[UK-CONTEST] M6T (G4PIQ) IOTA Report

[Andy Cook, G4PIQ]

Call: M6T
Operator(s): G4PIQ
Station: G4MRS

Class: SO24Mixed HP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
Band  CW Qs  CW Mults  Ph Qs  Ph Mults
----------------------------------------
   80:   109      35      74       28
   40:   164      40     144       44
   20:   375      58     432       79
   15:   193      27     191       38
   10:   225      23     129       22
----------------------------------------
Total:  1066     183     970      211  Total Score = 4,835,562

So - another great learning experience goes by! I last did the mixed
mode SOAB section in 2002 I think and got trounced by Sergei, M0SDX
then. I think it came down to too much time spent running and not enough
time spent S&P. I did SSB only in 2003 & missed last year so it seemed a
good time to have another go, but the decision to do it was a bit last
minute and surrounded by a busy time, so no real preparation / analysis
done.
 
My new strategy for this year was not to call CQ for the first few hours
and just do S&P - getting lots of 15 point QSOs in the log and a bunch
of mults out of the way. I would then mix running & S&P according to
what felt right. This lasted for about half an hour until I chickened
out when I heard 10m reasonably open and started running there! Many
pile ups were too big at the start of the event anyhow. 
 
I flitted about between S&P and running for most of the rest of the
contest. The runs this time seemed really to bring an average pts/ Q
around 4 - very low, but odd mults do call you that you won't find
otherwise. However - I got the balance quite wrong - too much time on
10, not enough on 15/40, and I chickened out of S&P too much. Run rates
were often good - and this, combined with a relatively long exchange and
moderate QRM / QRN levels, made traditional SO2R pretty hard work for
me.
 
This is a contest where - at least in the single op all mode section -
you have to get the strategy right to put in a decent score. And a large
number of available mults + Island QSOs being so much more valuable
means that the right strategy isn't the 'normal' one - especially from
EU005. 
 
However - this isn't a whinge - I had great fun - nothing blew up, and
conditions were pretty reasonable all things considered. High levels of
sporadic E were a bonus.
 
This year's score is miles away from what's possible. Maybe next
year....
 
73,

Andy, G4PIQ

2 x FT1000MP + PAs
80m : Delta Loop @ 23m
40m : 402CD @ 24m
HF : KT34A @ 30m + TH5 @ 24m + A3 @ 26m