[UK-CONTEST] RoPoCo

[Robert Chipperfield]

Very enjoyable here as well.

Equipment was limited - I was visiting my parents over the weekend, so 
used G3VFC's random sloping bit of wire with a counterpoise along the fence.

A lack of preparation meant I started significantly late, and then spent 
the next 30 minutes S&P'ing. I did find a frequency in the end, after a 
couple of hopeful "Is this frequency in use?" "Yes!" exchanges, and 
managed a reasonable run for 15 minutes or so, but the band seemed to be 
going longer by that point, and was rapidly filling up with European 
stations further away. I returned to S&P for the last part, and got a 
few more I'd missed the first time, ending up with 42 QSOs in the log.

Most bizarre moment receiving my postcode (one letter mutilated) in one 
QSO, then swapping it for the exactly the same postcode on the next QSO. 
Not entirely sure how it ended up going round twice simultaneously!

A little post-contest mangling of the log file to get it into the 
required format was needed, having used Win-Test's generic HF 
DX'pedition mode, and logging the postcode in the "info" field. Excel 
sufficed, but I'll write a little script to do it next time...

Definitely an enjoyable format - a nice change!

Cheers,
Rob, M0VFC

On 04/04/2011 15:09, Andy Cunningham wrote:
> I found it absolutely hilarious, I have to say.  Between hearing my postcode going around corrupted, some of the obvious confusion of people working out what the hell they should be sending, and apologising for landing someone with an obviously invalid postcode - something like AB1 20L (two-zero-lima) I was chuckling all the way through.  I think I'm glad it ended when it did, as the last postcode in my log was a five digit one, presumably from a non-G station, though it might have been from GJ or GU - not sure what the codes are there.
>
> > From an operating perspective it was impossible to find a free frequency once the contest was under way, and most stations that were running were pretty much working a pileup right to the end of the contest.  I would have said it would be pretty difficult to have got much more than 30-35 QSOs unless you'd been able to get a frequency and run.  Lots of QRM (three stations each 1kHz apart at point point) but far better conditions than my previous attempt at an 80m UK evening content when someone had inconsiderately turned the ionosphere off for the evening.
>
> Let's make this a regular event - it's a nice change from "59 012" exchanges.
>
> Andy
> M0HAK
>
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On 4 Apr 2011, at 10:12, "David Ferrington, M0XDF"<M0XDF at Alphadene.co.uk>  wrote:
>
>> Yes, was fun - same sort of number as me
>>
>>
>> well, it's a simple format, and 27 isn't too big a number to type - manually produce a cabrillo?
>>
>> Or use some logging program that will produce it - there is a free SD
>>
>> is this on Windows?
>> 73 de M0XDF
>>
>> On 4 Apr 2011, at 08:53, Keith Maton wrote:
>>
>>> That was fun last night, I only had 27 Qs but I received the same postcode a few times and there were a few mangled ones about as well.
>>>
>>> I logged manually and have just gone to put the entry in using the robot but it doesn't seem to list RoPoCo as a contest where the QSOs can be typed in.
>>>
>>> Any suggestions?
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