[UK-CONTEST] GB5HQ

[Simon Pearson]

Hi guys,

I've seen many comments from various UK stations reporting they 
could not work GB5HQ on 15m and/or 10m SSB...

15m and 10m SSB were being operated at the station of G6PZ (close to 
Weston-super-Mare) who many of you may recognise from other major 
international contests.

We were utilising a Ten-Tec Orion + Acom 2000 + 4el SteppIR on 15m 
SSB and a Yaesu FT-1000MP MkV + Acom 2000 + Cushcraft X7 7el 
tribander on 10m SSB. Antennas are close to the 80ft mark (separate 
towers, of course).

We *did* put a significant number of G stations in the log, although 
it was generally quite hard work. As reported by the 10m CW guys 
operating at the QTH of John/G3LZQ, we would often hear one or two 
characters from the callsign. And remember that is CW and we are 
referring to SSB - the two modes are certainly quite different when 
it comes to weak signal stuff! :-)

With conditions being particularly rough on the two aforementioned 
bands, we spent a lot of time rotating the yagis. We were often 
driving the SteppIR in bi-directional mode, too, thus covering both 
front and back. But, of course, these bands are far from ideal under 
any conditions for inter-G. It's all down to location in the 
country. We did work quite a number of G's running low power, however.

Regardless of the poor band conditions, as John/LZQ also reported, 
we too worked a small handful of DX stations (South America, as 
always) and then didn't have a QSO for an hour and half until 
suddenly massive signals from EA and one from CT. This too was close 
to midnight. Some G/GW guys called in around this time, too.

Anyway, in spite of conditions, we stuck with it (so as not to miss 
any potential openings such as the early Es opening Sunday morning 
on 10m) and did manage to give the 12 band/mode slots to quite a 
number of UK stations. So, thank you to those who made it in to the 
log.

If you called us and we did not hear you, thank you for trying, we 
appreciate it and tried our best - and there's 'always next year'! :-)

Thanks again.

73,

-- 
Simon Pearson, M0CLW
* G6PZ * WWYC * CDXC