties will be added together to form the multiplier, so that:

SCORE = (CONTACTS + UKSMG MEMBERS) x (TOTAL COUNTRIES + UK COUNTIES)

This change was made after a suggestion from one of the members. Quite rightly, he felt that having countries and counties as two different multipliers was very much a lottery at this time of the sunspot cycle. I hope you all agree!

To return to the contest page click here