[UK-CONTEST] 144MHz Trophy - lack of UK activity

[Rob Harrison]

Hi,

David raises a valid point, not all stations are on the band at all times. 
Plus for a 500+ km contact to take place you've both got to be beaming in 
the right direction. Many stations were doing 6 hours only, so they could be 
on at any time, then there's the casual op's who come on when they can, and 
the Backpackers mid Sunday morning to finish time.

You both could be calling CQ or both searching, either way you won't make a 
contact.  A lot of the continentals will beam inland for long periods, as 
that's where the most potential contacts are for them. They may not beam 
your way when you're active. Many variables to consider.

For me, doing a 6 hour stint, the WX and conditions seemed to favour 
Saturday over Sunday, so that's when I operated in two 3 hours sessions, 
Saturday afternoon shortly after the start and the evening form about 1830z. 
I suspect more casual ops would have come on Sunday, but that's just my 
opinion. My tactics were S&P as calling CQ with 50W in a major contest 
doesn't bring the rewards, and there are more Europeans to work than UK at 
considerably longer distances, from here in JO01. With 6 hours only it was 
the best way to maximise the score. Other contests need different tactics.

What's going to change it? Not a lot I fear. If you're a new group you need 
a good site, most are "taken" or full of comms anennas. So you go to a site 
you feel might work, try it out don't feel you've done well, and go HF.

I do look for GM, but with not too many on the band, and weak here, it's a 
law of diminishing returns. I did work Stewart and GM4ZUK/p. Whether anyone 
else was active I don't know. Nothing heard from EI/GI this time.

I felt there was good EU activity and fair UK activity on flat band.

73 Bob G8HGN


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David G3YYD" <g3yyd at btinternet.com>
To: <UK-Contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2011 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] 144MHz Trophy - lack of UK activity


>
> Stewart
>
> You always have a moan about not being heard down south.
>
> The first QSO in my log was GM3ZUK at 595Km as invariably I start out
> beaming up the "spine" of the UK. Never heard you even though I swept
> the band many times while beaming your way. You are slightly closer than
> ZUK at 574Km. From memory he was a very good signal.  I also worked EU
> stations at 600+Km with best being 732KM.
>
> From my QTH, conditions were neither good nor bad just normal
> troposcatter range. Seems to me you were just not on the band when I was
> on from 1930 to 2040.
>
> 73 David G3YYD
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