[UK-CONTEST] Fwd: GB5HQ

[Bob Henderson]

Peter

I'm surprised by your comments.

I'm no phone contester and only use the mode occasionally but I am an active 
CW operator and long-time CW contester.  I have reviewed the list of CW 
operators for the various GB5HQ stations and find that I know most of them 
personally as well as on-air.  I can confirm them to be highly competent CW 
and contest operators.  I find it hard to imagine any of these folks might 
be embarrassing to listen to.

I can make no similar assessment for the phone operators but only because 
I'm not a phone op.

10/15 metre conditions were very unusual. If the operators of the 10/15 
metre stations failed to be active while the bands were open through the 
night, then that is a clear tactical lapse.  Albeit not difficult to see how 
it might be occur.

Incidentally, I also reviewed the list of host stations and recognise each 
as being well equipped and for the most part prominent in contests.

I am inclined to think that a significant factor in comparing performance of 
GB5HQ to say DA0HQ is likely to be density of active ham population.  Any 
DXpeditioner well knows the astonishing ratio of DL's worked to G's from any 
point on the globe.  This massively larger pool will provide more available 
operators but critically more loyalty qsos.  I don't have the access to be 
able to compare logs in detail but I would wager this to be a key factor.

Bob, 5B4AGN


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Hobbs" <peter at tilgate.co.uk>
To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2006 12:53 PM
Subject: [UK-CONTEST] Fwd: GB5HQ


Sorry, I'd forgotten mailshots to the reflector need a registered email 
address.
Now pursuaded webmail to send it!

----- Original Message -----
From: Gmail
To: UK Contest reflector
Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2006 12:06 PM
Subject: GB5HQ


Well, I took the K2 with me on this trip, largely to see whether any of the
adverse comments made earlier on re selection of stations/operators had any
justification in practice. Comments are as follows:

1. Although most were fine, some of the night and even a few of the day ops 
of
GB5HQ stations weren't in the same league as the major competitors. One or 
two
were down-right embarrassing to listen to.
2. Although both 15 and 10 were (amazingly) open all night and most of the
other HQ stations were taking full advantage of this, GB5HQ apparently went 
to
sleep for much of the time.

Conclusions:

The concern expressed earlier that operators are selected for spurious 
networking
or old-boy reasons appears at least partly justified. Although GB5HQ is "the
station of the RSGB", the RSGB appears to have no involvement in the 
organisation
of the entity that is representing them and remedying this would provide the
missing transparency. A points system for qualifying operators, evidencing
concrete past achievement, is clearly required.
No more than 2 or at most 3 operators are needed in any band mode for a 24 
hour
event, assuming dual run and mult stations.

A prestigious international event such as this is not the occasion for 
acquiring
experience and expertise, but for demonstrating it. Perhaps it all comes 
down to
the British way of doing things, however it would be interesting to know how 
the
main competitors organise their arrangements. In the meantime, any 
expectation
of winning from GB5HQ will need to involve an entirely ruthless (read 
non-PC)
approach to organisation and manning. Compare with any other international
sporting event: - one manager (NOT station managers) and he selects the team 
or,
manager administers a team selected by results.

Note the above is an observation, in an attempt to explain our lack of 
success in
these events, despite the planning and investment by many of those 
concerned.

Regards

Peter G3LET

---- Message sent via freenetname webmail - http://www.freenetname.co.uk/ Up 
to 8Mb broadband now from just £9.99 a month



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