[UK-CONTEST] Weekday contests

[Ed -- GW3SQX]

The series of evening contests run by the Contest Committee seem to be 
getting more and more popular.  They take place on various days during the 
week on 80m, 6m, 4m, 2m, and 70 cms.  Whether they will encourage people to 
join the big boys in "real" weekend contests is debatable, although there's 
some evidence that they are having an effect.  But it's worth having a look, 
to see what's on and who you can work (some continentals are also joining in 
the fun, by the way).

I tried 2m yesterday evening, with an small Yagi that had last been used in 
anger about 20 years ago -- I got it 15 feet up on a rickety pole fixed so 
it beamed east from here in South Wales.  There was plenty of activity 
during the two and a half hours, and I heard serial numbers of over 100 -- a 
surprising rate for VHF!  I didn't do quite so well, having also to fit in 
eating, drinking and some phone calls.  The 6m event a couple of weeks ago 
was also busy, although reports on 70cm suggest this band is not so 
popular -- I suspect that casual entrants who use the 2m and 6m facility 
available on some HF rigs do not have the same capability on 70cm.

Anyway, if you are an HF operator looking for something to do in between the 
evening 80m club contests, you could do worse than join in the VHF/UHF 
evenings.  Or vice-versa, of course!  I find some of the operators on VHF to 
be a bit ponderous, so maybe one or two HF operators with a little-used VHF 
or UHF beam could show them how it's done.  But never forget to say "73" 
after each QSO, just to be polite!

73,

Ed, GW3SQX