[UK-CONTEST] 80m CC G3SJJ G4BRA

Dave Sergeant dave at davesergeant.com
Thu Jun 14 02:02:51 EDT 2007


On 13 Jun 2007 at 23:42, G3SJJ wrote:

> Not good timing. 1930 - 2030 is about the only time I get to have
> quality conversation with Yvonne for 5 nights of the week during her
> 60+ hours working schedule. Managed to get to the radio for about 2020
> with a glass of Australian Columbard. Like to try something different
> each session so this time it was all S&P except 2 and using the
> external paddle at 30wpm for all QSOs. Interesting that very few
> stations appeared to be using a paddle, prefering to press buttons,
> although keys were more prevalent higher up in the band. Managed 62 Qs
> before going to watch The Apprentice final at 2115. A bit of a fracas
> around 3520 as 3B7SP had been spotted and there was quite a pile-up.
> He was agood signal but for some reason it didn't click that I oughht
> to call him!

So that was the mess towards the end around 3520. I actually managed 
to work a G station through it....

Last night I had a fun evening at our club meeting operating G4BRA. 
Quite a few of you worked out it was me on the key, though others 
thought our call was G4BLA. Perhaps because we are an unfamiliar call 
in these events...

Arrived on site at around 7.15 and soon got my 90ft inverted V 
doublet and DK9SQ pole in the air. Had to wait for the Brownie group 
to finish their meeting in our church hall before I could connect it 
to the K2 so we actually got on air at 7.57. Quick QSO with G4RCG 
showed all was well.

The idea was to show the rest of our club, including a few potential 
novice licencees and our morse class, what a real HF contest was 
about. We also put an SSB station on in another room to give them 
some fun, with strict instructions not to try it on 80m.... It seems 
to have worked, they marvelled at me working the stuff in a slick and 
effortless way and some of them even followed what was going on. In 
the other room they made a grand total of 4 QSOs. So although the 
interest is there it still seems to be a problem to get them actually 
on air, they are rather more prepared to watch others do it.

74 QSOs in the low power section. Thought I could have done better, 
but didn't hear that many enormous serials being sent and found I had 
run out of new stations towards the end. Some regulars appeared to be 
absent. No problems from thunder static in Bracknell though suspect 
others did judging from the weather reports. Didn't even get wet 
doing the antenna work, we seem to have been lucky.

In all a successful evening and certainly enjoyed by our other club 
members. Maybe we will have some more entrants in CC next year...

73 Dave G3YMC

http://www.davesergeant.com



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