[UK-CONTEST] November 23cm UKAC - Report

[Ray James]

The fluctuation in numbers entering either the 70cm and following weeks 23cm UKACs this year has been quite similar and noting November produced a year topping 99 logs on 70cm, the 23cm event last Tuesday did not dissapoint with above average participation.
I managed to make 38 contacts which equalled a previous highest count made earlier in the year and would have been surpassed had conditions not been against me the longer the contest went on.
The tropo duct enjoyed by those on the east coast and further south did not extend to the west of Scotland, if anything, there appeared to be a weather front obstruction to working anything to the east after the first hour.

Things started well enough with big signals from G8PNN (IO95), G0MJW (IO91), G4EAT and G8XIR (JO01) and G3PYE/P (JO02). 

ODX was an aircraft reflection contact with Kjeld OZ1FF (JO45) at 782Km and whose signal peaked 579 with me and 59+ with nearby GM0USI/P (IO76) who was well placed to tailend.
Not being aware that problems would occur to the eastern side of the UK later, I was quite content to concentrate with an above average number to work on the western side and midlands.
This included a few pile-ups both on SSB and CW which is certainly not a typical experience on 1.3GHz! 
Inevitably there were a number of gotaways or low powered stations I just couldn't pull through this time unfortunately. 

It later became obvious I was missing a number of reachable square multipliers like IO93, 94, 86, 87. Despite attempts with G8EOP & G8GXP (IO93), G0EHV/P (IO94) and GM3UAG (IO87), nothing was heard either end.
The end result was a final 45 minutes of concerted effort producing just one contact. This was with Ian at G8OHM with a superb serial number of 61 and an impressive ODX of 1,067Km via tropo to SM6HYG. 

Ian has soundly surpassed his previous "55" highest QSO number made earlier this year by a substantial margin. Well done!

From what I observed there were at least 14 GMs active during the 23cm UKAC. 

With less than 2 full days gone, logs submitted so far are just 10 short of equalling the current highest number of 47 for the 2011 session.
All in all, a very positive position with one month remaining in this contests calendar and identifying growth of interest in particular from those with much experience on 2m/70cm moving up in frequency. 

My contact map can be viewed at http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/kml_files/2011/sgEcFLK0VcxXnJG3ipo2KI9fXTSeI4e

  

73 Ray GM4CXM IO75TW
150w 4x44el Wimo @ 11m + LNA.