THANKS TO THE AMATEURS AROUND THE WORLD WHO CALLED AND WORKED US
PRELIMINARY SCORE OF WWDX SSB 1999
CQ WORLD WIDE DX CONTEST --
1999
Call:
IG9A
Country: African Italy
Mode:
SSB Category:
Multi Multi
BAND
QSO QSO PTS PTS/QSO ZONES
COUNTRIES
160
1252 3724
2.97 24
95
80
2567 7658
2.98 34
123
40
3079 9188
2.98 39
141
20
5392 16097
2.99 40
186
15
4052 12055
2.98 40
182
10
4768 14213
2.98 40
183
---------------------------------------------------
Totals 21110 62935
2.98 217 910 =>
70,927,745
The IG9A result is great because....
the MCC (Marconi Contest Club) planned the MM from IG9 about one year ago with the symple purpose to have fun and to check if Lampedusa island is really a strategical place for contesting.
We also wanted to learn what has to be upgraded in the 1999 setup for the year 2000 to became really competitive in the case the island proved to be competitive along the solar maximum as we thought possible.
With such preface, none of us could imagine to already break the 70M barrier this year at the first attempt, and not to have had any serious problem during the contest in a complex category like the MM were the individuals were yes, skilled and experienced contest operators, but the team really a rookie entrant.
Rumors place IG9A claimed score not far behind the top MM one but well ahead historical leaders and past MM all time records.
We are much more than .... happy !
Band by band setup overview
The 160 meters were performed by IV3YYK and SV8CS using a vertical radiator with 100 radials and 4 beverage antennas with. Lampedusa benefits of a strategical position for 160m, it's not just that world record belongs to IV3TAN. The trasmitting antenna used at IG9A is close to the best possible vertical placing a huge signal in most places of the world. The reception is sometimes not so easy because of big QRM by nearby stations (marine commercial included) and weak stations are often below the receiver noise.
The 80 meters band from Lampedusa is symply a wonder, unbelievable. The first hour in last SSB WWDX was in excess of 220 per hour ! IT9EQO, 9A6A and I4AVG, the 80 meters operators, installed toghether 6 different receiving beverages each one some 200m long. The transmitting aerial was a full size quarter wave against a 108 radials ground plane.
The 40 meters band, operated by I4VEQ, IK2NCJ and IK2JUB is also great from Lampedusa.The effort to install a huge 4 element yagi payed us back with another big band score. A single loop antenna was the 40m secondary aerial.
The 20 meters band, performed by I4UFH, IV3TAN, I2EOW and IK4UPB begin to be less favoured than 160 40 and 80 from Lampedusa. The 1999 setup, a 205CA on a 12 meter tower plus a rotary 2 elements delta loop wasn't probably the best possible to overcome the geographical gaps and better fitting the needs of IG9. There is room for future improvements.
The 15 meters band, operated by I4JMY, IK4MTF, IK2QEI and I2VXJ (the last two are the MCC selected team for the WRTC2000) used 2 home made antennas. A long boom yagi on a 12 meters high telescoping pole, just on the cliffs edge, and a 3 elements Quad at a lower height and farther from the cliff to cover other elevation angles. In spite of the great gain performance of the yagi and the quiet reception of the quad, also this band is perfectible in term of antennas. Although quite competitive, the 15 meters band "suffers" the latitude by night and the lack of the people "trapped" on a sparkling 10 meters band.
The 10 meters band, performed by IT9GSF, IK2SGC, IK2SFZ and IV3TRK, used a stacking of 2x5 element yagis. The IT9GSF switch box design made possible thet antennas could be fed separately, lower or higher, toghether toward the same direction, toghether but different directions. The 10 meter band, in spite of the great conditions, is that one were the distance from equator produces shorter opening periods and marginal night openings if compared to other locations.
Antenna installations and dismantling
Lampedusa climate was quite hot and humid, themperature ranged from a lowest 22�C, by night, to a noon themperature of 35�C or even more. Humidity was often close to 100% and, in the days without wind the installing operations were quite heavy to be performed.
The sun was shooting his rays meanwhile antennas were assembled and erected and white skin people or wisely kept shirt and used protective creams or got red and burned. No excuses was anyway accepted because everything has to be ready two days before the contest. Because of that we had a full week in which we started working at 7:30 AM and finished in the total darkness, around 8:00 PM, without any stop.
If building an antenna farm in a few days starting from nothing is a deal, dismantling everything in less than 24 hours when contest finishes, is a real challange. Luckily for us Antonello, IT9EQO had available a small trunk with a 12 meter pneumatic crane. So, a number of antennas easily reached the top of collapsed telescoping towers (wonderful telescoping aluminium pieces made by the Delta Mike) or came down from them in a relatively short time.
Most of us were afraid (to be too tired) by dismantling just after the contest end. The big score reached and the first rumors heard "live" from the real 3830 kept everybody adrenaline level so high that we started dismantling works without problems at about 01:00 GMT.
About 15 hours later there was no sign left a competitive MM station had been there.