[UK-CONTEST] EU Sprint

[Ed Taylor, G3SQX]

Still trying to get my tactics properly organised.  The main stumbling block
for me was this -- how many QSOs do you check when moving the statutory 2+
kHz before you call CQ yourself (then have you own single QSO)?  It helps if
you know that you will be loudest, so that when you call the next station
down (or up) the band, nobody else will get there first.  This didn't apply
to me -- only 100w this time.  Also, if someone else beats you to the call,
do you wait for him to finish and call him, or do you move?  Or do you store
in memory, guess it will take 38 seconds, and came back if you don't find
someone else?  Or do you use two radios (on the same band and mode-- is it
possible)?  Maybe I spend too much time thinking about these and other
questions and not enough time putting out RF!!

That being said, I really like this contest, and the slightly quirky format.
I wouldn't mind if the required move was 1 kHz on CW -- this is especially
true on 7 MHz when there is another contest on.  It helps that Sprinters are
at the top part of the CW band -- the organisers could consider recommending
a sub-band rather than pilot frequencies (e.g. 14030-14070, 7015-7040,
3540-3580) -- just suggested places to tune, not required.

Yes, avoidance of other contests is useful -- maybe Sunday would be better.
Of course, we all want a later start time, or would it be heretical to
suggest a five hour contest (ending one hour later).  I certainly didn't run
out of people to work, although maybe the guys in the 200s did!  The
four-hour format is great for aging G3s like me, and I like it enough to
maybe want to do another hour -- 80m was getting good at the end.

OK, here's the breakdown.  By the way, the GU call doesn't help at all in
this contest!

GU3SQX (at the GARS shack, 100w, TH6 and dipoles at 45 ft.

80m   36
40m   55
20m   71

Total 162 QSOs

73,
Ed, G3SQX