ES5TV BIDS FOR EU SSB SPRINT WIN AS LOCAL POLICE FORCE CT1ILT INTO CONTEST QRX

By Jamie Dupree NS3T 

Trying to repeat his SSB Sprint win from October of 2006, Filipe Lopes CT1ILT didn't bank on the local police getting in the way, but they did.

"The SSB Sprint was good," said Lopes, "the only problem I had, which probably took me away from victory, was the fact that the Police stopped by to check my Ham license."

In a post-contest email, Lopes said he wasn't quite sure why he got the visit, saying police also checked on another amateur who lives nearby as well.

"Because of that, I lost over 15 minutes, which I think would have been precious," said Lopes.

Finishing ahead of Lopes in QSO's was Tonno Vahk ES5TV, who was smoke testing some of his new antennas put up over the summer.

"Tonno has a really big station and he is a FB operator," said Lopes. "I think he ended up with more than 250 QSO's." Lopes said he finished with 226, only 27 of which were on 80 meters."

"I just wish I had his 4-square for 80 meters!" said Lopes. "I am operating with a sloping dipole and one beverage to Europe."

Vahk did spend a chunk of his summer upgrading his antennas. "I made some improvements," said Vahk, who a few weeks ago put up a new 45 meter high tower.

Among the antennas added: "3-element yagi for 80 meters, 2x3 elementon 40 meters and 2x5 element on 20 meters," said Vahk, who has been focusing on qualifying for the 2010 World Radiosport Team Championships in Russia.

This weekend, the CW Sprint will be the main contest course for Vahk and others. The defending champ there is DL6RAI.

The EU CW Sprint will again start an hour later than in past years, a time shift that took effect earlier in 2007, an effort to try and ease the disadvantage on 80 meters for stations in Western Europe.

"The problem we had was that at the end of the contest, it was 8pm local time in Western Europe and stations in places like GM were still in full daylight," said David Lawley G4BUO. "We think the shift in start time has helped a little."

Both CT1ILT and G4BUO agree on one thing, the best place for the Sprint may be the Baltics.

"The EU Sprints are fairly wide open," says Lawley, who finished second in the 2006 Autumn CW Sprint and third in the 2007 Spring CW Sprint.

"It looks at the moment that ES/LY is a good place to enter from," said Lawley.

Lawley's comment before the SSB Sprint was prescient, given the good results from ES5TV.

G4BUO would still like to see a few more European hams try out the Sprint, which is characterized by its unqiue rules that require constant QSY'ing, not allowing you to just camp out on one frequency and call CQ.

"So far we have not been able to generate quite the same level of interest in Europe (as in North America,) said Lawley. "We need to reach a critical mass of participation so that the activity is as fast and furious as it is in the NA Sprints."

As for contest strategy, is there one for the Sprints?

"Not really," says Lopes CT1ILT. "Always remember, be fast and correct!"