[UK-CONTEST] Contest idea "Last 2"

[Andy Swiffin]

>  
> I can see why you  gave up 2m. That set up is about as much use as a  
> joystick was on HF! I do note a few now claiming to use verticals on 2m in  
> contests. Its a shame as even some small aerial horizontal would yield 
> better  
> results! 
>  

I worked Alex gm8bdx (known by many of you I think) on Saturday.  He's now near coldstream and was running 15Watts to an indoor dipole.   He was a good S5.   On Sunday I managed to complete with someone using a 4 element beam in Stoke on Trent (388kms from here).  I just happened to notice that the same station had used a vertical in the AC on Tuesday when his best dx had been 77kms, quite an upgrade.   And in the last few minutes of the the AFS was called by someone using an HB9CV from IO91 (unfortunately we didn't have time to complete).

Yes, like Reg says, a vertical will give you taste maybe, but _anything_ horizontal will give much better usable results and much more fun.


As for the "last two" idea :  I always like the idea of things to collect (please let it not be train numbers...)  I always used to block in the number squares of the original QRA map on the wall in the good old days when I was in YQ35b  (the numbers were just the right size).     I'd be happy to support anything that gets people onto VHF, sadly I fear there are but 3 points available from IO86NM unless someone wants to come on portable?    Can you get locator maps with all the little squares shown that you can colour in (sad or what?)  (I am being serious, I would fancy one of those, how the heck I convert all my YL25d etc's  I have no idea).    Is the "last two" all that different from WAB?   That hasn't really encouraged lots of activity on VHF so will something else to collect?

73
Andy
gm8oeg
io86nm  roll up, roll up come and get your 3 points here.
(or NO43 if you prefer)


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