432MHz AFS 2008

After the excellent conditions during last year's contest, things were back to normal this year. Conditions were described as `dreadful' and `diabolical', and `Worst conditions ever!' Despite this, entry level was only slightly down on last year.

Entries were received from twelve affiliated society teams. Chesham and District Amateur Radio Society A team were clear winners, making it three wins in a row. They therefore retain the G0ODQ Trophy. Colchester Radio Amateurs took second place with a two-man team.

The Open section was won by 2006 winner Dave Gilligan G1OGY/P, improving on his second place last year. David Wood G4CQR/P took second place.

The clear winner in the Single Operator Fixed section was 2006 winner Keith Tatnall G4ODA. Matthew Cabban G0XDI took second place.

The following stations also receive certificates:

Matthew Wilkinson M3WDS/P was leading Foundation licensee
Colin Potter M0DDT was leading fixed station running 25W or less to a single antenna

Thanks to 2E0BMG for his checklog.

Bob Edgar G0KYS

Single Operator Fixed
Pos	Callsign	Locator	QSOs	Score	ODX Call	ODX Kms	Power	Ant	Equipment	Group
*1	G4ODA	IO92WS	61	14,494	DF2VJ	624	400	2x28Y	TS850+Tvr
*2	G0XDI	IO91RQ	53	8,918	DO3VG	574	100	2x19Y	TS811A	Chesham & DARS
3	G3MEH	IO91QS	51	8,227	DF2VJ	599	250	2x21Y	FT1000+Tvr	Chesham & DARS
4	G0ODQ	IO91MR	52	7,313	DG1KJG	572	200	21Y	FT736R	Chesham & DARS
5	G4DEZ	JO03AE	29	6,221	DF2VJ	643	400	4x28Y	IC910
6	G4ZTR	JO01KW	34	5,567	GI6ATZ	531	50	2x21Y	FT847	Colchester RA
7	G0VFW	IO91RR	32	3,599	DG1KJG	543	45	2x21Y	IC910	Chesham & DARS
8	G0AJJ	JO02QT	12	3,333	DK1PIU	588	50	21Y	IC910	Bittern DX Group
9	M5BFL	IO91OO	25	2,995	F5HGO	698	75	21Y	IC910	Chesham & DARS
10	G8JXV	IO91WE	24	2,344	G1HLT	230	120	48el MBM	FT736R	Reigate ATS
11	G0MJW	IO91JO	18	1,975	GM0USI	519	100	N/A	N/A	Harwell ARS
12	G0ADH	IO91KO	18	1,013	G4ZTR	143	50	15Y	FT847	Harwell ARS
*13	M0DDT	IO91JR	11	896	F8BRK	287	20	21Y	IC970H	Harwell ARS
14	G2BOF	IO91VI	14	769	G4ODA	158	50	13Y	FT847	Sutton & Cheam RS
15	G8LZE	IO91SO	10	530	G4DEZ	180	50	Multibeam	TS2000
16	M0GNW	IO91IP	10	413	G1OGY/P	127	20	Vert	FT100D	Harwell ARS
17	G1WAC	IO92BJ	7	375	G4ODA	126	75	21Y	IC910	Wythall RC
18	M0CFR	IO91TJ	7	267	G1OGY/P	68	40	Vert	Icom	Sutton & Cheam RS
19	G0MTN	IO92BJ	2	53	G8JAY/P	52	20	FT857	Vert	Wythall RC
20	M0CNP	JO02PV	1	11	G0AJJ	11	50	LogP	FT726	Bittern DX Group
Open
Pos	Callsign	Locator	QSOs	Score	ODX Call	ODX Kms	Power	Ant	Equipment	Group
*1	G1OGY/P	JO01GO	63	12,291	DL5FN	582	400	2x21Y	FT847	Colchester RA
*2	G4CQR/P	JO00DR	42	8,744	DF2VJ	500	100	19Y	TS2000	Sutton & Cheam RS
3	G3WHK	IO91VJ	38	4,756	DF2VJ	557	130	24Y	IC910	Sutton & Cheam RS
4	G0LGS/P	IO81XV	37	3,739	DG1KJG	648	75	23Y	IC910HX	Cheltenham ARA
5	G8JAY/P	IO91AW	32	3,403	DG1KJG	643	20	21Y	FT857	Cheltenham ARA
6	G8CUL	IO91JO	27	3,011	DG1KJG	587	40	21Y	FT726R	Harwell ARS
7	M0DDC/P	JO01AG	16	1,170	G0LGS/P	160	5	6Y	FT817	Dengie Hundred ARS
*8	M3WDS/P	IO81XW	9	382	G3MEH	100	10	12Y	FT897	Cheltenham ARA

AFS Results

Pos	Affiliated Society	Callsign	Score	Norm	Callsign	Score	Norm	Callsign	Score	Norm	Total
*1	Chesham & DARS A	G0XDI	8,918	726	G3MEH	8,227	1,000	G0ODQ	7,313	1,000	2,726
*2	Colchester RA	G1OGY/P	12,291	1,000	G4ZTR	5,567	677			0	1,677
3	Sutton & Cheam RS A	G4CQR/P	8,744	711	G3WHK	4,756	578	G2BOF	769	105	1,395
4	Cheltenham ARA	G0LGS/P	3,739	304	G8JAY/P	3,403	414	M3WDS/P	382	52	770
5	Chesham & DARS B	G0VFW	3,599	293	M5BFL	2,995	364			0	657
6	Harwell ARS A	G8CUL	3,011	245	G0MJW	1,975	240	G0ADH	1,013	139	624
7	Bittern DX Group	G0AJJ	3,333	271	M0CNP	11	1			0	273
8	Reigate ATS	G8JXV	2,344	191			0			0	191
9	Harwell ARS B	M0DDT	896	73	M0GNW	413	50			0	123
10	Dengie Hundred ARS	M0DDC/P	1,170	95			0			0	95
11	Wythall RC	G1WAC	375	31	G0MTN	53	6			0	37
12	Sutton & Cheam RS B	M0CFR	267	22			0			0	22
*Certificate Winners

Comments from the logs

G0ADH

Very poor conditions. At times the band seemed almost blank.

G0AJJ

Wet & windy, very little activity heard. Hope for better conditions next time.

G0LGS/P

Poor band, low activity level.

G0MTN

Heard G1OGY/P but not worked. No-one else heard

G0VFW

Worst conditions ever! Struggled to work outside IO91 square!! Where were all the DX stations?

G0XDI

Conditions were very very flat with reasonable activity. Very little activity from DL and PA

G1OGY/P

Cold! If dry and sunny. Had final aerial work and mast raising to do on arrival (forgot a critical N-type joiner on Saturday!). Then spent 15 mins trying to remember how to work the logger. Much multipath, ferocious QSB; yet every now and again, silly propogation - DL5FN (ODX) off the back of the beam!

G3MEH

It was back to business as usual after last year's bonanza. Average conditions, deep QSB.

G4CQR/P

Poor

G4DEZ

Diabolical conditions yet again. Seemed to be a wall across country didn't hear much at all from South.

G4ODA

Deep and rapid QSB, good start with activity from F. Much slower later.

G8CUL

Conditions dreadful lots of QSB made worse by failing masthead preamp!

G8JAY/P

Cold and Windy, little activity.

G8JXV

My impression is that, if everyone who had been active in this contest in

G8LZE

Worked all I could hear, aerial improvements required.

M0CNP

Quite abysmal

M0DDC/P

Enjoyed the contest with QRP. Cold but good weather in SE. Some signals, local and distant had a curious 'auroral' quality.

M0GNW

only 70cm antenna at present is vertical the last 3 years were to all enter in the same year, we would have quite a lively contest! As it was, conditions were poor and it was rather quiet.