[3830] IOTA GM4V Multi-Op HP

[webform at b4h.net]

                    IOTA Contest

Call: GM4V
Operator(s): MM0CCC, MM0ANT, GM4ZRR, GM0RLZ, GM0FZM, GM0CLN
Station: GM4V

Class: Multi-Op HP
QTH: BENBECULA  EU-010
Operating Time (hrs): 24

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  CW Mults  Ph Qs  Ph Mults
----------------------------------------
   80:  189       25      144      43
   40:  373       50      499      49
   20:  110       34      345      84
   15:   48       21      126      47
   10:    7        6       27       9
----------------------------------------
Total:  727      136     1141     232  Total Score = 5,745,216

Club: FORTH VALLEY CONTEST GROUP

Comments:

GM4V IOTA 2003 SOAPBOX
=====================

This was the first attempt at IOTA by the Forth Valley Contest Group (FVCG).  
Although we are a new group, most of us knew one another already and three of us
were part of last year's leading UK IOTA effort at GM5A.   Planning for our trip
started in February and it certainly came good when we saw the church hall we
had rented for 4 nights (Thursday to Monday).   We had ample space for all our
gear and beds as well as a large kitchen, a bar (which we stocked!), a fridge
freezer, a BT phone point and good "washroom" facilities.   Outside we
were equally well catered for with a large car park and fields almost all around
which we had been told we could use!

All antennas were erected with no major problems, other than the tower briefly
jamming, and occasional re-organisation of the wire radials on our 40m vertical
being required each time the local sheep wandered past. The rest of our gear
was, for a change, set up at a fairly leisurely pace with no real headaches to
resolve.   We even had time to carry out RFI tests on the radio-microphone
system used in the adjacent church.   A few strategically placed ferrites
resolved the single small problem we found.   However, the priest indicated that
if anything was heard through his speaker system it may liven up his sermon! 

Having once more evaluated several software packages before the contest we
decided to use NA again.   Although NA is not perfect we knew from past IOTA
experience how to work around it's minor deficiencies.   Writelog tests on the
bench and during CQWW had highlighted the serial number and mult window problems
which we now see other stations had!   Sticking with NA proved
to be a good choice as it worked almost flawlessly throughout.   Only two minor
problems occurred during the contest and only one of these was attributed to NA!
  Much praise is however due to Robert MM0ANT for ensuring that we had our first
RF problem free NA network.   This was a big bonus!

DX Cluster access was a bigger challenge.   We had access to a BT phone socket
and had also taken equipment to allow us access using GPRS on a mobile phone.  
Sadly, due to weak mobile phone signals, the GPRS option had to be abandonned.  
While this wasn't too much of a problem it meant that we ended up struggling
with RF on the phone line whenever we used 40m.   This kept interrupting our
internet connection and undoubtedly lost us some mults, particularly when you
consider the higher than usual amount of time spent on LF as a result of poor HF
band conditions.   As with G4MJS at MD4K we consider Mult Hunting to be very
important and as a multi-op entry our mult station is constantly doing just
that.   As has often been said of IOTA "Mult is king!" and anyone who ignores
that fact will crash and burn in the results table!

Returning to the subject of conditions, although we found a little activity on
10m at the start this soon disappeared and we found ourselves moving down the
bands towards LF in an attempt to find decent QSO rates.   Particularly on
Sunday this presented the dilemma of whether to stay LF and get reasonable
numbers of 15pt QSOs with UK stations or move back HF and try to get some
mults but with a lower rate!   We decide to take the LF option for most of
Sunday to benefit from the influx of UK Full and Intermediate Class B licensees
who had just gained HF access.   We therefore relied on our Mult station to
boost the score on 20m and above during that period.  As a result we only had
110 QSOs on 20m and above on Sunday, most of these being on 20m.  Was it a good
move?  We think so but all will become apparent when everyone elses scores are
known!

On the subject of the new HF access for UK Full and Intermediate Class B
licensees, it was noticeable how good the general operating practice of these
stations was.   It is very refreshing to come across this and is surely
promising for the future of UK HF contesting.  Well done to those concerned!

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the event.   The welcome and help which we received
from the locals was superb.   We would love to go back again but surely it is
more sensible heading south since our score has now suffered due to auroral
effects for the last two years (GM5A 2002 and GM4V 2003).

Watch this space!!!

73 Colin (GM0CLN)


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