[UK-CONTEST] 80m CC Results

[g4fka at aol.com]

As well as the dedication, station, experience etc it is also luck of  the 
draw with conditions. Propagation never favours us here in the west early in 
 the season. It is only by getting quite a few members on that we are able  
to get any semblance of a decent score for the first few months.
 
It also helps to have a few outliers from the central area of the club. In  
that way the hope is that at least one of the group will benefit from 
wherever  the conditions land. Yes we've all kitted up to be able to run all 
three modes  but very few of us have significant home stations and most of us 
have small -  medium gardens with bent wire antennas of various styles and 
never particularly  high.
 
To give you encouragement my station is a 756ProIII at 100w with no amps.  
In 36.5 years on the air I have never run more than 100w on any band from 
the  home station and have never used or owned an amp.  Antenna  is a wire 
doublet, mainly bent into a 40 foot garden with a bit  temporarily tied out in 
a neighbouring field. Highest point of the  antenna is 10m in the midst of 
oak trees, lowest points practically at ground  level and very little of it 
straight.
 
So keep at it Jim, hang on in there when the run frequency starts to get a  
bit busy, be firm but fair when the jammers/spoilers start, pray to the  
propagation gods every day and you'll soon be clocking up the points!
 
Geoff G4FKA