[UK-CONTEST] EU Sprints - G0MTN

[Lee Volante]

Hi all,

Here are my EU Sprint results and comments.....

SSB Sprint

20        67
40        35
80        12
Total    114

A busy start on 20m.  Seemed to be a late transition to 40m - I went to
listen a few times and heard just a couple of stations calling.  They worked
nobody and I couldn't raise them.   Finally got going around 6pm local.
Then very late going to 80m - a mad dash to work all of the G's etc.   The
stronger Europeans became workable in the last 15 minutes for me - if only I
had another 30 minutes.....

My phone rang (and tripped the VOX) on 80m just as Clive POI called me - I
managed to end the call and still catch Clive - just !    I noted some large
differences (for a change) between the performance of my vertical and
horizontal antennas for working the EU mainland and then the G guys.

I wondered if Dave BUO was sent by the EU Sprint Gang to judge the effect of
the propagation from the extremities of Western Europe (i.e. EI)   Azores
next year ?  Has anyone ever had the opportunity to be in central or eastern
Europe for this contest ?

And regarding Richard's comments I also worked a couple of people who didn't
know the exchange or were just very casual entrants.  It only took a few
seconds to give an overview of the rules that would enable them to give away
points with confidence (20 / 40 / 80 SSB till 1900, QSY after QSO if calling
CQ)

CW Sprint

Mr. Aurora had been out in force and made 20m very hard going.  Whilst in
the SSB contest I felt I was just about keeping up with the bigger stations
thanks to the Sprint format, this time I really struggled.  I couldn't hear
/ raise many of the stations being worked on 20.    The activity did shift
down in frequency much earlier (no surprise there!)

More worked on 40 than on 20 & far more worked in SSB test than CW one -
unheard of !  :-)

20        28
40        36
80        26
Total    90

Station:  TS850 / 100w + Butternut HF6V + Windom @ 20 feet.

Can I add to the recent reminder and ask folk posting scores to give a brief
run down of their stations ?  It makes me feel slightly better about my
lowly score if I *know* I was a few dB down etc.  :-)

Spent 4 hours today on various mast maintenance jobs at club station.
Mobile tower rope replaced, only to find a jammed clutch !   Fixed tower 2m
beam realigned, only to find in the winds the antenna had stayed moved
around, but the support struts had remained true, and snapped !   Solution:
Modify VHF NFD tent poles and put them on the mast.   The next project will
be to erect a tent based on bits of broken Cushcraft.   Finished off with a
brief soujourn with the 6m contest.

73,

Lee G0MTN