October 2019 UHF Contest

This year was rather better than last year, despite torrential rain on the Sunday for much of the day. This helped with medium distance contacts on 5.7GHz and 10GHz, but the rain was too low and too absorbtive for any real DX to be worked. Otherwise it was all down to aircraft scatter for DX working.

I had a problem with high VSWR on 432MHz. Investigating after the contest this turned out to be a corrosion related failure in the driven element of the M2 28ele yagi, which has been up on the tower for over 20 years. As a result the actual output power to the antenna was quite limited, so during a few short spells of operation I was pleased to work OK2A (JO60), DL0GTH (JO50), DL1SUZ (JO53) DK2GR (JN59) and DF0XG (JO51).

1.3GHz was a success, with over 100 QSOs in the log. Aircraft Scatter provided the DX, including OK2A, DF4IAO, DL0GTH, DR5T, DF0XG, DG8NCO, DK0NA, OZ9PZ, DL1SUZ, DK2AN. Most pleasing was to get an all time new square in the log in the form of EI2FG in IO61 with a good AS signal from his EME system.

Working over 40 stations on 2.3GHz was very welcome, at one stage on Saturday afternoon I even had a pile up direct on 13cm, working 6 stations in 5 minutes. AS provided the DX, contacts over 500km were GM4JTJ, DL0GTH, DK0LN, DL3YCW, and DL3IAE.

9cm saw good activity this year, the best QSOs were AS with DL0GTH, DL3IAE, and DK0LN all beyond the 500km mark.

5.7GHz seems a bit of a Cinderella band, capable of good results but with low activity. No French stations seemed to be QRV within range, but at least there were two good AS contacts with DL0GTH and DL3IAE as compensation.

I seem to have a below par receiver on 3cm, several tests failed where I couldn't find the other station even though they heard me, including one with a station running 30W. I think a rebuild on this band is needed for 2020. Best DXwas DL0LN (JO31).

73

John G3XDY

Results:

Band (MHz)

QSOs

Claimed Score

Best DX

Locator

Distance (km)

432

24

10683

OK2A

JO60JJ

827

1296

102

34576

OK2A

JO60JJ

827

2320

41

11899

DL0GTH

JO50JP

684

3400

18

5355

DL0GTH

JO50JP

684

5760

10

2914

DL0GTH

JO50JP

684

10368

21

4986

DL0LN

JO31QX

422

 

 

 

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