May results…
The may results are out, and we are ranked like expected: Below-average on 2m, good on 70cm, normal on 23, last place on 13cm, and normal on 3cm. In the german contest-trophy, we are on a safe 4th place behind DL0GTH, DM7A and DF0MTL.
Archive for June, 2007
So many records and a lot of scrap metal…
So many ups, and one big down - that was June contest for DR5A: Everything went very well, including nice dry weather, a setup without any hassles, time for preparing the new bought caravan trailer for the next contests, and last but not least fine condx, good activity and extraordinary QSOs on 23 and 13cm. The following new all-time bests have been set in this contest, even beating the October IARU microwave contest results:
- Best score on 23cm ever (37.868 points)
- Most QSOs on 23cm in a June contest (111)
- Most Countries worked on 23cm ever (11)
- Most Squares worked on 23cm in a June contest (41)
- Best average points/QSO on 23cm ever (341)
- new all-time ODX 869km (OL7Q, JN99FN)
- Best Score on 13cm ever (14.024 points)
- Most QSOs on 13cm ever (46)
- Most Countries worked on 13cm ever (8)
- new all-time ODX 751km (OE3A, JN77XX)
The top ten QSOs on 23cm are all towards east, with impressive 4 stations from JN99 on top, thank you guys!
3cm was on par with previous contests, lacking rainscatter condx, but with a slight emphasis on QSOs > 300km compared to what we are used to.
BUT - Murphy never sleeps…such an extraordinary contest needed a very extraordinary final:
While preparing the 23/13cm tower for taking down, DL1ELY forgot to hook up a security steel wire from the top of the dish to our helper mast, and held one of the guy wires in his hands only. Suddenly, all the weight of the mast-top-installations (2m dish, transverters, filters, PAs, preamps for 23cm and 13cm) fell over to the opposite side, and he could not hold the guy wire with his hands. Everything crashed to the ground, effectively destroying the new 2m wire dish (only 11 months old), bending the tube carrying the dish above the rotator, and heavily damaging all the HF stuff sitting at the mast top, breaking the housings, tearing off connectors and other stuff located behind the dish. Finally, the crash also killed one of our wooden chairs we use to support the tower when it is on the floor. Luckily, no one else was near the site of the crash, so no one got hurt. But still, the workload- and financial aspect of that crash are not nice, especially given the pressure to have some replacement ready in only 1 months time. doh!
