One word to sum this one up: WOW!

 BAND   QSO DUP  PFX  POINTS   AVG
-----------------------------------
  160    90   0   10     183  2.03
   80   350   1  122    1151  3.29
   40  1282  16  277    4758  3.71
   20  1944  51  445    3771  1.94
   15  1084  15  142    1578  1.46
   10   940  20  145    1102  1.17
-----------------------------------
TOTAL  5690 103 1141   12543  2.20
===================================
TOTAL SCORE : 14 311 563

Comments

This is our first outing in M/2, and we will definitely be entering the category again in future events!

Conditions were awesome on the higher bands which resulted in very unexpected QSO numbers on 15m and 10m. Started seeing spots coming through on 10m as early as 05Z. Worked a handful of North Americans on 10, which was good; VO1MP was the first DX QSO on that band.

20m did not stop — NA (incl. W6/W7) still coming through at ~03Z and rates were good; indeed, on the first night, there were hardly any spots for 80m due to the fact the higher bands were in such good shape. Some JAs made it into the log on 20m but no real sign of them until the second day. Some VK/ZL worked long path as well as working a couple of KH6s and AL1G.

40m figures look quite impressive particularly considering we still have the MonstIR fixed on NA awaiting a new replacement ProSisTel rotator. That said, the 180° reversal and bi-directional modes really helped and enables us to RX/TX better on the back etc.

Multi-two was decided on just before the start of the contest and we couldn’t have hoped for better conditions at this stage of the cycle; we all had loads of fun and we are quite pleased with the score. We hope to do more M/2 in upcoming contests — we will see!

Thanks to all for the QSOs and spots and CU in IOTA.

This year the team decided that we should give multi-two a try. This is new territory for us as the station is optomised for multi-single events and we would be straying outside our comfort zone somewhat. That said we gave it a go!

Before the start we pulled the existing computers and set up a laptop wi-fi network in the shack and loaded up Win-Test. The laptops worked a treat without serious issues but offers us greater flexibility in terms of networking with other laptops for spotting or partnering (a facility on Win-Test that allows a 2nd op to partner the main op using a separate computer).

The WX was horrible and Saturday night was very windy and the towers were at their limit, it could have all been over as we were battered by the storm. Luckily they held up but very scary all the same. I had to lower them today as the gale force winds returned and reaked havoc in the garden. Our hanging baskets were ripped off the wall and garden furniture was destroyed. The towers would definitely have gone over.

Well conditions on the HF bands were really good, it was nice that 10m was open and we worked a lot of stuff there.

Some technical issues came to light that I will have to address in terms of filtering and switching but this was a good exercise as to where improvements can be made to improve our performance.

Strategy is less demanding in this category but still important so a new learning curve here! Our rates were good but a few more “mults” would have bumped our score up considerably. That said our tally was 1141 prefixes and a total of 14,311,563 points.

So for our first effort at multi-two 14.3 million is reasonable, certainly a lot of fun and a good time had by all.

73 Paul G6PZ

 I would like to thank Ian Lockyer and all at ICOM UK for sponsoring us with two new IC-7700s.

Also, Ron Stone (GW3YDX) for all his help and advice over the years. His company Vine Antennas Ltd. http://www.vinecom.co.uk/ have supplied the SteppIR aerials, Prosistel rotators and Acom 2000A amplifiers.

Vine Antennas and Prosistel are also sponsoring a PST-71 rotator. http://www.prosistel.net/home-e/default.html

A couple of months ago we had a really big storm and the Cushcraft X7 HF Yagi and Tower was eating dirt. The damage was pretty severe when the tower section crumpled pushing the X7 into the ground. Luckily the main tower and aerials survived although the 160m loop was damaged.

Most of the elements on one side were bent and the trapped director was snapped. The 40 meter add on was totally smashed and the boom was broken in two.

Luckily I had a lot of ali tubing that was just right to replace the broken elements, and some boom section off a Cushcraft 40m 2-ele Yagi fixed the X7’s broken one.

Lot’s of heating, cutting, bending and drilling finally brought it back from the dead. It now looked like a X7 again.

The next job was the tower. The crumpled section was replaced and the cage and rotator fitted. The X7 was then installed on the tower and cabled up.

Will it work? well I powered up the rig and put some RF into it on 40M, all ok the add on working FB. Next the X7 proper and again FB on all bands, every thing working as it should thank goodness!

What did it cost? I guess about 3 days work in all but luckily all materials already at hand and now an aerial that was only scrap lives again.

This aerial is the standby incase a main aerial fails but will also be used for the spotter.

Next job is the 160m loop!

73 Paul G6PZ

I must start by thanking Icom Japan, Icom UK and Mark Haynes (M0DXR) in setting up the sponsorship deal that has led to us receiving these radios, when Mark first approached Icom some time ago the possibility of maybe one IC-756 PRO III sounded fantastic but when Icom said “how about two IC-7700s” then what can you say. This truely sums up Icom’s commitment to amateur radio and contesting.

I also want to thank Simon M0CLW for the web site and all the ops that has made this all possible as our results have made Icom look at us as a creditable group in the contesting world.

We have been waiting for some time now and although frustrating it is worth noting that we are very lucky to have some of the first in the UK.

Each radio is packed in two large boxes and the whole package is very heavy but very well protected against damage in transit.

This is not a review but just a quick note on my first thoughts of the new Icom IC-7700.

At this stage I have only hooked up one 7700 which replaces the Ten-Tec Orion as I’m busy out in the field taking advantage of some good weather repairing storm damaged aerials ready for WPX CW but first impressions are good. This is obviously a quality product, the feel of the controls are very smooth and well layed out. In terms of contesting this is a better layout than the 7800 as it is much clearer where and what everything does at first glance (everybody can use a FT-1000MP this is the same in terms of usability).

I had a few contacts on 30m CW last night and it was FB, I could even plug in my paddles direct to the radio without using an outboard electronic keyer and also use the computer keyboard without changing menus etc.

I think this is a beautiful looking radio the shiny black vfo knob finishing it off a treat. The Orion was an excellent performer but would never win any awards for its looks! I’m sad to see it go as it has been with us from the start but you must move on.

The IC-7800 and IC-7700s make the line up look fantastic and complement the new shack design well so I’m pleased that the shack re-fit was worth the effort.

Anyway back to the aerial farm, cu in WPX CW!

73 Paul G6PZ

John Walker G0JQN went silent key on the 21st april 2008. 

John was a member of our contest group for several years until ill health made it difficult for him to operate.

I just returned from John’s funeral, it was very well attended. John was a non beleiver so the service was not religious but a very interesting insight to his life over the years mixed with some of his favourite music etc. Reference to his amateur radio activities past and new from his son’s perspective was amusing. His coffin was even drapped with his infamous  ” high vis Raynet jacket “  that he wore everywhere.

After we went to his wake and again this was full to bursting, we had a drink on John and swopped story’s.

Rest in peace John, I will miss you.

73 Paul G6PZ 

The team arrived in good time on Friday before the 0000 UTC start. The team consisted of Simon M0CLW, Mark M0DXR, Simon 2E0CVN, Peter G3TJE, Pete M3PHP and me G6PZ.

Our target number of qso’s this year was 3000, we ended up with over 4000.

Condititions on the bands were reasonable given where we are in the cycle which allowed us to run high rates at in the order of over 600 an hour at times.

The star band was 30m, huge pileups allowed split operations that were a blast. The MonstIR yagi really performs on this band with callers from VK, JA, BG, NA to name a few.

The IC 7800 was well received by all op’s and performed flawlessly. The Orion performed well as usual, but can’t wait to get our hands on the IC7700’s.

Murphy did call however as a serial pci card in the Orion logging computer failed at the start which lost our cat rs232 interface.

A good effort and appologies to those we missed especially on 30m with a  broken rotator fixing the MonstIR on JA which is due replacement soon for a Prosistel PST 71.

Many thanks to all that called us and made this a very enjoyable event.

CU next year

73 Paul

G6PZ

I was operating on 30m today and it was really odd. I like cw and I guess 99.5% of my time is cw and I operate at around 30wpm. My preferred style is to call cq wait for a reply then give a report say tu and move on.

This way you can generate a pile up quite quickly because callers who don’t want to hang around know that you will deal with them quickly and not keep them waiting, this also tends to generate it’s own momentum.

There was this op that did’nt seem to get it, he called I gave a report then he asked ” why a pile and if a special call ? ” not too onerous you might think, but why when your running rate ? ?

Others call and want to share their life story at 12wpm , fine if your ragchewing and you can slow down for a caller, but not if in a pile at 30WPM. These guy’s are somehow very strong so it is’nt always easy to ignor them !

Why don’t people listen, is it a lack of cw causing the automatic rubber stamp qso that they might feel is expected. (my name is, my qth is etc)

You might think I’m being picky but if op’s don’t like my “style” why call, or why call in at very slow speeds when your running at 30 WPM ?.

It’s good operating practice to QRS when asked and to match your caller up to a point, but not when your busy in a pile at rate.

Just my thoughts and ramblings for today.

73 Paul G6PZ

International Marconi Day ( I M D ) is on the 26th April, a celebration of Guglielmo Marconi’s Birthday.

As usual the station will be hosting the event to represent Marconi’s Brean Down site. On the 18th May 1897 the furthest wireless communication at the time from Lavernock point in South Wales to Brean Down Somerset was accomplished at a distance of 14 Kms.

Marconi spent a fair amount of time in this area and his influence has led to street’s to be named after him in Portishead, Clevedon, and Weston- Super -Mare. There’s even a plaque on the wall of the Italian Garden’s in the center of Weston dedicated to Marconi and his achievement’s.

As we are a contest group we run this event in the only way we know, that is to work as many stations that we can in the 24 hrs of the event.

I’m pretty sure that we make more qso’s than any other IMD station so I guess between 2.5 - 3k would be in order depending on propagation. So if you call in and expect a long chat please don’t be offended if we log you and quickly move on to the next op.

We will be operating CW, SSB and RTTY but as we at G6PZ love CW more than any other mode it will be a good bet to find us there in preference. After all Marconi did’nt have SSB ! Ok that was a bit tongue in cheek but we will be mixing it up a bit between the modes.

We like I M D so when you hear GB6MD please give us a call. For further details please see the IMD website.

http://www.gb4imd.org.uk/

Paul G6PZ