[UK-CONTEST] IOTA 2011 (GM3F)

[Stewart GM4AFF]

Yeah Geoff, but there are about 500 subscribers (?) on this reflector and
they weren't all on expeditions! I hope you had a great trip - I look
forward to hearing how it went.

I just feel that the reflector has lost the support of the real contesters,
and degenerated into a sort of portal of intolerence. It seems that threads
just go on and on and then result in argument, or more likely apathy.
UBN's....

I enjoy reading how others got on in a contest, no matter at what level. Not
so much just a re-play of 3830, but more personal stories.

73
Stewart
GM4AFF
  -----Original Message-----
  From: geoff plucknett [mailto:geoffg4fka at virginmedia.com]
  Sent: 04 August 2011 11:21
  To: Stewart GM4AFF
  Cc: uk-contest at contesting.com
  Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] IOTA 2011 (GM3F)


  That's because some of us only got home at 2100 last night and only
unpacked the car this morning.


  IOTA for an expedition is a week-long odyssey!



  Geoff G4FKA o.b.o GJ6YB


  On 3 August 2011 13:18, Stewart GM4AFF <stewart at gm4aff.net> wrote:

    It's strange that there aren't more contest reports on here for the
premier
    RSGB contest of the year. (Or is it?)
    I only returned from my 5X1SF mini-expedition late on Friday night
(without
    my luggage) so I couldn't handle my usual favourite 24 hrs SSB section.
I
    decided on 12 hrs Mixed mode. These 12 hour sections are great -
strategy is
    far more important than I realised. In fact, although I ran a little, I
    would say it was a mistake, and I should have spent the whole contest S
& P.
    I spent too long on 40m on the Sat evening and should have gone to 80m
    earlier - that left me with only 1 hour on 80m which was not enough, and
I
    lost a lot of mults. Being located in GM it is very difficult to catch
all
    those nice GM mults, even on 80m. Also, in a single mode 24 hour section
    SO2R is a huge advantage, but in 12 hours mixed mode it is totally
    unneccessary - you seldom run, so you have no time to work the 2nd
radio.
    And an amp is probably unneccesary too, so the 12 hour low power and QRP
    sections are something which more people could consider (as Gordon and
    Bernie pointed out). For me it was an interesting learning experience,
but a
    thoroughly enjoyable one

     Band  CW Qs  CW Mults  Ph Qs  Ph Mults
    ----------------------------------------
      80:   22       16      20       10
      40:   84       24      72       28
      20:  130       37     116       43
      15:   30       20      32       20
      10:   12        8      12        8
    ----------------------------------------
    Total:  278      105     252      106

    Total Score = 950,766

    Used a K3 and an FT1000mp, an Alpha 91 and Alpha 76, four monobanders,
80m
    vertical and beverages and Win-Test.

    This is the worst contest for bad operating technique. I don't know why,
but
    these island expeditions with ops who are more into IOTA than contesting
    just assume everyone knows their callsign. (And strangely, most people
    calling them do.) Even when there is no pile-up they complete a QSO by
    saying "QRZ". Failing that they'll finish by saying "73's" and then the
    frequency sits quiet for about 20 seconds before they then decide to
call
    CQ. And as for the people calling with two letters only. If I didn't
lose
    out, I think I ought to log them as two letter calls too - that'll teach
    them!

    73
    Stewart
    GM4AFF / GM3F

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