Commonwealth
Contest Team Competition
Once again Paul O’Kane EI5DI will
be sponsoring the Team Medals – Gold, Silver and Bronze. Paul’s SDC logger fully supports the
Commonwealth Contest, including keeping you up to date with the multiple
bonuses that make this event unique. SDC (and SD for other HF contests) are
designed to support single operator entries but can also be used in BERU by
multi-operator HQ stations as long as no more than one station is used. Find it here
This page will be kept up to date with the latest team news right up to
the start of “BERU” 2010, so it’s not too late to enter additional Teams in
populous areas such as Canada and the UK. The
maximum number of participants in any team is 10 and the final line-up must
be advised to the Umpire by 0900 UTC on 13 March. This is a little later than provided for in
the official contest rules, however there have been
several instances in the past when emergencies or extreme weather conditions
have made last minute changes necessary.
So here are the teams as of 11 March. Jeff VK6AJ makes a welcome return to complete
the Aussie team and we now have most of the ZL Team in place. Andrei ZL1TM is only a possible at this
stage, but has been registered. Frank
has had a hard job to find members due to other commitments by some of the
regular members.
John ZB2EO stands in for Nigel G3TXF ( ROW team), who is attending a happy family event
in Austria and unusually won’t be with us this year. John G3LZQ has arrived in 3B9 (WR) and is
busy assembling his station.
News has come in from VU2PTT, who has fine-tuned the Asia team.
This now looks to be a real contender.
John 3B9WR/G3LZQ is now expecting a visit from DHL with antenna gear
tomorrow Monday 8th March – running a little close to the wire, but
that’s BERU!
Andrew V51YJ has made a further change to his Africa Team. Mike 5H3EE stands in for Barney ZS6TQ, who is
still QRL with relocation.
10 March - Hot news in via Gerry GI0RTN – look out for VY1Ei and VE8EV, both of whom
plan to be active part time during BERU.
11 March, news from African Team Member Alan 9G5XA:
“I'm all set up for BERU this coming weekend. Conditions down here in Ghana aren't great, especially to the west, and for the first hour 20 will be closed
and 15 probably not really open. I'll be in the 12hr section so I may save my time and not operate for the first hour unless I hear mults from the east.
I'll be on 15 most of the day but I'll keep checking the 10M beacons in case there is a miracle and the band opens. 20 has been good to G from 15Z
and again 8-9Z in the morning (so please don't just beam LP to VK!). There's not much on between 18Z and 20Z so I may take a break then unless
I can hear Caribbeans. 40M has been good to the far east from 20Z and EU from 21Z. 80 has been noisy and all I've heard and worked so far is 5N,
a few hundred miles away, but I'll give it an hour or so from 23Z.
It's pleasing to see the 2 band Moxon beam I designed for 20+15 actually works. Isn't EZnec wonderful? I have an AL811H linear but using it,
on my 40M doublet especially, has given me Worked all TVs in the hotel in very short order. I'm using the doublet with feeders strapped for 80,
tuned against a single counterpoise. It tunes OK but my tiny ATU flashes over if I run more than 250W. Lack of space precludes decent LF aerials.
Please remember to beam south from the UK once in a while to give Team Africa some customers.”
12 March, more late news from John 3B9WR – looks like he has it cracked:
“Boy what a week..wx also played it's part..
Finally QRV fm Thursday am UK time and ran 12M 15M 20M & 40m until 2230z then fell asleep. 40m verts are awesome. Did the op's as wind so strong & gud test for ants & op....
Had prepared 80m vert but unable to raise in 50mph winds. Struck lucky at noon local wijd abated after rain squall..I jumped in and with ropes already fixed just had to pull it up. Although used trusted calcs it came out on 3690KHz one trim & on 3530. Back to shack & only sig was BA7NO clg CQ..Don’t plan being QRV tonite wx heat heaving etc taken toll so plan relaxing dinner with wife.”
13 March, Kevin VK6LW
has brought his reserve Mirek VK6DXI into the final
Australian team, Phil
VK4BAA not having been able to deploy his antennas due to adverse
weather in Queensland. We still hope to hear something
of you Phil!
Below therefore are the final teams – good luck
to all!
Confirmed HQ stations are now (there
may well be others). They are identified
by sending “HQ” as part of their contest exchange. Don’t forget to log this! SDC automatically recognises and scores HQ
stations correctly.
GB5CC (Chris GM3WOJ)
VK4WIA (Keith VK4TT)
VU2MTT (Mur)
HQ stations count as an additional bonus on
all bands
Team Africa
|
V51YJ
Andrew
|
ZS6KR
Hans
|
ZS6C
Joop
|
ZS1EL
vidi
|
5X1NH
(G3RWF)
Nick
|
3B9WR
(G3LZQ)
John
|
ZS4JAN
Jan
|
5H3EE
Mike
|
9G5XA
(G3XAQ)
Alan
|
9J2BO*
Brian
|
*Brian is extremely busy at work, but is hoping to be
on for part of the time – Look out for him on the Sunday
Team Australia
|
VK6LW
Kevin
|
VK2BJ
Barry
|
VK2NU
David
|
VK6HG
Rob
|
VK6BN
Alan
|
VK4BUI
Les
|
VK4EMM
John
|
VK6DXI
Mirek
|
VK6HZ
John
|
VK6AJ
Jeff
|
Team Canada
|
VE3FU
Chris
|
VE3AT
Ron
|
VE3EJ
John
|
VE3KI
Richard
|
VE3OI
David
|
VE3UTT
Art
|
VE7CC
Lee
|
VE1RGB
Gary
|
VO1TA
Wayne
|
VY2SS
Robby
|
Note: In
celebration of Canada hosting the 2010 Olympic Winter Games,
some team members may be using the following special prefixes: VX (VE), XJ (VO), or XK (VY).
(VA stations may also be signing VG).
Team Asia
|
VU2PTT
Prasad
|
5B4AGN
Bob
|
9M6XRO
John
|
VQ9LA
Larry
|
VU2BGS
Kumar
|
VU2CDP
Deepak
|
VU2PAI
Pai
|
VU2RMS
Ramesh
|
VU2TS
Ganesh
|
VU2UR
Arasu
|
Team New Zealand
|
ZL2BR
Frank
|
ZL1T
(ZL1ANH)
Graeme
|
ZL1AZE
Brian
|
ZM4G
(ZL2iFB)
Gary
|
ZL3TE
Wesley
|
ZL4OL
Mike
|
ZL3GA
Jeff
|
ZL3IO
Holger
|
ZL1TM
Andrei
|
|
Team Rest Of World
|
J88DR
(G3TBK)
Dave
|
J6/G3PJT
Bob
|
VP2MCC
(G4FAL)
Nick
|
J38CW
(G3VCQ)
Colin
|
ZC4LI
Steve
|
ZC4VJ
Andy
|
P3J
Alan
|
C4Z
(ex G4ODV)
Brian
|
VP8NO
Mike
|
ZB2EO
John
|
Team United Kingdom
|
G4TSH
Justin
|
G6PZ
Gerry
|
GM3POI
Clive
|
G3LET
Peter
|
MD0CCE
Bob
|
G3SJJ
Chris
|
G3KMA
Roger
|
G3WPH
Mike
|
GM4FAM
Cris
|
GW3NJW
Clive
|
|
Reserves
|
G4MEM
Mark
|
G3IAF
Mike
|
G4CZB
John
|
|
Please send all Commonwealth Contest news and updates to the
Commonwealth Contest teams, up to 13 March 2010, to peter@tilgate.co.uk.
73 and CU in “BERU” 2010!
Peter G3LET
Team Competition Umpire