1999 Summer Contest Results

David Whitaker, BRS 25429

Band conditions for this year’s contest were slightly better than in previous years. But once again there was no prolonged sporadic-E to fill the empty gaps! Fortunately, with better tropospheric conditions, some of you did manage to improve your scores on last year.

I would like to extend my thanks to the 61 stations who sent in contest entries. There was one check log. Congratulations to all the section winners on a fine performance.

It will be seen from the results table that the single operator section had only 16 entries this year. This is the lowest entry this section has had since the 13 who entered the 1994 contest. This is rather disturbing and I wonder if any members can throw any light as to why it was so low this year?

The SWL section regrettably showed only one entry - mine! I sent my entry to Brian, G3HBR who verified it by docking me a country. Enough said! I hope next year that we will see more SWL support. Otherwise, we may lose this section.

I am pleased to report that four stations entered the new QRP section. This is a good start, which I feel will grow in future years. I thought Kerry, G0LCS did very well to score over 40,000 points using just three watts. Well done!

Band conditions on the day were disappointing but this did not stop 1,380 European operators from exchanging contest reports. A further 75 callsigns were also noted from the two USA entries. So very well done to all for this wonderful support to our contest. The UK entry was approximately 594. Membership support was much the same as in previous years; from the 594 UK callsigns noted, 179 were UKSMG members.

During the contest period, some 50 countries were known to have been QRV from this side of the Atlantic Ocean. The North American entry showed a further four countries. Full statistics are shown separately.

I am sorry to have to bring this one up again. As you will have gathered by now I have access to the Membership records. This enables me to establish how many UKSMG members participate in our contest. This year I was able to verify 308 members who exchanged their membership number, but another 25 decided they would either 1) use their expired membership number or 2) forget their number and make one up. Yes folks, that is what happens and I personally do not think it is very clever although of course there is very little the adjudicator can do about it. So all I can say for the future is to please use the contest in the right spirit. Only current members to exchange reports. Thank you.

I had quite a number of entries sent by e-mail this time. This is quite acceptable but please remember that with each log the Contest Manager must have a signed declaration that the rules of the contest have been followed. Also, the rules state that a check list of each Country, Grid Locator and Membership number is requited. I had a case this year where the entry was sent just as a log. I requested further details, which were not given. I won’t name the callsign but on this occasion I did use the entry for scoring purposes. Next year it may be different.

I have already mentioned the 50-plus countries which were known to have been QRV in the contest. I now list the country prefix with the approximate number of stations reported from that country.

Grid Locators

From Europe, Africa and Asia I counted 244 squares with a further 73 from North America giving a total of 317. The map shows the squares worked from Europe.

No point in listing all the membership numbers in the contest. Take it that I counted 308 of you!

Section 5. Rest of Europe

CT3HF: " I enjoyed very much the contest but the propagation was bad this weekend." Duarte was able to work quite a number of Southern European countries from Madeira. Well done on winning your section Duarte.

G1YQH: "I entered the QRP section using my FT 690 Mk2 with 2.5w into a 3ele beam. It was hard work even scoring the few points I did get". See page 42 for Mike’s account of his experiences.

LY2BA: - Algimantas Sliavas sent in a check log but as it arrived in time I decided to calculate his entry for scoring purposes.

G3HBR: "I liked the timing - much more civilised! Conditions were OK for inter UK working. But conditions were very sporadic so much that I missed out on several country multipliers". Brian was using a IC756+LNA into a four-element quad at 35' agl. Best contact was CT3HF.

UR5ZUL/P: Yuri’s entry just made the deadline even though it took four weeks to reach me! Yuri made just one QSO with the UK from his locator in KN67WA. He was using an ICOM-706 to a five-element yagi.

GØKPW: Some "dupes" got into your entry, mostly membership numbers. Your claimed score has been amended.

9H1XT: " I thank you in advance for your patience as I can imagine what a headache it is going to be sorting out the entries." Thanks, John for your kind words. And thanks for the log disk which was helpful. A very good score and well done on working CU2IJ - a QRB of 3,508 km. John used the Kenwood TS-60, and 90W to a seven-element yagi at 35'.

GØAEV: "The contest again failed to coincide with a major Es opening. This is just bad luck and changing the date would not improve the chances of success". Thanks, Steve, for your continued support. And many congratulations on winning the UK single-op section again. Steve used a IC-706 with 100W into a seven-element yagi at 14 metres agl.

4X1GA:  Arcady was able to upgrade to extra class just before the contest started. He was ex 4Z5DB. Welcome to the UKSMG Arcady.

G6FQZ: "What an improvement on last year! Although a strong Es opening was absent there were LYs and CT3 to compensate." Hi Colin, a very good score. Colin was running 150W to a five-element Tonna at 12 metres agl.

IK2QEI Stefano, along with I2AAJ and IW2HAJ, operated from the Marconi Contest Club. Their equipment was a six-element yagi at 23m, a five-element yagi at 13m firing to the UK and a two-element delta-loop fixed to the East.

G8BCG/P: "Only active for the first five hours due to family commitments." In the five hours that Peter did operate he worked EH8BPX in locator IL18, a QRB of 2651 km. He also worked CT3FT, CN8TW and ZB2CF. Your locator - IO70 seems a good spot for six metres Peter. Hope to hear you from H44!

EH7KY: "This is my first contest on 50MHz. My job did not allow me to work more stations. But I am very happy and wait for next year." Many thanks for your entry, John. See you in year 2000!

9A3FT: "Murphy’s law again in action"! I know the feeling, Renko. Better luck next year. Renko used a TS-690S with 10W to a three-element yagi.

LY2MW: "Actually, I expected better propagation with only eight QSO’ on Sunday. Not easy to operate with temperatures +35 degrees inside and outside. But anyway it was a nice contest and I had a very nice time." Hello, Remigijus. Sorry, you miscalculated the number of locator squares you worked. You showed 39 when it should have been 32. I have amended your score. LY2MW’s equipment was a FT-736R, and 10W to a six-element yagi. Two nice QSOs were 4L5O in JN21 at 17.16 and TA7V in KN90 at 08.08.

SP1CNV: "The conditions were not good. A little activity. Thanks for an interesting contest." Jacek used the TS-440S + transverter, BLY87A and 8W to a six-element yagi at 25m agl.

PA9RZ, ex PA3BHK: "Almost forgot the contest. Roof in a mess here - all aerials and rotators must be replaced:" Hope you soon get things sorted Robert and thanks for your entry.

IE9/I2ADN: Angelo, you owe me a beer! I have re-scored your entry as you miscalculated the multipliers. There are two multipliers in this contest, not the total of the two. I have given you an extra 11,698 points! Better make that TWO beers.

YO7VS: "Very strong storm and thunderbolt during the contest! Hectic propagation. Hi. The signals from G4DCJ were coming from 360 degrees! Strange noise on the band." A good effort from Dietmar who was using a home made transceiver and 25W to a two-element cubical quad at 65m asl.

OZ6MTR: "Poor conditions, mostly MS and Tropo." The OZ6MTR Contest Station had club members OZ1CDE, OZ1KCX, OZ3IG, and OZ2JOP. They used an IC735 + transverter giving 300W to an eight-element LPY (12dBd) at 7m agl. Countries worked included ER5OK in KN46, CT3FT in IM13 and UT7JF and UY5QZ in KN77.

OE5XBL: "Unfortunately, propagation was very poor. But highlights were two RA3 stations which I heard only in the contest." Hello, Kurt and well done on working the Russians - RV3ANU/3 in KO66 and RA3DQT in KO95, a QRB of 1913 km.

TM6M: " No opening except 20 minutes to G, GM and GW." Thanks for your entry Jean-Michel. Nice catch - SV1OH in KM18 square. Station had a FT-847 and 100W into a five-element yagi at 16m asl.

GM7SJC: "Most propagation was MS but a short spell of Es from about 17.30 to 18.40 brought a number of contacts." You did well with your 45 QSOs in 15 countries. Geoff operated as 2S7SJC for the contest.

M1DUD: "Local thunder and lightning on Saturday and heavy rain on Sunday made working conditions difficult with much static." Sounds as if you had a bit of everything Robin! Robin entered the new QRP section using just 2.5 watts. Better luck next year OM.

GØLCS: "I took part in the contest to test the ability of my new four-element home brew yagi. What better way I thought than to use QRP." Yes Kerry, the yagi worked fine. You shame some of the others using full power, HI. Kerry used 3W to a TS57OS and managed to work CN8LI and CT3FT.

G8DVR: "Hard work this year. Wish I had a pound for every station they said were totally unaware that a contest was scheduled for this weekend." Fair comment, Ron. UKSMG do try and tell the world about our contest, as you should know. The Internet and packet radio is also widely used so do you know of any other avenues? Ron’s station is the IC706 + amp and 400W to a Cushcraft A50-5S at 45' agl.

2UØARE: "Hard work but JO01 was a new square for me. CN8LI beacon 579 all afternoon but missed two CNs and EH8BPX." A good effort, Colin. Better luck next year. Colin has the FT920 using 3W to a five-element yagi at 6m agl.

GM4DGT/P: "Very patchy with odd moments of light sporadic-E. The day started off with 4L5O in the morning then the band died for the rest of the contest." Hello Bill, and thanks for the photos you sent me with the log. You have a nice set-up! Bill went portable in Throsk near Stirling. His last contact was EH8BPX in IL18XX, a QRB of 3,166 km. His contest station comprised a FT920 + 2 by 4CX250 running 400W. He also had an eight-element LPY at 10m agl.

G3VOF: "I found conditions average (perhaps a tad below). There was the occasional brief opening but you had to be on your toes to make the most of it." Thanks, Martin for all your comments. No problem in running a Summer Contest but a Winter one is another story! Sorry about the QRM and hope it is all sorted out by now.

2E1GMT/P and M0ATX/P: A mum and daughter team here! Jenny did well with just 2.5 watts using a FT690 and a five-element yagi. Of course Pat and Jenny shared the same station. A very nice log presentation.

G4DCJ: "Lots of periods without contacts. Conditions very variable, being called by stations who were gone before I could work them." Dave’s best contact was UU7JM/P in KN64. He also made it to US5CCO in KN59 square. His station has a FT69OR + MM 100W linear into a five-element Tonna at 19m agl. Thanks for the QSL card, Dave.

GØWNL/P: This contest team just missed scoring a million points. Hard luck lads and better luck next year! The station was located at Cleeve Hill near Cheltenham at a height of 1,034 asl. Equipment was the TS690S, 400W into a seven-element wide-spaced yagi at 40' agl. Many congratulations on winning your section again.

SM7FJE: Bo’s excellent entry showed 30 countries worked. These include 4Z5JA, CT3HF, EH9BPX, UR5ZEL/P in KN67 square, ER5OK in KN46, OD5SB in KM74, RA3YO in KO73, US7US in KN88 and UY5QZ in KN77 square.

G7EUW: "Better than last year but little Es. Mostly tropo and MS." Stephen used the FT920, 100W into a five-element yagi at 30' agl.

UU7JM/P: "Nice to work many UK stations! I was QRV from Atbash Mountain (about 1,300mt asl). Conditions are more different when operating not from the city!" An excellent log, Toly. Next year please remember to list the countries, QRA locator squares and membership numbers that you have worked. Toly’s last QSO was EK6AD in LN20 square. He used a FT920, 100W to a five-element yagi.

M1BWR/P: This contest station had members G4DBL, G7RAU, G0VZV, M1BWR and G8JFJ. They operated from Shanklin Down in the Isle of Wight, which is 235m asl. Equipment was an IC-756, 100W to a seven-element M2 6M7JHV at 15m agl.

W5UWB: John found good conditions in Texas but only three countries, Hi. The two countries outside Texas which John worked were CO2PX in EL83, also CO2OJ, and XE2OR in DL98 square. A fine effort from John, who used the FT920, 900W (3Cx800) to a six-element (25' boom) at 50' agl.

N8XA: "We had a bad storm - high winds, lightning and hail. It knocked out all power from the start of the contest until 02.00 on the second day. So I had to use battery power." What bad luck, Axel. Under such conditions your 20 QSOs running QRP (5W) to a seven-element beam was most creditable

Well, that just about wraps up another UKSMG Contest. As many of you will know, I have decided to stand down from being your Contest Manager. I have thoroughly enjoyed running the last seven contests and I would just like to thank you all for ‘putting up’ with me!

My job was made so much easier by having many friends to support me. My thanks go to Cliff, G1IOV who invited me to be the UKSMG Contest Manager in 1995. Cliff, for some time, designed the contest certificates and then printed them off. Thanks very much Cliff. Then without Brian, G3HBR who would I have gone to print off the contest results? My old printer was not really up to making a nice presentation, so thanks Brian for stepping into the breach, as they say. Brian has been a model of support to me and I thank him most sincerely for what he has done for me (and the UKSMG). And to Mike G3OIL I have been able to go for advice when needed. Thanks, Mike, for everything.

It’s certainly been an interesting five years for me. I thank you all for your contest entries, e-mails, floppy disks, photos and QSL cards and letters. Even an invite to 4X! Well, there has to be a perk somewhere, Hi. At no time have you given me any hassle. So thanks again to all the members who have supported the contests.

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