[3830] Commonwealth G3WW(@G4EHT) Multi-Op LP

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                    RSGB Commonwealth Contest, CW

Call: G3WW
Operator(s): G3WW
Station: G4EHT

Class: Multi-Op LP
QTH: Lichfield
Operating Time (hrs): 24

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
   80:   17
   40:   37
   20:   35
   15:   40
   10:   41
------------
Total:  170  Total Score = 3,040

Club: Chiltern DX Club

Comments:

Well it was a bizarre weekend in more ways than five!

Firstly, conditions. Things started off reasonably well until teatime Saturday
and the dreaded CME! Prime-time propagation to VE as well.

I had always thought that BERU was more of a gentlemanly contest; and on the
whole it was. However there were too many occasions when a DX station would ask
for 'G3W-something' and a station with a totally dissimilar callsign would
continue to call. I will give one traveling G the benefit of the doubt as I
believe he operated in quite difficult weather conditions but those guilty of
calling when asked to stand by, really should know better.

Note: If you espouse the DX-code of conduct you should really practice it.


A much worse infringement was from a non-BERU entrant and DX-er, F5xxx. Whilst
I was attempting to work ZD7XF on 80m, a Frenchman was also trying to work
Nigel without success for several minutes until eventually someone said, BERU
only LID! To my amazement I then heard the Frenchman change his suffix to
become M0xxx, it was blatantly obvious. He subsequently worked Nigel with his
UK callsign. I later contacted the Frenchman who did not deny the misdemeanor
but he did not have a satisfactory explanation. I don't think there is any
justification for this. He was only fooling himself.

The strangest of all though was a Windows issue. I was moving up/down the
bandmap when I must have hit the wrong key and the entire screen display
flipped upside down! At the same moment my dad walked into the shack with two
cups of tea and nearly dropped them both as he looked in amazement at Win-Test
in VK/ZL mode! I'm still not entirely sure which combination of key strokes I
made but I had visions of doing the remaining 12 hours of the contest with the
computer monitor turned upside-down.

You hear them every year, and this time it was PR7AB who was calling CQ BERU on
40m. I wonder if he worked anyone?

Towards the end of the contest the usually stable Win-Test software somehow
skipped a serial number. This happened for six or seven QSOs until I sorted the
problem.

But despite all the above, it was a great 24 hours.

I only had two goals and that was to work ZD7XF and J88DR on 80m and I achieved
both. I must admit I was beginning to think Nigel would never hit 80m. Thanks
Nigel and Dave in particular.

Whilst I did have cluster support, it is still surprising what you can do
barefoot into simple aerials. BERU often give us little pistols an opportunity
for DX.

Finally, I wonder how many other entrants were assisted? I soon noticed the
same few callers would be first on the scene whenever a new one appeared on the
cluster.

FT-1000MP (barefoot)
80-15m Butternut vertical
10m h/brew Moxon rectangle


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