[UK-CONTEST] RSGB LP Contest - G3SJJ

[Chris G3SJJ]

Thought a longer report might help newbies see how us older guys set 
about doing a contest.

Never really done this one so it was all new to me, although I 
adjudicated it about 20 years ago! Needed to work out a strategy.

Usual research of reading the rules and looking at past results didn't 
answer some questions so an email to the adjudicator, Dave G3RXP, gave 
me a clue to the number of Qs I should aim for. I opted for 10w Fixed 
section since I knew roughly what last year's winner was capable and 
could have a guess at his station, and he was not too far north of me. I 
targeted taking the Trophy and was looking for around 100 Qs.

Initially it was going to be a multi-op effort with M0AGA but he had a 
serious work situation to deal with so I decided on SO2R with the K3 on 
40m and FT1kMP on 80m I needed a more high-angle friendly 40m antenna as 
well as the 2 el phased go array, so converted my 30m delta loop into a 
40m loop fed mid way along the base. The normal 80m dipole, apex at 57ft 
would do for that band. N1MM in SO2R mode and the Topten DX doubler in 
cct completed the setup.

It was good to be able to do SO2R in a relaxed arena as I was able to 
spot a few areas of technique that need attention. It wasn't until my 
first 40m QSO that I noted I had been using the left hand side Log Entry 
window instead of the one I had positioned on the right of the screen, 
consequently the first 23 Qs were logged on 40m!! I changed those during 
the lunch break. I also found out that N1MM wasn't scoring the contest 
properly, awarding 15 and 5 points, not 15, 10 and 5, so my progress 
chart, ie last year's results which were on the 2nd monitor all the time 
was telling me I wasn't doing very well!!

In the end I made 101 Qs and 1100 points which would have give me the 
trophy last year so my strategy seemed to have worked out fairly well. 
There were several stations that I failed to pick on 40m. I moved 
G3ZGC/P, heard them on 40m but they didn't hear me. G2AA seemed to be in 
beacon mode, just sending G2AA without any other info and not listening.

Guess I am a bit naive at the QRP lark but I had imagined signals would 
be near perfect with everything backed off. Hmmm, not so. Perhaps the 
worst offender was the one with hefty clix, which of course is just as 
bad as running the 100w to attract attention, probably worse. Amazing 
that this station also thought that speeded up parts of the message was 
good. Wot, in a a  contest with a rate of no greater than an hour 20Q/H. 
Strange thinking! anotehr one had quieta  thump on "make." So it's not 
all big sigs and amps that cause the trouble!

Another thing puzzles me and I would be interested in comments is why 
the /P guys work more stations. I do well on 80/40 so I would think my 
antenna and location would match a /P QTH for inter-UK so why do the 
Slash Pees work more Qs. I suspect it is more to do with being Slash Pee 
than actually in a better location. Comments?

Chris G3SJJ