[UK-CONTEST] GB5HQ

[Andy Summers]

Well done GB5HQ team!

Managed 10 band/mode slots. 100W to a 132ft Windom, feed at 30ft, ends at
10ft. Amazingly, the Orion's internal tuner can tune this on 160m without
strapping the feeders!

Disappointed not to make it on 10SSB & 15SSB. I just didn't get the
propagation to Weston-super-mare from Cambridge. In fact, 90% of the time I
couldn't hear them at all. Occasionally 10SSB would appear via MS. It did
also take me a long time to finally bag 20SSB, getting through Sunday AM,
but I could at least hear them Q5 most of the time (they are a bit closer
though). The band I thought I'd have problems with was 160m, particularly on
CW down to the west country, but Jan pulled me through easily. The QSO I was
most impressed with was 10CW. GB5HQ was realistically about Q3 with me and I
therefore thought I wouldn't stand a chance with my 100W. So what's going on
with reciprocity there then? In these situations its helpful having your
callsign well known and I can probably thank the 80mCC events for that.

I guess most of us will have problems with propagation on 160/15/10m,
dependent on relative location. I wonder whether these bands could swap
modes periodically during quiet times, i.e. 160m during daylight 10/15m when
the bands are closed? You wouldn't need particularly proficient CW ops
during these periods.

Be interested to see GB5HQ's stats when they're available.

73,
Andy, G4KNO,
Granta CG, M0CAM, M4R - funny - they were on too this weekend!