It was not until I received your contest entries that I realised there had been some DX on the day! Generally speaking the UK and Northern Europe had the worse of the band conditions. Now where did I hear that before? But if you happened to be in south eastern Europe or even into Israel conditions were pretty good there. So in comparison to the previous summer contests this one was the best supported since 1995.

European grid squares worked in the 1998 contest. IM12, IM13, KL79, KN90, KN97, LL93, LN20 and 27 Northe American squares were also worked in the event.

Nearly 1300 stations were known to have been on six metres during the contest. The UK yielded 470 stations of which 250 were UKSMG members. Some members complained that inter-G activity was down this year. Maybe so. Personally I think this was a good effort by everyone so I thank you all for your support. I know I have been knocking you the members somewhat for not supporting the Winter Contests. But when the ‘big one’ comes along you make me a very happy bunny!

You will see later that well over 200 QRA locator squares were recorded in the contest. This activity was spread fairly evenly throughout Europe. But see that big gap on the map to the north? Yes, no stations were heard or worked from KP field and only one from JP field. Again on the map you will also see how thin the activity was in south western Europe.

48 DXCC countries are known to have been on six metres for the contest. But there were no stations reported from Norway and Finland by anyone. This years entry was the best since 1995. Besides the 66 who entered I was given two useful check logs as well. Thanks to M0BHE and PA0WLB for these.

The committee would like to thank everyone for their participation and send their congratulations to all the section winners. It was good to have two novice entries again and a welcome return to some of the ‘old’ faces. But some of the regulars were missing this time. No World Cup in 1999 chaps so I would like you all back on parade next year please.

Personally, I was pleased to see our friend Axel N8XA finally making some contacts in our contest. Axel had some nice QSOs especially in Grid Squares DM and DN.

Thanks to all who gave me check lists of countries, locator squares and UKSMG members. Believe me this helps an awful lot with my checking. And thanks for the computer contest entries which also makes checking easier. I still believe the FASTLOG is the best computer software for this contest. It has the facility to check for dupes as well as printing out lists of countries worked, grid squares worked and members worked.

Sorry folks this is the boring part of my report! I mentioned the 470 UK callsigns that I had extracted from your logs. The next highest were from Italy with 164 and then the Netherlands with 129. Here is the breakdown showing countries and stations worked in the contest.

G-406, GW-42, GM-7, GI-3, GD-3, GJ-3, GU-3, EI-4, F-43, DL-80, LX-3, ON-38, PA-129, OZ-25, SM-16, EU-1, ER-4, UA-1, UR-10, LY-8, HB9-14, CT1-3, EH-12, EH6-1, OK-15, OM-2, OE-12, SP-48, I-164, IS0-3, YU-20, YO-24, LZ-12, 9A-20, S5-11, Z3-5, SV-16, SV9-2, 9H-6, CT3-2, W-50, VE-6, TA-1. A4-1, 5B4-2, 4X-5, OD-1. EK-1.

There were 213 grid squares reported from Europe, Asia and Africa. 27 grid squares were worked in USA and Canada.

Mike - G3OIL: "We were unlucky with the conditions. When I worked 4X5JA I thought we were in for a vintage contest." Mike mentioned the poor inter-G activity this year.

Vedran - 9A4VV: "Very good conditions and nice contest. See you next year. We were working from Korcula Island JN82IW." Vedron and Renko 9A3FT worked multi op. Their best DX was RA3YO in KO73 worked at 16.36.

Andy - G7WAJ for GØMSA/P: "Conditions on the band can only be described as ‘sporadic’ with long periods of silence. But when the band did open it gave forth a few surprises like 4X and 5B4." Andy was joined by G7JLL, G1ITE, GØNAR and GØJDM and operated from Dallington in East Sussex. The team worked 5B4/EU1AA in KM64 at 09.39.

Ewe - SM7BHM: "This was my first day on Six! But not last. Thanks for a nice contest." Nice selection of countries worked Ewe.

Zika - YU1AU, op YT1AU: Hello Zika. Very good contest entry but I had to re-score for you as the contest finished at 24.00 on the Saturday. Sorry about this as you worked some nice countries the following day.

Dave - G7SRB: "I doubt that the 22 points gained will achieve anything but I had set my heart on taking part." That’s what I like to hear Dave. At least you made the effort to send an entry in. If only a few others would do the same.

Duarte - CT3HF: Duarte operated from Grid IM12OP and worked into F, CT, EH, I and 4Z5JA, the latter being a QRB of 4,800 km.

Axel - N8XA: "I had good activity this time in the contest. New grid squares worked. Please QSL!" Thanks Axel who was working QRP again from grid EM79.

Dave - G8ZRE: "Thanks for organising the contest. Hard going at times. I heard IZ5EME from morning until afternoon but no other Italian stations were heard. Are they all football mad?"

Arie - PA2TAB: "Again, nice contest but bad conditions on this side. Very spotty openings. Missed 4X1IF/P whom I heard but very weak."

Marco - IZ5EME: "Conditions were better than in 1997. Most of the G stations on MS but lost many due to QSB." Marco was helped by IK5RLP, IW5BML, and IK5ZUL to win the European multi-operator section.

Rafael - YO7BUT: "Thanks for my first work of 50MHz."

Darrell - GØWNL/P: "Abysmal weather conditions. We were on the highest hill in the county (Glos) and the wind and rain was more like October than June. Few Es openings. It was hard work but being high up helped to keep the QSOs going". Very well done Darrell and your team who operated on Cleeve Hill near Cheltenham. Best DX was 4Z5JA at 3575 km.

Jenny - 2E1GMT/P: Hello Jenny glad to have you on board. You did very well - good tuition from Mother!

Alfredo - IK7XGF: Alfredo was the only one to work TA7V in KN90 square. He also made it to OD5RAK and 4X.

Brian - G3COJ: "Propagation during the contest disappointing - tropospheric moderate, sporadic-E patchy".

Segio - IKØFTA: "Very good propagation. I work only for part of the contest. Very, very good day on Six!"

Emil - YO7VJ/P: Emil, there were quite a number of logging errors in your contest entry. So your claimed score has been reduced accordingly. Emil was the only station to report having worked A45ZN, at 07.04. Locator being LL93. Well done.

Tudosic - YO7AOT: Yet another contest entry I had to drastically reduce because of logging errors. I must get someone to transalate the rules into Romanian. Hi. Tudosic sends 73 to all hams and mentions a very good contest.

David - G4DCJ: "It was nice to have some sporadic-E but it was noticable that many G stations working the dx would not give contest stations a point. There were also stations that would work GW and GD but not G." Strange business this contesting game David! I have been asked by David if he could apologise to Dick YO7VS for a half completed QSO. Yes, conditions and OM Dick faded out. I hope you read this Dick!

Paul - GW6VZW: "Horrible wet and windy and static rain S9 on occasions! Best gottaway was 4Z5JA - pile up too BIG!"

Chris - 4Z5JA: Chris produced the best entry by a long way - 256 QSOs and 106 grid squares in 26 countries show just how good conditions were in the Middle East.

Henry - G3GIQ: Henry also mentions a large number of G stations not in evidence. "I was reasonably satisfied with my multiplier given the prevailing conditions but just could not find enough different stations to work." Henry says next year will see a big opening! I hope so.

Corneliu - YO4AUL: Another first class entry making Corneliu the winner of the Rest of Europe section. Corneliu made it to CT3FT, a QRB of 4073 km. Very well done.

Colin - 2UØARE: A big welcome, Colin. Nice to see some Novice support again. Colin mentions how the band teased him all day but finally worked into Italy at 22.25.

Tomasz - SP5XMU: "Year by year I have better propagation. For the first time beaming Italy I can hear all SM stations on backscatter up to S5. SM7FJE was S9! I called them without any response!"

Dave - G1KTZ: "Same old tale - no sporadic! I think the contest would be better later in the month. Never mind, we had a laugh and a few beers. At least the log did not take long to write up." Dave was accompanied by Bob, G6ION and they operated from Pensilva Liskead in Cornwall.

Algimantas - LY2BA/A: "Sorry, I had no information about your contest before so started it late and unsuccessfully. I hope for better results in the next contest. Rules are very good!"

Mick - BRS 31976: "What happened? Where did Summer, the sun and all the DX go?"

Schmidj - YO7VS: "Bad weather, rainy, wind, storm-lightning! The propagation - BAD.

John - GW3JXN: "Usual contest conditions! Although conditions were similar to last year in fact tropo was poorer this time. Yet for some reason my score was quadrupled. Thanks for your adjudicating efforts." Pleasure John and many congrats on winning the single op. section. John’s QSO rate of 154 and 79 members was indeed remarkable considering his remote spot in Wales.

Jan - OZ1CDE: "Not the best of conditions but we managed to work a new country in OD5RAK for our best DX." Jan had OZ3IG, OZ2JOP, OZ1KCX and OZ1CDE helping to operate the club station OZ6MTR.

Valentin - UY5QZ: "I have licence on six metre band from 1st June 1998."

Enrico - IK2GSO: "Worked Ukraine stations for new squares. Also a new field from 4X//4X1IF in KL79, a QRB of 2883km."

Torben - OZ3ZW: "Very poor activity from Scandanavia. Worked a new country OD5RAK so this is a contest I remember!"

Apologies to those who’s comments we had to leave out, we could have filled many pages of ‘Six News’ with them!

Well, there you have it for another year. Next year’s Summer Contest will be on the same weekend - June 12th/13th 1999. The duration will still be 24 hours but this time it will run from 12.00z on the Saturday to 12.00z on the Sunday. Please tell as many non members as you can about this wonderful contest!

The 1999 Summer Contest will be my last contest as your adjudicator. I will have done the last seven contests by next year so now it is time to hand the reins over to someone else.

Please read the next contest rules very carefully as there may be some changes. They will be published in the February 1999 issue of ‘Six News’. And if anyone can translate them into any European language that will be very useful to send to our Country Managers.

If its not to soon may I wish all our members a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 1999. See you all next year.