[UK-CONTEST] GM4V IOTA 2003 REPORT (Quite Long!)

[Smith, Colin R (UK)]

GM4V IOTA 2003 SOAPBOX
=====================

This was the first attempt at IOTA by the Forth Valley Contest Group (FVCG).   Although we are
a new group, most of us knew one another already and three of us were part of last year's
leading UK IOTA effort at GM5A.   Planning for our trip started in February and it certainly
came good when we saw the church hall we had rented for 4 nights (Thursday to Monday).   We
had ample space for all our gear and beds as well as a large kitchen, a bar (which we
stocked!), a fridge freezer, a BT phone point and good "washroom" facilities.   Outside we
were equally well catered for with a large car park and fields almost all around which we had
been told we could use!

All antennas were erected with no major problems, other than the tower briefly jamming, and
occasional re-organisation of the wire radials on our 40m vertical being required each time the
local sheep wandered past. The rest of our gear was, for a change, set up at a fairly leisurely
pace with no real headaches to resolve.   We even had time to carry out RFI tests on the
radio-microphone system used in the adjacent church.   A few strategically placed ferrites
resolved the single small problem we found.   However, the priest indicated that if anything
was heard through his speaker system it may liven up his sermon! 

Having once more evaluated several software packages before the contest we decided to use NA
again.   Although NA is not perfect we knew from past IOTA experience how to work around it's
minor deficiencies.   Writelog tests on the bench and during CQWW had highlighted the serial
number and mult window problems which we now see other stations had!   Sticking with NA proved
to be a good choice as it worked almost flawlessly throughout.   Only two minor problems
occurred during the contest and only one of these was attributed to NA!   Much praise is
however due to Robert MM0ANT for ensuring that we had our first RF problem free NA network.
This was a big bonus!

DX Cluster access was a bigger challenge.   We had access to a BT phone socket and had also
taken equipment to allow us access using GPRS on a mobile phone.   Sadly, due to weak mobile
phone signals, the GPRS option had to be abandonned.   While this wasn't too much of a problem
it meant that we ended up struggling with RF on the phone line whenever we used 40m.   This
kept interrupting our internet connection and undoubtedly lost us some mults, particularly when
you consider the higher than usual amount of time spent on LF as a result of poor HF band
conditions.   As with G4MJS at MD4K we consider Mult Hunting to be very important and as a
multi-op entry our mult station is constantly doing just that.   As has often been said of IOTA
"Mult is king!" and anyone who ignores that fact will crash and burn in the results table!

Returning to the subject of conditions, although we found a little activity on 10m at the start
this soon disappeared and we found ourselves moving down the bands towards LF in an attempt to
find decent QSO rates.   Particularly on Sunday this presented the dilemma of whether to stay LF
and get reasonable numbers of 15pt QSOs with UK stations or move back HF and try to get some
mults but with a lower rate!   We decide to take the LF option for most of Sunday to benefit
from the influx of UK Full and Intermediate Class B licensees who had just gained HF access.
We therefore relied on our Mult station to boost the score on 20m and above during that period.
As a result we only had 110 QSOs on 20m and above on Sunday, most of these being on 20m.  Was
it a good move?  We think so but all will become apparent when everyone elses scores are known!

On the subject of the new HF access for UK Full and Intermediate Class B licensees, it was
noticeable how good the general operating practice of these stations was.   It is very
refreshing to come across this and is surely promising for the future of UK HF contesting.
Well done to those concerned!

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the event.   The welcome and help which we received from the locals
was superb.   We would love to go back again but surely it is more sensible heading south since our
score has now suffered due to auroral effects for the last two years (GM5A 2002 and GM4V 2003).

Watch this space!!!

73 Colin (GM0CLN)


========================================================================
  PROBABLE FINAL CLAIMED SCORE..........
========================================================================

  Club or Team Name: FORTH VALLEY CONTEST GROUP (www.gm4v.co.uk)

  Call used: GM4V                                        Location: EU010

  Category: Multi-Op      Mode: MIXED           Power: High
 
  Callsign of Operator(s): MM0CCC, MM0ANT, GM4ZRR, GM0RLZ, GM0FZM, GM0CLN                                                            
 
  Exchanged Information: GM4V RST nr EU010 
  
  Hours of Operation: 23:59
  
  BAND	CW Q	CW P	CW M	SSB Q	SSB P	SSB M
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   80	189	1179	25	144	1356	43
   40	373	2307	50	499	5385	49
   20	110	738	34	345	2751	84
   15	48	444	21	126	1146	47
   10	7	93	6	27	213	9
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  TOT	727	4761	136	1141	10851	232
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   
  ( 15612 ) QSO points x ( 368 ) multipliers  =  5,745,216 points

========================================================================
  




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