From: Andy G4KNO
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2023 23:40:33 GMT

My favourite contest. And this year the windy weather kept away at the right times.

I didn’t do the full 24 hours but I didn’t want to be constrained to 12. Previous experience suggests that it’s pretty slow between midnight and 4am, and I’m still not 100% after flu some three weeks ago so I ended up not appearing again until 5am. Looks like I missed a 20m  long path VK/ZL opening. I also had to run an errand in the afternoon. Nonetheless, I’m not happy at how my Q totals compare to 12 hour entrants with theoretically less capable stations. I’ve had a look at RBN comparisons and I’d say there wasn’t much in it RF-wise, despite beam vs. wires.

I used N1MM for the first time in anger since becoming all principled circa 15 years ago and only using Linux. Previously I used WinTest and wine but now I have a dual-boot machine which came with Windows 11 I’ve switched to using that with N1MM, just for contests. N1MM supports SO2V whereas WinTest does not. As it turned out, I abandoned SO2V in this contest because of the long gaps needed to effectively S&P. I can see how SO2R would be far more effective because you must spend long periods CQing and therefore are able to tune around more continuously. You keep a presence on the band also, which I think is important because there are a lot of stations out there who only S&P.

N1MM takes a bit of getting used to after WinTest. I was the source of a few dupes early on because I didn’t understand what the check call window was telling me. Apologies to those stations! Also, unless I’m missing something, I wish there was an HQ stations worked by band display. It was only after the contest I realised I’d missed GI5WS on 80m.

My noise floor is raised on 80m due to VDSL, and people were working stuff I simply couldn’t hear. No VKs or ZLs were worked on that band, but I didn’t seem to have a problem working what I could hear, despite backing-off the power to keep the gamma capacitor from arcing on the shunt feed. I also know I have SMPS-like noise on 10m when beaming SSW, but it didn’t hamper things much once the band had opened.

On the plus side, the new PC monitor has solved the display turning off with RFI problem. I bought it after AFS CW but found it was doing something similar in AFS SSB, but it’s a different problem. It seems there’s an issue with HDMI pick-up of the 1K-FA’s transformer magnetic field (and the rotator control transformer  when you turn it on or off). Using USB-C instead seems to have solved that problem.

One of the down-sides of a beam is knowing where to point it! ZS1C was off the side of the beam when he called me at 21:30 on 20m and I nearly didn’t complete until I copied the prefix properly. It was also a dilemma as to beam long path or short path to VK/ZL on the Sunday morning. I found that 20m on the Sunday morning was still better on long path whereas 10m was better on short path, but it takes a long time to turn the beam. I never found ZD7BG, and I thought I spent enough time tuning around – probably too much. Some lessons learnt on the pointing front. Oh for a stack!

Some highlights: being called by AP2TN and VU2JOS on 10m; working V85NPV on 10m (who wasn’t actually in the contest). In general, it was really great to work so many VK/ZL on 10m.

I really should have moved V4/G0TLE from 15m when he called but I just wasn’t on the ball.

I think the report card would have to read, “room for improvement”.

IC-7610 + 1K-FA

Momobeam TRI-12 @18m

40m rotatable dipole @20m

80m tower shunt feed

 Band     QSOs     Pts  Cty  Sec  Pt/Q
   3.5      13     265    7    1  20.4
     7      44     880   28    2  20.0
    14      82    1530   50    6  18.7
    21      80    1480   48    6  18.5
    28      56    1140   39    3  20.4
 Total     275    5295  172   18  19.3
Score: 5,295
1 Mult = 1.4 Q’s

Thanks to all the travellers, and despite my down-beat report I really enjoyed it!

73 Andy, G4KNO.

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 

From: Bernd Länger
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2023 04:13:28 GMT

Thank you all for a great contest, my first serious BERU entry.
And a special thanks to all VK*WIA “warriors”. It was good to have so many more bonuses easily workable in our direct neighbourhood.

Well, BERU is normally John VK4CT’s contest from our jointly owned station. And it was only after John had to withdraw his participation this year and Steve VK6VZ’s second call for expressions of interest here on the reflector for someone to fill in the missing slot in Australia 2, when I thought about giving it a go. And thank you Steve for your “persistance” 😉

I never really understood the hype around BERU – until now!! The bonus system is special and it requires a completely different approach to other “mainstream” contests. It’s definitely not the sit-on-one-frequency-and-the multipliers-will-come type of contest and the bonuses make it unique, a bit like WAE with its QTCs. A late insight, I know…

Without a proper clue on strategy and a benchmark from previous BERUs I entered the contest, curious about where it would take me. After reading the first claimed scores, I must say that I am quite happy with where it took me 🙂 Great results from Australia – it looks like we all have done well again this year representing VK in the game. Congrats to all!

Thanks again for the QSOs and bonuses
73
Bernd VK2IA


—————-

Call: VK1A/4
Operator(s): VK2IA
Station: VK2IA

Class: SO-Open-24 HP
QTH: VK/ZL
Operating Time (hrs): 22
Location: VK/ZL
OpMode: SO2R

Summary: Compare Scores
Band QSOs Bonus Pts
80: 15 300
40: 93 465
20: 218 1180
15: 170 1140
10: 105 1180
Total: 601 3005 Total Score 7,705

Club: VK Contest Club


My first serious participation in BERU – and I must say I got hooked!

I really enjoyed sitting in the contest chair again after a forced break of more than 4 months and thanks to everybody for the QSOs and bonuses!

73
Bernd VK1A/4 (VK2IA)

BTW, the registered station location for VK1A (and VK2IA) is VK4 and VK1A/4 was used as a one-off in BERU only (as required by BERU rules).

I lot of fun working the contest from the station of Gary, VE4YH, who puts out a potent signal from Winnipeg. The station is a TH7 at 60 feet, and a new 3-element JK 40m yagi at 70 feet. On 80m, just a simple horizontal loop (not the best performer). It is great to see the high bands being so active! As you may know, I operate a lot of remote, and have done BERU from ZF2VE as well. I am very happy the committee has set up the remote categories. I still think the wording needs some clarification, as it is a bit difficult to really understand what category you are in. I’m licensed to Nova Scotia with VE1RM, I’m the trustee of club call VE4CDX, I was using the station of VE4YH, and I was operating from NH in the United States. All good! Can’t wait for next year! Look for me operating WPX CW and SSB from the Yukon Territory of Canada as callsign VF1T. Thanks to all for the QSOs. Call: VE4CDX Operator(s): VE1RM Station: VE4YHClass: SO-Open-Remote-12 HP QTH: MB Operating Time (hrs): 11.45 Location: Canada Remote operationSummary: Compare Scores Band QSOs Bonus Pts 80: 23 345 40: 84 1020 20: 176 1800 15: 143 1335 10: 128 1320 Total: 552 5820 Total Score 5,820

Enjoyable contest with much improved HF conditions but much lower activity. Or is it me ?

Recovery from major surgery taking its toll on my concentration , so just a 12 hour restricted entry.

100watts to a 100 foot doublet. My main HF antenna decided it didn’t want to do BERU this year at no notice. So just a Saturday 1000-2200 effort from me this year. 20 open with no BERU traffic until I went QRT at 2200. Quick forays onto 40 and 80 were pretty slow going – auroral flutter made for a few repeats, except for the outstanding signal from VK1A/4 on 40 .

So – I had fun S&P on the many VK and VE team players and all the World Travellers. Thanks to all of them for livening up the contest – without them BERU would become a 3 country contest.

Outside of VK/ZL didnt hear a single Asian/Far East station this time.

Delighted to work ZD7 on 3 bands and pick up the VY1 Yukon station . How does G3TXF achieve such good sigs everywhere he travels? By far the strongest 5B with me, and I only missed him on 80m cos I went QRT early.

Band Q
80 3
40 6
20 52
15 46
10 27

Claimed pts 2,805

73

Bob G4DBW

Hi all,

Some good scores in there. Well done to all.

Agreed that it seemed ‘slower’ this year with not as many on however I did work many more than last year.

Sunday was very quiet here on all bands until the evening rolled around.

I had a good start especially when EU was coming in on 15m around 1100z.. I had to moved off 15m at

one stage as calling BERU did not stop the pile ups from non BERU countries and it was impossible to get any run rate.

80m was not that good, working mainly VK and ZL with one VE in there.

I grabbed 2 and half hrs sleep between 1500 and 1700 hoping that was the only break I had, but the weather

turned nasty on Sunday afternoon with huge thunder storms taking me out of the contest for 4 hours.

My high nr of Q’s is not real as I had so many others calling that it was easier to log them for zero points

than to explain BERU only…  At least they will get a QSL

Class: SO(A)-Open-24 HP
QTH: QG62EK
Operating Time (hrs): 17:40 Band  QSOs  Bonus Pts 

   80:   15      375

   40:   93     1230

   20:  153     1620

   15:  145     1395

   10:  122     1410

———————–

Total:  528     6030  Total Score = 6,030

Best 73

Alan

What an amazing BERU! I haven’t heard conditions like those in many years. Eighty seemed poor, and 40m was a little poorer than usual, but the phenomenal openings on 10 and 15 more than made up for it. I made several QSOs with ZL and VK on 15m after local midnight!

BERU always has a relatively small pool of stations to work, spread across the whole globe. That is part of the fun. Openings to multiple regions can be challenging. One very fun thing was having the 20m long path opening to ZL and VK coincide with the regular opening to G on a broadly similar bearing.

If there was an award for the longest call sign in BERU, it would be a tie: 5B/G3TXF and 5B/G3VYI. Thank you to Nigel and Mike for making Cyprus very available.

This was my first serious BERU from my new location, and the first time I’ve gone “Assisted.” It’s also the first BERU from VE3, so that normal deep well of VE3 QSOs was missing from my log. The much better propagation to G, ZL and VK more than made up for it. One plus about being a VE3 is that I get fewer non-BERU callers than I did from VE9, VO2, VO1, ZL7 or 9M6 in previous BERUs.

I am very grateful to those ops who were willing to change bands. I got more bonuses, and all they got was just another VE3 in the log. Brian 9J2BO stands out as always being willing to move on request. Thank you, Brian.

The conflict with the Tesla contest on 40 and 80 and the South American contest on 10 metres was less of an issue this time.

Thank you to Bruce WA7BNM for updating the BERU form on the 3830scores page. It still needs a tweak, but it’s great to have a column to report bonuses now.

Every BERU weekend we have a strong storm. No exception yesterday with high winds and heavy wet snow! Early on, my remote fan dipole was impacted with high SWR and the ATU was going crazy trying to keep up. I moved to the high bands early as a result. Later around dusk the situation had resolved itself somehow and I could operate on 80 and 40 but with reduced power to 200W.

The expected promise of a wide open 10M did not materialize for me but 20 and 15 were very productive. Surprised by calls from 9J2REK 15M and 5H6PJ 20M ..thanks!

The storm dumped about 20cm and I took two breaks to clear snow during the day. A number of reuests for QSY were gladly accommodated. Managed to break 500 Q’s in the 12hrs which is better then last year by a nice margin. Many thanks to all who called and especially those who called me by name! I was able to reciprocate in several cases.

73 Frank VO1HP

Radio: Yaesu FTDX10
Antenna: DX-Eng 80/40 Thunderbolt 55ft Dual Band Vertical
Software: N1MM Logger+ 1.0.9826.0

This year, not one but three Funny Things Happened on my Way to the Forum.

Totally unexpectedly, as everything was exactly as it had been in the previous years. Well, I replaced my “vintage” Ten-Tec Orion with Yaesu FTDX10, but all other elements remained, including the operator. No changes (much less improvements) there.

Firstly, struggling (and far from succeeding) to start a UK sunrise run on 40 m, I decide to quickly check the 20 for any “weird” openings. Lo and behold, I stumble on Brian 9J2BO in a QSO with some innocent soul, outside of the contest. Once he is done, I call, he answers, I tell him I’m in BERU, we do the exchange. Sweet. I spent about 15 minutes scouring the band and, other than him, the band is as dead as they come, nothing else.

Secondly, right after that I had a very productive (toute proportion gardée, “productive” for me, the BB-gun) run into the UK on 40 m around their sunrise. Says N1MM+: 0554-0637Z, 7010.4 kHz, 27 Qs, 37.1/hr. Don’t get me wrong, I know that’s nothing to write home about, but it just doesn’t happen to me; with my setup I normally struggle to make every Q and my “runs” are “crawls” of a few at a time, paid for in sweat and blood.

Thirdly, just before that run Andy G4PIQ asks me to move from 40 to 80 meters for him. Being a really nice fellow, I say “yessir” and QSY to 3509 as he requested even though I have no hope of even hearing him – 80 was really tough for me all night. Guess what? I not only hear him, but we make a Q! OK, maybe it was not me being nice, but rather being married for longer than I am willing to admit and having taken all the obedience courses.

Lastly, and it does not count as the “three funny things”, again I did not make it to the end of the contest. The very last 3 hours or so are always excruciatingly slow. This year I made a pinky swear promise to myself that I stay until the very end in the hope of some VK or ZL making themselves available close to my sunrise on 40, maybe even for bonus points. But I could only hear same stations that I had already worked the previous day, and fewer for that matter. I gave up with about an hour to spare. Well, there is always “next year”.