RSGB / IARU - March 144MHz & 432MHz Contest March 7th/8th 2015

On March 7th & 8th the RSGB & IARU R1 - 144 MHz & 432MHz International Trophy Contest took place. I was out active with The BlackSheep Contest and DX Group under the callsign "G8T" from Locator square JO01KJ and first time in several years that the Blacksheep Contest and DX group entered this contest. There was a lot of preparations to be made for this contest so I arrived on the site Thursday Night with half the group and helped the Team put together our station for the weekend. We worked hard all day Friday and finally got all antenna systems built and working by Saturday afternoon just in time for the start of the contest at 14:00UTC.

Below some pictures of the antennas we setup for this contest:

2M Shack and my Tent for sleeping

The 2M Arrays

4 x 10 Element Yagis on 2M

2 x 14 Element Yagis on 2M

6 x 3 Element Yagis on 2M

4 x 17 Element Yagis on 70cm

As for the contest conditions on the 2m band they were up towards OK/OE and F/EA on the Saturday but very flat on the Sunday and as for the 70cm band, conditions were up towards OZ/DL on the Saturday but same as 2m very flat on Sunday. 

We finished up the contest with the following claimed score:

144MHz:

695 QSO's with 397 Points Per QSO - Totaling 275,837 Points, ODX - EB1DBP @ 1136km

432MHz:

171 QSO's with 335 Points Per QSO - Totaling 57,310 Points, ODX - OZ1SKY @ 821km

Once again got to say a big Thank you to all the Team in the Blacksheep Contest group for inviting me along again to contest with them, it certainly was a fantastic experience and a great weekend. Looking forward to the next one and as always thanks to all for QSOs and the points.

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UPDATE

March 144/432 MHz 2015

The Hepburn forecast was enticing during the week leading up to the event. In the end the forecast proved optimistic. However there were enhanced conditions particularly during Saturday evening. On 144MHz many stations were working into the further reaches of DL, OE, OK and SM. Additionally there were lifts into EA between 8 and 9pm on Saturday and between 7am and 1pm on Sunday. The number of contacts made by G8T was the highest by some margin in the 16 years that I have adjudicated this contest. On 432MHz the enhanced condition were into DL and OZ.

On 144MHz 99 squares were worked. There were 15 QSOs greater than 1000kms and a further 18 QSOs between 900 and 1000kms. The best contact was between GD8EXI and EA1EWY/P at 1175kms.

On 432MHz 60 squares were active. There were 8 contacts over 800kms and a further 27 between 700 and 800kms. The best contact was between G3M and OZ9GE at 899kms.

The March contest is rarely benign weather wise and this year there were strong and gusty winds across the UK and rain affected some portable stations.

Overall entry levels rose considerably and were 48% up on 2014. Most noticeable was the increase in single operator fixed stations participating in the 24 hour section.

Congratulations go to:
The Blacksheep Contest Group, G8T, who won the open section;

Keith, G4ODA, who won the single operator fixed section;

Richard, G4WFR/P, for winning the single operator others section;

The Drowned Rats CG, M0HRF/P, who won the six-hour open section;

Richard, GD8EXI, who won the six-hour single operator fixed section for the second year running;

All other band winners and runners up, who together with stations identified, will receive certificates.

Roger Dixon, G4BVY