[UK-CONTEST] July 23cm UK Activity Contest - Report

[Ray James]

Hi all,

Just back from holiday within hours of the start.
Managed to get into the shack with 15 minutes to go so not a lot of time to get everything (equipment and brain) in gear.
As I mentioned during my talk at Finningley Microwave Round Table, I find the feature of FlightRadar24 showing a pictorial size of an aircraft a useful "at a glance" resource.
This identified a suitable jet that would have enabled me to contact Kjeld OZ1FF. Bringing up ON4KST identified that not only was OZ1FF not present but neither was another regular, PA0EHG. That dashed much hope of many or any 700Km+ contacts this month.

The first thirty minutes generated just nine contacts of mainly local GM, a nice spinkling of IO83 plus welcome IO95 and an above average signal from G4RGK in IO91. Dave and I often struggle or fail to make contact so with this one going so well I was immediately under the impression conditions were not too bad at all.

The next half hour produced produced seven more contacts but this is when the QSB everyone else has reported kicked in for me as well.
Semi-local contacts with Andy GM4JR, Dick GM4PPT and Stuart G8CYW (IO94) went well, as did with Tony GW8ASD and Mike G0MJW, but those with Graham G3VKV (IO81) and Tim M0AFJ (IO92) had me on the edge of my seat.
Tim's 9w on CW eventually came up with the information I needed and in Graham's case it was a matter of having to wait for another suitable aircraft to reach our mid point before we completed.

By this time I'd noticed Martin GM8IEM (IO78HF) had been making some schedules and contacts but saw no suitable aicraft via FlightRadar24. As soon as I changed to the Planefinder site I could see them so obviously the ADS-B feeds to Planefinder covering Scottish airspace was superior to FlightRadar24 on this occasion.      

The last 90 minutes composed of periods when one contact would follow another or nothing being heard for 5 or 10 minutes but it was steady until the finish and covered all areas from GM8IEM in the far north west to a new initial with Kevin G8XIR who was a superb signal on SSB from Gravesend JO01EK running 40w and 4x23.

All in all, a most enjoyable evening on 23cm.

my QSO map can be viewed at http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/kml_files/2011/8ojI6RIYc9Fg7SpBBr7dYezRdypPnam

73 Ray GM4CXM IO75TW
150w 4x44