Cambridge UK, 1 March 1997.
I sit and think for a change, 'So sunrise in Anguilla is the same time as Bermuda, seems to say, do the same as in 1994, Bob. A bit different from Cayman last year when I started on 80, working the VE7s.'
A-l-l-right, then I will start on 20 and shift upto 15 after 1400. Must get some Qs on 10 from the VEs, 5 bands too from Andy, 9G5VJ, and Gavin, V2/GM0GAV, next door on Antigua. I think I will go to 40 early this year and band hop 80/40/20 through the night. So I will use the VP9 Q rate as the benchmark, beating that should be a real challenge if 1996 was anything to go by.
Being on the air a few days before the Commonwealth Contest week end helps run off a few pile ups and get a feel for propagation and get rid of the unwelcome callers. Seems like Gs should be OK on 15 but 10 sounded very quiet. Plenty of Europeans on 15 and actually conditions seemed quite good.
As usual intermittent noise from power lines is a problem. Point one for 1998, I have to have a solution to this problem, better antennas and mebbe a noise nuller. I thought the Caribbean was wall to wall sunshine, but they still have their electric storms, leaky overhead power lines, electric drills, DIY fanatics and dirty computers.
Anguilla, Saturday, 8 March 1997.
It's 1145 UTC, 0745 in the morning local time, 15 minutes to go to the start of the 60th Commonwealth Contest or BERU. As Rosemary is with me I have a great breakfast, 2 eggs and toast and coffee. I tune over 20, looks open to Europe, good, follow the plan. I am getting nervous. Hey what's this, Bob, you have won this contest, nothing to worry about. Perhaps I have not adjusted to the laid back style of Anguilla.
The computer clock in SD ticks round to 1200. Go!! CQ BERU...CQ BERU...VE1JF 599 001 / VP2EJT 599 001 ! First hour VE3EJ calls in 599 072 / 599 079 ! Where does John get them from ? Wish him good luck, I am sure I will be hearing him later ! Flat out into the second hour but the pace is slacking. Still a stream of Gs and VEs so onto 15, full of Gs calling CQ BERU. Hey, ZD860CC, after I decode the call he is straight in the log, now 9J2BO and a big signal from Dave, G4BUO. ZC4EE calls 181/109, nice bonus. Dave, VE2ZP, 182/171 have to watch that one, a serious challenge from VE this year.
1500. Rate improving and holding, slowly getting ahead of the benchmark. Exchange Qs with Gavin, 599 200 / 599 179. wow, we QSY to 10 and then back to 15 full speed. Better work everything I can find on 15, you never know how propagation will hold, and they won't be around tomorrow. What about 10 ? Nil from G, try later. 5X1P, great but I am a bit slow in asking for a QSY.
1600 The intermittent noise is now becoming a bit of a problem. I get a bit p-----d off with it and stamp around the place. Q rate is dropping back as I can't pick up the weaker stations calling. You can live with noise on a DXpedition but not in a contest. In BERU you often only have one shot at some of the rarer bonuses. I also get fed up of the non BERU callers and vent my ire on an HB9, ' VE is not HB9 so please shut up'. Silence, scares everyone away!
1700. VE3HX calls 'try 10', OK and bingo, VE3HX, VE3XN, VE3VHB, VE3OM are in the log so, 'CQ BERU CQ BERU .....nil! Back to 20 for ZD8, 'QSY to 10 ?', got'im. No Gs though, and it's now too late. I will try in the last few minutes of the contest tomorrow.
QSY to 15, 9G5VJ, 300/368, he has been really moving. We QSY to 10 and make contact, a bit scratchy but OK at my end. Back to 20, Andy calls, 10m was 'no QSO', back to 10, OK this time.
Back to 20, GB5CC, strange to hear your home station. Derek, G3KHZ, operated from my QTH using my amp. and antennas. Sounds nice and loud! QSY to 15 for another bonus, but nil on 10, too late. Wonder if there ever was a G opening ? Back to 20 for VU2FWW, wonder where VU2UR the HQ station is? By now the benchmark is yesterdays news, I am well ahead, conditions are up and there is a lot of activity, the publicity has paid off. This is turning into a rate contest, work every G I can find, not much time to look for bonuses. Two VE7s call in, this is looking good.... and then ....
1900 V2/GM0GAV on 20, 367/432 !! OMG what have I missed, Gavin has had a consistently better Q rate over the last 3-4 hours and I thought I was doing well for BERU. 1955 VK9NS calls, thanks, nice bonus. 9J2SZ for a second 9J2. Hey ! everyone is on for the 60th BERU.
40 is bedlam, EUs Gs and everything else, but a look at 15 yields Graham, VE3ST, back to 40 and 60 mins later 20 yields ZL4OK and still more Gs on to 15 for ZL4OK and ZL1APC. Back to 40 for a G run, hop to 80 for Peter, G3LET and GB5CC. On 40 Andy is holding his lead, 505/564. Run Gs for 30 mins then up to 20 for 9J2BO, back to 40 for ZD860CC.
Midnight....., Zulu that is. In sunny Anguilla it's 8.00 pm. and so to 80. Gavin is 52 ahead, but at least I have the first 5 bander in the bag. Down to 40 for VE7CC and VE6WQ and then into hopping mode.
0200 up to 20 to look for ZLs, Ah Ha, ZL1MH, ZL1HV and ZL1AIZ in the bag followed by ZL1PC and VK2DID. I think perhaps that my signal could do with being a mite stronger. I need a linear for this bit. Dave, G4BUO, said I would, and he was right. Put it in the diary for 1998.
Just keep on hopping. VKs on 20, thanks guys. ZLs on 40, hooray, and ZS6KR and ZS2LM, great stuff.
0500. Am I going mad ' G3PJT' calls, no it's not it's 'G4PTJ' !
0600. 20 yields up more VKs. VK4SS, Alan, who helped me so much with the book, followed by VK2ZC and VK3ZC.
And so into the VK/ZL long path period. I found in Bermuda that you can take great advantage of this as you are close to the the great circle route between VK and G. In VP2E I can hear both ends on 40 but on 20 I can only hear one. Evidently signals went straight over.
After that the graveyard hours, no signals I havn't worked and few signals anywhere. Then dawn in Anguilla and the bands perk up, and a nice stream of Gs and others until 1145, when as is my custom I QSY to 10 for the last chance at G and others. Nil heard, so back to 15 for the last Q with GM4KHA.
I end with 864 QSO with 11 dupes, 146 bonuses and 7185 points. The best I have ever done in BERU, but I fear not enough to win the 60th. Conditions have been kind to us and I expect the winner will have over 900 Qs. We shall see. The G activity was truly excellent, the RadCom articles, conditions, world wide publicity, the 12 hour section and the special certificates all played their part to make this one of the outstanding BERUs of recent years. Truly a great celebration for the longest running DX contest of all.
I used the facilities of Dorothea, VP2EE, to whom many thanks, an Icom735, 80 watts, to a Mosley PRO 57 and a 2 el 80 wire beam fixed north, logging on Super-Duper of course.
Thanks also to Derek, G3KHZ, for GB5CC, he used an FT1000, Drake L7B, a TH5, 40m 4 square and 80m 3 element array. GB5CC made 640 Qs and may lead the HQ stations.