YT1AD Tries to Defend IARU SOAB Title As High Bands Offer Some Hope For Openings

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

With some improved conditions in recent weeks on 15 and even 10 meters between North America and Europe, there is hope in contest circles that maybe - just maybe - the 2008 IARU HF Championship can offer competitors something different when it comes to propagation.
"I'm really hoping at least 15 will cooperate and open up some to Europe," says Scott Robbins W4PA. "Even 10 was open from the Southeast US to Europe (last week.)"
Ten meters did show some life in the 2007 IARU, but mainly for stations in Europe and North Africa, while top operators in North America saw little action on that band.
Complicating matters, of course, is that the IARU is only a 24 hour test. So you get one chance to find those openings (see story at right.)
The defending single operator champion from 2007 will be back in the chase this year, but from a different location, as Dr. Hrane Milosevic YT1AD tries to repeat his victory.
"This year I will be SOAB Mixed from Serbia," Milosevic told radio-sport.net.
Last year, Milosevic ran to victory in Tunisia as 3V1A with 4.4 million points, for an easy High Power Mixed win over C4M (RW3QC.)
Milosevic also set a new Mixed record, breaking the old one that he had set three years earlier as 3V8BB.
The move back to Serbia this year was influenced by qualifying for the 2010 World Radiosport Championships in Russia, which limit scores from outside an operator's home region.
The Multi-Single ranks will see an interesting duel this year, as defending champ P33W will again be on the air from Cyprus, this time facing a challenge from North Africa.
"We'll be there for M/S but will be using our portable QTH," said P33W team member Harry Booklan RA3AUU.
"We will have to build all the antennas from the beginning to end in 35-40 degrees Celsius."
More than ready to grab the top spot from P33W is the Italian duo of Stefano Brioschi IK2QEI and Matteo Carrisi IK2SGC at CN3A in Morocco.
"It will be a very hot contest!" Brioschi told radio-sport.net.
"There will be big competition in IARU this year," admitted Booklan RA3AUU.
All competitors in all categories will again face increased scrutiny this year after the contest has ended, as the ARRL is once again warning competitors to think twice cheating in the IARU.
Last year three top scorers - 9A9A, UT5UGR and HA1DAC - were disqualified after log checks.
"Stations claiming exceptional results should be prepared to have their log undergo thorough examination," said ARRL Contest Manager Sean Kutzko KX9X, which echoed a statement issued last year (see story at right.)
The cheating clampdown certainly didn't scare off anyone, as the IARU set a record last year in terms of logs received at 3,200.
More than one-third of those came from Zone 28 in Europe, reflecting the popularity of the contest there, and the fact that European stations seem to end up in the winner's circle more often than not in recent years.
As for US stations in 2007, only two Americans were in the top 25 for SOAB Mixed HP; three made the top 25 for SSB only and five were represented in CW only.
The best finish by a US ham last year was Dan Handa W7WA, who finished 12th in the World in SSB only HP.

IARU: 24 Hours of Decisions

One thing that makes the IARU test different is it's a 24 hour, not a 48 hour worldwide test.
"With 24 hours, you don't get a second chance," says Peter Chamalian W1RM, who finished 9th in the world in 2006 in SOLP CW.
"Unless I'm running at 120 per hour or better, I change bands at least three times every hour."
"If I can run, then I do," says Chamalian. "If not, then S&P but always with an eye to moving bands."
His concise advice: "Keep moving."
"I don't use a second radio. I use my experience and knowledge of conditions instead. Do I miss an opening now and then? Sure."
What should operators look for? Chamalian's strategy ideas can apply not only to the IARU, but other major DX contests as well.

On 10-20 meters, look East at sunrise and also at sunset.

Look west on the lower bands at sunrise.

Don't forget skew path contacts.

W1RM's effort in the 2006 IARU contest gave him a new low power CW record for W/VE.
It also helped that he had an amazingly low error rate. He claimed 1499 contacts and 216 mults. After log checking, Chamalian lost only 8 QSO's and 1 multiplier.

ARRL Warning From June of 2007

"A condition of entry in the IARU HF World Championship is that each entrant agrees to be bound by the provisions of the announced rules, by the regulations of his/her licensing authority, and by the decisions of the ARRL Awards Committee acting for the IARU International Secretariat.
"Leading competitors should expect their entries to be carefully scrutinized. If exceptional results are claimed, entrants must be prepared to explain how they were achieved."

IARU 2007 Disqualified

9A1A (9A9A,op)

HA1KSA (HA1DAC,op)

UT5UGR

QST Magazine noted that these three entries "were disqualified for submitting logs deemed incompatible with the category entered."
All three operators were also by rule, disqualified from qualifying for the 2010 World Radiosport Team Championships in Russia.