[UK-CONTEST] SSB FD plus Radio Active G4ARN/P

[Roger Cooke]

NARC, the Norfolk Amateur Radio Club stages the SSB FD as a training event each year. This year,
we also combined it with Radio Active. This is a family event for the whole weekend, taking place at
the DCP Microdevelopments location at Gt. Ellingham. We have all the comforts of home, kitchen
facilities, toilets, field to camp in or bring a motorhome etc. There is plenty of free parking room, and
for those not into contesting and the families, there are arranged talks, workshops, antenna building and
testing, foxhunts, a charity raffle and plenty of indoor seating should the weather be rough.
  This year we had a weather talk by Jim Bacon G3YLA from BBC TV, who was also taking part in the
FD event. Saturday evening we had the usual fish and chips and a film, bacon butties on Sunday morning
breakfast and a very nice party lunch with a choice of roast meat baps. Some of the ladies produced some
iced buns, dough-nuts, chocolate brownies and a friendship cake. I pinched the recipe for that - it was 

delicious!
  Oh yes, we also took part in FD! We decided to enter the Open section, and use it just for training, so
the likes of old G3s didn't get to operate at all! The station consisted of Club gear, an IC756 pro III, 

TL922 linear, A3S beam at 70ft and a doublet. We had problems with that so one member went back 

home and brought in a trapped 80/40 metre dipole. Some of the operators had taken part in the RSGB CC
events but had not used a high power station with a decent high beam before. Others were completely new
to it so had to have a quick crash course on N1MM and "what to say". Actually it kept us on our toes, trying
to dish out advice at the same time as getting the contacts, great fun though!

How did we fare?
    Not too bad really, with so many operators and so many changes going on, it was frantic sometimes. This 

gives you some idea of those that operated:   2E0GOL, M0DZB, M0UJD, 2E0RHT, G3XLG, G0JAG, G4WUG, 

G3YLA, G0DWV, 2E0NKI, G7SNC, 2E0CIP, 2E0LJG, M0TZY, M0UMH, G7SOZ, 2E0DWT, M0EBN, M6LTJ. 

  The experienced ops showed the newbies how it was done and then let them take over, correcting where necessary.
Some of those that had never operated in a contest before were quite enthused by it, so we will be encouraging them

to take part in the RSGB CCs next year.   I can see some more CW / RTTY training coming up for those too!

Results:

Total Qs  774

3.5  204
7.0  323
14   171
21   67
28   1

      28 was very disappointing. In fact I think the reluctance of the AA stations to work a FD station was
quite noticeable and we resorted to using 40 metres for a lot of the time.   It's a shame that contests collide
in this way, but there are only so many weekends in a year!


  


 


Regards from Roger, G3LDI
Swardeston, Norfolk.