70MHz CW CONTEST - 12/5/2024

The number of entries in the 2024 70MHz CW Contest was 24 (fourteen in section AO, seven in section AR and three in section AL, plus one check log).  The numbers in section AO more than doubled at the expense of sections AR and AL. A total of 55 valid callsigns appear in the logs, from eight DXCC entities (DL, EI, G, GM, GU, GW, PA and S5), 25 big squares (19 UK&CD plus 6 outside) and 34 post codes: all these numerics were up on 2023 (in the case of entries by 14%) except for DXCCs worked which were the same. The best DX was between G4ASR (IO81) and S57TW (JN75) at 1426km - almost twice the distance of the next best DX.

Conditions were reported as noisy with deep QSB at times and poor to EU, although aircraft scatter helped. Activity was reported as disappointing and the going slow. But on the plus side, the two comments on the weather were both favourable! A number of detailed comments were received from one entrant and these have been forwarded to the VHF CC for consideration.

Let's hope for more good weather and better conditions and activity in 2025!

Quin Collier G3WRR

g3wrr@rsgbcc.org