Yours truly isn’t much of a contester. I always preferred quality, than quantity. However, last week-end offered an opportunity not to be missed. The IARU HF Championship was open to hams all over the world, its goal being always the same: the one who makes more QSO wins. There is a particularity, making this contest unique: each nation has one (or several) HQ station(s), active in different modes and bands, ran by the national hams association. When would you have a chance to work the whole Europe in just a couple hours? I’d say it’s rare, and it’s also a nice chance to give your set-up some testing. So, I gladly launched myself into the on the air struggle. No particular goals, no incredible expectations. First was to have fun, second to allow IX1 area to be worked by others operators. I ended up working some 24 HQ stations: basically all the Europeans ones (less Switzerland, Holland and Denmark), plus LR6F in Argentina, and some other contesters, for a final log of 43 QSOs, on 40 and 15 meters. It’s true we’re speaking, in the HQ case, about “dream stations” (i.e. it’s them who hear you, thanks to their five stars set-up), but I have to admit I was surprised once more about the 10 mt. fishing rod performance (and I went on the air with less than 50 Watt!). Log, as witnessed by the picture above, has been already sent. I’m pretty sure I’ll be in the last ranks of the Italian classification. I don’t care. IX1 will be ranked, and that’s what mattered to me. In the last week-end, in my opinion, those who’ve been on the air are all world champions. Of the best hobby the world itself has ever seen.

73,
Chris