[UK-CONTEST] Club Calls report

[Peter Hobbs]

>>>> think the exchange in Club Calls is likely to put them off for life
>
> Well said Ian. It's a different matter if we had this on 2m SSB or perhaps
> even 80m but many hams don't have 160m antennas and the ones that do are
> looking at a major compromise with a manual ATU to get on the band so with
> QSB and QRN and hopeless operating, the whole thing is a dog's breakfast 
> for
> many of us.

Hi,

Well as is not uncommon, I have to disagree with comments on the format.  A 
good turnout, I thought. Yes, it's largely a training exercise for club 
members more accustomed to rag-chewing, but having a meaningful exchange 
adds significantly to that training environment, rather than just a number. 
Limited power and less than ideal antennas are all part of it.  A lot of 
people worked hard at getting the club details right (paper is essential 
here) and it's not as though there was  a shortage of time to achieve that.

Quite a few clubs really got their act together last night - Shirehampton 
and Worthing come to mind, as well as the local club here in Horsham.

The last hour was pretty grim - I have great difficulty in registering 
unfamiliar calls on SSB and so my apologies to the many that I called as 
dupes - one only a couple of QSOs before!.  Ended on 140, first outing for a 
new Orion into a 200 ft wire sloping down to the NW, suspended at 145 ft. 
The upgraded ground system completed during the summer seemed to work quite 
well.

73, Peter G3LET