[UK-CONTEST] AFS 2004

[ian fugler]

Call:  G4IIY
Club:  Contest Cumbria
Location:  North Cumbria
FT1000MP    Explorer 1200 amp   Butternut HF2V vertical
Operating time:  3.5 hours
Claimed score:  1820

I can only echo comments made by the GM participants about the difficulties
in the first hour.  Oh, to be 300 miles South - well, only for AFS.

Despite having a Carolina Windom, the vertical was consistently an S point
or two better.  So, I stuck to that.  I was also called by a few eastern
Europeans and 5B4.  I managed to persuade an HA station to give me a report,
after he came up within 100Hz of my run frequency.  I then decided that it
was time to do some S&P, rather than battle it out with him.

Nothing else of great interest to report.  The weather was reasonable and
the equipment behaved.  I lost around 30 minutes for various domestic
reasons.  I guess that's the drawback of operating from the comfort of a
centrally-heated, indoor shack.  Perhaps I should adopt the unheated,
water-logged shed and Wellington boot approach?  I doubt I'd get visitations
from the family then.

Ian G4IIY