[UK-CONTEST] IOTA DXpeditions

Wed Jul 22 03:49:36 PDT 2009

Without wishing to open a long dead can of worms; both Tom and Chris 
obviously have no idea how much it costs to hire a decent towing vehicle for 
just one mobile mast (assuming you can actually find one available for hire 
at all in the first place) for a 5 day weekend, let alone fuel it for a 
towing trip from East Anglia to NW Wales and over the bridge.

Have a good IOTA Contest!  Its too hot for Dxpeditions in July!

73 Fred
A65BD

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris G3SJJ" <g3sjj at btinternet.com>
Cc: "UK Contest Reflector" <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 2:20 PM
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] IOTA DXpeditions

Hi Tom, I recall there being a change of status but it wasn't connected
with the contest. It was made by the IOTA Committee in a review of a
number of island's status, (statii?) Whilst I have always enjoyed the
contest I have never really understood the criteria used. I am always
amused that mainland VK is OC001 That is one big island! I think the
other changes were made after my time as adjudicator.

Our GU8D trips were very expensive. Currently a car and two people costs
£380 to Guernsey, I know 'cos I have just booked a week for Yvonne and
myself in late August. In the early years of 1996 - 2001 we also had the
additional cost of chartering a small boat to ship the gear over to
Sark. They were good days though, we all had a great time and gained a
lot of friends and knowledge of GU, including some excellent
restaurants! The 15m pile-ups to JA on the Sunday morning were exciting.
Aaah, if only now!!

73 Chris G3SJJ

tom wylie wrote:
> G3SJJ could probably gove you the definitive reason why Anglesey is no
> longer considered an Island.
>
> I remember in the early days of the IOTA Contest, it costing a fortune
> on ferries to take even one mobile mast or tower across to a Scottish
> Island, even to the Island of Gigha which was only a 15 minute boat
> ride. Our first venture in the mid 1990s cost us over £150 on ferry
> fares which was our drinking money for the weekend ;-)
>
> In the meantime our English and Welsh friends were driving across the
> Menai Straits bridge in their droves towing multiple trailers for free.
> The rules of the Contest at that time permitted them to enter the same
> category of Contest as all the teams travelling by boat to the Scottish
> islands. I have to say we felt ourselves at a considerable disadvantage,
> for Contesting purposes. Personally for the IOTA Scheme itself I
> couldn't care less if Anglesey and Skye are counted as Islands or not,
> but in order to make the playing-field level, the following rule was 
> added.
>
>
> 5.2 The definition of DXpedition for this optional listing is one:
> • where the island can only be reached by boat or air (islands which can
> be accessed by bridge or causeway - man-made or natural - are not
> eligible),
>
>
> Don't you want to beat off the competition on a level playing field
> where skill plays a part, or is it back to the good old days of win at
> any cost????
>
> Oh, and I have just checked the rules as they are printed on the
> Internet and I see NOTHING mentioned of a 10 minute rule. Me, I'd ignore
> any reference to it - all you do is compound the rumour. If in doubt ask
> G3XTT.
>
> Have a great weekend, enjoy the Island hopping, enjoy the Contest.
>
>
> Tom
> GM4FDM
> Stewart Rolfe wrote:
>
>> I gather recent IOTA eu124 status of Holy Island is due to some sort of 
>> 'cumulative' rule, viz -
>>
>> Ynys Mon -> Mainland = 196m = EU005 (<200m); Holy Island -> Ynys Mon = 5m 
>> = 201m -> Mainland = island (all measurements subject to arguments about 
>> state of tides etc...)
>>
>> But the argument above has just designated Ynys Mon as Mainland eu005 
>> therefore the 5m separation of Holy Island is to Mainland - isn't it?? 
>> Circular logic or what?
>>
>> Perhaps the definitive algorithm is:- "rule -> silly result = silly rule"
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Stewart Rolfe, GW0ETF
>>
>> --- On Tue, 21/7/09, G3WPF <g3wpf at sky.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>> Holy Island on which Holyhead is
>>> located is connected to Anglesey by both a
>>> "bridge" and a causeway.
>>>
>>> Presumably, it counts because Anglesey is an island which
>>> is not an island
>>> and, although connected to the mainland, is not mainland
>>> either.  So,
>>> although Anglesey = EU-005 and you can pretty much .--.
>>> across to Holy
>>> Island, Holy Island obviously should be treated the same as
>>> Puffin Island
>>> (Priestholm/Ynys Seriol)?  Hmmm.
>>>
>>> 73
>>>
>>> Reg
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
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