[UK-CONTEST] August 23cm UKAC - Report

[Ray James]

Hi all,

Belated report on last Tuesday's contest due to other activities like work, decorating and visiting the Edinburgh Fringe.

This contest had the best start I can recall with 27 contacts in the first hour so loads of activity around before conditions took a turn for the worse with the last 90 minutes producing just 9 additional contacts.

Two new inititial stations were worked this month. 
Clive GM4FZH (IO74) and Eddy PE9GHZ (JO11).
The localised tropo enhancement did not extend to Holland so the contact with Eddy relied on aircraft reflection with our mid-point being just off the Humber Estuary. Flight paths in that area were further south than usual so we were able to work easily using SSB.
The mid-point to regular contact Hans PA0EHG (JO22) is off the coast nearer to Scarborough and with no visible jets passing through that more northerly point, we had no success this month.

Just 5 contacts required the use of CW this month, another indicator for me of above average conditions. G8XIR (JO01), G4EAT (JO01), G4NBS (JO02), G0MJW (IO91), M0GHZ (IO81) and G3VKV (IO81) were all good longer distance contacts on SSB.

My QSO map can be viewed at http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/kml_files/2012/yRSYoe5g96s2kwEdqZLgX1NWd7V82rD

I admit to being disappointed with the inclusion in the contest consultation that recordings of blatant errors will not be acceptable within the contest adjudication appeal process if produced by non-CC members. In view of the relatively smaller number of contacts made on VHF, UHF and Microwave contests in relation to what can be achieved on HF, surely some leeway is possible and if the adjudicator concerned doesn't have a problem with it? Common sense should dictate whether an appeal is worth submitting and that would be if a major positional change would take place.  

73 Ray GM4CXM