Welcome to week two hundred and thirty two of NARC’s contest news. This week coming to you from the Isle of Wight.
Submissions or comments for this news to thedoctorphil@gmail.com. I particularly need any contest related photographs, you may be prepared to share, to head the news each week.
Contesting can be great fun but I know there’s a reluctance to step into unknown waters. It’s a great way of improving many aspects of our hobby including one’s own performance and the quality of your station. If you have any interest whatsoever please call in to the contest net on Friday evening at 9pm on 145.250MHz FM or speak to any of the regular contesters on 450. Or indeed email me!
Results:-
On VHF
No new VHF results so far this week
In the overall UKAC we are currently 5th. Link here
On HF
The results of the 80m CC DATA contest of 2nd March were released on 9th March. Our team of 17 scored yet another convincing victory amassing 11,015 points with Newbury second on 4,424 points. This now puts us well clear in the series after 4 contest results with 41,9089 points, Newbury in second place on 17,314. Keep up the good work! Our lead scorer in this one and indeed our leading scorer so far in the series is Malcolm, G3PDH. Link here to results
The results of the 2025 CQ WW DX CW contest are out. Peter, M0RYB and a total team of 4 entered in the multi 2 category using low power (100W) and have come 3rd in the UK. (There was no separate power category in the M2 section).
Other NARC members spotted in the results list were Richard G4CDN 3rd in UK – SA High power 80m, Tony G0OOR 13th in UK – SA Low all band, Stewart GE5E 1st in UK – SA High 80m.
Also Jim G3YLA collects a certificate!:-
Hi Phil,
The results of the CQ WW CW are out now and guess what? I actually got a sustinkafet…
73 Jim G3YLA
Link here to results search
Now at the end of the overall AFS which includes HF and VHF sections the scores are at this link here
We have finished in 3rd place overall.
This year’s HF championship results to date are at this link here
If people are entering other contests of whose results I am obviously unaware please e-mail me to let me know the outcome and I’ll mention it here.
Contests:-
On VHF
Over the weekend of 7th and 8th March the March 144/432 contest ran. This was alongside a subregional VHF/UHF contest in Europe so activity was good. Conditions favoured the East of England which was nice and I had a dabble for 6 hours of the 24. Stations in Sweden, Denmark, Check republic, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland were worked as well as all of the UK. Stewart, G4AFF was also on as was Roger EI8KN. Link here to claimed scores
On Tuesday, 10th March the 432MHz UKAC ran. 6 of us turned out for this one and initially conditions were quite good with SM OZ and DK there but gradually they worsened with deep QSB. On claimed score, Steward G4AFF is on top. Link to those claimed scores here
On Wednesday, 11th March the 432MHz FT8 AC (2h and 4h sections) ran. In the 2h section was Terry G0BIX, at present there are no other NARC linked entries. Link here to claimed scores, 2h section
On Thursday 11th March the 50MHz UKAC ran. Unfortunately I was away for this one so I am not sure who took part for NARC, or what conditions were like. Here is a link to the claimed scores, so far only John G8VPE and John G4PFZ show in the listings. From the low level of claimed scores so far it looks like conditions were poor!
On HF
On Wednesday 11th March the 80m CC CW ran. Conditions were good for this one and some high scores were in evidence. We had a lower than usual turnout of members this time with only 13 known to have participated. Not sure why. Highest claimed number of QSOs was 160 from Stewart G4AFF. Link to logs received here
Please let me know if you were on in any other VHF or HF contests and I’ll put a summary in next week’s news.
Apologies if I have missed any emailed reports, some go to spam and some get lost in the huge quantity of junk mail! I try to be diligent!
Upcoming contests in the next 2 weeks (all times in UTC):-
On VHF / UHF / SHF
Before each of the 2m and 70cm UKACs there is an FM leg starting 1 hour before for 55 minutes. I hear almost no activity in this from here but others may have more luck! Rules etc on RSGBCC site.
% Tue 17th Mar. 2000-2230 1.3GHz UKAC
% Thu 19th Mar. 2000-2230 70MHz UKAC
% Sat 21st Mar. 1400-1700 (2m) and 1700-1800 (70cm) AGCW VHF/UHF contest CW – link here to rules
% Tue 24th Mar. 1930-2230 SHF UKAC
Also of interest for some on the vhf / uhf bands are the EU FT8 activity tests – see the following link more information. These are on the first (144 MHz), second (432MHz) and third (1.3GHz) Wednesdays of each month. 1700-2000 Hrs EU FT8 series website
On HF
% Sat 14th Mar. 1000 for 24h Commonwealth contest, part of HF championship – link here to rules
% Sat 14th Mar. 0000-2359 YB DX RTTY contest (Indonesia) – link here to rules
% Sat 14th Mar. 0800for 26h SARL Field day contest CW, SSB, Digi – link here to rules
% Sat 14th Mar. 1200 for 36h SKCC Weekend Sprintathon – link here to rules
% Sat 14th Mar. 1200 for 24h EA PSK63 contest – link here to rules
% Sat 14th Mar. 1200 for 24h F9AA Cup SSB link here to rules
% Sat 14th Mar. 1200 for 24h South America 10m contest CW & SSB – link here to rules
% Sat 14th Mar. 1400-2000 AGCW QRP contest CW – link here to rules
% Sat 14th Mar. 1500 for 24h Stew Perry Topband Challenge CW – link here to rules
% Mon 16th Mar. 2000-2200 RSGB FT4 contest
% Sat 21st Mar. 0000-2359 PODXS Club St Patrick’s Day Contest PSK31 – link here to rules
% Sat 21st Mar. 0200 to Mon 23rd Mar. 0159 BARTG HF RTTY Contest – link here to rules
% Sat 21st Mar. 2000-2159 Feld Hell Sprint – link here to rules
% Sun 22nd Mar. 0700-1100 UBA Spring contest SSB – link here to rules
% Thu 26th Mar. 2000-2130 80m CC SSB
See Link to WA7BNM for other contests not mentioned above. There are several to choose from!
Wednesdays throughout the year, CW OPS 1 hour mini tests 13:00, 19:00, Thurs 03:00 and 07:00, exchange Name and G if not a member or CW OPS number if you are a member.
See CWOPS website for more details.
Also on Fridays 2000 to 2100 and Mondays 0000 to 0100 each week CW OPS runs the K1USN slow speed CW contests. Any speed up to 20wpm is acceptable. For rules see :- CW OPs SST page these contests are open to anyone.
All RSGB contest rules and further details plus log submission at RSGB contest site
A link to John 2E0TWQ’s site’s Narc contest history page – 2E0TWQ’s NARC contest results page
73 until next week,
Phil G4LPP