[UK-CONTEST] NFD - G4ALE/P

[QUENTIN COLLIER]

Although it's now a week after the event, I thought I would chip in with our experiences of this year's HF NFD.

The good news is that, for the first time in 3 years we didn't have any damage to the rig, and there was no danger of drowning: the bad news is that we broke 2 of the operators. Mike G3VYI took a bad fall while helping me move the 20ft scaffold poles: he tore a ligament in his shoulder and wasn't able to operate. And Steve G3UFY spent too long kneeling while assembling the beam and an existing knee injury swelled up alarmingly. Fortunately he doesn't key with his knee (whatever it may sound like on the air) and he was able to operate (albeit in some discomfort). Luckily Peter G3SJX and I remained in supreme physical condition throughout. (NB you might detect a trace of irony in there). 
 
Having reluctantly had to abandon putting on 2 stations due to shortage of personnel (courtesy of the Grim Reaper), we decided to do an Open section entry for the first time in several years. We all arrived at our site between Postbridge and Widecombe late Friday morning, and before going for a meal in Postbridge in the evening got the 40ft scaffolding  mast supporting the beam and 80m inverted V up, along with the operating tent and ancilliaries. The other (60ft) mast with the 160m inverted V and 40m quad loop followed on Saturday morning. Despite an intensive 20 minutes of panic getting the computers to  talk to each other and to the main rig (Orion 1), monitor Rx (FT847) and Winkey, we were all ready to go with 40 minutes to spare. Ultimately the setup worked almost flawlessly (apart from the beam direction indicator, which didn't). In particular the 5.5kW petrol generator (colloquially known as the Arabs' Friend because of its consumption of fuel)
 ran without a hiccup or need to stop for the whole contest. And feeding by G3UFY's wife and son was plentiful, efficient and unobtrusive.  
 
Conditions were a bit surprising: we did catastrophically on 160m and 80m (28% down on QSOs on 160 compared with last year: both bands very noisy: and, it seemed to us, less stuff to work than usual). However this was partially offset by unexpectedly good conditions on 15m and particularly 10m, which was open for most of Sunday and provided an excellent QSO rate. And the weather was largely kind to us: some rain Saturday night but dry for the rest - including the all important taking down period.   

Claimed QSO numbers:
160m    88
80m      118
40m      158
20m       207
15m       162
10m        333
TOTAL  1066 
 
Well that's it for another year. See you all in 2011 I hope.
 
73,




Quin G3WRR