The results of this March contest have been released.
In the low power section, I am about half way up the table. Only staying on for a fraction of the time because of my poor voice and omni antenna, this is quite pleasing.
Not scientifically, my impression is there is reduced activity in this contest, whereas there seems to be increased activity in the FT8 activity test.
Last evening was the June 2023 2m activity contest (UKAC).
Conditions were well up, but I found it very hard work with my 2.5W to the big-wheel omni. I guess this is a combination of several factors. Firstly, my low ERP is obviously a handicap with stronger signals being copied over me. Secondly, I have a very poor voice, not cut out to "outshout" others. Thirdly, I have no compressor, so my signal lacks punch.
In the end 6 stations were worked before I gave up. These days, I find FT8 easier as I do not need to "outshout" other stations. To be honest, I am no longer attracted to VHF/UHF voice contests.
Unless I have my dates mixed up, the RSGB organised 4m activity contest is this Thursday evening. Last month I forgot! It starts at 1900z (8pm UK clock time).
So far, I have been disappointed by activity levels on 4m, so I hope it is better for the UKAC. Maybe more people pop up in the Es season. I live in hope.
Assuming I remember (must put alarm on, HI) I shall give it a go.
The map shows the activity on 70cm FT8 well before the UK contest starts!
My antenna is just a 2m big-wheel omni too!
The May leg of the RSGB organised activity contest on 2m is tonight starting at 1900z. Activity levels are usually good with portables on hilltops.
It lasts (I think) for 2.5 hours although with my QRP, omni antenna and poor voice I am usually on less than an hour.
This really does not feel like a contest. It is more a way to stimulate activity and work squares.
This contest starts at 1900z tonight. I usually go on with my 2.5W to my 2m big-wheel omni antenna for about 30 minutes. I may well stay on RX until much later in the evening to see which stations come through.
After copying no stations at all (!) I gave up. I expect the next 70cm FT8 activity contest will be much better!
Last Tuesday was the activity contest organised by the RSGB. My incredible score (I am joking!!) has just been submitted as I almost forgot. Tomorrow evening is the 70cm activity contest.
The impression I am getting is interest in this contest is waning with the FT8 contest on the following evening doing better. This is pity as it is a very "un"contest contest with people happy to see the activity levels up. I have been taking part for several years.
Tonight is the 70cm leg of the 70cm activity contest organised by the RSGB. It starts at 2000z. I usually go on SSB for about 45 minutes with 10W to the 2m big-wheel omni antenna. As it sounds rough outside, I expect conditions to be flat.
Not sure about you, but I am all mixed up over the days of the week! I thought yesterday was Tuesday.
Tonight is the first 2m activity contest organised by the RSGB. I usually stay on for less than an hour and enter the low power section with my ICOM IC-705 and big-wheel omni antenna.
See https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/contest_rules.pl?contest=2mukac .
The results have just been published for the 2m UKAC contest. These results are for December and the overall scores for the year. Despite just one QSO in December, I managed to end up in 67th place in the low power section (I run 10W to my big-wheel omni antenna) out of 175 stations. As my voice is poor these days, I find SSB contests hard work, so I usually stop on for 30-60 minutes only.
 |
| 5W pep QRP 2m SSB contacts last evening |
I think tonight is the FT8 activity contest. I sometimes go on, but rarely submit results.
UPDATE 1301z: My VHF power max was set to 5W, so last night all my QSOs were with 5W pep, not 10W!!
Results for this activity contest organised by the RSGB have just been published.
See https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/vhfresults.pl?Contest=432MHz%20UKAC&year=2022 .
The RSGB has just published the latest update to the results of the 70cm activity contest (UKAC). Even though I only made a small handful of contacts, my position is up!
See https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/vhfresults.pl?Contest=432MHz%20UKAC&Date=&year=2022 .
Later I need to check, but usually the first Tuesday of the month is the 2m UKAC. If it is, I shall go on although because of my poor voice I rarely manage to stay on long. Most times I run low power and my big-wheel omni antenna.
UPDATE 0906z: The activity contest is on tonight.
Later I realised I was only on battery power with 5W QRP! So all the contacts were with 5W! JO03 square worked for the first time this year on 2m I think.
Considering the time on, the power, and the antenna I am quite pleased.
All being well, I shall be on for about an hour at 1900z for the 2m activity contest (UKAC) organised by the RSGB running 10W pep to the big-wheel omni antenna. ious
Normally, I can work out to about 200km.
UPDATE 2020z: I was puzzled why my Vd was low and also that the battery of the IC-705 was not charging. After I stopped, the reason why became very obvious. The wire from the PSU had been disconnected so I was using battery power at 5W all the time I was active! After I found the loose wire, the Vd was back to normal and the battery was on charge. Operating at 5W off the battery seemed to make little difference!
Every month the RSGB organises an activity contest on the second Tuesday of the month on 70cm. Better stations were working Germans. As usual I was on with my poor voice, 10W and 2m big-wheel omni antenna. In 40 minutes I managed 4 SSB QSOs out to 105km. .Then I gave up!
The first UKAC 2m activity contest organised by the RSGB was last night. I was on for about 50 minutes with 10W and the big-wheel omni antenna.
In my view, conditions were poor and activity low. There were no portables (presumably because of lockdown). My best DX (lost before we could complete) was G4RRA in Devon. Had we completed, this would have been a good contact. It is much easier on FT8!
Every few weeks I take a peek at the narrowband activity on Oscar 100, the geosynchronous satellite. My own view is activity is patheticall...
