The first two hours I started beaming OZ and DL. Signals from OZ (and SM) where very loud. From 120 degrees (Germany Ruhrgebiet) I noticed local QRN. That’s why dots are missing in Germany. Later on I directed the beam 270 degrees towards the UK. Unfortunately no Wales or Scotland. The biggest surprise was a neighbour station a few hundred of meters away calling me. He said “Well. I guess this QSO doesn’t give you lots of points since we’re in the same locator”. Wrong! Each new locator (JO22) gives 500 bonus points. And since I didn’t work any other stations in JO22, this QSO gave almost the same points as a QSO with an OZ station in Denmark with a competitor in the same grid locator. So dutch hams. Build a Moxon (It will only costs you 15 minutes), put it on a broom and put it out of your attic window. Or take it with a FT-817 up a hill. You will work OZ, DL and G-stations and you will contribute to other competitors in the contest. Don’t have 144 MHz SSB? Visit PI4RCG. They have 2 base-stations for sale for 100 Euro each.
