Being a ham since less than a year, I’m not so aware about how much felt are national contests. I can speak for Italy, as I took part already twice (at first as an SWL, and then as a real player) in “ARI 40/80″ and “Bande Basse Italia”, which usually take place between the end of the year, and the beginning of the new one. Then, it happened me to witness, on 15 meters, the joyful “Concurso Verde Y Amarelo”, from Brazil. Yesterday night, as I was browsing 80 meters, I remarked a huge quantity of French stations, many of them pretty loud. I then recalled I had read this week-end would bring the “Coupe du REF” SSB round! In a couple minutes I told to myself that France being as far from me (more or less) as the rest of Italy, I had to try and see where I could end. On 80, I’m still vertically polarized, which isn’t the top option. Anyways, as it happens during contests, many stations doesn’t like to throw away point, so they welcome you ahead a couple times to have your call properly. My first serie ended at fifteen QSO, including TM70TRS (a special station for the French Signal Corps). You can laugh about it, but it made me happy, and convinced me it was a start, that deserved a following. So, this morning, I was ready to go full throttle on 40, where I expected to have the proper skip to the “Hexagone”. It did happen and I went on QSOing ’til the beginning of the afternoon, covering many Departments, including some coastal ones (that are the opposite spot to my position). Particularly proud was I to have worked F6REF, the station from the REF-Union, the National Association organizing the contest. I also managed to log (and the second one was quite a struggle between splatters, that in French are called “moustaches”!) both Corsica departments: 2A and 2B. Then, since I was well aware I wasn’t running for the 1st rank, I went a bit outside, to enjoy the sunset of a pleasantly warm Sunday. Took with me the Degen receiver, to check how things would change outside a noisy environment like a home can partly be. I realized that, at 16 UTC, 80 meters were starting to be alive again. The video below shows that, and wants to be an homage to all the friends I contacted in these two days of contest. I then came back home, and – even if more noisy than outside, I had some more ten QSO on 80 mt, a couple of them with full lights of day outside, something that really brought me on cloud nine. I ended at 81 contacts. I’m aware it’s quite ridiculous on a score side, but it’s more than something on the ham spirit side. Also, not always I can use French, which is second official language for the place where I live, Aosta Valley, being on the border. Now I know “la Coupe REF” is really felt. Allez, le REF…

73 de Chris