I decided to join the IOTA contest, for me the first time as a non island station. I took advantage from the pi4com contest location. I’ve done this contest once before but that was from an Island.
I didn’t knew what I had to expect as a non Island station in this contest, but at least i was hoping for lots activity and a lot of fun. I participated in the World Single operator unassisted ssb 24H HP Category, with the callsign PI4COM.
On Saturday morning at 08.00 UTC I arrived on the Contest location, Ronald PA3EWP and Kees PA3BWD were there too for other activities. We had a problem this morning. a rare summer storm was expected with windspeeds up to 90 miles per hour, during the preperation of the station ,the windspeed increased more and more and had to turn the beams for 15 and 20 meters in safe positions. At 12:00 UTC the contest began and I decided to start on 7 Mhz, a day before the contest ,Florian PB8DX put a Low 7 mhz dipole for me in the tower, I was very happy because the dipole was working extremely well, although the conditions were not so good. I had some good runs on this band,later in the afternoon when the storm had passed, I checked 21 mhz but the conditions on this band were very poor, and after some S&P I went to 14 mhz. This band was much better, and this is how the whole contest continued till the end. sometimes i changed from bands and between running and S&P although the conditions were not good on 28 and 21 mhz. The number of stations who participated in this contest was actually very good. During a nice opening to North America on 14 mhz I was called by HC8/G8OFQ and by S79OWZ, a very nice surprise during the contest, but at the same time I heard nothing else from the Caribbean. Saturday night at 01:30 UTC I went QRT till the morning 06:00 UTC. On Sunday morning I started again on 7 mhz, but the conditions were still not very good, same thing on 21 mhz. I heard nothing from VK and worked only one JA till the end of the contest. I searched again and called on various bands, but on Sunday I had to do a lot more effort to make points. Sunday at 12:00 utc, it was the end of the contest and I made a totall of 1120 Qso’s and worked 140 IOTA, claimed score 961,520 points. I don’t now if it’s good for the first time. I guess I had to work more islands but I am quite happy for the first time about this contest, and i am looking forward to the next year!
Florian, Ronald and Kees thanks again for making this beautiful contest weekend possible,
on behalf Dervin de PD9DX.