IOTA contest 25th and 26th July 2009

The team from left to right, front to back, Ian G1JCC, Terry G4UEM, Andy G8ATD, Don G4LOO, Bryan M0BIK

Luton VHF Group activated Holy Island (EU-124, IO73QG, SH27) for the IOTA contest on 25th and 26th July 2009 using the special contest callsign GW2L.

After the contest we were at the same QTH and on the radio on a part time basis for those who wanted the IOTA contact but did not work us during the contest. For that period we were using the special event callsign GB8HI.

By mid day on 25th July we are all set up and ready for the IOTA contest.

The cottage with an A3S tri-band beam on Don's new Clarke pump up mast in the front garden, a 40m and an east/west 80m dipole in front of the cottage,  a 20m dipole and north/south 80m dipole in the back garden plus a Hustler 6-BTV vertical

Terry and Bryan operating the main IOTA station

Don and Andy operating the multiplier IOTA station

Don and Ian working PSK31 after the IOTA contest

The two stations were in the living room either side of the front door

View of the cottage from the road to the local pub - The White Eagle

Conditions were not very good, by midnight on the 25th we had worked about 300 stations with the best DX being Australia. It had been a steep learning curve with the N1MM logging software that we were using for the first time under contest conditions.

By the end of the IOTA contest we had worked 804 stations. Everyone enjoyed the contest and we relaxed for a while. We activated Holy Island using GB8HI until Thursday 29th July and made about 400 more contacts on SSB and PSK31.

QSL card to be sponsored by Waters & Stanton