[UK-CONTEST] BERU - G3SVL, First Timer

[G3SVL]

Can it really be that I have never entered this contest!  Got a copy 
of Bob's (G3PJT) book off him at HFC and decided to have a go. 
Domestics suggested 12hr section and as my beam seems to have a 
problem (and no time to fix) I went for Restricted.

What a Gentlemanly contest this is - generally excellent and polite 
operating; I can see why it has such a loyal following. Hard work 
with 100W and a vertical, e.g. spent 20 mins calling 9J2BO on 15m 
without success and generally had to wait for the big guns to have 
their go first. Really refreshing not to have the cluster going.

Thanks to Chris, G3SJJ & Dave G4BUO, G3PJT's book and some work on 
W6EL prop I set about picking the optimum times. As my station is 
optimised for LF I decided to leave a good portion for the sunrise 
hours - bit of a mistake as once the sun came up the bands died!  In 
reality I should have traded the 3 hours from 7-10am this morning 
with yesterday afternoon (but I just had to watch to see how badly 
England played :-( ).

Glad to catch the VK's & ZL's both short and long path on 40 & 80m - 
about 65W at the base of a quarter wave vertical in each 
case.  Worked Nigel in VQ5 and John in ZS3 on 3 bands - thumping signals both.

I guess I got hooked as I'm planning for next year.

G3SVL  12hr Restricted
3.5    8
7       29
14     36
21     9
28     1 (7Q7BP)
Total     83  (all valid CC's as I was 100% S & P)

73 Chris G3SVL