4U1ITU - Russian DX Contest

Call: 4U1ITU
Operator(s):
F6IRF, HB9DTM, SV3SJ
Station: 4U1ITU
Class: M/S HP
QTH: Geneva
Operating Time (hrs): 24



Band CW Qs Ph Qs Countries Oblasts
----------------------------------------
160: 99 3 35 22
80: 341 71 55 46
40: 769 50 69 61
20: 556 284 65 68
15: 23 83 39 32
10: 1 0 1 0
----------------------------------------
Total: 1789 491 264 229 Total Score = 7,034,124
total 2280 QSO's / 14268pts / 493 mults

RIG: IC765 - IC756proIII - Alpha91B - Tentec Titan
ANT: FB53, 4EL20(fixed NE), 40-2CD, dipoles 80/160
Soft: N1MM Logger V6.2.15



the team: Nico SV3SJ, Pat F6IRF, PM HB9DTM




Preliminary:
First M/S operation from the ITU-RC for quite some time. The initial plan was to get UR5FAV and UX0FF to join the IARC-team for a MO2T, but the Swiss authorities in Kiev did not like our idea. So we had to improvise a last minute "B-plan".
After the loss of one tower and the 15/10m monobanders last year, we had to re-install the low band dipoles and put the 20m monobander back to service, which we did on Friday afternoon. We thought we may had time for setting up a L for 80m, and a K9AY-loop, but we ended up "short of time". With the 20m monobander only 3m above the terrasse, the low band dipoles at 90 degres from Russia (the historical "Varembe" building is oriented NE/SW) and if you add the known "noisy urban environment" and the modest antennas surrounded by high buildings, you have an overview of what makes contesting from 4U1ITU a special challenge.
So our main objective was to get the 4U1I multiplier back to the international contest scene, rather than becoming a serious challenger to UP5G !

Nico thinking: If only we could put the antennas on top of the ITU tower... (west horizon)

The contest:
No need to say that the high-band conditions have been bad. 20m closed early,and re-opened only three hours before the contest end. 15m remained absolutelydead until the last hour, and did not allow a single UA station to be logged onD2. We took a difficult start with some keying problems due to RF-feedback, so we changed the run to SSB for the time needed to solve the problem: It justconfirmed that in spite of Nico's skills and efforts, our signal was not strongenough for SSB to produce any decent rate. 15m died during the third hour,quickly followed by 20, so we ended up running on 40 far earlier than planned.The rate dropped below 100 around 22z, when 40m became unproductive. The Alpha91producing only heat and smoke on 80 and 160, we moreless limited the trafic to 1station during the night.Back to "historic contesting age" on 160, where all CW QSO's had to be done fromthe paddles, due to RF affecting the computer...Finaly we spent the 2 last hours on 20m/SSB, and the log being almost virgin onthis band/mode we brought the rate above 100.

No major problem was experienced with N1MM-logger; just that it was not possibleto remove the station "interlock"... here also we had to use the paddles...
In general we could have done a bit better with a more careful preparation, but we really had a good time, which remains the essential at the end !
A special tribute has to be given to the RDXC commitee for the rules and the organization, and to the Russian hams stations for the activity and the quality of their trafic...

PM in action and the South-East horizon !

A buro card will be sent to all stations in the log (your card is not required),and all QSO's will be uploaded soon to LOTW. Should you need a direct card,please only via IARC, P.O.Box 6, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland

Country and oblasts summaries at http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/3830/2006-03/msg00953.html

More pictures soon on http://life.itu.int/radioclub/index.html

the 40-2CD, the 80m SSB dipole and the 20m monobander (NE horizon)