The sixth Colin’s Challenge, started on the 1st January 2017, and runs until the 31st December 2017.
There will be three transmitting categories: Foundation, Intermediate, and Advanced. There will also be a separate category ‘Listener’ available only to members who do not yet have a transmitting licence who log contacts made by other radio amateurs (broadcast stations do NOT count). Transmitting members may choose whichever category they wish to enter, but all contacts made towards the challenge must be in accordance with all the licence conditions for that licence category (not just power limits) and subject to your own licence conditions.
The challenge for 2017 will be for members of Poole Radio Society to work amateur stations in as many different DXCC countries as possible using whatever modes, bands and locations to operate from as they wish. Each country worked counts only once, no matter how many different bands and modes a member works it on. The list of DXCC countries published by the RSGB in the RSGB Prefix Guide will be used for the purposes of the Challenge.
Just to make the challenge a little more interesting, please also keep a note of how many different bands and modes you have used to make the contacts. For the purposes of the challenge, modes are Phone (AM, FM, SSB), CW, Image (FSTV, SSTV), Date (RTTY, PSK31/63/125, JT65 etc). Bands are ANY amateur band you are licensed to use which is also permitted by the category you are entering.
For a contact to count, the two-way contact must have been conducted entirely using amateur radio frequencies (so no echolink or linked repeaters for example). Contacts through un-linked repeaters and amateur satellites DO count. Cross mode and cross band contacts do count as long as both modes and bands are recognised amateur bands, and count for the mode and band used by your station to transmit. No QSL cards are needed.
Bring an extract of your log along to the first meeting in January 2018. The log must contain (as a minimum) date of contact, callsign of station worked, country worked, mode and band used for transmission by your station. In addition a count of the number of countries worked, plus bands used, plus modes used is required (e.g. worked 35 countries using 4 bands and 3 modes). Please feel free to let Eddy Cobb have updates on how you are doing during the year for the PRS Times as this will hopefully motivate others to join in. Early indications are that this could be a bumper year! Results will be announced at the AGM in April 2018.
The sixth Colin’s Challenge, started on the 1st January 2016, and runs until the 31st December 2016.
There will be three transmitting categories: Foundation, Intermediate, and Advanced. There will also be a separate category ‘Listener’ available only to members who do not yet have a transmitting licence who log contacts made by other radio amateurs (broadcast stations do NOT count). Transmitting members may choose whichever category they wish to enter, but all contacts made towards the challenge must be in accordance with all the licence conditions for that licence category (not just power limits) and subject to your own licence conditions.
The challenge for 2016 will be for members of Poole Radio Society to work amateur stations in as many different DXCC countries as possible using whatever modes, bands and locations to operate from as they wish. Each country worked counts only once, no matter how many different bands and modes a member works it on. The list of DXCC countries published by the RSGB in the RSGB Prefix Guide will be used for the purposes of the Challenge.
Just to make the challenge a little more interesting, please also keep a note of how many different bands and modes you have used to make the contacts. For the purposes of the challenge, modes are AM, FM, SSB, CW, FSTV, SSTV, RTTY and PSK31/63 etc. Bands are ANY amateur band you are licensed to use which is also permitted by the category you are entering.
For a contact to count, the two-way contact must have been conducted entirely using amateur radio frequencies (so no echolink or linked repeaters for example). Contacts through un-linked repeaters and amateur satellites DO count. Cross mode and cross band contacts do count as long as both modes and bands are recognised amateur bands, and count for the mode and band used by your station to transmit. No QSL cards are needed.
Bring an extract of your log along to the first meeting in January 2017. The log must contain (as a minimum) date of contact, callsign of station worked, country worked, mode and band used for transmission by your station. In addition a count of the number of countries worked, plus bands used, plus modes used is required (e.g. worked 35 countries using 4 bands and 3 modes). Please feel free to let Eddy Cobb have updates on how you are doing during the year for the PRS Times as this will hopefully motivate others to join in. Early indications are that this could be a bumper year! Results will be announced at the AGM in April 2015.
The sixth Colin’s Challenge, started on the 1st January 2016, and runs until the 31st December 2016. The aim is the same as the previous year, although there are some small changes to the ‘rules’ in respect of categories and modes.
Results were announced at the April 2016 Annual General Meeting. This year, whilst most contacts were on the hf bands between 80m and 10m, some were on a variety of vhf/uhf bands from 6m to 3cm. Modes used were CW, SSB, PSK31, PSK63, RTTY and FM. 143 separate DXCC entities were contacted by members – almost certainly a record!
In the Foundation section, unfortunately there were no entries in this category this year.
In the Intermediate Section, Leri 2E0SDZ first, with a very creditable log including some fine DX made using PSK 31 running 50 Watts or less.
In the Advanced Section, Colin G0JII won by a narrow margin from Colin G6MXL. G0JII’s log contained many excellent some really excellent DX such as Afghanistan, Djibouti, Hong Kong, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Zambia to name but a few. The log from Colin G6MXL fewer DX stations, but included contacts on bands ranging from 80m to 3cm. Tim M0TGY’s log contained almost exclusively contacts made using digital modes. Paul G7EWY’s log included some choice DX including Belize. Highlights of Alan G4UWS’ log included Kosovo and Sudan.
Name |
Callsign |
Category |
DXCC |
Bands |
Modes |
Total |
Position |
Notes |
Leri |
2E0SDZ |
Intermediate |
41 |
3 |
2 |
46 |
Winner |
|
Colin |
G0JII |
Advanced |
114 |
7 |
3 |
124 |
Winner |
|
Colin |
G6MXL |
Advanced |
104 |
14 |
3 |
121 |
Runner Up |
|
Tim |
M0TGY |
Advanced |
74 |
10 |
4 |
88 |
Third |
|
Paul |
G7EWY |
Advanced |
68 |
8 |
3 |
79 |
Fourth |
|
Alan |
G4UWS |
Advanced |
42 |
8 |
2 |
52 |
Fifth |
|
Results were announced at the April 2015 Annual General Meeting. This year, whilst most contacts were on the hf bands between 40m and 10m, some were on a variety of vhf/uhf bands from 6m to 23cm. Modes used were CW, SSB, PSK31, PSK63, RTTY and FM.
In the Foundation section, unfortunately there were no entries in this category this year.
In the Intermediate Section, Alan G4UWS came first, with a number of his contacts made using 50 Watts or less.
In the Advanced Section, Colin G6MXL again came first, working 66 countries with a range of bands from 40m to 23cm, using RTTY as well as PSK31, SSB and FM. His country totals and bands were down on the previous year.
Name |
Callsign |
Category |
DXCC |
Bands |
Modes |
Total |
Position |
Notes |
Alan |
G4UWS |
Intermediate |
10 |
5 |
2 |
17 |
Winner |
40m to 2m SSB & FM |
Colin |
G6MXL |
Intermediate |
3 |
5 |
2 |
10 |
Runner Up |
6m to 23cm SSB & FM |
Colin |
G6MXL |
Advanced |
66 |
12 |
4 |
82 |
Winner |
40m to 23cm SSB, FM, RTTY, PSK |
Colin |
G0JII |
Advanced |
34 |
4 |
2 |
40 |
Runner Up |
20m to 10m CW, SSB |
Alan |
G4UWS |
Advanced |
22 |
6 |
2 |
30 |
40m to 2m SSB & FM |
Results were announced at the April 2014 Annual General Meeting. This year, whilst most contacts were on the hf bands between 80m and 10m, some were on a variety of vhf/uhf bands from 6m to 9cm. Modes used were CW, SSB, PSK31, PSK125, RTTY and FM.
In the Foundation section, Sean 2E0CMT came first. Sean made a number of contacts running 10 Watts on PSK31 whilst operating G100RSGB.
In the Intermediate Section, Sean 2E0CMT again came first, again whilst running G100RSG at intermediate power levels.
In the Advanced Section, Colin G6MXL came first, working many countries with a range of bands from 80m to 9cm, using RTTY as well as PSK31, SSB and FM. He managed to work a number of countries and a couple of bands as ‘firsts’.
Name |
Callsign |
Category |
DXCC |
Bands |
Modes |
Total |
Position |
Notes |
Sean |
2E0CMT |
Foundation |
11 |
1 |
1 |
13 |
Winner |
20m PSK31 (made whilst operating G100RSGB) |
Sean |
2E0CMT |
Intermediate |
30 |
3 |
2 |
56 |
Winner |
PSK31 & PSK125 (made whilst operating G100RSGB) |
Colin |
G6MXL |
Intermediate |
8 |
3 |
2 |
13 |
Runner Up |
4m, 70cm, 9cm SSB & FM (all portable) |
Colin |
G6MXL |
Advanced |
94 |
13 |
4 |
111 |
Winner |
80m to 9cm SSB, FM, RTTY, PSK31 |
Dave |
G3ZPR |
Advanced |
30 |
8 |
3 |
41 |
Runner Up |
40m to 6m & 2m CW, SSB, PSK31 & FM |
Results were announced at the February 2013 meeting. This year, whilst most contacts were on the hf bands between 80m and 10m, some were on a variety of vhf/uhf bands from 6m to 70cm. Modes used were CW, SSB, PSK31, RTTY and FM.
In the Foundation section, Colin G0JII came first. Colin showed what can be done with just 1 Watt of CW on 20m, thus operating well within the limitations of Foundation Licence allocations.
In the Intermediate Section, Sean 2E0CMT again came first, with another very good entry.
In the Advanced Section, Colin G0JII came first again, working many countries using higher power that nobody else managed to work and a number of firsts for himself.
Name |
Callsign |
Category |
DXCC |
Bands |
Modes |
Total |
Notes |
|
Colin |
G0JII |
Foundation |
21 |
1 |
1 |
23 |
Winner |
20m CW 1 Watt |
Colin |
G0JII |
Advanced |
47 |
5 |
4 |
56 |
Winner |
|
Sean |
2E0CMT |
Intermediate |
22 |
5 |
4 |
31 |
Winner |
|
Dave |
G3ZPR |
Advanced |
30 |
7 |
3 |
40 |
|
|
Colin |
G6MXL |
Advanced |
44 |
7 |
2 |
53 |
|
Results were announced at the March 2012 meeting. This year, whilst most contacts were on the hf bands between 80m and 10m, some were on a variety of vhf/uhf/shf bands from 6m to 3cm. Modes used were CW, SSB, PSK31, RTTY and FM.
In the Foundation section, Phil G3XBZ came first. Phil decided to demonstrate just what could be achieved from a few short periods of operating within the limitations of Foundation Licence allocations.
In the Intermediate Section, Sean 2E0CMT came first, with another very good entry.
In the Advanced Section, Colin G0JII came first again, working many countries that nobody else managed to work and a number of firsts for himself.
Name |
Callsign |
Category |
DXCC |
Bands |
Modes |
Total |
Place |
Colin |
G6MXL |
Advanced |
21 |
11 |
3 |
35 |
A4 |
Alan |
G4UWS |
Advanced |
38 |
10 |
2 |
50 |
A3 |
Dave |
G3ZPR |
Advanced |
81 |
12 |
4 |
97 |
A2 |
Colin |
G0JII |
Advanced |
116 |
7 |
4 |
127 |
A1 |
Sean |
2E0CMT |
Intermediate |
96 |
8 |
3 |
107 |
I1 |
Phil |
G3ZBX |
Foundation |
14 |
3 |
1 |
18 |
F1 |
Results were announced at the March 2011 meeting. It was noticeable that most contacts were on the hf bands between 80m and 10m, and that there was almost no vhf activity (no 4m activity) and no uhf/shf activity. Modes used were CW, SSB, PSK31, RTTY and FM.
In the Foundation section, Sean M6CMA came first. A particularly notable achievement having only passed his Foundation Exam on Friday 26th November 2010.
In the Intermediate Section, sticking to Intermediate Licence and bandplan conditions, Les Hill M0ARM came first. Les was the only member to work Chagos
In the Advanced Section, Colin G0JII came first. Colin managed to work 36 countries that nobody else worked.
Name |
Callsign |
Category |
DXCC |
Bands |
Modes |
Total |
Place |
Alan |
G4UWS |
Advanced |
38 |
10 |
3 |
51 |
A4 |
Colin |
G6MXL |
Advanced |
50 |
7 |
5 |
62 |
A3 |
Dave |
G3ZPR |
Advanced |
67 |
6 |
3 |
76 |
A2 |
Colin |
G0JII |
Advanced |
108 |
7 |
5 |
120 |
A1 |
Sean |
M6CMA |
Foundation |
26 |
7 |
3 |
36 |
F1 |
Les |
M0ARM |
Intermediate |
55 |
8 |
3 |
66 |
I1 |