[UK-CONTEST] November SHF UKAC - 13cm Report

[Ray James]

Tuesday nights SHF UKAC was blessed with good activity but flat conditions on 13cm.
Local contacts therefore become a very important commodity and it was excellent seven stations within GM were available on this band.

Alan GM0USI/P activated IO76 and John GM8OTI/P (IO85) also braved the November weather elements.
Robert GM4GUF (IO85) came on from home as did Andy GM7GDE (IO75) with an indoor flat panel fixed on the GB3CSB beacon location.
Unfortunately I had no success with Jim GM3UAG (IO87) and despite attempting to contact Jon GM4JTJ (IO86) early in the contest and for 30 minutes at the end, nothing.
The first 40 minutes produced seven contacts including all the GMs workable plus an aircraft reflection contact with Kjeld OZ1FF (782Km to JO45) and two into IO91 with Mike G0MJW catching one aircraft reflection and Neil G4BRK starting when Mike finished but having to wait until a second aircraft came into our mid-point zone in order to complete all required exchanges. 

The next hour produced three tropo contacts with good readable signals from Tony G4CBW (IO83) and Ian G8IFT at G8OHM (IO92) but Bob G8DTF (IO83) and I struggled for a long time before confirmation could take place.
All in all a very satisfactory contest despite flat conditions and a challenge to the end but having to work hard for contacts is par for the course.  
My QSO map can be viewed at http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/kml_files/2011/y6OxCr0UKMjBiKs4x1hyK1Fqpziz3Kf

73 Ray GM4CXM IO75TW
60w 67el