21/28 MHz Contest 2012

Propagation on 28MHz from the UK this year was hit and miss throughout the contest as although all continents were worked, there were no sustained runs by anyone and it didn't extend to the California QSO Party.  The latter however did provide plenty of QSOs on 21MHz in all UK sections from around 1630 onwards.

In the UK Open section Chris Tran GM3WOJ leads the field with a mixed mode entry and also takes the Powditch Trophy for the highest single operator 28MHz score regardless of mode.  In second place overall and winner of the T E Wilson G6VQ Trophy is Nick Totterdell G4FAL using CW only.  There were again several entries in the multi-operator mixed mode section with GW2OP operated by GW0GEI, GW0IRW and G4FJK leading the pack.  SSB only attracted just two entries in this section.

For the second year running Peter Hobbs G3LET is the leading CW only entry in the UK Restricted section.  Peter like many others found the TRC and GTC contests helped keep up the interest in the first few hours and the CQP in the last two hours.  In second place using mixed mode is Tim Raven G4ARI and in fourth is Dan Taylor GW0EGH with an SSB score that takes the Whitworth Trophy for the highest placed single operator using SSB only.  There were many more SSB entries in this section although most found points and multipliers hard to find with the antenna restrictions.  A special mention here for Jim Robson GM3CFS for achieving a third place in this section and runner-up on CW.  Jim is approaching his mid-90s, uses no computer aids at all and just a long wire antenna at 9m.

In the UK QRP section CW was clearly the preference with all but one of the entries using that mode.  Steve Taylor G4EDG heads the table.

Leading the non-UK Open section by a substantial margin using mixed mode is Darren Collins operating as 5B/G0TSM from Peyia in SW Cyprus.  Darren found 28MHz open to the UK from the start and throughout the day until around 1600.  Steve Hodgson ZC4LI used both bands to advantage using CW only throughout the contest with his final 28MHz score overtaking 21MHz in both points and multipliers.  After second place last year Alexei Skripalev UA3VVB achieved first place for single operator mixed mode.  Mikhail Bondarev R3BM  found no propagation to the UK on 28MHz but still managed to amass 82 multipliers on 21MHz for a winning SSB only score.  Other entrants west of the Urals did find some periods of 28MHz propagation to the UK from 1000 to 1400 although most contacts were on CW.

There was a close finish at the top of the non-UK Restricted section with Valery Bobrov RW3AI holding off the challenge of RV3RM to take the single operator mixed mode top spot.  With final QSO totals almost identical, the multiplier count proved decisive.  Heading up the CW only entries and third place overall is Gene Golynichev R1TEU, Plamen Ivanov LZ1DM takes the SSB only certificate.

Non-UK QRP entrants used only mixed mode or CW with Rumen Stefanov LZ2RS achieving a first place using mixed mode for the third consecutive time and George Savu YO4AAC taking the CW only certificate.

Certificates can be downloaded by clicking on the certificate icon in the position column.

The next 21/28 MHz contest will be on Sunday 6th October 2013.

John Cockrill G4CZB