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 excellent results. 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 also is close to the best possible placing a huge signal in most places of the world. The reception is instead not so easy because of a big QRM of nearby stations (marine commercial included) and weak stations (or that using marginally efficient antennas) are often below the receiver ground floor even if they hear us so well.

The 80 meters band from Lampedusa is symply a wonder, unbelievable. The first hour rate was in excess of 220 ! IT9EQO, 9A6A and I4AVG, the 80 meters operators, installed toghether 6 different receiving beverages each one some 200m long. The transmitting aerial is a full size quarter wave against a 108 radials ground plane.

The 40 meters band is also great from Lampedusa and the effort to install a huge 4 element yagi was payed back by another great band score. A single loop antenna was the 40m secondary aerial.

The 20 meters band start to be a less favoured than 160 40 and 80 and the 1999 setup, a 205CA on a 12 meter tower plus a rotary 2 elements delta loop wasn't probably the best possible to fit the needs of IG9.

The 15 meters band had 2 antennas, a long boom yagi on a 12 meters supporting pole and a 3 elements quad. 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, "suffered" the latitude and the lack of people due probably to the big opening of 10m.

The 10 meters band was a stacking of 2 antennas were the 5 element yagis could be fed separately, toghether and same direction, toghether but different directions. The 10 meter band is that were the distance from equator is felt most in term of shorter opening periods and marginal night openings.