[UK-CONTEST] GB5HQ

[Andy Hamon]

First off I congratulate the team for their efforts in what is by no  
means an easy task, BRAVO!

My only involvement in any of the GB5HQ stations was to help Bob,  
GU4YOX with his 160m antenna, so I have no side to take!

My intentions for the weekend were:

To give the UK HQ station as many points as possible.
Catch as many new band / mode slots as I could.

In the end I managed 9 GB5HQ slots, 10SSB, 15SSB and 160SSB being the  
"ones who got away". Having said that I heard all three at least 5x5.  
Mostly my POOR antenna was to blame but could it be a mode thing?? CW  
easier to copy / more intelligible under poor conditions.

10m on Saturday for me was super, 20 new slots, other bands were "OK".

I think the sour grapes / personal views are not helpful, if a  
particular operator feels they "have what it takes" and are "made of  
the right stuff", then they should make representations to the event  
organizers (anyone involved with contesting in the UK knows who they  
are), not bleat post event.

Having listened to DA0HQ for a while during the early hours on 80m,  
there was a stream of German stations calling them. Regrettably, the  
same could not be said from the UK perspective.
As has been said by several others, it is a culture thing. Certain  
nations seem to get behind their "national team" no matter what the  
event is and the sheer numbers plays a big part.

Whether GB5HQ comes out as number 1, only time will tell.
Did the GB5HQ team give it their best shot, undoubtedly YES.

Anyway, enough political bickering, I'm off to build some antennas  
ready for the IOTA test.

73

Andy, GU4WTN