1996 Summer Contest Results!
Report by David Whitaker BRS 25429, UKSMG Contest Manager

Review:

Although the UK could not match last year's excellent band conditions, all was not gloom! Those chasing counties, for example, would have been pleased to have had good tropo conditions on the day. At one time I kept thinking I was on 144 MHz with a slight lift! Thank you to all 70 members who sent in contest entries this year. This was a fine effort and your committee are very grateful for your support. A check log from G3MY was also much appreciated. Looking at the logs it seems conditions favoured a certain island half way between England and Ireland! And yet another island from a much warmer spot in the Mediterranean. Yes, GD4IOM seemed to do what HV3SJ did last year. Are you going to share your secrets with us, Andrew?

I have attemped to analyse the number of contacts Andrew made in the contest by the hour in graph form. This may interest some of you. Having just mentioned HV3SJ, does anyone know what happened to the station this year? The callsign was shown in some of the European logs between 06.30 and 09.30 and then vanished. Perhaps the Pope had something to say around that time!

Congratulations go to all our section winners on a fine performance in difficult conditions. GD4IOM, 9H1PA, EH9IB, OZ5W/P, GØWNL/P, 2E1AFN/P and NL 213, please all stand up and take a bow. This year I have summarised some of the equipment used by members participating in the contest and I have included your comments. Andrew, who operated the IOM club station, kindly gave me some information on the club. Ralph, 4X1IF also sent me two photographs of his attempt to go portable in the contest. Not very successful on this occasion as the sun umbrella kept taking off thereby losing valuable contest time!

Participation by the members remained satisfactory with 282 showing in the logs. A further 13 "ex members" decided to exchange their old membership number in the contest. This represents just under 40% of the European membership. The UK participation was also good with 182 members but, sadly, like the previous year, only 30 bothered to send an entry in. At 16.5% this was only one percent better than 1995. From your comments most of you like the present set of rules, but please remember to enclose a signed declaration form when you send your entry in. In most cases this is usually an oversight but does form part of the rules. Apologies to the member who forcefully complained that the date of the contest had been changed YET again. I appreciate this can mess things up when people are on shift work or have to give plenty of notice to their employers to have the day off, but we do endevour to give members the date at the earliest opportunity. Because of poor conditions in Central Europe one member requested that we have a new section, "Low Power Group" because of his country's power limitations. Personally, having seven sections already, I really feel we have enough, but if there is further support for a QRP section this will be considered by your committee.

Results:

Section 1. Single Operator

Section 2. SWL

Section 3. Novice

Section 4. Multi Operator & Portable

Section 5. Rest of Europe

Section 6. Rest of World

Section 7. European Multi-op & Portable

Facts and figures:

Here is the list of station equipment I promised you, followed by some of your comments. And finally for those who like statistics there is a little section all for you! My thanks again to all members who have supported our annual Summer contest. Dont foget we would like you all on parade again for our two Winter contests. Do let me know what you work or hear as this input is valuable when people start making noises about no activity on six metres. We must be seen to be using the band at all times.

Equipment used in contest

Comments:

G3HBR: "For once it was worth hanging around to the bitter end. Rather more stations than usual came on for the last hour to cheer our flagging spirits!"
GØWNL/P: "Pleased to see so many UK stations on the air and I'm happy to have logged the highest number of contacts since the contest inception."
SV1EN: "Only one QSO within the DX-window. Unable to persuade him to QSY!"
4X1IF: "The band was amazingly open for single hop Es to Central Europe. We'll try in the coming years to activate some new squares."
GW3JXN: "Wife had to have a Dinner Party that day. Lost six countries!" (I know the feeling! - Ed)
G1IOV: "Conditions not as good as last year but that sums up this years Es season!"
GWØGEI: "My first serious go after just giving away points in previous years. See you next year with 400w and 6x6y!"
N8AXA: "A GW station was heard by W4CKD/8."
GM4IGS: "I found that signals via tropo were stronger than normal. Lots of meteor pings, not enough Sporadic E!"
OZ8T: "During the few hours I could participate it was a dull business."
GØUYC: "The contest went well for me early on but the Es did not appear as it did last year."
G8DVR: "Nice to see more stations from Scotland but signals were weak and needed a good pair of ears to complete."
9H1PA: "Best DX - SM3GSK in JP81. HV3SJ worked for a new one."
IK5RLP: "Propagation poor. Many stations heard via MS but not worked."
GØAEV: "Excellent contest - very enjoyable."
G4AFJ: "What a shame conditions were so poor!"
G3COJ: "Propagation during the contest was disappointing - no double hop."
YO7VS/P: "Conditions disastrous in KN15!!"
G1KTZ: "Could have done with an opening to Eastern Europe. This QTH (IO70) not so good for working into G."
SP5XMU: "This year in the contest conditions were really bad in Poland. Only two hours of edge sporadic E supported by some MS."
ON4PS: "Never worked so many stations in IO91!"
PA2TAB: "I could be QRV for only six hours. Nice QSO with 4X1IF."
YT1AU: "Best DX " heard" - 4L6PA in LN21DW. 1965kms."
OZ5W/P: "Only little Es activity. We had to use troposcatter, MS and ionoscatter. Hard work to pass membership number and locator on MS.

Statistics:

The European Squares worked in the Contest - IL18, IL28, & IL13 were also worked -

47 DXCC countries were active in the contest. They were:- EI, G, GI, GW, GM, GD, GJ, GU, F, ON, PA, DL, OZ, LA, SM, OH, LX, HB9, HV, I, ISØ, SP, OK, OM, OE, 9H, SV, SV5, YU, YO, Z3, 9A, S5, T9, LZ, EA, EA6, EA8, EA9, CT, CT3, CN, ER, 5B4, 4X. W and VE were worked from North America. Of these 47 countries 22 sent in entries.

A total of 198 squares were worked from Europe with a further 11 squares from W / VE. The map on page 32 opposite shows which grid squares were active during the contest.

Country participation (does not include G and GW stations):

EI-5, GI-6, GD-8, GM-17, GJ-4, GU-1, F-68, ON-18, DL-63, PA-78, OZ-32, SM-10, LA-1, OH-4, LX-2, HB9-7, HV-1, SP-12, OK-3, OM-2, OE-8, I-117, IS0- 3, 9H-18, SV-7, SV5-1, YU-7, YO-3, Z3-3, 9A-5, S5-10, T9-1. LZ-1, EA-32, EA6-3, EA9-1, EA8-2, CT-15, CT3-1, CN-3, ER-3, 5B4-1, 4X-4, W-22, VE-4.

In closing it appears two QSOs were made in the contest at a QRB of just under 4,000 kms. 4X1IF and EH1YV was the furthest at 3993 kms whilst Ralph's QSO with EH1TA/P was measured at 3906 kms.

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