[UK-CONTEST] BERU 2012 - G3WPH

[Mike Chamberlain]

With all of the recent solar activity and five stations worked on 10m in the
first ten minutes of the contest this had the feelings of an upside-down
BERU for G3WPH  - and so it turned out.  I think this was my 9th BERU in a
row and never before have I turned in a log with more QSOs on 10m than 80m.
The Sunday morning 80m peek after sunrise just didn't  happen - no ZLs on
80m.  The Saturday evening path to VK was also poor with only a couple
worked. I can usually keep myself awake during the night switching between
80m & 40m looking for VE QSOs, but propagation never happened for me to the
Western Provinces and the VE QSO count was significantly down on these
bands- I assume the auroral oval killed that. 
 
As mentioned 10m was very productive,  35 QSOs with a ground plane is good
for me.  I think the good conditions on 10 & 15 caused me to take my eye off
of 20m my score there is not really up to par but I don't think that was
because of conditions - perhaps everybody just spent less time on 20m.  It
was interesting to read in Don's note about the 20m opening to ZL in the
early hours of Sunday morning, I must remember that next year.
 
I got thrown for a few seconds when N1MM refused to log GB75CC,  the quick
fix was to log it as VK75CC with a note to edit the Cabrilo before I submit
the log. There was also a confusing moment when I called VK2PN on 20m and he
sent G3WPH QSO B4 - but he wasn't showing in my log.  A quick check showed
that the rig and the logger were out of sync, N1MM thought I was on 40m.
Why do I mention this? Well most of us usually just work dupes without a
comment, but on this occasion I was able to go back and edit the log to the
point when I had QSYd from 40m. 
 
Stations worked on all 5 bands were:  6Y0A, 9H3C, 9H3ET, C56XA, GB75CC,
J88DR, VO1HP, VP9/G3PJT, XL3T, ZD7XF and ZF1UM
 
The final log shows:
80m    32 QSOs
40m    59 QSOs
20m    52 QSOs
15m    55 QSOs
10m    35 QSOs
Total   233 QSOs - but there is one dupe in there.  
Total  Exactly 5000 points, but with many QSOs only just above the noise
level, adjudication may well take a toll.
 
Station:
TX/RX   FT2k
Amp     ACOM 1000 @ 400W output
20/15/10m Ant - Home made tri- band Ground Plane
80/40m Ant - 40m long sloping wire
 
A big thank you to all of the stations who travel around the Commonwealth to
make this contest so interesting.
 
Now it's payback time for being allowed to play radio all weekend - off to
decorate the bathroom, 73,
Mike /G3WPH