[UK-CONTEST] March RSGB 23cm UK Activity Contest

[Ray James]

A very busy contest indeed, right to the final minute.
Conditions appeared pretty average with a mixed bag of easy and difficult contacts completed.
I ran out of time to catch everyone "workable" so multipliers were on the low side. IO91 generated almost a third of all contacts so that helped boost the points per QSO figure. Good to see this reciprocated the other way with the increased GM activity. Spare a thought for the efforts of GM3SBC/P, GM4GUF/P and GM0USI/P going portable at this chilly time of the year. In particular Robert 'GUF who had to climb over 2,000' and carry his station with him. Well done!

The omens looked good with 10 contacts in the first hour with some very good aircraft reflection contacts completed. As aircraft numbers reduced the tally for the final 1.5 hours dropped to 7.
ODX was again Kjeld OZ1FF who alerted me to the fact a 747 was approaching our mid-point. A very quick contact ensued. 

A reminder regarding the preferred procedure for aircraft reflection contacts. Once you have received all the information that makes the contact complete at your end, prefix your sent report/serial number with a roger or two as your partner may still be waiting for some information to make it complete. There's nothing worse at the other end way when you still need part of a report, serial number or locator and an aircraft reflection appears full of rogers! 

GM0USI/P   IO76    23Km
GM0UHC     IO85    52
GM4PPT     IO75    56
GM4GUF/P   IO85    60
GM4YLN     IO85    68
G8KBH      IO83   247
GW8ASD     IO83   332
G3OHH      IO83   345
G3VKV      IO81   475
G4BRK      IO91   517
G8DKK      IO91   518
M0GHZ      IO81   521
G8CUL      IO91   525
G0MJW      IO91   525
G3NNG      IO91   539
G4DDK      JO02   572
OZ1FF      JO45   782
 
My QSO map can be found at http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/kml_files/2010/ya9nrEBLa9xKOfdd43wMU3UocDkuH4R 

Great to see the numbers moving up to 23cm from 2m/70cm continues to increase. Looking forward to the next 23cm/13cm UKAC already!

73 Ray GM4CXM IO75TW
150w 4x44 + LNA