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Islands on the Air Contest, July 2001
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IOTA, Two Single-Operator 12-hour entries, 28-29th July 2001.
Phillimore Garden Centre, Cambridge Road, Melbourn, Royston, Herts. NGR TL 393 461
2001 was a difficult year for contesting in the UK. Foot and mouth disease had made all public land and private farmland out of bounds. Things were so bad that the RSGB cancelled some contests early in the year. We wanted to operate the IARU HF Championship from Debden Airfield but the Army couldn't let us on the airfield.
As the year progressed the RSGB insisted that field stations like ours get written permission from land-owners to set up a station. We looked around for a site and eventually Andy got permission from a Garden centre with an adjacent caravan park in time for the IOTA contest. Written permission from there was no problem. It turned out to be the hottest day of the year, and quite a contest.
When we were setting up we realised shortly before the start that there was some software or hardware (I can't remember what it was in particular), that meant we couldn't network our computers together.
That meant we couldn't spot for each other, so we (quickly) agreed to share the station, and the time available, and put in two single-op 12 hour entries.
Simon helped to set up and the contest was operated by Mark & Andy.
Calls were: Andy G4KNO/P and Mark G4AXX/P.
Here's the detail of one of the summary sheets.
2001 ISLANDS ON THE AIR CONTEST
Call used: G4AXX/P Location: EU005
Category: Single Op All Band 12 hour
Mode: PHONE Power: 400W
Callsign of Operator: G4AXX
Exchanged Information: G4AXX/P 59nnn EU005
Hours of Operation: 11:39
ON-OFF TIMES
ON 1405 28/07/2001 -> OFF 1559 28/07/2001
ON 1907 28/07/2001 -> OFF 2359 28/07/2001
ON 0504 29/07/2001 -> OFF 0800 29/07/2001
ON 1002 29/07/2001 -> OFF 1159 29/07/2001
band CW QSOs CW pts CW muls SSB QSOs SSB pts SSB muls
---------------------------------------------------------------------
80 0 0 0 14 150 10
40 0 0 0 61 519 23
20 0 0 0 215 1233 42
15 0 0 0 365 1863 43
10 0 0 0 194 1062 30
---------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL 0 0 0 849 4827 148
( 4827 ) QSO points x ( 148 ) multipliers = 714,396 points
Club or Team Name: Granta Contest Group
Equipment
80m 3 phased vertical dipoles
40m 2-element monoband yagi at 26m (85ft)
20m 3-element monoband yagi at 26m (85ft)
15m 3-element monoband yagi at 27.5m (90ft)
10m 4-element monoband yagi at 12m (40ft)
Radio FT1000MP, Linear FL2100Z, logger NA 10.52
F&M restrictions meant we couldn't use our usual military airfield
QTH this time, so we found a field next to a caravan site belonging
to a friendly Garden Centre. It was £10 a night and we used the 16A
caravan site mains. Take off was flat in all directions at only 20m
ASL.
What a brilliant contest, had a great time, and boy was it HOT!
Participation seems to have increased and the bands were in excellent
shape.
High points were working VK & ZL, on 15m, 90 minutes after sunset and
again, on 20m, 90 minutes after sunrise.
Finishing off the contest racing through a pileup was superb.
I have observed all competition rules as well as all regulations for
amateur radio in my country. My report is correct and true to the
best of my knowledge. I agree to be bound by the decisions of the
contest committee.
Date 1st Aug 2001 Signature Mark Marsden Call G4AXX
Click on a thumbnail below to see a larger picture. |
The Strumech M100 tower. |
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Detail of the 15m feed. |
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Detail of the 20m feed. |
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Andy fitting 40m onto the 20m boom. |
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Andy operating. |
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The packed Range Rover. Most of the kit is stored in grey boxes. |
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Andy & Simon using up loads of tape. |
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The 20m gamma match. |
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The Ham V rotator. |
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Winching up the tilt-over tower. |
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Winching up the tilt-over tower. |
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The tower base. |
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A salad of coax. |
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Winching up the tilt-over tower. |
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The certificate from the RSGB. |
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Julia enjoying the atmosphere. |
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The view from across the field. |
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It was a hot day. |
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It reached 32.2'C. |
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The antennas. |
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10m on one rotator, ... |
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... 40, 20 & 15m on the other. |
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Mark (L) & Andy (R) getting the 40ft pneumatic mast ready. |
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Mark setting up the radios. |
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View from the paddock end. |
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Simon raising the tilt-over mast. |
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One of the guy stakes and our tents. |
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One of the 80m slopers can be seen in the top of this photo. |
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The cabin. |
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We needed that water. |