Location

Our location this year is situated in rural Bath and North East Somerset, although many would consider it simply to be Somerset. The site itself is just below 200m AOD (Above Ordnance Datum) and is one of the highest points in the area. To the immediate west is Blackberry Hill which peaks at 206m AOD and there is a trig point at 207m AOD to the west south west of our location, neither presented any particular impediment to our operation. To the south south east of the location there is a third peak around 205m AOD.

Panoramic view from the operating position

Introduction

Excitement, well I’m not sure it could actually be defined as excitement as such, but interest mounted early in the year when the possibility of operating a multi-band entry in this years Field Day was explored.

After some consideration and debate along with the necessary evaluation of where the additional kit might be borrowed from, since the Club equipment was fully committed to the regular 2m entry and we have no portable antennas for 4m, 6m or 23cm, it was decided that we would try to make an entry on 6m, 4m and 2m.

This was partly tactical, as regular readers of our exploits will be aware we spotted the potential for a very low number of contacts to potentially earn a high number of "normalised" points as the number of participants in our class on 4m were zero in 2018, and partly a recognition that overall class performance depends on a multi-band entry, and partly practicality since the timing of the 4m window means that it is relatively straightforward to enter 6m and 4m as the two operations don’t overlap. This allows equipment, specifically antennas, to be shared and more importantly the 6m operators on Saturday could become the 4m operators on Sunday leading to no additional manpower required on site.

The attentive amongst you will have spotted that we also eschewed our regular spot on Dundry Hill. This was a less tactical and more a "needs must" response to a late breaking problem. Over the last couple of years we have made use of a horsebox for Field Day accommodation. This has proven to be a very good base vehicle. It is large enough to allow comfortable operating with sufficient space around the operating area for equipment, changes of operators, observers whilst the "living" section provides a respite area in the event of inclement weather as well as basic catering facilities. Over the last couple of years sections of the "living" have been rebuilt to repair water leak damage as can be seen if you compare the facilities in 2017 with those in 2018.

This year another problem beset us; the horsebox was declared unroadworthy at its annual equivalent of the MoT and this time the extent of the repairs made it uneconomic to put it back on the road. The loss of our accommodation made the use of the Dundry Hill venue questionable as the call went out around the Club for alternative accommodations. Ultimately Paul 2E0GHT resurrected the Clutton DX Group operating post and arrangements were made to work from there.

Challenges of portable operationsChallenges of portable operations

A different location always provides a new set of problems, indeed it is only when a change of site occurs that the realisation dawns that the years of learning acquired at the old site will have to be dispensed with and a whole new set of local rules will have to be developed and adopted.

For us the biggest local "hazard" was the presence of goats! These lovely, inquisitive creatures have a tendency to explore everything new within their domain with their mouths and wherever remotely possible will endeavour to devour things. We had visions of feeders, rotator control cables, guy lines and potentially power cables all disappearing over the course of the weekend!

Our 2m setup followed the usual line up that we have successfully employed on Dundry for a number of years with the big 14 element beam going up on its tripod mast and connected to the Club rig. On 6m/4m we had borrowed a dual band Innovantennas 4 element beam from Ray G3IOI which was put up on a pole secured to a conveniently located telegraph pole that no longer supported any wires. All feeders and control cables were kept above human head height to make them inaccessible to the resident goats. The 6m/4m beam didn’t require guying being securely strapped to the existing but disused telegraph pole and the 2m beam was guyed back to the roof of the shack. We were, therefore, quietly confident that the installation was as goat proof as we could make it, and indeed other than an occasional nibble at the tailgate ramp we had no issues with livestock interfering with the equipment.

We did nickname one of the goats "Harry" as this one had a knack of being able to get outside the fenced paddock, we had to herd him back in on two separate occasions but aside from that the goats gave us no trouble what so ever.

Erecting the 6m/4m BeamThe 4m/6m Beam

The change of venue meant that our set-up plans weren’t quite as well organised as we usually are, the local operators who were transporting the transceivers arrived some time before the 2m antenna. The team on site quickly rigged up a temporary 2m loop once they had put up the Innovantennas 4m/6m 4 element beam and spent a bit of time testing. On 2m they made a contact with an old friend in the Midlands who gave them a 55 signal report. After the beam arrived, was assembled and erected we re-contacted the same station and went from 55 to 59+20; yes gain is a wonderful thing!

The 2m BeamProximity of both Beams

With everything in place we were ready for the off! Andy G7KNA and Mark M0SKV took the 2m station whilst David 2E0GZO and Paul 2E0GHT took the 6m station.

On 2m we saw similar trends to previous years, there was the usual flurry of contacts at the start of the contest until things settled down to a steady rate after about 4 hours. During this period in addition to the usual UK stations we worked into Ireland, France and Germany, securing our best DX for the weekend.

Being new to 6m we had no real preconceptions as to how things would develop. Initially the 2m and 6m stations were following very similar patterns with more or less the same QSO rates and similar destinations being reached. Belgium, France and Ireland were contacted in the first flurry of contacts which included the best DX.

Operating at night

Unlike previous years we did not operate late into the night. Although the 6m contest window is 14:00 UTC – 22:00 UTC we made our last 6m QSO at 21:05 UTC. The last 2m QSO of the Saturday operation was logged at 20:22 UTC.

Normally we would have taken advantage of the early stop on 2m to go for an early start on Sunday morning after the mandatory shutdown. This year was to be a departure as Andy G7KNA had to complete the build of the 28MHz – 70MHz transverter which was to enable our 4m operation on Sunday. An early start in the workshop with one or two snags got the kit to site around 10:00 local time but a couple of problems with the untested transverter meant that Paul 2E0GHT didn’t get on air until 11:00 local time. The faults with the transverter kit were all down to the construction and should not reflect on the design or manufacture of the equipment.

The equipment will be familiar to many being the Ukrainian kit sold by Serge UT5JCW through E-Bay and his own website. Once the initial problem had been ironed out everything worked flawlessly, the problem was a simple one; the transverter board had been positioned too close to the front panel and one of the solder tags on the on-off switch made contact with the shield of an inductor resulting in a short circuit that tripped the power supply’s short circuit protection. A small adjustment with pliers and some insulation tape resolved the problem and everything worked fine.

We had a few interference problems that had not been obvious on the Saturday when 2m/6m was operational. Obviously 2m/4m have a harmonic relationship and when the antennas crossed over the 4m transmissions could be heard on 2m on some frequencies whilst the 4m station would hear "hash" when the 2m station was transmitting.

Some combinations of operating frequencies were worse than others and if the beams weren’t beaming over each other the problem was much reduced. It wasn’t debilitating with a bit of co-operation and in future use of this site greater separation of the beams would probably help.

Setting up4m operation

The shortened 4m operation restricted the number of contacts made and of course parts of Europe don’t have a 4m allocation which limits the possible destinations. Overall we had a good weekend but felt that the 2m band was flatter than in recent years and whilst direct comparisons with previous years on 6m are not possible the general feeling was that this, too, was quite flat.

6m Results

The results presented below have been determined following analysis of the unadjudicated 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 (6m)
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 21 33.87% 170.97% 21 33.87% 21.00
15:00 – 16:00 2 11 17.74% 41.94% 32 51.61% 16.00
16:00 – 17:00 3 7 11.29% -9.68% 39 62.90% 13.00
17:00 – 18:00 4 2 3.23% -74.19% 41 66.13% 10.25
18:00 – 19:00 5 10 16.13% 29.03% 51 82.26% 10.20
19:00 – 20:00 6 7 11.29% -9.68% 58 93.55% 9.67
20:00 – 21:00 7 2 3.23% -74.19% 60 96.77% 8.57
21:00 – 22:00 8 2 3.23% -74.19% 62 100.00% 7.75
22:00 – 23:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
23:00 – 00:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
 
S
u
n
d
a
y
 
00:00 – 01:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
01:00 – 02:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
02:00 – 03:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
03:00 – 04:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
04:00 – 05:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
05:00 – 06:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
06:00 – 07:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
07:00 – 08:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
08:00 – 09:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
09:00 – 10:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
10:00 – 11:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
11:00 – 12:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
12:00 – 13:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
13:00 – 14:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 62 100.00% 7.75
TOTALS 62 100.00%  

The 6m QSOs followed closely the 2m pattern, in fact it became a bit of a competition within the contest to see which of the two operations could make the most QSOs. Half of all contacts were made in the first couple of hours of operations which given the shorter operating window is not surprising.

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 (6m)
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 2996 142.67 34.68% 2.40% 2996 34.68%
15:00 – 16:00 2 1316 119.64 15.24% -14.13% 4312 49.92%
16:00 – 17:00 3 813 116.14 9.41% -16.64% 5125 59.33%
17:00 – 18:00 4 73 36.50 0.85% -73.80% 5198 60.18%
18:00 – 19:00 5 1746 174.60 20.21% 25.32% 6944 80.39%
19:00 – 20:00 6 1203 171.86 13.93% 23.35% 8147 94.32%
20:00 – 21:00 7 379 189.50 4.39% 36.02% 8526 98.70%
21:00 – 22:00 8 112 56.00 1.30% -59.81% 8638 100.00%
22:00 – 23:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
23:00 – 00:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
 
S
u
n
d
a
y
 
00:00 – 01:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
01:00 – 02:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
02:00 – 03:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
03:00 – 04:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
04:00 – 05:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
05:00 – 06:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
06:00 – 07:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
07:00 – 08:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
08:00 – 09:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
09:00 – 10:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
10:00 – 11:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
11:00 – 12:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
12:00 – 13:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
13:00 – 14:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 8638 100.00%
TOTALS 8638 139.32 100.00%  

The points scored tracks quite closely the QSO rate. The first 2 hours accounted for just under 52% of the QSOs and produced 50% of the total points, this differs from what has been seen historically on 2m where quite often later periods in the contest with a lower number of QSOs allow a much higher proportion of the total points to be scored.

Distances Worked

Tables 3 and 4, below, present a summary of the distances worked. The best DX on 6m was MM0CCC/P at 483km

Table 3 – Distances Worked (6m)
Distance Number of Stations Worked Percentage of Stations Worked
Dist ≤ 1km 1 1.61%
1km < Dist ≤ 5km 1 1.61%
5km < Dist ≤ 10km 0 0.00%
10km < Dist ≤ 20km 3 4.84%
20km < Dist ≤ 50km 4 6.45%
50km < Dist ≤ 100km 17 27.42%
100km < Dist ≤ 200km 20 32.26%
200km < Dist ≤ 350km 14 22.58%
350km < Dist ≤ 500km 2 3.23%
500km < Dist ≤ 750km 0 0.00%
750km < Dist ≤ 1000km 0 0.00%
1000km < Dist ≤ 1500km 0 0.00%
1500km < Dist ≤ 2000km 0 0.00%
2000km < Dist 0 0.00%
TOTALS 62 100.00%

Distribution of Distances

Table 4 – Statistical Analysis of Distances Worked (6m)
Quantity Value Population
Mean Distance (km) 139  
Median Distance (km) 116  
Mode (km) 67 2
1 Standard Deviation 98.14 70.97%
2 Standard Deviation 196.28 96.77%
3 Standard Deviation 294.42 98.39%

The distribution of distances is obviously skewed but if the handful of very short distance QSOs are discounted the distribution becomes more "normal".

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 (6m)
Country Callsign Groups Number of Stations Worked Percentage of Total QSO
England G, GX, 2E, M, MX 53 85.48%
Special Events GB 0 0.00%
Isle of Man GD, GT, 2D, MD, MT 0 0.00%
Northern Irelend GI, GN, 2I, MI, MN 0 0.00%
Jersey GJ, GH, 2J, MJ, MH 0 0.00%
Scotland GM, GS, 2M, MM, MS 1 1.61%
Gurnsey GU, GP, 2U, MU, MP 1 1.61%
RSGB 2013 Centenary Stations GV, 2V, MV 0 0.00%
Wales GW, GC, 2W, MW, MC 4 6.45%
Club Stations (included above) GX, MX, GT, MT, GN, MN, GH, MH, GS, MS, GP, MP, GC, MC 0 0.00%
SUB-TOTAL United Kingdom Stations 59 95.16%
Table 5B – Non UK Stations Worked (6m)
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 1 1.61%
Cyprus 5B, C4 0 0.00%
Czech Republic OK, OL 0 0.00%
Denmark 5P, OZ 0 0.00%
Eire EI, EJ 1 1.61%
France (inc Overseas Territories) F, TM, TO, TX 1 1.61%
Germany DA, DB, DC, DD, DF, DG, DH, DJ, DK, DL, DP, DR 0 0.00%
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 0 0.00%
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 3 4.84%
Table 5C – Summary of Stations Worked (6m)
Country Callsign Groups Number of Stations Worked Percentage of Total QSO
SUB-TOTAL United Kingdom Stations 59 95.16%
SUB-TOTAL Non United Kingdom Stations 3 4.84%
TOTAL MATCHED All UK and Non UK Stations 62 100.00%
Unmatched Callsigns Possible Log Errors or Foreign Special Event or similar Stations 0 0.00%
FINAL TOTAL All Stations inc Unmatched Callsigns 62 100.00%

There is little doubt that the band conditions were flat, comparisons with previous years are, obviously, not possible in the case of 6m since we haven’t entertained a 6m operation for many years. To have only 5% of QSOs outside of the UK was less than expected.

Location of Stations Worked on 6m

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 2019 – (6m Band) Log
Date (UTC) Time (UTC) Station Worked Band Mode Sent Received Locator Distance
(km)
Notes Points
RST Serial RST Serial
06/07/19 14:04 G4ILJ 6m SSB 59 001 59 004 IO91th 151   151
06/07/19 14:05 M0IEP 6m SSB 59 002 59 001 IO91dp 67   67
06/07/19 14:12 G2XV/P 6m SSB 59 003 55 006 JO02ah 208   208
06/07/19 14:13 G3TCR/P 6m SSB 59 004 59 004 IO91jg 94   94
06/07/19 14:14 G8NDN 6m SSB 59 005 59 004 IO91gf 77   77
06/07/19 14:16 G0FBB/P 6m SSB 59 006 59 011 JO01ld 245   245
06/07/19 14:18 G3PIA/P 6m SSB 59 007 59 010 IO91in 90   90
06/07/19 14:20 M0MSZ 6m SSB 59 008 59 002 IO91ai 41   41
06/07/19 14:20 G4FJK 6m SSB 59 009 59 010 IO80hv 78   78
06/07/19 14:23 G4BXM 6m SSB 59 010 58 004 IO91uk 157   157
06/07/19 14:25 G3VEF/P 6m SSB 59 011 55 003 IO91ja 101   101
06/07/19 14:29 G4CXQ 6m SSB 59 012 59 006 IO81mh 30 ERROR: Correct callsign G4CXQ/P 0
06/07/19 14:33 GW3SRT/P 6m SSB 59 013 59 007 IO82lq 153   153
06/07/19 14:35 G3NYY 6m SSB 59 014 58 004 IO82wa 80   80
06/07/19 14:36 G4ATH/P 6m SSB 59 015 59 012 IO83nu 279   279
06/07/19 14:38 G4IFX 6m SSB 59 016 59 008 IO91od 124   124
06/07/19 14:40 G4HGI 6m SSB 59 017 58 015 IO83pl 237   237
06/07/19 14:43 G7RHF 6m SSB 59 018 56 007 IO82qk 121   121
06/07/19 14:49 M5MK/P 6m SSB 59 019 59 020 IO92ra 157   157
06/07/19 14:50 ON8DM 6m SSB 59 020 59 016 JO10jt 378   378
06/07/19 14:52 G4DDL 6m SSB 59 021 58 002 IO91pj 128   128
06/07/19 15:02 G3TBK/P 6m SSB 59 022 59 025 IO93ra 231   231
06/07/19 15:04 G3ZME/P 6m SSB 59 023 59 032 IO82nn 137   137
06/07/19 15:14 G4ALE/P 6m SSB 59 024 59 036 IO91xg 175   175
06/07/19 15:17 G3IOI 6m SSB 59 025 59 001 IO81rj 5   5
06/07/19 15:23 G3XBI 6m SSB 59 026 59 002 IO81mf 33   33
06/07/19 15:35 GU4CHY 6m SSB 59 027 57 003 IN89rl 209   209
06/07/19 15:37 G8BFV 6m SSB 59 028 59 002 IO82qe 93 ERROR: Correct Locator IO81QE 0
06/07/19 15:40 G8SRC/P 6m SSB 59 029 59 055 IO91cl 54   54
06/07/19 15:44 G0IVR/P 6m SSB 54 030 55 017 IO91hb 88   88
06/07/19 15:46 G8LED/P 6m SSB 56 031 57 029 IO92ld 136   136
06/07/19 15:47 GW4SHF 6m SSB 59 032 56 038 IO82hp 155   155
06/07/19 16:00 G1TPA/P 6m SSB 59 033 59 033 JO01bb 189   189
06/07/19 16:19 G3PYE/P 6m SSB 59 034 59 061 JO02ce 211   211
06/07/19 16:21 G7RSO 6m SSB 59 035 57 003 IO91ec 70   70
06/07/19 16:45 M1CJE 6m SSB 59 036 59 004 IO91cl 54 ERROR: Correct Locator IO91CJ 0
06/07/19 16:46 M0BEW 6m SSB 59 037 59 023 IO82rj 116   116
06/07/19 16:48 G2LO/P 6m SSB 59 038 57 082 IO92gb 109   109
06/07/19 16:51 G0ARC/P 6m SSB 59 039 59 034 IO91eh 64 ERROR: Correct RST 56. REVERSE ERROR: Logged sent RST 57 0
06/07/19 17:08 G6SIX 6m SSB 59 040 55 016 IO91fm 72 ERROR: Broken callsign adjudicated invalid 0
06/07/19 17:54 G3TKF 6m SSB 59 041 59 005 IO81ri 1   1
06/07/19 18:05 GW4AYJ 6m SSB 59 042 59 001 IO81ao 102   102
06/07/19 18:18 G7FBD 6m SSB 59 043 58 002 IO81sk 11   11
06/07/19 18:19 G8NXJ 6m SSB 59 044 59 005 IO91nl 117   117
06/07/19 18:23 F4HJO 6m SSB 59 045 57 016 JN09jp 303   303
06/07/19 18:28 G2BQY/P 6m SSB 59 046 59 135 IO81rf 14   14
06/07/19 18:30 G4RFR/P 6m SSB 59 047 59 084 IO80st 61   61
06/07/19 18:44 EI9E/P 6m SSB 59 048 59 126 IO62om 319   319
06/07/19 18:49 M0HRF/P 6m SSB 59 049 59 073 JO01ja 236   236
06/07/19 18:54 G0OLE/P 6m SSB 59 050 59 046 IO93px 317   317
06/07/19 18:59 G8ONK 6m SSB 59 051 52 021 IO83mr 266   266
06/07/19 19:03 MM0CCC/P 6m SSB 59 052 57 051 IO85oq 483   483
06/07/19 19:12 G3TQZ 6m SSB 59 053 59 009 IO82ue 95   95
06/07/19 19:19 G3RLE 6m SSB 59 054 59 015 IO83vo 252   252
06/07/19 19:20 G4RRA 6m SSB 59 055 59 025 IO80bs 114   114
06/07/19 19:24 G8NT 6m SSB 59 056 59 004 IO81sg 11   11
06/07/19 19:26 GW3ZTT/P 6m SSB 59 057 59 099 IO82kw 181   181
06/07/19 19:50 G0LGS 6m SSB 59 058 59 009 IO81wv 67   67
06/07/19 20:06 G3RCW/P 6m SSB 56 059 56 079 IO93ep 263 REVERSE ERROR: Logged callsign GW4WAW/P 263
06/07/19 20:31 G3VLG/P 6m SSB 57 060 57 042 IO92gd 116   116
06/07/19 21:04 G6AHY 6m SSB 59 061 58 005 IO91eh 64   64
06/07/19 21:05 G8DER 6m SSB 59 062 59 010 IO81xb 48   48
TOTALS 62 8638 5 Contact(s) lost due to Log Errors 8325
Best DX (Pre-Adjudication) MM0CCC/P 483km Error Rate = 8.06% -3.62%
Best DX (Post-Adjudication) MM0CCC/P 483km  

Our error rate of 8.06% in terms of the number of contacts with errors only resulted in the loss of 3.62% of our claimed score. The errors are random and only affect 5 QSOs. The error rate for the Low Power 50MHz class was only 4.04% so we clearly have some way to go in our accuracy.

Submitted Logs 6m

The closing date for log submission was 13/07/2019. By this time some 62 individuals and organisations had submitted logs in the various classes on 6m. Comparing those who took part with our log reveals:

Table 6 – Participating Stations Worked on 6m

Class Number of Submitted Logs Worked
Number Percentage
Open (O) 13 10 76.92%
Restricted (R) 20 13 65.00%
Low Power (L) 2 1 50.00%
Single Transmitter (MS) 4 3 75.00%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Open (FSO) 5 1 20.00%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Restricted (FSR) 18 6 33.33%
Checklogs 0 0 0.00%
TOTAL 62 34 54.84%

The headline analysis of this information is as follows:

  • We worked 34 or 55% of the stations taking part or submitting checklogs
  • 28 or 45% of the stations we worked did not submit a log
  • Our best proportion worked was the Open (O) category where we worked 77% of the participating stations
  • Our lowest proportion worked was the Checklogs 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 8 stations (13%) submitted logs with less than 9 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 9 QSO operations.

Table 7 – Participating Stations with 9 or More QSOs Worked on 6m

Class Number of Submitted Logs Worked
Number Percentage
Open (O) 13 10 76.92%
Restricted (R) 20 13 65.00%
Low Power (L) 1 1 100.00%
Single Transmitter (MS) 4 3 75.00%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Open (FSO) 4 1 25.00%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Restricted (FSR) 12 5 41.67%
Checklogs 0 0 0.00%
TOTAL 54 33 61.11%

Ignoring our 1 contacts and the 8 sub 9 QSO operations our "hit rate" becomes 33 out of 54 or 61%.

Results

Results Section L 6m

Group Callsign Locator QSOs Score Best DX Points/QSO
Actual Normalised Station km
South Bristol ARC G4WAW/P IO81RI 57 8325 1000 MM0CCC/P 483 146.05
Fareham & DARC G3VEF/P IO91JA 13 1115 134 GW3ZTT/P 251 85.77
Ardiffery VHF Group GM8ZKU/P IO97BJ 2 264 32 MM0CCC/P 199 132.00

The first time we’ve been top of a single band table.

4m Results

The results presented below have been determined following analysis of the unadjudicated 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 (4m)
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
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r
d
a
y
 
14:00 – 15:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
15:00 – 16:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
16:00 – 17:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
17:00 – 18:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
18:00 – 19:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
19:00 – 20:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
20:00 – 21:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
21:00 – 22:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
22:00 – 23:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
23:00 – 00:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
 
S
u
n
d
a
y
 
00:00 – 01:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
01:00 – 02:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
02:00 – 03:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
03:00 – 04:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
04:00 – 05:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
05:00 – 06:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
06:00 – 07:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
07:00 – 08:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
08:00 – 09:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
09:00 – 10:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00% 0.00
10:00 – 11:00 1 7 46.67% 40.00% 7 46.67% 7.00
11:00 – 12:00 2 5 33.33% 0.00% 12 80.00% 6.00
12:00 – 13:00 3 3 20.00% -40.00% 15 100.00% 5.00
13:00 – 14:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 15 100.00% 5.00
TOTALS 15 100.00%  

The limited number of QSOs made during the contest precludes any definitive conclusions or patterns being reported.

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 (4m)
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 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
15:00 – 16:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
16:00 – 17:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
17:00 – 18:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
18:00 – 19:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
19:00 – 20:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
20:00 – 21:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
21:00 – 22:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
22:00 – 23:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
23:00 – 00:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
 
S
u
n
d
a
y
 
00:00 – 01:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
01:00 – 02:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
02:00 – 03:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
03:00 – 04:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
04:00 – 05:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
05:00 – 06:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
06:00 – 07:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
07:00 – 08:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
08:00 – 09:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
09:00 – 10:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 0 0.00%
10:00 – 11:00 1 655 93.57 36.80% -21.15% 655 36.80%
11:00 – 12:00 2 474 94.80 26.63% -20.11% 1129 63.43%
12:00 – 13:00 3 651 217.00 36.57% 82.87% 1780 100.00%
13:00 – 14:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 1780 100.00%
TOTALS 1780 118.67 100.00%  

The lowest number of QSOs occurred in the third hour of operation but yielded the best score.

Distances Worked

Tables 3 and 4, below, present a summary of the distances worked. The best DX on 4m was GM3HAM/P at 408km

Table 3 – Distances Worked (4m)
Distance Number of Stations Worked Percentage of Stations Worked
Dist ≤ 1km 0 0.00%
1km < Dist ≤ 5km 1 6.67%
5km < Dist ≤ 10km 0 0.00%
10km < Dist ≤ 20km 3 20.00%
20km < Dist ≤ 50km 2 13.33%
50km < Dist ≤ 100km 2 13.33%
100km < Dist ≤ 200km 4 26.67%
200km < Dist ≤ 350km 2 13.33%
350km < Dist ≤ 500km 1 6.67%
500km < Dist ≤ 750km 0 0.00%
750km < Dist ≤ 1000km 0 0.00%
1000km < Dist ≤ 1500km 0 0.00%
1500km < Dist ≤ 2000km 0 0.00%
2000km < Dist 0 0.00%
TOTALS 15 100.00%

Distribution of Distances

Table 4 – Statistical Analysis of Distances Worked (4m)

#N/A

Quantity Value Population
Mean Distance (km) 119  
Median Distance (km) 88  
1 Standard Deviation 110.72 80.00%
2 Standard Deviation 221.45 93.33%
3 Standard Deviation 332.17 100.00%

The limited number of QSOs makes a distribution model difficult. A normal distribution would be expected but this appears more rectangular.

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 (4m)
Country Callsign Groups Number of Stations Worked Percentage of Total QSO
England G, GX, 2E, M, MX 12 80.00%
Special Events GB 0 0.00%
Isle of Man GD, GT, 2D, MD, MT 0 0.00%
Northern Irelend GI, GN, 2I, MI, MN 0 0.00%
Jersey GJ, GH, 2J, MJ, MH 0 0.00%
Scotland GM, GS, 2M, MM, MS 1 6.67%
Gurnsey GU, GP, 2U, MU, MP 0 0.00%
RSGB 2013 Centenary Stations GV, 2V, MV 0 0.00%
Wales GW, GC, 2W, MW, MC 2 13.33%
Club Stations (included above) GX, MX, GT, MT, GN, MN, GH, MH, GS, MS, GP, MP, GC, MC 0 0.00%
SUB-TOTAL United Kingdom Stations 15 100.00%
Table 5B – Non UK Stations Worked (4m)
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 0 0.00%
Cyprus 5B, C4 0 0.00%
Czech Republic OK, OL 0 0.00%
Denmark 5P, OZ 0 0.00%
Eire EI, EJ 0 0.00%
France (inc Overseas Territories) F, TM, TO, TX 0 0.00%
Germany DA, DB, DC, DD, DF, DG, DH, DJ, DK, DL, DP, DR 0 0.00%
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 0 0.00%
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 0 0.00%
Table 5C – Summary of Stations Worked (4m)
Country Callsign Groups Number of Stations Worked Percentage of Total QSO
SUB-TOTAL United Kingdom Stations 15 100.00%
SUB-TOTAL Non United Kingdom Stations 0 0.00%
TOTAL MATCHED All UK and Non UK Stations 15 100.00%
Unmatched Callsigns Possible Log Errors or Foreign Special Event or similar Stations 0 0.00%
FINAL TOTAL All Stations inc Unmatched Callsigns 15 100.00%

Many Region 1 European countries do not have a 4m allocation so that naturally limits how many contacts can be made outside of the UK, essentially only Eire and Belgium are viable and so the fact that we didn’t work outside the UK shouldn’t be viewed as a failing.

Location of Stations Worked on 4m

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 2019 – (4m Band) Log
Date (UTC) Time (UTC) Station Worked Band Mode Sent Received Locator Distance
(km)
Notes Points
RST Serial RST Serial
07/07/19 10:03 G2LO/P 4m SSB 59 001 59 070 IO92gb 109   109
07/07/19 10:17 G1TPA/P 4m SSB 59 002 59 068 JO01bb 189   189
07/07/19 10:28 G3IOI 4m SSB 59 003 59 001 IO81rj 5   5
07/07/19 10:38 G2BQY 4m SSB 59 004 59 064 IO81rf 14 ERROR: Correct callsign G2BQY/P, correct Rx serial 66 0
07/07/19 10:41 G8BFV 4m SSB 59 005 59 008 IO81qe 20   20
07/07/19 10:52 G3TA 4m SSB 59 006 59 031 IO81xs 58   58
07/07/19 10:58 G3MXA 4m SSB 59 007 59 039 JO02lf 260 ERROR: Correct callsign G3MXH 0
07/07/19 11:02 GW3ZTT/P 4m SSB 59 008 55 061 IO82kw 181   181
07/07/19 11:19 G3CKR/P 4m SSB 59 009 59 098 IO93ad 204   204
07/07/19 11:24 G8DER 4m SSB 59 010 55 014 IO81xb 48   48
07/07/19 11:34 G4CXQ/P 4m SSB 59 011 59 010 IO81mh 30   30
07/07/19 11:44 G8NT 4m SSB 59 012 59 008 IO81sg 11   11
07/07/19 12:03 GW4SHF 4m SSB 55 013 56 037 IO82hp 155 REVERSE ERROR: Logged RST 54 155
07/07/19 12:11 GM3HAM/P 4m SSB 59 014 55 068 IO74wv 408   408
07/07/19 12:18 G0IVR/P 4m SSB 59 015 58 022 IO91hb 88 ERROR: Correct RST 59 0
TOTALS 15 1780 3 Contact(s) lost due to Log Errors 1418
Best DX (Pre-Adjudication) GM3HAM/P 408km Error Rate = 20% -20.34%
Best DX (Post-Adjudication) GM3HAM/P 408km  

With a relatively small number of contacts it is difficult to measure accuracy. Our error rate of 20% is well above the band average of 2.89%, however it represents only 3 errors. Even 1 error would have represented an error rate of 6.66%. The points loss is similar to the error percentage indicating an even distribution of errors.

Submitted Logs on 4m

The closing date for log submission was 14/07/2019. By this time some 62 individuals and organisations had submitted logs in the various classes on 4m. Comparing those who took part with our log reveals:

Table 6 – Participating Stations Worked on 4m

Class Number of Submitted Logs Worked
Number Percentage
Open (O) 13 1 7.69%
Restricted (R) 20 5 25.00%
Low Power (L) 2 0 0.00%
Single Transmitter (MS) 5 1 20.00%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Open (FSO) 8 0 0.00%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Restricted (FSR) 14 1 7.14%
Checklogs 0 0 0.00%
TOTAL 62 8 12.90%

The headline analysis of this information is as follows:

  • We worked 8 or 13% of the stations taking part or submitting checklogs
  • 7 or 47% of the stations we worked did not submit a log
  • Our best proportion worked was the Restricted (R) category where we worked 25% of the participating stations
  • Our lowest proportion worked was the Low Power (L) 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 8 stations (13%) submitted logs with less than 18 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 0 of these sub 18 QSO operations.

Table 7 – Participating Stations with 18 or More QSOs Worked on 4m

Class Number of Submitted Logs Worked
Worked
Open (O) 13 1 7.69%
Restricted (R) 20 5 25.00%
Low Power (L) 2 0 0.00%
Single Transmitter (MS) 4 1 25.00%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Open (FSO) 8 0 0.00%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Restricted (FSR) 7 1 14.29%
Checklogs 0 0 0.00%
TOTAL 54 8 14.81%

Ignoring our 0 contacts and the 8 sub 18 QSO operations our "hit rate" becomes 8 out of 54 or 15%.

Results

Results Section L 4m

Group Callsign Locator QSOs Score Best DX Points/QSO
Actual Normalised Station km
Andover RAC G0ARC/P IO91EH 62 11067 1000 9A3TN 1572 178.50
Fareham & DARC G3VEF/P IO91JA 26 4322 391 GM3HAM/P 474 166.23
South Bristol ARC G4WAW/P IO81RI 12 1418 128 GM3HAM/P 408 118.17

Our equipment problems didn’t help us at the start of the 4m operation when it might have been possible to catch some of the early stations on air. Hopefully if we get the chance to repeat this process in future years having the equipment ready to roll will give us better performance on this band.

2m Results

The results presented below have been determined following analysis of the unadjudicated 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 (2m)
Day Time (UTC) Hour QSOs %age of QSOs Deviation from Average QSOs/Hour Cumulative QSOs Cumulative %age of QSOs Cumulative QSOs/Hour
 
S
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r
d
a
y
 
14:00 – 15:00 1 20 19.23% 111.54% 20 19.23% 20.00
15:00 – 16:00 2 17 16.35% 79.81% 37 35.58% 18.50
16:00 – 17:00 3 10 9.62% 5.77% 47 45.19% 15.67
17:00 – 18:00 4 13 12.50% 37.50% 60 57.69% 15.00
18:00 – 19:00 5 6 5.77% -36.54% 66 63.46% 13.20
19:00 – 20:00 6 3 2.88% -68.27% 69 66.35% 11.50
20:00 – 21:00 7 1 0.96% -89.42% 70 67.31% 10.00
21:00 – 22:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 70 67.31% 10.00
22:00 – 23:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 70 67.31% 10.00
23:00 – 00:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 70 67.31% 10.00
 
S
u
n
d
a
y
 
00:00 – 01:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 70 67.31% 10.00
01:00 – 02:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 70 67.31% 10.00
02:00 – 03:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 70 67.31% 10.00
03:00 – 04:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 70 67.31% 10.00
04:00 – 05:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 70 67.31% 10.00
05:00 – 06:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 70 67.31% 10.00
06:00 – 07:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 70 67.31% 10.00
07:00 – 08:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 70 67.31% 10.00
08:00 – 09:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 70 67.31% 10.00
09:00 – 10:00 Shutdown 0 0.00% -100.00% 70 67.31% 10.00
10:00 – 11:00 8 2 1.92% -78.85% 72 69.23% 9.00
11:00 – 12:00 9 11 10.58% 16.35% 83 79.81% 9.22
12:00 – 13:00 10 13 12.50% 37.50% 96 92.31% 9.60
13:00 – 14:00 11 8 7.69% -15.38% 104 100.00% 9.45
TOTALS 104 100.00%  

As described in the main narrative we were shutdown for longer than the 8 hours that we normally close the station down for. Despite this the total number of contacts was into 3 figures. Probably because of the longer shutdown and possibly as a result of the flatter band conditions it took almost 4 hours for us to reach half of the total contacts made in the weekend.

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 (2m)
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 2490 124.50 16.29% -15.27% 2490 16.29%
15:00 – 16:00 2 2790 164.12 18.26% 11.69% 5280 34.55%
16:00 – 17:00 3 1348 134.80 8.82% -8.26% 6628 43.37%
17:00 – 18:00 4 2156 165.85 14.11% 12.86% 8784 57.48%
18:00 – 19:00 5 1287 214.50 8.42% 45.98% 10071 65.90%
19:00 – 20:00 6 1004 334.67 6.57% 127.75% 11075 72.47%
20:00 – 21:00 7 520 520.00 3.40% 253.88% 11595 75.87%
21:00 – 22:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 11595 75.87%
22:00 – 23:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 11595 75.87%
23:00 – 00:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 11595 75.87%
 
S
u
n
d
a
y
 
00:00 – 01:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 11595 75.87%
01:00 – 02:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 11595 75.87%
02:00 – 03:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 11595 75.87%
03:00 – 04:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 11595 75.87%
04:00 – 05:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 11595 75.87%
05:00 – 06:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 11595 75.87%
06:00 – 07:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 11595 75.87%
07:00 – 08:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 11595 75.87%
08:00 – 09:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 11595 75.87%
09:00 – 10:00 Shutdown 0 0.00 0.00% -100.00% 11595 75.87%
10:00 – 11:00 8 124 62.00 0.81% -57.81% 11719 76.68%
11:00 – 12:00 9 1346 122.36 8.81% -16.73% 13065 85.49%
12:00 – 13:00 10 1504 115.69 9.84% -21.27% 14569 95.33%
13:00 – 14:00 11 713 89.13 4.67% -39.35% 15282 100.00%
TOTALS 15282 146.94 100.00%  

The first 4 hours accounted for 57% of QSOs and 57% of the total points scored which is different from previous years where often the more frenetic opening period doesn’t result in as many valuable contacts. Shortening the analysis period to the first 2 hours shows a similar correlation with 35% of contacts and 35% of the total points scored. The evening period of 19:00 – 21:00 was good with 10% of the total points being derived from less than 4% of the QSOs. The early Sunday morning openings that we have made good use of in previous years were missed this year due to completing the 4m transverter construction.

Distances Worked

Tables 3 and 4, below, present a summary of the distances worked. The best DX on 2m was DF0MU at 682km

Table 3 – Distances Worked (2m)
Distance Number of Stations Worked Percentage of Stations Worked
Dist ≤ 1km 0 0.00%
1km < Dist ≤ 5km 1 0.96%
5km < Dist ≤ 10km 3 2.88%
10km < Dist ≤ 20km 7 6.73%
20km < Dist ≤ 50km 7 6.73%
50km < Dist ≤ 100km 26 25.00%
100km < Dist ≤ 200km 34 32.69%
200km < Dist ≤ 350km 18 17.31%
350km < Dist ≤ 500km 6 5.77%
500km < Dist ≤ 750km 2 1.92%
750km < Dist ≤ 1000km 0 0.00%
1000km < Dist ≤ 1500km 0 0.00%
1500km < Dist ≤ 2000km 0 0.00%
2000km < Dist 0 0.00%
TOTALS 104 100.00%

Distribution of Distances

Table 4 – Statistical Analysis of Distances Worked (2m)
Quantity Value Population
Mean Distance (km) 147  
Median Distance (km) 116  
Mode (km) 67 4
1 Standard Deviation 122.40 74.04%
2 Standard Deviation 244.81 96.15%
3 Standard Deviation 367.21 98.08%

The distribution of distances worked is essentially a typical "normal" distribution which is the pattern we have seen many times in the past. The average distance is down on the previous couple of years which confirms our observation that the band conditions were flat with no apparent Tropo and no noticeable Sporadic-E openings.

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 (2m)
Country Callsign Groups Number of Stations Worked Percentage of Total QSO
England G, GX, 2E, M, MX 81 77.88%
Special Events GB 0 0.00%
Isle of Man GD, GT, 2D, MD, MT 0 0.00%
Northern Irelend GI, GN, 2I, MI, MN 0 0.00%
Jersey GJ, GH, 2J, MJ, MH 0 0.00%
Scotland GM, GS, 2M, MM, MS 1 0.96%
Gurnsey GU, GP, 2U, MU, MP 0 0.00%
RSGB 2013 Centenary Stations GV, 2V, MV 0 0.00%
Wales GW, GC, 2W, MW, MC 13 12.50%
Club Stations (included above) GX, MX, GT, MT, GN, MN, GH, MH, GS, MS, GP, MP, GC, MC 1 0.96%
SUB-TOTAL United Kingdom Stations 95 91.35%
Table 5B – Non UK Stations Worked (2m)
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 1.92%
Cyprus 5B, C4 0 0.00%
Czech Republic OK, OL 0 0.00%
Denmark 5P, OZ 0 0.00%
Eire EI, EJ 2 1.92%
France (inc Overseas Territories) F, TM, TO, TX 4 3.85%
Germany DA, DB, DC, DD, DF, DG, DH, DJ, DK, DL, DP, DR 1 0.96%
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 0 0.00%
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 9 8.65%
Table 5C – Summary of Stations Worked (2m)
Country Callsign Groups Number of Stations Worked Percentage of Total QSO
SUB-TOTAL United Kingdom Stations 95 91.35%
SUB-TOTAL Non United Kingdom Stations 9 8.65%
TOTAL MATCHED All UK and Non UK Stations 104 100.00%
Unmatched Callsigns Possible Log Errors or Foreign Special Event or similar Stations 0 0.00%
FINAL TOTAL All Stations inc Unmatched Callsigns 104 100.00%

The low average distance is reflected in the countries worked with less than 9% of contacts being outside the UK. The number of European stations is lower than in the previous couple of years from Dundry but is not dissimilar to less recent years.

Location of Stations Worked on 2m

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 2019 – (2m Band) Log
Date (UTC) Time (UTC) Station Worked Band Mode Sent Received Locator Distance
(km)
Notes Points
RST Serial RST Serial
06/07/19 14:04 G4TCI 2m SSB 59 001 59 002 IO81oi 18   18
06/07/19 14:05 M0JCE 2m SSB 59 002 59 001 IO81mj 30   30
06/07/19 14:06 2E0WSR 2m SSB 59 003 59 002 IO81ge 67   67
06/07/19 14:07 G8SRC/P 2m SSB 59 004 59 003 IO91cl 54   54
06/07/19 14:14 G4DQB/M 2m SSB 59 005 57 003 IO82su 167   167
06/07/19 14:18 G4GTH/P 2m SSB 59 006 59 002 IO90dw 75   75
06/07/19 14:20 GW6TEO 2m SSB 59 007 59 002 IO71lp 177   177
06/07/19 14:21 M6EVR 2m SSB 59 008 59 001 IO81qm 20   20
06/07/19 14:22 M0TFO 2m SSB 59 009 59 002 IO81ti 12   12
06/07/19 14:29 G4PDS 2m SSB 59 010 59 006 IO80lr 78   78
06/07/19 14:29 G3LVP 2m SSB 59 011 59 008 IO81wv 67   67
06/07/19 14:33 G4ODA 2m SSB 59 012 59 010 IO92ws 229   229
06/07/19 14:36 G4ATH/P 2m SSB 59 013 59 013 IO83nu 279 REVERSE ERROR: Logged locator IO81PI 279
06/07/19 14:38 G6IPU/P 2m SSB 59 014 59 005 JO02qv 318   318
06/07/19 14:42 M0HFH/P 2m SSB 57 015 57 002 IO81sq 38   38
06/07/19 14:44 M0BB/P 2m SSB 59 016 57 021 IO91pk 128   128
06/07/19 14:45 G3MXH 2m SSB 59 017 59 015 JO02lf 260   260
06/07/19 14:46 G1YOY 2m SSB 59 018 59 002 IO81ql 16 REVERSE ERROR: Logged serial 19 16
06/07/19 14:48 EI7T/P 2m SSB 59 019 59 003 IO62ie 340 ERROR: Correct Locator IO62JI 0
06/07/19 14:53 G6DOD 2m SSB 59 020 59 018 IO90jr 117   117
06/07/19 15:00 G3USE 2m SSB 59 021 59 005 IO80jt 77   77
06/07/19 15:01 G0VLJ 2m SSB 59 022 57 003 IO80so 84   84
06/07/19 15:03 F4WCE/P 2m SSB 59 023 59 007 IN88cb 377   377
06/07/19 15:04 TM1MOON 2m SSB 59 024 59 010 IN88gn 318   318
06/07/19 15:10 G3IOI 2m SSB 59 025 59 001 IO81rj 5   5
06/07/19 15:11 G6WWY 2m SSB 59 026 59 004 IO80ms 72   72
06/07/19 15:12 GW1DTA 2m SSB 59 027 53 002 IO81aq 105   105
06/07/19 15:15 2E0FEH 2m SSB 56 028 55 001 IO70vj 159   159
06/07/19 15:20 G4CXQ/P 2m SSB 59 029 59 005 IO81mh 30   30
06/07/19 15:25 G8CKK 2m SSB 59 030 59 001 IO81rk 10   10
06/07/19 15:41 G4ZAP/P 2m SSB 59 031 55 104 JO01pu 271   271
06/07/19 15:44 EI9E/P 2m SSB 59 032 59 069 IO62om 319   319
06/07/19 15:50 M0NFD/P 2m SSB 59 033 59 059 IO94mj 355   355
06/07/19 15:53 G0ARC/P 2m SSB 59 034 59 070 IO91eh 64   64
06/07/19 15:55 G0FBB/P 2m SSB 59 035 59 055 JO01ld 245   245
06/07/19 15:57 G3PIA/P 2m SSB 59 036 59 044 IO91in 90   90
06/07/19 15:59 G3RCV/P 2m SSB 59 037 59 051 JO00ew 209   209
06/07/19 16:03 G0IVR/P 2m SSB 59 038 59 052 IO91hb 88   88
06/07/19 16:07 G4DMC 2m SSB 59 039 59 002 IO81wi 29   29
06/07/19 16:14 G4CTU 2m SSB 59 040 57 012 IO82uj 118   118
06/07/19 16:19 GC5BK/P 2m SSB 39 041 59 001 IO72pb 169   169
06/07/19 16:28 M0MWS 2m SSB 59 042 55 019 IO91cc 60   60
06/07/19 16:29 M0MSZ 2m SSB 59 043 59 002 IO91ai 41   41
06/07/19 16:39 G5LK/P 2m SSB 59 044 59 160 JO01qd 274   274
06/07/19 16:43 G0SAC/P 2m SSB 59 045 59 078 IO91xg 175   175
06/07/19 16:54 M5IC/P 2m SSB 59 046 59 036 JO01lh 244   244
06/07/19 16:58 M0NVS 2m SSB 59 047 57 022 IO91sr 150   150
06/07/19 17:01 G8OHM/P 2m SSB 59 048 59 103 IO92gb 109   109
06/07/19 17:06 DF0MU 2m SSB 59 049 59 189 JO32pc 682   682
06/07/19 17:13 GW3ZTT/P 2m SSB 59 050 57 109 IO82kw 181   181
06/07/19 17:16 G2BQY/P 2m SSB 59 051 59 067 IO81rf 14   14
06/07/19 17:18 M0RDK/P 2m SSB 59 052 57 071 IO91pd 130   130
06/07/19 17:28 G3VLG/P 2m SSB 59 053 54 062 IO92gd 116   116
06/07/19 17:33 M0HRF/P 2m SSB 59 054 59 131 JO01ja 236   236
06/07/19 17:48 G3ZME/P 2m SSB 59 055 59 090 IO82nn 137   137
06/07/19 17:49 G0KDV/P 2m SSB 59 056 54 038 JO01cj 191 ERROR: Correct RST 59 0
06/07/19 17:52 G3TCR/P 2m SSB 59 057 59 032 IO91jg 94   94
06/07/19 17:55 M0SWL 2m SSB 59 058 59 005 IO91di 58   58
06/07/19 17:57 G8BFV 2m SSB 59 059 59 005 IO81qe 20   20
06/07/19 17:59 G3SVJ/P 2m SSB 59 060 58 051 IO92xa 188   188
06/07/19 18:04 G5RV/P 2m SSB 59 061 59 037 IO90wv 177 REVERSE ERROR: Logged callsign G4WAW 177
06/07/19 18:18 F8KGU 2m SSB 59 062 59 225 JN19bq 379   379
06/07/19 18:35 GW3TKH 2m SSB 59 063 59 003 IO81jn 52   52
06/07/19 18:38 GM3HAM/P 2m SSB 59 064 58 091 IO74wv 408   408
06/07/19 18:52 M0IEP 2m SSB 59 065 59 025 IO91dp 67   67
06/07/19 18:59 G3CKR/P 2m SSB 59 066 59 171 IO93ad 204   204
06/07/19 19:01 G0OLE/P 2m SSB 59 067 59 014 IO93px 317   317
06/07/19 19:14 G2XV/P 2m SSB 59 068 59 030 JO02ah 208 REVERSE ERROR: Logged callsign G4WAW 208
06/07/19 19:28 ON4PRA/P 2m SSB 59 069 59 126 JO20dw 479   479
06/07/19 20:22 OR6T 2m SSB 59 070 59 227 JO20kv 520   520
07/07/19 10:15 M0VXX 2m SSB 59 071 55 108 IO82rj 116 ERROR: Correct callsign M0VXX/P 0
07/07/19 10:34 G8GRS/P 2m SSB 59 072 59 036 IO81qj 8   8
07/07/19 11:18 G8NDN 2m SSB 59 073 59 024 IO91gf 77   77
07/07/19 11:20 F4VQX 2m SSB 59 074 57 035 IN87lx 378   378
07/07/19 11:21 M1CJE/P 2m SSB 59 075 59 001 IO91cl 54   54
07/07/19 11:22 GW4IDF/P 2m SSB 59 076 59 011 IO81nv 65   65
07/07/19 11:24 G4AJA 2m SSB 59 077 59 010 IO91dp 67   67
07/07/19 11:35 G0RMG/P 2m SSB 59 078 59 017 IO82xj 121   121
07/07/19 11:38 G0SYI 2m SSB 59 079 59 002 IO81rk 10   10
07/07/19 11:41 M0BAO/P 2m SSB 59 080 59 013 IO80lv 62   62
07/07/19 11:48 G8JLY 2m SSB 59 081 59 045 IO82wg 106   106
07/07/19 11:50 G8HXE/P 2m SSB 56 082 56 019 IO83ro 251   251
07/07/19 11:54 GW4SHF 2m SSB 59 083 56 074 IO82hp 155   155
07/07/19 12:00 GW6KLQ/P 2m SSB 57 084 55 020 IO82hs 168   168
07/07/19 12:02 G4XWQ 2m SSB 57 085 59 010 IO71xb 110   110
07/07/19 12:03 G4XZL/P 2m SSB 59 086 59 024 IO90jo 126   126
07/07/19 12:04 G4YPC 2m SSB 59 087 55 017 IO91rh 140   140
07/07/19 12:05 GW4CC/P 2m SSB 59 088 59 026 IO71un 124   124
07/07/19 12:14 M0PPF 2m SSB 59 089 59 001 IO80mv 59   59
07/07/19 12:15 G0JPS 2m SSB 59 090 59 002 IO81rl 14   14
07/07/19 12:18 M0BUL 2m SSB 59 091 59 023 IO82ng 105   105
07/07/19 12:23 GW1MNU 2m SSB 59 092 59 007 IO71pu 160   160
07/07/19 12:28 G8LNR/A 2m SSB 59 093 59 014 IO81ur 46   46
07/07/19 12:41 GW3SRT/P 2m SSB 59 094 59 297 IO82lq 153   153
07/07/19 12:47 G8BGV/P 2m SSB 59 095 59 053 JO01hp 222   222
07/07/19 12:52 GW1YBB/P 2m SSB 59 096 59 094 IO81kw 77   77
07/07/19 13:20 G4RRA 2m SSB 59 097 59 038 IO80bs 114   114
07/07/19 13:24 G8MWU 2m SSB 59 098 59 013 IO91ij 87   87
07/07/19 13:31 M0AKT 2m SSB 59 099 59 001 IO91bn 52   52
07/07/19 13:34 2E0JWJ 2m SSB 59 100 59 003 IO81vg 25   25
07/07/19 13:37 2E0VCC/P 2m SSB 57 101 58 033 IO70sp 156   156
07/07/19 13:44 GW0SOO/P 2m SSB 59 102 55 021 IO81bs 104   104
07/07/19 13:49 G0XAE 2m SSB 59 103 57 047 IO81tt 53   53
07/07/19 13:59 G0GJV 2m SSB 59 104 56 048 IO91ok 122   122
TOTALS 104 15282 3 Contact(s) lost due to Log Errors 14635
Best DX (Pre-Adjudication) DF0MU 682km Error Rate = 2.88% -4.23%
Best DX (Post-Adjudication) DF0MU 682km  

Relatively few errors, the average for the band was 4.69% which we successfully improved upon. The points loss was higher than the error rate so sadly when we made errors we made them on longer distance contacts. That said such a low error rate will be hard to maintain in coming years.

Submitted Logs on 2m

The closing date for log submission was 14/07/2019. By this time some 92 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 on 2m

Class Number of Submitted Logs Worked
Number Percentage
Open (O) 16 13 81.25%
Restricted (R) 19 16 84.21%
Low Power (L) 8 1 12.50%
Single Transmitter (MS) 5 3 60.00%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Open (FSO) 7 1 14.29%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Restricted (FSR) 37 10 27.03%
Checklogs 0 0 0.00%
TOTAL 92 44 47.83%

The headline analysis of this information is as follows:

  • We worked 44 or 48% of the stations taking part or submitting checklogs
  • 60 or 58% of the stations we worked did not submit a log
  • Our best proportion worked was the Restricted (R) category where we worked 84% of the participating stations
  • Our lowest proportion worked was the Checklogs 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 14 stations (15%) submitted logs with less than 13 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 2 of these sub 13 QSO operations.

Table 7 – Participating Stations with 13 or More QSOs Worked on 2m

Class Number of Submitted Logs Worked
Number Percentage
Open (O) 16 13 81.25%
Restricted (R) 19 16 84.21%
Low Power (L) 7 1 14.29%
Single Transmitter (MS) 4 3 75.00%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Open (FSO) 6 1 16.67%
Fixed Station Sweepers: Restricted (FSR) 26 8 30.77%
Checklogs 0 0 0.00%
TOTAL 78 42 53.85%

Ignoring our 2 contacts and the 14 sub 13 QSO operations our "hit rate" becomes 42 out of 78 or 54%.

Results

Results Section L 2m

Group Callsign Locator QSOs Score Best DX Points/QSO
Actual Normalised Station km
Worksop ARS G3RCW/P IO93EP 90 18658 1000 DK3T 713 207.31
Milton Keynes ARS M5MK/P IO92RA 88 14769 792 DF0MU 536 167.83
South Bristol ARC G4WAW/P IO81RI 101 14635 784 DF0MU 682 144.90
Mid-Sussex ARS G5RV/P IO90WV 81 12965 695 GI4SNA 567 160.06
Spalding & DARS G4DSP/P IO92UQ 57 11150 598 DF0MU 519 195.61
Fareham & DARC G3VEF/P IO91JA 52 10174 545 DK3T 682 195.65
Southport & DARC G2OA/P IO83PN 56 9955 534 F8KGU 545 177.77
Central England CG M0IOX/P IO92EL 29 3545 190 GM3HAM/P 316 122.24
Ardiffery VHF Group GM8ZKU/P IO97BJ 4 1915 103 G0ARC/P 677 478.75

A solid third place and within striking distance of second place is as good as any result we’ve achieved in previous years.

Overall Results Section Low Power

Club 50MHz 70MHz 144MHz 432MHz 1.2GHz Total
South Bristol ARC G4WAW/P 1000 G4WAW/P 128 G4WAW/P 784         1912
Fareham & DARC G3VEF/P 134 G3VEF/P 391 G3VEF/P 545         1070
Spalding & DARS         G4DSP/P 598 G4DSP/P 356     954
Mid-Sussex ARS         G5RV/P 695 G5RV/P 88     783
Central England CG         M0IOX/P 190         190
Ardiffery VHF Group GM8ZKU/P 32     GM8ZKU/P 103         135

Top of the table! What more can be said we have won the Albert Watts Trophy, a first for the Club.