[UK-CONTEST] 80M SSB CC

[Callum]

I wish I had a fan club Tony! Out of the 53 member of our local club
(Wythall), I worked 2 - there were four of us in the contest. I'm based just
South of Solihull. Very central I guess.

Antenna is a "slightly loaded" full size loop (it's actually 60 meters all
the way around) at about an average height of 20 feet or so - maybe it just
works well - most of the radiation going straight up? 

Like you, I love this "level playing field" too - isn't it?

Mind you, it may have helped as I have an enthusiastic "voice keyer" which I
use within N1MM (logger), although I do the talking when called (unlike WPX
[this weekend] where I use "the voice" in the middle of the night so as not
to wake family)!

Callum
M0MCX

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony [mailto:g3zrj at morsekey.fsnet.co.uk] 
Sent: 27 March 2005 02:23
To: callum at mccormick.uk.com
Cc: uk-contest at contesting.com
Subject: [UK-CONTEST] 80M SSB CC

Callum wrote:
I do wonder if being in the middle of the country helps (Solihull). I
finished off with 120, my best score so far -

It was a very odd evening Callum, here in the Hereford area it was like
pushing a boulder up a vertical rock face -  53 Qs in total,  S/P always,
some stations called I called over a dozen times without success during the
contest.  OK my station is  me driving a TS-50 at about 90W into a G5RV at
an average of 20 feet or so, but it returned quite creditable scores in last
years CCs.
I've been hearing from a station in Essex a regular who often makes very
respectable scores who ended up with 20 odd Qs.    A GW3 who again usually
makes big scores wasn't doing well,  a G3 in the Portsmouth area was just
ahead of me at about 2100, and he usually has loads calling him.   

As to being in the centre of the country,  I think it helps, also being in
or near a major conurbation certainly can make a big difference.
Obviously superior antennas are a big bonus.    

I suspect that some of the big scores are also boosted by "friendly locals"
calling early on in the contest,  if you can organise your fan club to call
you en-mass then you can I guess make a lot of Qs per minute for a while - I
think that this is starting to become common practice.    I know that some
clubs do practise an only work members policy.   I guess a combination of
being in the right location and having cooperative local "supporters" would
load the dice very much in a stations favour.

I'm a great fan of as much of an even playing field as possible in RSGB
contests,  but I am in a minority,  I tend to look at my scores and the
various certificates in my shack and think - at least they were gained on
operating merit using 100W and basic antennas !

Cheers to all,  here's looking forward to the next round of CCs - great idea

73  Tony G3ZRJ





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