[UK-CONTEST] The G0MTN New Year message

[Lee Volante]

Hi all,

It's almost New Year, which means it must be time for my not quite annual 
posting summarising what I've done and not done during the last 12 months. 
There will be no mentions of QSL bureaux, or tirades that contest software 
'x' is better than contest software 'y' during the rest of this ramble. 
First off, the numbers...  (QSOs made using my own call / contests entered 
under any call.)

2003    15,761  QSO /  73 contests
2004    21,026 QSO  /  86 contests
2005    19,131 QSO  /  121 contests
2006    18,696 QSO  /  100 contests
2007    23,305 QSO  /  121 contests
2008    Must slow down.....

2007 represents the most QSOs I've made (using my own call) all time during 
a calendar year, and ironically at the very bottom of the sunspot cycle. 
All time QSOs now number 158,000 (LoTW return rate: 16%)   Activity roughly 
evenly split between CW, SSB and RTTY. A handful of PSK QSOs (mostly during 
the 80m CCs) and similar on VHF FM (ragchews)  JA's worked this year - 
literally just a couple.  10m QSOs - thank goodness for E's.  Antennas - 
still not above 30 feet.

This year, there were 13 events with over 500 QSO made.  Only 1 (CQWW CW) 
above 2,000 QSO.  47 events had over 100 QSO made.  My operating style is 
now well settled to "coming on to make some QSOs and boost activity for 
everyone else."  The difference between my casual and serious participation 
seems to entirely depend on how much time I allow myself to operate.

In order of QSOs... CQ WW CW, WW SSB, WPX CW, RDXC, and CQ WW RTTY were the 
top 5.  At the other end of the scale, I couldn't even count ARRL 10m this 
year, as I never managed to work anyone. From Europe, I found a solitary PA 
station in the Stew Perry 'warm up', and tackling the 432 MHz trophy with a 
colinear during appalling conditions was probably not that sensible.

My 'problem' is that I seem to have more fun overall with the casual 
operating - the "returns" from doing a full 24/36/48 hour event don't seem 
to justify the "outlay."  I would prefer to operate 2 contests part-time 
over different weekends than 1 'full time' contest, maybe travelling 
somewhere or putting up extra antennas, which themselves take more time. A 
few years ago I would clock up 200 miles just for one AFS contest, if we 
include trips for setting up and then taking down antennas.

This worry seemed to hit home at the HF convention, when looking at the 
array of RSGB trophies before they were awarded. It was not that I'd not won 
any of them, but I wasn't competing for any either - for one reason or 
another they were out of reach.. (n.b. I was very pleased to receive a CDXC 
award for CQWW at the convention.)  I've given up worrying too much about 
the 80m CC SSB sessions - it would be nice to be able to run, but I'm not 
going to camp out for up to an hour before the start to increase my chances.

Even with a lethargic operating temperament, some results received this year 
have been pleasing, even if any '1st place G' is largely due to the usual 
suspects not being active, or joining multi-op stations. Maybe operating 
during the sunspot minima years, where lower rates and high QRM are the 
norm, is the key for anyone wanting to get a long awaited podium position in 
a DX contest?  I note that UK participation in any non-RSGB event, apart 
from the big CQ or ARRL events remains often sparse compared with the rest 
of Europe. Is the RSGB programme so diverse it's fulfilling all needs (or 
taking up everyone's free time) ?

Station changes :-  None.  Well, none that are significant anyway. More self 
amalgamating + insulation tape applied to a balun SO239 connection with 
sporadic water ingress. Some guys added to my windom support.  New string 
added to end of 160m inv-L (wow!).  More ferrite rings wrapped around my 
Microham router after it tortured me through the August RoPoCo. A 50 MHz 
HB9CV stealthily fitted in the loft. Everything inside the shack works 
reasonably well, and I've not got the nerve to try anything more ambitious 
outside.  Several thousand new QSL cards have arrived, all pre-printed with 
"Thanks QSL."  I will reply to all cards received, except when it's obvious 
I've already confirmed a band/mode combination several times before and I've 
received a blindly sent card.

Offsite operating:  Unusually, no NFD this year. I helped out at SSB Field 
Day with some friends.  No VHF NFD either, due to the poor weather. I was 
invited to the G0KPW site to help with the 80m SSB operating for GB7HQ.  A 
small QRP activity in the SP DX contest in SP.

With the Contest Committee I helped to get the Sprint experiment on the air. 
Hopefully with a tweak of the rules, and much more forward notice, the main 
complaint about a lack of activity will be resolved for the 2008 events. I 
also spoke at the HF Convention, and looking forward to Contest University 
appearing next year. Correspondence, suggestions and information received 
for my CDXC contest column - not much at all.

I've experienced quite a few separate instances of deliberate jamming on SSB 
and RTTY this year, which are thoroughly depressing. To the best of my 
knowledge I'd not upset anyone's ongoing QSOs. (Although a friend told me 
during CQ WW CW I was causing him grief, whilst I was blissfully unaware - 
an example of where different filter bandwidths and output powers could give 
the impression I'd purposefully stomped over someone.)  I remember more 
instances of what I perceive as deliberate jamming (probably by 
anti-contesters), compared with accidental or coincidental use of the same 
frequency (by contesters)  Add to that, the accusations of contest abuse and 
QRM sent to RSGB / ARRL etc., deliberate antagonism on contesting forums, 
the vandalism of information websites like Wikipedia, and it starts to get 
pretty disheartening.  Some compromise in bandplanning may well be called 
for, and contest sponsors need to get tougher for rule infringements. 
Initially it seemed that complaints raised about contest operation are being 
taken at face value, but I look forward to some balanced discussion of the 
evidence presented in 2008. (At least the "full contest results in RadCom" 
furore had an amicable conclusion, in the end.)  I don't quite know what to 
make of the recent CQ-Contest cheating debacle either. Even I've spotted 
some dubious irregularities between what is posted on 3830 and what is later 
submitted to the contest sponsor.

But to try to end on a high note, hopefully with some sunspots finally 
returning there will be more activity (at least relative to emails sent!) 
from the UK contesting community in 2008.  Contesting - it's better to do it 
than talk about it  :-)

Happy New Year.  Oh, and don't forget to reply to this email  - was 2007 a 
contesting annus horribilis or annus mirabilis for you ?

73,

Lee G0MTN