[UK-CONTEST] UK-Contest Digest, Vol 74, Issue 6

[Christopher Soames]

uk-contest-request at contesting.com wrote:
> Send UK-Contest mailing list submissions to
> 	uk-contest at contesting.com
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> 	http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> 	uk-contest-request at contesting.com
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> 	uk-contest-owner at contesting.com
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of UK-Contest digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
>    1. Re: propagation SSB CC (Nigel G3TXF)
>    2. Re: UK-Contest Digest, Vol 74, Issue 5 (Steve White)
>    3. Antennas (Ray Hills)
>    4. Re: UK-Contest Digest, Vol 74, Issue 5 (David Ferrington, M0XDF)
>    5. Re: Antennas (David Ferrington, M0XDF)
>    6. Re: propagation SSB CC (Peter Connors, F5VNB)
>    7. Re: propagation SSB CC (Peter Hobbs)
>    8. Re: propagation SSB CC (Ian White GM3SEK)
>    9. Re: RSGB 80m CC Contests (Peter Hobbs)
>   10. Re: propagation SSB CC (Peter Hobbs)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2009 12:24:41 -0000
> From: "Nigel G3TXF" <nigel at G3TXF.com>
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] propagation SSB CC
> To: "UK Contest Reflector" <uk-contest at contesting.com>
> Message-ID: <52E992567B2C4415A93B2B56EFA56CBA at compaqeac3989e>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"
>
> Yes, there's more to this propagation stuff than anyone of us knows. Antenna
> height, antenna orientation as well as the propagation must play a bigger
> role than we suspect. G3WVG (aka G0AAA) is about five miles from me. And yet
> we get remarkably different results in different CC's. Sometimes WVG is way
> ahead. And sometimes, like last night, TXF is ahead. Being lucky with a
> 'good' frequency also makes a huge difference. Unusually for me I had just
> such a frequency last night. The whole 90 minutes was spent CQing. As I
> recall there were only two 'dull patches' when absolutely no-one came back
> for four or five minutes. Otherwise it was a steady trickle.
>
> 73 - Nigel G3TXF
>
> PS : Although the K3 is supposed to be the dream-radio for CW ops, seemingly
> it isn't too bad on SSB either!
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Don Beattie
> Sent: 03 February 2009 11:23
> To: Uk-Contest at Contesting.Com
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] propagation SSB CC
>
> Yes, I too was puzzled, Malcolm. I was running my dipole at about 55 ft, and
> found it really hard going here in Shropshire. I was kept pretty busy, but
> with a lousy channel - I know there were callers I could not copy - and yet
> by the end of the contest I was some 40 QSOs below the leaders. I think most
> of these were in the South-East, so wonder if a relatively high density of
> "local" stations helps in this contest ? It was noticeable that the Eu
> stations (DJ and beyond) were very strong, but (for me) few in number. So
> yes, skip was long, I think, and high-angle absorption was high.
>
> Ended up with 132, but a real struggle to emulate the leaders.
>
> 73
>
> Don, G3BJ
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "g3pdh" <g3pdh at btopenworld.com>
> To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 9:50 AM
> Subject: [UK-CONTEST] propagation SSB CC
>
>
>   
>> Does anyone have an explanation of last nights 80m CC conditions. From
>> this
>> area (Norwich) the band was just mushy noise with a few signals, mainly
>> continental and a few G's. More noticeably the few G's heard could hardly
>> hear me, as if one way paths existed, and despite this some were still
>> exchanging relatively high numbers. It would be interesting to see some
>> analysis of this phenomena as to whether it was propagation, antennae etc.
>> All stations in our group did poorly despite running decent rigs and full
>> size dipoles. Such conditions hardly seem to reflect text book theory.
>>
>> Malcolm G3PDH
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> UK-Contest mailing list
>> UK-Contest at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest
>>     
>
> _______________________________________________
> UK-Contest mailing list
> UK-Contest at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2009 12:39:41 -0000
> From: "Steve White" <g3zvw at talktalk.net>
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] UK-Contest Digest, Vol 74, Issue 5
> To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
> Message-ID: <F76981EC39774137B865E1ED3BE63E49 at g3zvwlaptop>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> 	reply-type=original
>
> At the risk of depressing certain parties, there wasn't a problem with 
> propagation in East Devon. I ran a frequency for the full 90 minutes and 
> made 179 QSOs (1 dupe to come off that). Some others in the South West also 
> made well over 100. I suspect the problem was high angle absorbtion in 
> certain parts of the country.
>
> Steve, G3ZVW
>
>
>   
>> Message: 11
>> Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2009 12:22:31 -0000
>> From: "G3VDB \(Jim\)" <jimevans at g3vdb.com>
>> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] propagation SSB CC
>> To: "'g3pdh'" <g3pdh at btopenworld.com>, <uk-contest at contesting.com>
>> Message-ID: <6A35ED00FF0E4C738C48EC4DCC36C9B2 at notebook>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Hmm - it wasn't just me then - ran the whole evening with the attenuator 
>> in
>> just in case there was any overload with UJE just a mile or two away and
>> began to wonder if the ATT was working on TX as well as RX ! Struggled 
>> with
>> nearly every one of 21 and spend many minutes calling GW4BVE who was 
>> getting
>> no other replies and did not even say "QRZ"
>>
>> Depressing.
>>
>> Jim G3VDB
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com
>> [mailto:uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of g3pdh
>> Sent: 03 February 2009 09:51
>> To: uk-contest at contesting.com
>> Subject: [UK-CONTEST] propagation SSB CC
>>
>>
>> Does anyone have an explanation of last nights 80m CC conditions. From 
>> this
>> area (Norwich) the band was just mushy noise with a few signals, mainly
>> continental and a few G's. More noticeably the few G's heard could hardly
>> hear me, as if one way paths existed, and despite this some were still
>> exchanging relatively high numbers. It would be interesting to see some
>> analysis of this phenomena as to whether it was propagation, antennae etc.
>> All stations in our group did poorly despite running decent rigs and full
>> size dipoles. Such conditions hardly seem to reflect text book theory.
>>
>> Malcolm G3PDH
>>
>>
>>     
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2009 12:43:59 -0000
> From: "Ray Hills" <g3hrh at btinternet.com>
> Subject: [UK-CONTEST] Antennas
> To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
> Message-ID: <001f01c985fd$17974720$0601a8c0 at D9GBF02J>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> 	reply-type=original
>
> Hi David, M0XDF.
>
> I also use a non-resonant end-fed long wire at about 20ft a.g.l.  It's just 
> under a half wave long and orientated more or less E/W from Hampshire.  It 
> brought me in a total of 56 in LOW category this time round, mainly from 
> running but with a bit of S&P towards the end.  Hope this gives you a bit 
> more encouragement.
>
> Ray G3HRH 
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2009 12:47:04 +0000
> From: "David Ferrington, M0XDF" <M0XDF at Alphadene.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] UK-Contest Digest, Vol 74, Issue 5
> To: uk-contest at contesting.com
> Message-ID: <7A1B5709-523A-4F80-B487-23D31FE7052F at Alphadene.co.uk>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
>
> We worked at 20:22, no problem hearing you here, you obviously got me ok
> 73 de M0XDF, K3 #174
> --  
> All the world's a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed.
> -Sean O'Casey, playwright (1880-1964)
>
> On 3 Feb 2009, at 12:39, Steve White wrote:
>
>   
>> At the risk of depressing certain parties, there wasn't a problem with
>> propagation in East Devon. I ran a frequency for the full 90 minutes  
>> and
>> made 179 QSOs (1 dupe to come off that). Some others in the South  
>> West also
>> made well over 100. I suspect the problem was high angle absorbtion in
>> certain parts of the country.
>>     
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2009 12:52:28 +0000
> From: "David Ferrington, M0XDF" <M0XDF at Alphadene.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Antennas
> To: "Ray Hills" <g3hrh at btinternet.com>
> Cc: uk-contest at contesting.com
> Message-ID: <A4922CB7-3D93-4088-B73E-224D51A2CE44 at Alphadene.co.uk>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
>
> Thanks, mine runs North-South, but is a sloper, from the chimney pot  
> at 8m AGL, up to the smaller tree at approx 30m. QTH is 67m ASL.
>
> Not really possible to run something long East-West, I'll have to get  
> creative I think.
> Thanks for the encouragement
> 73 de M0XDF
>   
Well to my thinking January's contests were brought in to help the GM's 
with their propagation (I believe correct me if I am wrong), does this 
mean that since the rest of us especially in the east suffer in January 
and February with poor propagation can expect the contests to continue 
during August next year so that we can benefit from the additional 
propagation that will be available to us??
 Just a childish thought!  

  As for the CC itself I absolutely hated it 12 all night and that is 
with replying to many station 15-20 times or more before anyone even 
heard me.  Called CQ once got an instant reply and then never heard 
another soul.  Thought about early supper and bed then remembered it was 
a contest and stayed with it.  As I said HATED it total waste of time. 

Oh by the way see/hear you all in the next one I hope. 

G0TZZ

-- 
Regards from 

Chris Soames
G0TZZ
email :-
semaos at semaos.plus.com
www.norfolkamateurradio.org