[UK-CONTEST] 432MHz AFS Sunday 7th February

[Colin Wilson]

Hi

I am fairly new to working contests on VHF and UHF and it was the first time 
I have taken part in this one and although only a small station (20watts and 
a 15el yagi at 30ft)  I decided to have a go!  It was interesting that most 
of the time I was listening to white noise too in fact there was plenty of 
white noise to be had but very few intellegent signals from else where!  I 
heard but did not work JR north of the border but the only station outside G 
was GD.  I did however hear the big boys working into Europe with no problem 
but nothing heard here so I suspect that many of the stations we normally 
hear up here in North Derbyshire were beaming the other way, I would say 
most of the South of Watford stations rarely turn there beams north anyway!

So for me it was very boring and not very enjoyable but a challenge to work 
even just 10 stations my score did not reach the 1000 mark. Other than on 
improving my staton to a larger anntenna system and maybe a little more 
power there is little I can do to make this more interesting!  I spoke to a 
few especially in the Lincoln area who had a simular experience on Sunday 
moring the fact is we need more people to take part in this and other 
VHF/UHF contests for them to survive.

My thought for the day!
As getting a radio amateur licence these days seems relatively easy compared 
to the old days (even without the CW) perhaps we should begin to include a 
little more operating for a foundation licence holder.  Presently they only 
have to make one QSO on VHF and one on HF to get that tick in the box!  Lets 
suggest then that they must also participate in at least one VHF/UHF contest 
and one HF contest, this could be as part of the main licence requirment or 
it could be that they must do it within x amount of time after getting their 
first callsign as part of the progression towards their intermediate? Who 
knows, they might like it!  Now the club could host the contest station but 
could build the antenna system so it does not need to be an expensive set up 
and whats more that would be a nice project for a club to do would it not? 
Perhaps a portable event could also be introduced? A high percentage of 
Foundation licence holders seem to stay on VHF or UHF in their early days of 
operating and some may have their own equipment that would be suitable for 
contesting but it would still need to be signed off by the club or issued a 
certificate of participation by the RSGB for instance.  This not only 
increases the number of people taking part but it also gives the foundation 
licence holder some experience of operating and we all get more fun!  Just a 
thought!
73

Colin G3VCQ/J38CW
www.sheffield-live.co.uk