Sprinters Return to HF Bands in Europe for 2008 Spring Tests

By Jamie Dupree NS3T  radio-sport.net 
Posted April 7, 2008

With the major contests of February and March now in the past, the focus in Europe moves to a two weekend run of EU Sprint Contests, as the unique frequency switching contest returns for another year.

The four sprints of 2007 were dominated by Tonno Vahk ES5TV and Filipe Lopes CT1ILT, as both finished in the money in every 2007 test.

Vahk won twice (both SSB Sprints) and also had a second and third place finish in '07.

Lopes meanwhile had one win in the Autumn CW Sprint, adding in a second and two third place finishes.

Lopes seemed to be on his way to a double Autumn victory in the SSB Sprint, until the local police came to his door during the contest.

"The police stopped by to check my Ham license," said Lopes. "Because of that, I lost over 15 minutes, which I think would have been precious."

It was a year ago that the time of the EU Sprints were moved an hour later, an effort to ease some of the disadvantage that Western European ops faced on 80 meters.

"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."

Sprint organizers like G4BUO are still hoping to draw more contesters into this test, which has a very unique format that does not allow you to sit on one frequency and call CQ.

Last year's two CW Sprints in Europe had the most logs, over 70, while the SSB Sprints averaged in the 60's.

The contest is modeled after a popular set of tests held in the US in February and September, the North American Sprints.

The main difference is that there are no multipliers in the European version. The QSY rule though is the same, which prevents stations from camping out on one frequency.