[UK-CONTEST] Final 23cm UKAC of 2011 - Report

[Ray James]

Last nights 23cm UKAC enjoyed a very high level of participation, flat conditions but an ambundance of aircraft for reflection opportunities.
Aircraft traffic usually reduces quite quickly as the contest proceeds but the early Christmas getaway to sunnier locations provided an almost constant stream of UK and EU/NA flight path occupancy which was still going strong by the end of the contest.
At least 10 GMs were active on the band. Both John GM4LBV (IO86) and Martin GM8IEM (IO78) were heard/called but no contact resulted. 

John was heard weakly whilst I was beaming towards the southern uplands but no sign on the direct path and nothing again when I returned to the previous heading. 

For Martin it was simply a case of there being no suitable aircraft crossing our mid-point but either too far to the east or west.
Each hour brought a good mixture of both local, semi-local and DX contacts with Kjeld OZ1FF (JO45) being ODX in the first half hour.
I'd momentarily taken my attention off the aircraft reflection browser during the second hour so was pleased Hans PA0EHG hadn't and alerted me to an aircraft approaching the coast off Scarborough which subsequently produced a very good reflected signal.  

Multipliers were down for me this month with nothing heard from JO01, IO93, IO82, IO84 or  JO03 which I knew Bob M1MHZ/P was activating for his first appearance on 23cm.

The new single band 23cm UKAC has been a great success for UK microwave activity this year and a superb foundation for the future.


My QSO Map can be viewed at http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/kml_files/2011/8UcSCvCwKF2j7b0UiQxgrY0pFWzqQmY
Thank you to everyone I have worked this year and to those I've missed I hope to work you sometime.


73 and a Merry Christmas.

Ray GM4CXM