[CQ-Contest] ARRL 10m Contest from G8D

[Chris Burbanks]

Having just re-installed my complete shack station after assembling it at the local
radio club for the 10m contest, I thought it might be useful to share a few thoughts.

We have just completed a new club/radio room at the local club and despite much
negative thinking from some club members. I decided to show them what contesting 
was about. We enter IARU Regions SSB Field Day (SSB of course) in September,
but otherwise mention of contesting brings on severe bouts of negativeness, head-
aches, decorating, whatever.

G8D is the Special Contest Callsign we can use in certain major events. (I have used
GU6D, GU7D and GU8D from Sark, Channel Islands in the RSGB IOTA contest, with
some real contesters!)

The total interest in this outing was myself and David, M0BWY. Bob, M0BCF was very keen
to participate but suffered a geniune back injury just before the event. He made a few Qs
from home although in agony. (M0 calls are recent issue, both these are new this year)

The band had opened up to Eu/As by the time we got access to the shack and set every-
thing up, but we were able follow propagation round from NE to East down to South East,
across to Caribbean, East Coast, Central and finishing at around 16-1700 to South America.

David and I had a ball. I did most of the fast runs and CW, he did the S & P. We enjoyed
using the callsign and received many nice comments. We also had some good signal reports.
David had sparse knowledge of location. call area and abbreviation of most of the states, but by
the second afternoon was well into it and keen to fill in the missing state mults.

With our 3-el tribander at 60ft, FT1kMP/amp, we found 42 states on SSB plus VE1,2,3. We missed
most of the 7s and some 0s. I kept trying to encourage him to make his operating more "efficient"
but he was not keen to admit it could be improved. Whilst not wishing to admit it, I think he was
impressed when I showed him the CW memory list in NA logging prog. He saw F3 = R TU G8D and I
said that I try to emulate that on SSB. ie Roger, Thank You, G8D. No need for "Many thanks and
good luck in the contest, old man"

As we worked the "top brass" I descibed their stations or successes. Notably K3ZO, of course, K4OJ,
W0AIH (big sig), GW3YDX etc.

I don't think he has the "killer instinct" to be a top contester, but David learnt a lot and will be there
another time and event. So will Bob, pity about his back. He has a job interview  and medical tmw after
getting through 8 hours of psycho tests, guess he's shot it.

As for me, well it wasn't a masterpiece, but certainly made up for my own lack of contesting recently and
provided a short term "fix".

Lotsa memories, we'll be back.

Chris G3SJJ   Chairman RSGB HF Contesting Committee, co-ordinator of the IOTA Contest and working on
the 1998 results. Don't ring me, I'll keep you posted

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