RSGB Commonwealth Contest, CW
Call: G6PZ
Operator(s): GI0RTN
Station: G6PZ
Class: Open HP
QTH: Zummerzet
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
80: 76
40: 114
20: 130
15: 26
10: 1
------------
Total: 347 Total Score = 6,335
Club:
Comments:
Reading G4BUO and G3BJ's write-ups, I do sometimes wonder if I operated the same
contest. I had a flurry of "what, how did you miss thats" and "I didn't know he
was on 40s". I missed any VEs on 15, but pulled in all the VE6/7 bonuses on 20
with room to spare, and bagged a couple of VE7s on 40 at their sunset (but none
popping up at dawn, when they're usually stronger). I think I worked more ZSs
than the competition on 40/80, but only managed VK9AA on 15, missed 2 VU
bonuses on 15 that should have been easily workable. Missed AP2NK on 15 and
80, any VK3 or VK5, only worked J88DR and 6Y8XF from the Caribbean on 15,
missed 7Q7 on 15, etc., etc. Should have spent more time beaming Africa and
some time beaming West on 15 - the Africa strategy was a good 'un on 20 and 40,
need to get used to being a big gun in this one.
Long path on 40 sounded very loud on Sunday morning, but having done well SP, I
soaked up all the unworked ZLs by 0530, only worked one new VK, and couldn't
seem to get any VK casuals to call in.
I've always wanted to do BERU from a really great station, and am greatly
thankful to Paul for making it happen this year. It was an awful, awful,
awful, lot of fun. But work is EXTREMELY busy at the moment, and I was up
working on a speech until after 2 am on Friday night/Saturday morning before
getting up at 5.15 for the flight to Bristol. I'm usually good at
concentration for long stretches as a contester but the lack of sleep really
caught me at the end of the contest and I went to pieces mentally, very badly,
after about 0700.
I'm sure there were more stations to be worked by moving S&Pers off other
people's run frequencies, targeted CQs, swinging the antenna more and changing
band, but I was badly 'sleep drunk' and lacked the ability to do much other
than sit on a frequency hitting F1. Should have CQed to Canada for a while on
40, and did manage a short burst of 5 VK/ZLs on 20 after 0830 for thought it
must be a short path opening and left the antenna there. I have never been so
mentally muntered during a contest before, especially a 24 hour one.
I didn't go into the contest thinking I could actually win, with Justin at M6T,
but I was only two bonus QSOs away from beating him and only seven from beating
Don for the win. Had I known I was that close I may have kept it together a
bit better in the last few hours and pulled out the extra QSOs from somewhere
on Saturday. Especially, I don't think I made the most of 15. There were more
QSOs to be made there. But more lessons to be learned, as always. Overall I am
happy with how I utilised a vastly better station in a contest where strategy is
king.
Great to hear all the VUs and ZSs and congratulations to G3PJT and G4BUO for
all the work in getting them involved. VK seems to be the problem now, with
great activity from committed clusters but little casual activity. Perhaps
someone could do an article for the WIA magazine like the one I did for RadCom
a few years ago, except from an Oz perspective.
Most fun bits - too many to count, but V8 on two bands, filling out VU bonuses
on 2 bands with room to spare, VY1EI on 20, big loud VKs and ZLs on 40 at
sunset, the great patience of VK4OQ, VU2PTT and ZS4U to give me ESP bonuses on
80, all the old familiar calls, all the new calls. Not fun bits - 15m on
Sunday morning being the worst I have EVER heard it, even worse than the Sunday
of WWCW this year.
Congratulations to G3BJ on the clubhouse lead and what looks like a great win,
also to VE3EJ for an awesome score in solar minimum conditions.
73 and see you all next year.
Gerry GI0RTN
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|