[UK-CONTEST] Commonwealth contest - tales from a QRPer (G3YMC)

[Dave Sergeant]

As I indicated earlier, I did not intend to do the Commonwealth 
contest anything like seriously, only as an excellent chance to work 
some of the rarer places. So only 26 QSOs, but did spend quite a lot 
of time in the shack. On QRP I obviously wouldn't have been able to 
make a significant score under the conditions.

Chasing those slots certainly worked - I worked 9 new 2005 countries 
and one all time QRP one (9M6BG). Even 10m showed some life, but I 
heard zilch in the way of VK there.

These little snippets caused me amusement:

9J2BO - after calling for some while to crack the pileup on 15m where 
he obviously had problems from EU QRM and there was quite a long 
pause between QSOs - 'G3YMC sri for the delay, was getting a new log 
sheet'. I failed to break the pileup on 10m on Saturday but got Brian 
there first call on Sunday.

ZL4BR - 'G3Y? agn..' - 'G3YEC QSO b4'. He continued to ignore me then 
when I continued calling gave in: 'G3YEC 599338' - I think he then 
got it correct but refused to say anything other than 'QSL'..

VK4WIA - not sure who was operating there, but I was a bit surprised 
when he said 'G3YMC fb Dave'..

All this was with my K2 at 5W into a longwire.

Anyway, all good fun.

73 Dave G3YMC

http://www.davesergeant.com