Hi Bob

Well that was probably the best propagation I’ve struck in my time doing BERU. I don’t know what sort of favours you cashed in with the propagation gods Bob, but can you keep doing it?

The low bands were predictably poor although they were open to VE and the Carribbean (not that ZF2CA could hear me on 80m).  No Gs heard on 80m though at all but yet 40m yielded quite a number of them.  To be fair I didn’t hang around long on 80/40 as I figured the high bands would be open.

20m was fun.  It was open short path to G in our early morning and then longpath to VE and the Carrib in our late morning.  Even a few Gs made it into the log then as well as a nice bonus, as well as some in our early afternoon.  

Probably the real surprise was working a pile up of Gs on 15m at midnight local time which was quite surreal.  After the first 2 hours of the contest (it starts at 11pm here) half my QSOs were on 15m.

Highlights: 9G5XA picking me out of a pile up on 20m.  West Africa is really tough from here but he was a genuine 599 (unfortunately there was also a 5Z who simply couldn’t hear me).  Nigel calling me twice on 20m and 15m in the space of 40 minutes!

10m wasn’t as good as I had hoped but nevertheless it was nice to hear it actually open.  Sadly no Gs heard (keep working on those favours Bob).

It might be my imagination but I seemed to be harrassed by less non-BERU stations than usual this year.  Saying that the very first station to call me at the start of the contest was a JA!

Overall I thought participation was pretty good by BERU standards.  With 4335 points and 303 QSOs this is easily my highest score.  

Thanks to all the people who operated HQ stations, it is much appreciated.

73 

Mark ZL3AB