Location

Introduction

This years VHF Field Day occurred in the midst of one of the most prolonged hot and dry spells the country has seen. We were not, therefore, overly concerned about adverse conditions but should, perhaps, have been a little more cognisant of the suns path through the day!

We had checked that our regular spot would be available to us, however the night before we were due to deploy our host asked us to move into the next door field. This was because the prolonged hot and dry weather had drastically impacted on the availability of good grazing for the cattle and our regular field was one of the few locations that retained some reasonable grazing.

The move into the adjacent field was not a problem, even the access point was the same as we regularly used so everyone (well almost everyone) knew where to find us.

We planned to start the set-up around 11:00 as we were reasonably confident about the equipment, its setup and operation and the location and had pared our operation down to not quite the pure essentials but to something that had little or no excess or superfluous equipment.

Around 09:00 Andy G7KNA met up with the owner of the horsebox that was to be our base of operations for the weekend. This wagon was in better condition than it had been the previous year as the kitchen had been refitted following repairs to address internal water damage that had rotted the floor out before the current owner bought the vehicle.

The wagon was on site by 10:00 and the owner transferred back home allowing Andy G7KNA to get back to site just before the agreed 11:00 rendez-vous and was soon joined by (in no particular order) Mark M0SKV, Stephen (Foundation trainee), Julian M0JCE, Joe 2E0EIC, Paul 2E0GHT and Fred G7LPP although the positioning of the vehicle was to prove to be one of the few significant errors of the weekend.

Horsebox and AntennaIn the Shack

The setup went more or less to plan and we were ready well before the 14:00 UTC start time. The period between setup being completed and the start of the contest was filled with consumption of hot dogs from the newly refurbished kitchen deftly managed by Paul 2E0GHT who put in sterling service over both days as our on site Catering Manager and with some tuning around and informal contact with other stations that were also in the process of setting up and testing their stations. We were surprised how few stations were in operation an hour or so before contest start when CQ call after call went unanswered. In fact we had to resort to holding a QSO with ourselves passing the microphone between two of us to generate some interest and activity but once we made contact other stations quickly came out of the woodwork.

Operating before the contest startsOperating before the contest starts

The start of the contest seemed to be a little less frenetic than in previous years. It’s not really a scientific comparison but our QSO rate in the first couple of hours was only around 17 – 18 QSO per hour compared to 25 – 26 QSO per hour last year. We are reliably informed that this year there was a small sporting event taking place at 15:00 when England were playing Sweden in something called the “World Cup” so perhaps those who came late to the contest can be forgiven especially as England won. We knew the result because, we are slightly ashamed to admit, we deployed a small portable TV in the living area of the horsebox to keep us abreast of the score-line. We don’t anticipate this problem recurring for another 4 years!

Dusk at the operating siteLights of Bristol

As the day wore on we became aware of a tactical error in our site arrangement. The horsebox was a good vehicle for this operation and despite being a large metal box (with ply lining to the living accommodation) did not get overly hot or bright thanks to the large tailgate that was left open throughout the weekend allowing a good air circulation. However the wagon was parked facing East South-East and as the day wore on the sun moved round and was finally shining directly into the rear of the wagon causing unbalanced sun tans for the operators and loggers reminiscent of scenes from “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and some less comfortable conditions. The problem was resolved when a makeshift curtain was added to the rear opening but next year we’ll face south which should completely avoid this problem.

Nightshift, Mark M0SKV operating G4WAW/PNightshift, Andy G7KNA logging

We were quickly off the blocks when the contest started with a short contact into Wales followed by a series of English contacts. We were north of the border inside 30 minutes and also bagged a Channel Island contact in to Guernsey giving us a good start on our recurring ambition of collecting all of the RSLs in a single event. Obviously we needed Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and Jersey at this point to complete the set but to be half way there at less than 30 minutes into the contest was a very good start.

OperatingSightseeing!

We secured Northern Ireland just before 19:00 UTC but had to wait until the Sunday to work the Isle of Man. Sadly we failed to make any contacts into Jersey so once again we will have to wait for that clean sweep of RSLs. Contacts into the South West seemed to be more readily available than in previous years, when we worked a station on The Lizard a Club member who was on holiday in Cornwall could hear both sides of the QSO but was unable to make a direct contact with us.

Joe 2E0EIC operating G4WAW/PCatering Manager Paul 2E0GHT

Results

The results presented below have been determined following analysis of the un-adjudicated log, and will not be updated once results are known.

Number of QSOs

Table 1, below, presents the disposition of QSOs across the operating period and calculates both the average QSO/Hour and by how much each hour deviates from the average. This table when tracked over a number of years can provide an insight into the best times to operate.

Table 1 – QSOs Recorded
Day Time (UTC) Hour QSOs %age of QSOs Deviation from Average QSOs/Hour Cumulative QSOs Cumulative %age of QSOs Cumulative QSOs/Hour
S
a
t
u
r
d
a
y
14:00 – 15:00 1 18 13.74% 133.59% 18 13.74% 18.00
15:00 – 16:00 2 17 12.98% 120.61% 35 26.72% 17.50
16:00 – 17:00 3 7 5.34% -9.16% 42 32.06% 14.00
17:00 – 18:00 4 9 6.87% 16.79% 51 38.93% 12.75
18:00 – 19:00 5 11 8.40% 42.75% 62 47.33% 12.40
19:00 – 20:00 6 6 4.58% -22.14% 68 51.91% 11.33
20:00 – 21:00 7 6 4.58% -22.14% 74 56.49% 10.57
21:00 – 22:00 8 3 2.29% -61.07% 77 58.78% 9.63
22:00 – 23:00 9 1 0.76% -87.02% 78 59.54% 8.67
23:00 – 00:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 78 59.54% 8.67
S
u
n
d
a
y
00:00 – 01:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 78 59.54% 8.67
01:00 – 02:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 78 59.54% 8.67
02:00 – 03:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 78 59.54% 8.67
03:00 – 04:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 78 59.54% 8.67
04:00 – 05:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 78 59.54% 8.67
05:00 – 06:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 78 59.54% 8.67
06:00 – 07:00 10 2 1.53% -74.05% 80 61.07% 8.00
07:00 – 08:00 11 3 2.29% -61.07% 83 63.36% 7.55
08:00 – 09:00 12 6 4.58% -22.14% 89 67.94% 7.42
09:00 – 10:00 13 8 6.11% 3.82% 97 74.05% 7.46
10:00 – 11:00 14 5 3.82% -35.11% 102 77.86% 7.29
11:00 – 12:00 15 9 6.87% 16.79% 111 84.73% 7.40
12:00 – 13:00 16 6 4.58% -22.14% 117 89.31% 7.31
13:00 – 14:00 17 14 10.69% 81.68% 131 100.00% 7.71
TOTALS 131 100.00%

The basic patterns from previous years are seen to recur. Predictably the “hit rate” is highest in the early hours of the contest. This year, however the first 2 hours only accounted for 25% of the total QSOs and the first 3 hours only accounted for around one third of the total QSOs. In previous years this period has normally accounted for closer to 50% of the total QSOs in the weekend. It was a pleasant surprise, therefore to see early predictions of a sub 100 QSO log being well exceeded. This difference from previous years might have had something to do with a small football match that was going on on the Saturday afternoon.

The was a small “blip” in the hit rate on Saturday evening between 18:00 UTC – 19:00 UTC which is not apparent every year but has been observed before.

Sunday started slower than usual although this might be because our rotator had slipped overnight and was not pointing in the direction the controller said it was! There was reasonable activity all through Sunday morning with the usual flurry of contacts in the closing hour of the contest.

Our average QSO rate was 7.71 QSO/hour but the range was from as high as 18 QSO/hour (1/3.33 minutes) to a low of 1 QSO/hour late on Saturday evening.

The late shift on Saturday had a hard time scaring up some contacts calling CQ although stations on the east coast were reporting significant activity in Europe during these late hours. This clearly demonstrates the benefit of being situated on the east of the country with easy access to continental Europe as well as a reasonable spread of land to the west as well.

Points Scored

Table 2, below, presents the disposition of points scored across the operating period and calculates both the average points/QSO and by how much each hour deviates from the average. This table when read in conjunction with the QSO rate above can provide an insight into the best times to operate, as it is not always the most frenetic periods that yield the best distances.

Table 2 – Points Scored
Day Time (UTC) Hour Points Average Points/QSO %age of Total Points Deviation From Average Points/QSO Cumulative Points Cumulative Percentage of Points
S
a
t
u
r
d
a
y
14:00 – 15:00 1 2595 144.17 9.89% -28.05% 2595 9.89%
15:00 – 16:00 2 2286 134.47 8.71% -32.89% 4881 18.60%
16:00 – 17:00 3 1959 279.86 7.46% 39.67% 6840 26.06%
17:00 – 18:00 4 1991 221.22 7.59% 10.41% 8831 33.64%
18:00 – 19:00 5 1373 124.82 5.23% -37.71% 10204 38.88%
19:00 – 20:00 6 1466 244.33 5.59% 21.94% 11670 44.46%
20:00 – 21:00 7 1881 313.50 7.17% 56.46% 13551 51.63%
21:00 – 22:00 8 1311 437.00 4.99% 118.10% 14862 56.62%
22:00 – 23:00 9 251 251.00 0.96% 25.27% 15113 57.58%
23:00 – 00:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 15113 57.58%
S
u
n
d
a
y
00:00 – 01:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 15113 57.58%
01:00 – 02:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 15113 57.58%
02:00 – 03:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 15113 57.58%
03:00 – 04:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 15113 57.58%
04:00 – 05:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 15113 57.58%
05:00 – 06:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 15113 57.58%
06:00 – 07:00 10 641 320.50 2.44% 59.96% 15754 60.02%
07:00 – 08:00 11 613 204.33 2.34% 1.98% 16367 62.36%
08:00 – 09:00 12 1747 291.17 6.66% 45.32% 18114 69.01%
09:00 – 10:00 13 1967 245.88 7.49% 22.71% 20081 76.50%
10:00 – 11:00 14 1284 256.80 4.89% 28.17% 21365 81.40%
11:00 – 12:00 15 1136 126.22 4.33% -37.00% 22501 85.72%
12:00 – 13:00 16 1202 200.33 4.58% -0.02% 23703 90.30%
13:00 – 14:00 17 2545 181.79 9.70% -9.27% 26248 100.00%
TOTALS 26248 200.37 100.00%

As in previous years the early more frenetic hours at the start of the contest do not yield the best points haul. Hours 1 and 2 of the contest account for nearly 27% of the total QSOs recorded and yet only provide 19% of the total points scored. By contrast 08:00 UTC – 10:00 UTC on Sunday provides just over 14% of the total points scored but accounts for only around 10% of the total contacts.

Overall we managed an average 200 points (or kilometres) per QSO about 10% up on 2017, although year on year comparisons can be misleading as a result of differing conditions. 3 good contacts on Saturday evening between 21:00 UTC and 22:00 UTC gave around 437 points (or kilometres) per QSO which is very good, on a par with Loch Fynes overall average in 2017. The lowest period was 18:00 UTC – 19:00 UTC on Saturday when despite working 11 stations the average score was only 125 points (or kilometres) per QSO.

Distances Worked

Tables 3 and 4, below, present a summary of the distances worked. The best DX was DA0FF at 887km

Table 3 – Distances Worked
Distance Number of Stations Worked Percentage of Stations Worked
Dist <= 1km 2 1.53%
1km < Dist <= 5km 0 0.00%
5km < Dist <= 10km 0 0.00%
10km < Dist <= 20km 6 4.58%
20km < Dist <= 50km 16 12.21%
50km < Dist <= 100km 26 19.85%
100km < Dist <= 200km 30 22.90%
200km < Dist <= 350km 28 21.37%
350km < Dist <= 500km 13 9.92%
500km < Dist <= 750km 9 6.87%
750km < Dist <= 1000km 1 0.76%
1000km < Dist <= 1500km 0 0.00%
1500km < Dist <= 2000km 0 0.00%
2000km < Dist 0 0.00%
TOTALS 131 100.00%

Distribution of Distances

Table 4 – Statistical Analysis of Distances Worked
Quantity Value Population
Mean Distance (km) 200
Median Distance (km) 157
Mode (km) 47 3
1 Standard Deviation 171.19 79.39%
2 Standard Deviation 342.39 95.42%
3 Standard Deviation 513.58 99.24%

The distribution of distances worked is similar to previous years. There is a broadly normal distribution with around 44% of all QSOs in the 100km – 350km range with essentially a 50/50 split between 100km – 200km and 200km – 350km. Taking the 50km – 100km range into account brings the total to 64%.

The mean is above the median indicating a bias towards longer distance QSOs which would be expected in a contest where long distances are rewarded. The most common distance worked was 47km which was the result of 3 contacts into the same grid square!

If an effective reliable operating range of 350km is assumed then from our location we could reliably expect to be able to work to the French coast at Calais and Brest, the east coast of Eire and north to the Lake District. There is significant unpopulated areas of ocean off the North Devon, and North Cornish coasts within our effective range reducing the potential number of target stations. By contrast a station on the east coast, and we worked several, is blessed with much more populated land mass within 350km including most of southern England out to mid-Wales and into continental Europe with the Netherlands, parts of Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and a large tract of France being easily accessible.

Countries Worked

The tables below show the number of stations from each country with a specific breakdown for UK stations. The tables are generic allowing flexibility in the website code rather than aspirational in terms of the countries we expect to contact.

Table 5A – UK Stations Worked
Country Callsign Groups Number of Stations Worked Percentage of Total QSO
England G, GX, 2E, M, MX 88 67.18%
Special Events GB 0 0.00%
Isle of Man GD, GT, 2D, MD, MT 1 0.76%
Northern Irelend GI, GN, 2I, MI, MN 1 0.76%
Jersey GJ, GH, 2J, MJ, MH 0 0.00%
Scotland GM, GS, 2M, MM, MS 4 3.05%
Gurnsey GU, GP, 2U, MU, MP 1 0.76%
RSGB 2013 Centenary Stations GV, 2V, MV 0 0.00%
Wales GW, GC, 2W, MW, MC 15 11.45%
Club Stations (included above) GX, MX, GT, MT, GN, MN, GH, MH, GS, MS, GP, MP, GC, MC 1 0.76%
SUB-TOTAL United Kingdom Stations 110 83.97%
Table 5B – Non UK Stations Worked
Country Callsign Groups Number of Stations Worked Percentage of Total QSO
Andorra C3 0 0.00%
Austria OE 0 0.00%
Belgium ON, OO, OP, OQ, OR, OS, OT 2 1.53%
Cyprus 5B, C4 0 0.00%
Czech Republic OK, OL 0 0.00%
Denmark 5P, OZ 0 0.00%
Eire EI, EJ 3 2.29%
France (inc Overseas Territories) F, TM, TO, TX 13 9.92%
Germany DA, DB, DC, DD, DF, DG, DH, DJ, DK, DL, DP, DR 2 1.53%
Gibralter ZB, ZG 0 0.00%
Greece J4, SV 0 0.00%
Hungary HA, HG 0 0.00%
Italy I, IA, IB, IC, ID, IE, IF, IG, IH, IK, IL, IN, IP, IR, IT, IV, IW, IX 0 0.00%
Liechtenstein HB0 0 0.00%
Luxembourg LX 0 0.00%
Monaco 3A 0 0.00%
Netherlands (inc Antilles) PA, PB, PD, PE, PI, PJ 1 0.76%
Norway LA, LB, LC, LG, LI, LJ, LN 0 0.00%
Poland HF, SN, SO, SP, SQ, SR 0 0.00%
Portugul (inc Azores) CT, CU 0 0.00%
San Marino T7 0 0.00%
Sardinia IM, IS 0 0.00%
Slovak Republic OM 0 0.00%
Slovenia 7S 0 0.00%
Spain (inc Overseas Islands, Territories, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla) AM, AN, AO, EA, EB, EC, ED, EF, EG, EH 0 0.00%
Sweden 8S, S5, SH, SI, SJ, SL, SM 0 0.00%
Switzerland HB, HE 0 0.00%
Vatican City HV 0 0.00%
SUB-TOTAL Non United Kingdom Stations 21 16.03%
Table 5C – Summary of Stations Worked
Country Callsign Groups Number of Stations Worked Percentage of Total QSO
SUB-TOTAL United Kingdom Stations 110 83.97%
SUB-TOTAL Non United Kingdom Stations 21 16.03%
TOTAL MATCHED All UK and Non UK Stations 131 100.00%
Unmatched Callsigns Possible Log Errors or Foreign Special Event or similar Stations 0 0.00%
FINAL TOTAL All Stations inc Unmatched Callsigns 131 100.00%

We almost managed a clean sweep of the United Kingdom Regional Secondary Locators, something that has not been achieved to date on any contest or Special Event operation that we have participated in. Missing stations in Jersey was the only reason that we failed to collect all RSLs.

16% European contacts is on a par with 2017 and higher than we have achieved in many previous years.

Location of Stations Worked

Map Showing Locations of Stations Worked

Submitted Log

Below is the full log submitted following participation in this years event. If any information is received post submission updates will appear in the “Notes” column.

We normally get round to uploading our Field Day contest logs to eQSL.cc, but otherwise do not exchange QSL cards in this event. If you wish to QSL traditionally please send information via the RSGB Bureau.

VHF National Field Day 2018 Log
Date (UTC) Time (UTC) Station Worked Band Mode Sent Received Locator Distance
(km)
Notes Points
RST Serial RST Serial
07/07/18 14:01 GW0GHF 2m SSB 59 1 57 1 IO81JK 41 41
07/07/18 14:03 G4ATH/P 2m SSB 59 2 59 2 IO83NU 274 274
07/07/18 14:05 G4GTH/P 2m SSB 59 3 57 1 IO90DW 82 82
07/07/18 14:06 M0XMX/P 2m SSB 59 4 59 1 IO81PH 11 11
07/07/18 14:07 M0OMB 2m SSB 59 5 59 3 IO83PO 246 246
07/07/18 14:10 M1KDJ/P 2m SSB 59 6 59 2 IO81XP 49 49
07/07/18 14:13 G4IOQ 2m SSB 59 7 55 4 IO82KT 161 161
07/07/18 14:16 GM4YEQ/P 2m SSB 55 8 55 3 IO85MM 459 459
07/07/18 14:18 GW3SRT/P 2m SSB 59 9 59 12 IO82LQ 146 146
07/07/18 14:21 MU0WLV 2m SSB 59 10 59 1 IN89RK 218 Correct Callsign MU0WLV/P 0
07/07/18 14:25 G3RCW/P 2m SSB 59 11 55 10 IO93ED 206 206
07/07/18 14:28 G3VLG/P 2m SSB 59 12 59 11 IO92GE 119 119
07/07/18 14:35 GW4HDF 2m SSB 59 13 59 6 IO81JO 47 47
07/07/18 14:44 2E0PTZ 2m SSB 59 14 53 3 IO91FE 79 79
07/07/18 14:46 G3TCR/P 2m SSB 59 15 59 10 IO91JG 99 99
07/07/18 14:48 G5RS 2m SSB 59 16 59 11 IO91RF 146 146
07/07/18 14:50 M0RDK 2m SSB 59 17 59 16 IO91PD 136 Correct Callsign M0RDK/P 0
07/07/18 14:58 G3SNO/P 2m SSB 59 18 57 3 IO91BV 76 76
07/07/18 15:07 G8LNR/P 2m SSB 59 19 59 2 IO81UR 44 44
07/07/18 15:10 G3YGG/P 2m SSB 54 20 55 4 IO91VH 168 168
07/07/18 15:16 2E0JWJ 2m SSB 59 21 59 2 IO81VG 32 32
07/07/18 15:17 2E0WSR 2m SSB 59 22 59 3 IO81GE 62 62
07/07/18 15:19 G3VEF/P 2m SSB 54 23 58 22 IO91JA 107 107
07/07/18 15:19 F1CBC 2m SSB 55 24 55 17 JN09BO 278 278
07/07/18 15:27 G3CNO 2m SSB 55 25 59 24 IO90LU 126 126
07/07/18 15:28 M0BAA/P 2m SSB 59 26 59 94 JO01KJ 243 243
07/07/18 15:31 GW1OZW 2m SSB 57 27 52 3 IO81IL 47 47
07/07/18 15:33 GW0HOL 2m SSB 59 28 59 4 IO81JO 47 47
07/07/18 15:40 G4HQX 2m SSB 54 29 57 1 IO81SQ 34 34
07/07/18 15:46 F8DBF 2m SSB 57 30 59 6 IN78RI 365 365
07/07/18 15:49 F4VPL/P 2m SSB 57 31 55 11 IN87VS 404 404
07/07/18 15:53 G4RFR/P 2m SSB 58 32 59 41 IO80ST 66 66
07/07/18 15:55 M0ABR 2m SSB 59 33 57 2 IO80HV 76 76
07/07/18 15:58 G3LVP 2m SSB 59 34 58 4 IO81WV 65 65
07/07/18 15:59 M0MCG/P 2m SSB 59 35 59 7 IO80AQ 122 122
07/07/18 16:01 G4ALY 2m SSB 55 36 57 11 IO70VL 151 151
07/07/18 16:06 M0TFO 2m SSB 59 37 59 2 IO81TI 18 18
07/07/18 16:29 EI9E/P 2m SSB 59 38 59 90 IO62OM 312 312
07/07/18 16:37 G4ZAP/P 2m SSB 59 39 59 120 JO01PU 275 275
07/07/18 16:39 G0SAC/P 2m SSB 59 40 57 61 IO91XG 180 180
07/07/18 16:44 PA1T 2m SSB 59 41 59 168 JO33JF 671 671
07/07/18 16:56 M0NFD/P 2m SSB 59 42 59 46 IO94MJ 352 352
07/07/18 17:04 F5SGT/P 2m SSB 59 43 59 98 IN88KD 363 363
07/07/18 17:12 G3PYE/P 2m SSB 59 44 59 82 JO02CE 214 214
07/07/18 17:16 G5LK/P 2m SSB 59 45 59 175 JO01QD 280 280
07/07/18 17:21 ON4PRA/P 2m SSB 59 46 59 39 JO20DW 485 485
07/07/18 17:24 G2BQY/P 2m SSB 59 47 59 50 IO81SH 15 Correct Locator IO81RF 0
07/07/18 17:28 G6IPU/P 2m SSB 57 48 56 47 JO02QV 320 320
07/07/18 17:33 G0ARC/P 2m SSB 59 49 59 84 IO91EH 70 70
07/07/18 17:40 G3SVJ/P 2m SSB 59 50 59 45 IO91SX 163 163
07/07/18 17:51 M0HRF/P 2m SSB 59 51 59 171 IO91GI 81 81
07/07/18 18:05 G3ZME/P 2m SSB 59 52 58 90 IO82NN 131 131
07/07/18 18:08 G0IVR/P 2m SSB 55 53 57 60 IO91HB 95 95
07/07/18 18:13 M0MPM/P 2m SSB 55 54 55 14 IO91GI 81 81
07/07/18 18:25 M0TDW 2m SSB 59 55 59 1 IO91FI 75 75
07/07/18 18:30 G3PIA/P 2m SSB 59 56 59 60 IO91IN 94 Correct RS(T) 559 Allegedly 0
07/07/18 18:35 G4PDS 2m SSB 59 57 57 22 IO80LR 80 80
07/07/18 18:44 GW3TKH 2m SSB 59 58 59 4 IO81JN 44 44
07/07/18 18:53 G8CMU 2m SSB 59 59 59 16 IO81RW 61 61
07/07/18 18:55 GI4GTY/P 2m SSB 59 60 59 36 IO74AI 398 398
07/07/18 18:56 M0SDL 2m SSB 59 61 59 13 IO80JT 77 77
07/07/18 18:57 2E0VPX 2m SSB 59 62 53 25 IO92UX 237 237
07/07/18 19:06 G8YJM 2m SSB 59 63 59 10 IO81RR 38 38
07/07/18 19:07 G3NPI 2m SSB 59 64 59 45 IO92MA 134 134
07/07/18 19:14 TM6T 2m SSB 59 65 59 21 JN18GF 511 511
07/07/18 19:16 G8YED 2m SSB 59 66 57 9 IO81RB 38 Broken Callsign – Adjudicated Invalid 0
07/07/18 19:20 MW0AEL 2m SSB 59 67 53 3 IO81EM 71 71
07/07/18 19:30 F5OOM/P 2m SSB 59 68 59 77 JN28VP 674 674
07/07/18 20:00 F6FGQ 2m SSB 59 69 52 9 IN78QJ 363 363
07/07/18 20:08 GW6TEO 2m SSB 59 70 56 16 IO71LP 170 170
07/07/18 20:30 G2XV/P 2m SSB 59 71 59 36 JO02AD 202 202
07/07/18 20:32 F6KCP/P 2m SSB 59 72 59 101 JN18OU 503 503
07/07/18 20:39 G7RAU 2m SSB 59 73 57 4 IN79JX 241 241
07/07/18 20:45 GM3HAM/P 2m SSB 59 74 59 133 IO74WV 402 402
07/07/18 21:12 DA0FF 2m SSB 59 75 59 534 JO40XL 887 887
07/07/18 21:20 G3WM/P 2m SSB 59 76 59 84 JO01LH 249 249
07/07/18 21:28 GW3ZTT/P 2m SSB 59 77 57 126 IO82KW 175 175
07/07/18 22:09 G0FBB/P 2m SSB 59 78 59 228 JO01LD 251 251
08/07/18 06:19 F5BEG 2m SSB 59 79 59 4 JN07EW 441 441
08/07/18 06:36 G3CKR/P 2m SSB 59 80 59 147 IO93AD 200 200
08/07/18 07:06 M1MHZ 2m SSB 59 81 59 39 IO92WV 239 239
08/07/18 07:34 G0OLE/P 2m SSB 59 82 59 194 IO93PX 315 315
08/07/18 07:36 G8SRC/P 2m SSB 59 83 59 99 IO91CL 59 59
08/07/18 08:04 M0IPU 2m SSB 59 84 59 3 JO01AP 187 187
08/07/18 08:14 GW4HXO 2m SSB 59 85 59 5 IO71JV 187 187
08/07/18 08:17 EI4EY 2m SSB 59 86 55 3 IO52QP 433 433
08/07/18 08:19 G3XDY 2m SSB 59 87 53 69 JO02OB 274 274
08/07/18 08:25 G4UEL 2m SSB 59 88 55 6 IO91OF 129 129
08/07/18 08:47 F6JMT/P 2m SSB 59 89 59 265 JN18OI 537 537
08/07/18 09:11 G0JLF 2m SSB 59 90 59 2 IO81SG 12 Correct Locator IO81OJ 0
08/07/18 09:14 MW0UAA 2m SSB 59 91 59 9 IO81HW 79 79
08/07/18 09:26 GW8NZN/P 2m SSB 59 92 41 3 IO83FE 209 209
08/07/18 09:28 G4DQB/M 2m SSB 59 93 59 19 IO82SU 163 163
08/07/18 09:30 EI7HT/P 2m SSB 59 94 55 11 IO63XI 318 318
08/07/18 09:38 G4XPE 2m SSB 59 95 59 23 IO92GU 181 181
08/07/18 09:39 GM4PPT 2m SSB 59 96 55 20 IO75SK 466 466
08/07/18 09:57 2M0EWY/P 2m SSB 59 97 55 32 IO86JF 539 539
08/07/18 10:03 G3TZO 2m SSB 59 98 59 23 IO83NA 182 182
08/07/18 10:16 M0INY 2m SSB 59 99 59 9 IO83WC 193 193
08/07/18 10:20 G4HZG 2m SSB 59 100 54 12 IO93HE 217 217
08/07/18 10:30 M0VNP 2m SSB 59 101 59 1 IO81RL 11 11
08/07/18 10:54 F8KID 2m SSB 59 102 51 481 JN38AT 681 681
08/07/18 11:05 G6ASC 2m SSB 59 103 55 2 IO81EA 81 Correct Callsign G6ASK 0
08/07/18 11:12 G3VXM 2m SSB 59 104 59 17 IO90LT 128 128
08/07/18 11:14 F1GKS/P 2m SSB 59 105 59 36 JN09BN 282 282
08/07/18 11:17 G8NT 2m SSB 59 106 59 1 IO81SG 18 18
08/07/18 11:19 G4GFI/P 2m SSB 59 107 59 9 IO80QR 74 74
08/07/18 11:24 F5KDY/P 2m SSB 59 108 59 70 JN08PB 465 465
08/07/18 11:28 G0UUU/P 2m SSB 59 109 59 1 IO94SG 351 Broken – RX SN mis-sequenced Adjudicated Invalid 0
08/07/18 11:29 G4PBY 2m SSB 59 110 59 10 IO81XV 86 86
08/07/18 11:30 G8GRS 2m SSB 59 111 59 30 IO81QJ 1 1
08/07/18 12:11 M0BAO/P 2m SSB 59 112 59 22 IO80LV 63 63
08/07/18 12:21 MW0HTB 2m SSB 59 113 59 1 IO81MS 48 48
08/07/18 12:22 GW0ECM 2m SSB 59 114 59 1 IO81MS 48 48
08/07/18 12:25 GW0UQT 2m SSB 59 115 59 1 IO81MS 48 48
08/07/18 12:38 MD0MAN/P 2m SSB 59 116 57 27 IO74SF 338 338
08/07/18 12:55 DL0GL 2m SSB 59 117 59 351 JO31KP 657 657
08/07/18 13:22 ON8CF/P 2m SSB 59 118 59 352 JO20SS 574 574
08/07/18 13:26 G4DMC 2m SSB 59 119 59 4 IO81WI 35 35
08/07/18 13:29 G8BGV/P 2m SSB 59 120 59 66 JO01HP 227 227
08/07/18 13:34 G7VHJ 2m SSB 59 121 59 1 IO81RR 38 38
08/07/18 13:37 G3LSR/P 2m SSB 59 122 59 23 IO91TN 157 Correct Callsign G3ASR/P 0
08/07/18 13:49 M0JCQ/P 2m SSB 59 123 59 30 IO91RU 153 153
08/07/18 13:51 G3ZNU 2m SSB 59 124 58 17 IO91PQ 136 136
08/07/18 13:52 M0SNB/P 2m SSB 59 125 57 66 JO01DQ 204 204
08/07/18 13:52 M0XAC 2m SSB 59 126 59 16 IO81VU 59 59
08/07/18 13:54 G4MKR 2m SSB 59 127 55 22 IO92VD 186 186
08/07/18 13:56 G8RCZ/P 2m SSB 59 128 59 22 IO80ES 99 99
08/07/18 13:58 G3SQQ 2m SSB 59 129 59 24 IO93JC 213 213
08/07/18 13:59 MX0HFC/P 2m SSB 59 130 59 15 IO93VR 307 307
08/07/18 13:59 G3VER/P 2m SSB 59 131 59 31 IO91ST 157 Correct RX RST 54 0
TOTALS 131 26598 10 Contact(s) lost due to Log Errors 25339
Best DX (Pre-Adjudication) DA0FF 887km Error Rate = 7.63% -4.73%
Best DX (Post-Adjudication) DA0FF 887km

We made 10 errors according to the adjudication process, an error rate of 7.63% compared to an average error rate for the contest as a whole of 5.72%. Our error rate is higher than 2017, and whilst this is less than desirable the following points should be noted:

  1. 5.72% would equate to 7 errors compared to our 10 so in real terms (as opposed to percentages) we are not far off the norm. A GEH statistic might be more meaningful here;
  2. 2 of the errors were simply adjudicated as invalid without evidence as to what or where the error was;
  3. The RX RST error noted at 18:30 on 07/07/2018 does not seem to be our error. In the first place the RST given by the other station is recorded in their log as 559, this might be the case were we operating CW when it would be usual to record not only readability and signal strength but also tone, however we were working SSB so a 2 digit RS report would be expected. It is felt that there are potentially 2 possible explanations for this error:
    1. The RS report sent by the other station was 55 and we incorrectly recorded 59; or more likely
    2. The RS report sent by the other station was 59 which we correctly recorded; either way when the other station entered the signal report in their log a keyboard error double keying or a keyboard bounce double entered the first 5 resulting in a report of 559 logged when 59 was sent and correctly recorded, the 559 was clearly not spotted when entering or checking the log at the other end.
  4. Whether or not the 559 error was ours or the other stations fault would not have any impact on our final results
  5. This year there were no “Reverse Errors” meaning that everyone who worked us received 100% correct information from our operators
Submitted Logs

The closing date for log submission was 15/07/2018. By this time some 88 individuals and organisations had submitted logs in the various classes on 2m. Comparing those who took part with our log reveals:

Table 6 – Participating Stations Worked
Class Number of Submitted Logs Worked
Number Percentage
Open (O) 0 0 0.00%
Restricted (R) 18 11 61.11%
Low Power (L) 9 4 44.44%
Mix and Match (M) 0 0 0.00%
Single Transmitter (MS) 7 3 42.86%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Open (FSO) 7 3 42.86%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Restricted (FSR) 34 9 26.47%
Checklogs 13 3 23.08%
TOTAL 88 33 37.50%

The headline analysis of this information is as follows:

  • We worked 33 or 38% of the stations taking part or submitting checklogs
  • 98 or 75% of the stations we worked did not submit a log
  • Our best proportion worked was the Restricted (R) category where we worked 61% of the participating stations
  • Our lowest proportion worked was the Open (O) category where we worked 0% of the participating stations

Some of the participating or checklog stations submitted logs with relatively few contacts in them. On this occasion 15 stations (17%) submitted logs with less than 10 contacts. These stations may have only been operational for a short period of time and therefore the probability of running across them or of them running across us is reduced.

We worked 1 of these sub 10 QSO operations.

Table 7 – Participating Stations with 10 or More QSOs Worked
Class Number of Submitted Logs Worked
Number Percentage
Open (O) 0 0 0.00%
Restricted (R) 17 11 64.71%
Low Power (L) 9 4 44.44%
Mix and Match (M) 0 0 0.00%
Single Transmitter (MS) 6 3 50.00%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Open (FSO) 6 3 50.00%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Restricted (FSR) 29 9 31.03%
Checklogs 6 2 33.33%
TOTAL 73 32 43.84%

Ignoring our 1 contacts and the 15 sub 10 QSO operations our “hit rate” becomes 32 out of 73 or 44%.

Results

Overall Results Section Low Power
Club 50MHz 70MHz 144MHz 432MHz 1.2GHz Total
Warrington CG G3CKR/P 1000 G3CKR/P 1000 G3CKR/P 1000 3000
MM0BQI MM0BQI/P 1000 MM0BQI/P 52 1052
Oxford & DARS G8IB/P 803 G8IB/P 84 G8IB/P 58 945
Tamworth ARS G4FWC/P 287 G8TRS/P 87 G8TRS/P 65 439
Fareham & DARC G3VEF/P 163 G3VEF/P 176 339
South Bristol ARC G4WAW/P 335 335
Wrexham ARS GW4WXM/P 47 GW4WXM/P 43 GW4WXM/P 42 132
Humber Fortress DX ARC MX0HFC/P 35 35
Northampton RC ‘B’ M0KEA/P 28 28
Swindon & DARC ‘B’ M1KDJ/P 12 12

A single band entry is naturally compromised when competing with a multi-band entry so our mid table showing here should not be regarded as a poor performance, we were the highest placed single band entry, finishing ahead of Wrexham ARS who had a multi-band entry.

An additional 5 normalised points would have allowed us to leap frog Fareham and District ARC. However 5 normalised points this year would have required a score increase of 380 points which equates to about 2 more valid QSOs. As our errors cost us 1259 points perhaps we are masters of our own destiny.

Of more interest is that there was no Low Power entry in the 4m class. This means that tactically had we mounted a 4m Low Power entry alongside our normal 2m Low power entry we wold automatically have been the highest scoring entry in class and therefore even 1 confirmed QSO would have netted us 1000 normalised points making our total 1335 moving us into second place overall! That’s the madness of normalised scores for you.

Results Section L 144MHz
Group Callsign Locator QSOs Score Best DX Points/QSO
Actual Normalised Station km
Warrington CG G3CKR/P IO93AD 256 75743 1000 DR1H 992 295.87
South Bristol ARC G4WAW/P IO81QJ 121 25373 335 DA0FF 887 209.69
Fareham & DARC G3VEF/P IO91JA 63 13306 176 DA0FF 788 211.21
Worksop ARS G3RCW/P IO93ED 57 12279 162 OZ1ALS 782 215.42
Tamworth ARS G8TRS/P IO92EP 31 6570 87 DF0DA 642 211.94
Oxford & DARS G8IB/P IO91KR 34 6338 84 DA0FF 786 186.41
Wrexham ARS GW4WXM/P IO82LT 18 3274 43 G5LK/P 355 181.89
Humber Fortress DX ARC MX0HFC/P IO93VR 12 2662 35 EI9E/P 460 221.83
Northampton RC ‘B’ M0KEA/P IO92LI 18 2129 28 EI9E/P 391 118.28
Swindon & DARC ‘B’ M1KDJ/P IO81XP 7 874 12 EI9E/P 339 124.86

Our Best DX (by Mark M0SKV) into Germany is a good result and on a par with Warrington Contest Groups best performance.

In terms of average points per QSO Warrington managed nearly 300km/QSO well above anyone else in the class and part of the reason their position at the top of the table remains secure year on year. The next 5 entries are all in the range 209km – 222km and 3rd – 6th place being covered by a mere 5km.