The 1999 IOTA Contest, my first IOTA Contest, has been my best contest experience so far, in my amateur radio life! I am very glad this has been possible and I want to say "GRAZIE" to my wife Graziella, for her support before, during and after this adventure. She has been very patient with me and this helped me to be concentrated on the competition and mentally well prepared.

Before the contest I had the possibility to look at the SV9/G4ZFE log of the '98 IOTA contest (thanks Richard for your kindness) as well as at the SV9/IK2QEI operation's log in august '98 (thanks a lot Stefano). Even if the propagation conditions have changed since last year, I had the opportunity to figure out an operating band plan in advance, and to verify it on site, during my stay on the spot the two weeks before the contest.

Together with all the contesters out there, I was expecting better conditions on 10 meters: that band was eventually really bad during the days of the contest. Without an antenna for 80 meters, I knew my chances were to look at 15, 20 and 40. The week before the contest I had a lot of noise on 40 meters, almost always ranging between S7 and S9 and over. The vertical antenna catch a lot of noise but all the SV9 hams that I met during my stay there told me that the Heraklion area is quite noisy and the RF pollution is also high, due to a lot of civil and military transmitting installations. I didn't feel good for 40, even if I had a quite positive check the two days before the contest. I certainly made a big mistake any way when, staying too long on 20, I switched too late to 40, probably (or surely) loosing all those JA and mults that are missing from my log on that band! I arrived in the room ten minutes before the start and switched on the radio. I went on 15 (following my band plan, I had decided to start there) listening a bit around and the band showed crowdy enough. I found then an acceptable frequency and, 5 minutes before the start, launched a CQ. I worked 8 stations, among them G5MY and UY5ZI that, I suppose, remained there since I worked them few minutes later while giving me their #1 in the contest. At 1159Z I switched the TR Log to the IOTA file, while keeping the frequency alive with the keypad and started my first, long, CQ TEST. Looking at the clock I stopped the CQ just at 1200Z. IK2QEI, my very good friend Stefano, called in immediately (what a nice surprise) and I gave him the #1. The game was on, at last! I really appreciated IK2QEI call, since we have been in contact for many days before, and this fact pushed me right in the play. The pile-up started almost immediately and it was very nice to have so many callers! The first hour was my best ever hour, with 108 QSOs and 7 mult. I never imagined that could have been that way. Of course the next hours went on at different rates (very different indeed) but, no doubt, that was really a good start.

Working the multipliers was sometime discouraging while some other time exciting. I was back again on 15 around 20Z when OH0V/P called in with a booming signal. After the exchange I ask him to QSY to 20. He said yes and we went there. After the QSO on 20 he said we should try 40. We went there too and also that mult was OK. Then he said to try 80. I had no idea at that time, not even a qso already done on that band! We tried. The chosen frequency was very QRMed but after 3 attempts, while he was working other stations already, he picked me up and my first, and only, 80 meters mult was done. OH0V/P, operated by Jukka OH6LI, has been very kind and smart. Many thanks to him and to his skill. Later on the story was different. I was on 40 when a station from EU128 gets in. It was a good new one for me, and after the reports I asked him PSE QSY to 80. I still do not understand the answer, but he replied: SRI NO SSB. For sure, I was not sleeping. After a laugh, I went on. Oh, well, that's the life!

Before starting the contest I set my goals , and sticked them in front of me on the wall mirror, having set intermediate goals also, to closely monitor the trend of the performance. The final objectives were, along with the already achieved result, the followings: Item Goal Claimed Final IOTA 1999 QSOs 1200+ 1321 1317 Multipliers 100+ 108 108 Score 700.000+ 737.824 737.748 Final Rank # 1 - 5 World #? (100watt) World #5 World #2 (100watt) I thought they were ambitious before starting and I still think they really were. Looking at the results , were those goals too easy? Was I lucky enough to have reached them all? For sure I am really satisfied both for what I have done and for the final result. By the way the very last and most important goal is verified NOW ! Still have to wait to judge the overall performance but I had a lot of fun, and this has to be well considered. It was exciting working the pile-up and my first time "on the right side" has really been a pleasure. Thanks to all who called and gave me their points.

Bob, I2WIJ/J49WI
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