The IARU HF Contest lokked to us as a good chance to win certificates for 5B4ES. With certificates awarded for more than 250 QSOs and 75 multiplyers, it did not look difficult. Indeed, 5B4AIP run the whole contest on his own and managed to obtain 779 QSOs and almost 100 multiplyers (before any were erased to avoid mistakes).

The difficult thing for our still young operator is to avoid a score reduction greater than 2% which can mean disqualification. However we are now filtering the QSOs made removing any dangerous ones, specifically in order to avoid such mistakes.

  

 

 

The CQ WPX contest was a moment of profound progress for the 5B4ES operators. Indeed, a total of 1091 QSOs and a maximum of 150 in an hour compared to a mere 516 QSOs and a maximum of 69 in an hour in the CQ WW contest late in the previous year is a massive jump forward.

This contest was a milestone for the current 5B4ES operators as it will urge them onwards in search for more glory and conquest!

 

 

 

In view of the forthcoming WPX contest, 5B4ES tried to take part in as many other contests possible since January.

The only one that could be targeted was the international Black Sea Cup. The senior members of ES were not able to operate due to tests overload so the junior members made their first solo performance, under the watchful eye of 5B4AIP.

The results are encouraging for the young hams who look forward for more contesting time.

 

 

 

After skipping the ARRL 10m contest due to test overload, we simply had to do another contest before the end of the year. The only one left for SSB was the RAC Canada winter contest.

 

Unlike the CQ WW, Cyprus position is not ideal for this contest. However, Amateur Radio is about fun anyway so we decided to give it a try. We decided to contest in the SSB, Multi-Single, all bands low power category. The operating groups were arranged and Andreas Vyrides and Sozos made the necessary preparations for some Souvlaki in the evening.

 

Despite our humungus efforts, between 00:00GMT and 12:30GMT our QSO toll had risen only to two(believe it or not)! Our lack of experience in antenna positioning might have caused this. Nevertheless, after 12:30GMT contacts rose dramatically (compared to the first twelve hours). Until 19:00GMT in the evening when we stopped for some souvlaki we had a total of 57 QSOs and 114 points. However there was one problem, we had no Canadian station contacts:

57 DX QSOs x 2 points = 114 points

114 points x 0 multiplyers = total score of 0

 

This is why 5B4AIP decided to try after dinner working a Canadian guy at any cost. Minutes past with no station answering our CQ contest calls. From 19:30GMT to 21:30GMT it was as if we were not contesting at all. 5B4AIP decided to drift along the 40m band and then, at 21:45GMT, we heard a Canadian staion calling CQ on 40m. 5B4AIP immidiately started calling "P39P" (the contest callsign we use) to the Canadian guy. However he could not hear us. 5B4AIP continued calling "P39P" repeadedly after the Canadian station worked other stations, one after the other. This attracted all other operators who came to look over 5B4AIP's shoulder to see what was going on.

 

Suddenly, the Canadian guy called "Papa what ... ?". Oh my goodnes, it was us! We literally started yelling "P39P" on the radio and that his serial number was 58. Then he said: "Ok ok "P39P", you are NL". We replied "Thank you very much, good luck in the contest" and bursted into wild celebrations and waves of enthusiasm swept all over us.

This is Amateur Radio.

 

Equipment used:

• FT-1000MP            Tranceiver
• Wintest                   Software
• MFJ-434                 Voice keyer
• Alpha Delta 4          Antenna switch
• CN-801                   SWR meter
• TH5 MK2                 Antenna
• Pro Set plus            Boom set

Special 5B4ES equipment used:

 

5B4ES was always notorious for its contesting. When the propagation laws changed and licenses on clubs were no longer valid and had to be on an individual amateur, 5B4ES had no licensed amateur. It was not until 2009 when our member Christos passed the examinations and got a license (5B4AIP), having 5B4ES written on him. This meant a full 8 "dead" years for 5B4ES, with its last contest being in 2001.

 

8 years however were too much for a club such as 5B4ES. 5B4AIP began preparing from September and along with him all the members of the club. The contests in the beginning of the school year like WAE found us unprepared. The only contest left in line was CQWW and before that, the JOTA event. We pulled our socks up and started working.

 

Parallel with the theory courses members were taught the operating procedures and how to use the equipment. By JOTA we were quite ready, with Michalis and Andreas rising to operators along with 5B4AIP. After JOTA where we cooperated with the 82nd scouts troop we were ready (or at least we thought we were).

 

We divided ourselves into 3 groups of 4 or 5 members, each group covering four hours of daylight on Saturday and Sunday. With this way we fullfilled the Multi operator, single transmitter 24 hour category criteria. We were going to work only high bands as our experience and piles of homework made it impossible for low bands to be worked.

 

After a full week Friday the 23rd came. In the afternoon Andreas and Michalis along with 5B4AIP chequed the equipment and whether everything was ready for the contest. The software data was entered, SWR was almost perfect and the needed information was recorded in the voice keyer ... QRV to contest!!

 

6:30 saturday morning. 5B4AIP and the guys of the morning shift are all at the shack. The PC is on, the WinTest software open, and the tranceiver, voice keyer, SWR meter and antenna rotator pluged and on. Everything is ready for the contest. It is 3 minutes to 7 and we are waiting to start the contest. A station from Kuwait however calls CQ where we are listening. "9K2HN this is P39P" and the contest has started!!!

 

Throughout Saturday morning we were trying to find our feet in the deep waters of CQWW. At 10:00 the guys from the lunch shift came bringing their foukou (Cypriot master grill) and kebab along with yogurt, tomatoes, cucumber, lemon and lots of pitta bread. While they are fighting with the tranceiver souvlaki expert Abdreas Vyrides baked the kebab. By the time the third shift loined at three the food was ready.

 

So, at the same time the 5B4ES guys were contesting and while waiting to take over on the radio they were calssifying QSL cards, eating kebab and played pilotta (card game). This was the situation when our headmistress Mrs Duncan came over to say a hello, trying to figure out whether we were contesting or not. Saturday ended at around 16:30 GMT with a total of 232 QSOs.

 

Sunday had a much better yield as we were all by now used to the pile ups, QRM and "stay on one frequency and call CQ" tactic. Vyrides managed to get 69 QSOs in an hour between 5 and 6 hundread hours GMT in the morning on 20m. This was our record for the whole contest. 5B4AIP tryed to surpass Vyrides between 15 and 16 hundread hours GMT on 15m. By 35 passed he had managed to do 39 QSOs and everything looked as if Vyrides would be eating dust for the evening but the band closed and left 5B4AIP at 39.

 

The last QSO of the contest was made at 16:17 and it was number 516. this included i douple contact and 3 or 4 contacts where our callsign was entered as the callsign of the other station could not be veryfied. if these 3 or 4 QSOs were correct we would have collected a total of 226 784 points.

 

This is an excellent score for our first contest but most certenly will not place us amongst the first hundread. This contest was a huge experience for everybody as we enjoyed every spec of it. It was a full 24 hours of pure fun, funand yet, even more fun!!!

 

Let us hope that in the next contest we will rule the waves using P39P (special contest callsign) as 5B4ES has always done.

 

Equipment used:

Special 5B4ES equipment used:

 

 

Eight years of silence were too much for 5B4ES. Not being able to wait for CQWW on the 24th and 25th of October, we participated in JOTA 2009 cooperating with the 82nd scouts troop. The "Agioi Omologites" scouts troop is located within the school grounds. Since they do not posses any Amateur Radio equipment nor knowledge we offered ours, allowing both 5B4ES members and the scouts to participate in the JOTA event.

 

On Staurday at 15:00 our member 5B4AIP made a powerpoint presentation to the scouts on amateur radio. The presentation, prepared by 5B4AHZ and modified by 5B4SN, covered everything from what amateur radio is to operating procedures, regulations and emergency situations. Around 16:00 the boring part of the day for the scouts was over (although it was quite an experience for 5B4AIP). the scouts were divided according to their rank and sent to 5B4ES QTH at equal time intervals.

 

On the way to the clubhouse the huge TH5 tribander antenna on a 10m high tower left the scouts shocked. Their first question was how dangerous it is. They were quickly imformed however that a hairdryer gun using infrared radiation is much more dangerous concerning electromagnetic radioation.

 

The older scouts were seated on the HF radio and under the guidance of 5B4AIP they contacted scouts in Greece, Germany, America, Japan, Cyprus itself and many more countries in Europe and the rest of the world.

 

For the younger scouts we had our VHF tranceiver for communication with other scouts around Cyprus. Unfortunately, according to Murphy's law (if something can go wrong it will go wrong), our VHF radio could receive but could not transmit. the younger of the scouts were therefore deprived of such an experience.

 

Nevertheless, it was an event that will be remeber by all participants as it was an amazing experience and a unique one for both the scouts and 5B4ES.

 

5B4ES would therefore like to thank 5B4SN for arranging for a JOTA callsign to be given to 5B4ES, 5B4AHZ and 5B4SN for the power point presentation and finally Mr George and Mrs Toulia from the 82nd scouts troup along with all the scouts for their excellent cooperation.

 

Equipment used:

Callsign:        5B4NSG/J

Tranceiver:    Yaesu FT-1000mp

Antenna:        TH5 tribander

Amplifier:       Kenwood TL-922

SWR meter:   Daiwa CN-801HP

Voice keyer:  MFJ-434