IOTA Contest
Call: G3BJ
Operator(s): G3BJ
Station: G3BJ
Class: SO24Mixed HP
QTH: Ludlow
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band CW Qs CW Mults Ph Qs Ph Mults
----------------------------------------
80: 78 27 204 37
40: 342 40 394 48
20: 116 13 548 46
15: 93 12 276 30
10: 60 9 79 17
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Total: 687 101 1501 178 Total Score = 3,053,376
Club: Chiltern DX Club
Comments:
It's been a while since I did the single operator category in the IOTA
contest, as when we've done it from here in recent years, it's been as
multi-op. So this year was yet another (re-)learning experience. I had
forgotten how much had changed since I last did single op, and how this
contest has really grown up.
Firstly, for once, all the equipment worked well, and I have no excuses in
that area. All the shortcomings are those of the operator !
I suppose I really did not think enough about strategy before the start, and
sort of made it up as I went along. But I misjudged the fact that, as an
island station (even on boring old EU005) I would be in demand. So the first
six hours or so were a balance between running and S&P. In retrospect I
should have been much more disciplined, and focussed on running. I think
this cost me quite a bit. It's very clear from the QSO totals of the
multi-op stations, which can devote one station to running all the time,
that there is big demand, and I should have planned on that.
Entering the unassisted mixed mode section also makes for a few additional
challenges, as it is too easy to get seduced into a nice quiet life working
stations on CW, which does tend slightly to lower the QSO rate. I fell into
this trap for a while. However, the contest was an opportunity to have some
more SO2R practice, and it seemed to go quite well.
The surprising (and pleasant) thing is that the demand was insatiable, and
even through the traditionally dull parts of a contest (like the early hours
of the morning), the demand kept up. The night passed almost without being
noticed, so busy were the bands that I looked up for a moment and it was
light outside. The good news was that potentially problematic summer static
stayed away for the most part, and the LF bands were in good shape. High
spots on LF were the far east and Oceania contacts on 40 and 80 (including
being called by an FO5 on 40) and the general level of activity. On HF, even
ten and fifteen yielded useful rates and multipliers, with some surprising
openings.
Perhaps most surprising was how difficult it was to find the UK island
multipliers - and I only made it with a small percentage of the possible
slots. Partially my fault, I am sure, but partly a reflection of the
strength of many of the Eu stations on the contest, which made it difficult
to break the pile.
The teams who go out to islands to put them on the air for this contest
deserve special praise - there were some big signals from portable efforts,
and this makes the contest all the more fun. Thanks to everyone who made the
effort to go somewhere special and to everyone for the QSOs. A great
contest, which should be mind-blowing when we get some sunspots back.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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