[UK-CONTEST] Subject: Re: 2m Trophy etc

[Dale Harvey]

Dear all,

 

I too have been following this topic and will just add my thoughts to the
pileup.

 

Its always been the case with 2m contests that if you want to optimize
points and stand a chance of winning then you have to place the station to
maximize the number of potential contacts within the radius governed by the
capability of the "average" fixed station. (Usually reckoned to be 10W to a
small yagi)

 

In the 1970's the winning location was Wales, but by the 1980's with
improvements to stations generally, this had shifted to GU. This was the
peak of G activity. I made 1000 qso's from Jersey in 1990 with over 800 of
these being to G, and was still beaten to second!

 

In recent years G activity has fallen and clearly the best place to go to is
the East Coast.

 

I operated from a modest site in IO70 this year and found that the redeeming
direction from Devon (South to  F & EA) was non-existent. IN95 was the
furthest F and not one EA in the log where there had been 15 last year from
IO81.

 

Break down of the 199 contacts were:

 

DL : 5

EI : 3

F: 36

G : 109

GD : 3

GI : 3

GM : 11

GU : 1

GW : 17

HB9 : 2

ON : 4

PA : 6

 

The pathetic 5 DLs were between 750km and 950km and that's the problem from
the West. Conditions were so poor from Devon that I worked everything I
heard (except EA2BLA who came out of the noise for 5 minutes and faded out,
never to be heard again!

 

The G contacts brought in the most points and I agree that IO83 was the star
of the squares in G.

 

Well done to all the GMs.....  4ZUK/P - you were strong most of the time,
4VVX/P and 4JOJ you were off the North of my map somewhere, and I worked
several new 2M0 and MM callsigns for the first time. This propagation was
the star of the weekend for me. 

 

There were more French stations on than I remember from last year and they
brought in some good points, but not enough of them to offset the absence of
DLs

 

Poor UK activity... yes, I'm afraid. However, there were at least 10
stations on from IO70 so it is worth beaming to the SW once in a while!

 

73 de Dale - G3XBY