[UK-CONTEST] IOTA G0MTN SO12Mixed LP Unassisted

[Jim Martin]

My Favourite contest done and dusted for another year with a pretty dismal
result.  Wrong site choice, 100w to dipoles with noisy and poor
conditions kept the QSO rate well down.
However some things can be fixed and others we have to live with and make
the best of.  My inverted V dipoles for 10-15-20 (10m agl) worked
well and were over two S points better than the ground mounted HF6V with 16
10m radials.  The aerials were in no mans land between hill and sea. Too
close to the hill and not close enough to the sea to gain any advantage for
the vertical.
It was almost impossible to run on 20 during Saturday, 10
was dead and 15 very quiet.  This forced me down the road of CW mult hunting
on the second radio which was great fun.
 I am not confident enough to call CQ in a CW contest but replying to
stations and QSYing I can just about manage.  The '  MasTer  '  moved me
round all 10 band slots with ease and only six other stations asked me to
try another band.  Not sure why this was but on a slow weekend like this I
would have happily moved just for the extra QSO!!  Thanks to the stations
that moved for me, very clumsy from my end but it worked and increased the
mult tally a fair bit.
Before the contest I compile a list of all the forthcoming operations
gleaned from publications and reflectors like this and look at them on the
basis of which could be unique and which could be rare mults.  These then
become the target mults to move if possible.  A lot of  uniques are
small one man bands who will happily move for an  extra  QSO.  From what I
observed this weekend confidence is the key when moving contacts.  Know the
frequency you want to QSY to and know that that frequency is clear.
So despite not performing very well in this one (the buck stops here!) I am
feeling pretty satisfied using the time to listen and learn and plan to
improve for the future. There is so much to the art/sport of radio
contesting the main thing for me is the fantastic fun I have.
As it's never too early to start planning ............ see you all from EU92
in IOTA 2003.
Jim
MM0BQI/GB5SI ( How about a campaign for short personal contest/vanity calls
for next year?)

PS.  Although my main interest is single op. I would love the opportunity to
visit and learn at a multi station.  I know running a couple of KW to
monobanders up in the sky is like shooting fish in a barrel but it is HOW
you shoot them that is important.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Cooper Stewart" <coopers at odl.co.uk>
To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2002 11:28 AM
Subject: RE: [UK-CONTEST] IOTA G0MTN SO12Mixed LP Unassisted


>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lee Volante [mailto:lee at g0mtn.freeserve.co.uk]
> Sent: 01 January 1988 00:39
> To: uk-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: [UK-CONTEST] IOTA G0MTN SO12Mixed LP Unassisted
>
> Lee said...
>
> >The only grumble I have is the same as last year:  Stations running a
> pileup
> >who do not give their call time after time - I've not got time to listen
to
> >these pileups just waiting for a callsign !
>
> The IOTA contest seems particularly bad for this. I know there are subtle
> benefits to a pile up operator in not giving your call every 'QSO', but 7,
8
> or more Q's without identification is ridiculous. This year I decided to
> call these offending stations anyway, instead of wasting my time waiting.
> Three responded with "We've worked before", to which I respond - "Well
give
> your call and I'll know who you are". This may not work, but it makes me
> feel better!
>
> My IOTA 'story' may be some time coming as I had a problem with logging
> software and it may take some considerable time to sort out. I networked 2
> PC's (using SO2R). So, what happens when a Q on the right PC doesn't get
> transferred to the log file on the left PC? In a non serial numbered
contest
> you can 'merge'. What if (as in IOTA) there are serial numbers? Suffice to
> say that conditions were so bad, when combined with my computer induced
> depression, I considered taking a 3 hour sleep break during the night even
> though I wasn't tired. The UK north/south divide in propagation is huge,
and
> I'll be interested to see the other GM's comments.
>
> 73
> Stewart
> GM4AFF as GM0F
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> UK-Contest mailing list
> UK-Contest at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest
>