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

[Rob Harrison]

Hi Ray, Colin and all,

Sorry this is a little late on this thread.

I've included the URL for my contacts for the contest at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/kml_files/2010/MtEe9ck27hozY87NZSnl2bj9BrvHxbe
As you will see there's a brick wall stopping short of Manchester, and the
longer contacts are to Europe. That's not because I'm in the SE, wherever
that is, it's because I'm shielded to the NW, and it's difficult to make
contacts without some enhancement. As Ray will know Paul, G3YDY, regularly
makes it to GM each UKAC, but he's on the other side of the hill, and has 
the same problems, but in the other direction.

I make no apology for making the best of my location, it's the one thing
within reason I can't change. Yes it favours the continent, but I do
regularly look for contacts from the north, GD/GM/GI & EI, in some cases I
still need the squares for all time new ones. On Sunday it was no different,
find as many in the French contest before they stopped at 11:00 GMT, and any
activity from Europe co-incident with that. Then concentrate on the UK, to
all compass points using both CQ calls and S&P tactics. From the map there
are 18 European QSO's, the rest are UK based, out of 53. Is there any way of
seeing the other entrants maps in the contest? It would be nice to see other
op's
coverage.

I'm not sure if I qualify as a "big" station, 50w to 2x21, so calling CQ for
the whole contest is non-starter, but I certainly don't do S&P for most of
the contest. Calling CQ to the NW just doesn't get answered very often, and
if it does it's not 59 signals, more like 52-3 with rapid QSB making repeats
and read backs essential. It's not so bad on 144, working GM/GI/GD fairly
regularly, with reasonable signals. I can work 500km on 432, and 700km on
144, on a flat band, given a decent station at the other end, beaming to
Europe. I can't get that performance the other way.  As one poster said
"location, location, location". Anyone who calls me, and I can hear, I will
make every effort to work them. At the end of the day point is points, from
whatever direction.

Someone's got to say this, so I'll put my tin hat on and await the flak. As
for dog eat dog, well it's a contest, NOT an activity night. If it were an
activity night everyone, including me, would be spotting away merrily, but
it's not and they don't.  Simples!

I'll get me coat.

73

Bob  G8HGN  JO01fo


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Colin Wilson" <colin at sheffield-live.co.uk>
To: "UK Contesting" <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 12:54 PM
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] 432MHz AFS Sunday 7th February


>
> 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
>
>
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