The logchecking of this year’s Scandinavian Activity Contest SSB is now complete. The final results will be published on sactest.net in the next days, with the CW results having been online since 1.5 weeks ago (a few minor category changes to be made by the webmaster). Further extended write-ups on the results will come in due course.

The winner award plaques have now been ordered, and immediate work will focus on making the public logcheck (“UBN”) files available online and on shipping out diplomas as soon as possible. Again, if you would like to have early access to your UBN file, please e-mail oh6kzp@sral.fi.

Looking at the number of participants, SAC 2011, dubbed the “Polar Battle,” has been a smashing success. A total of 2290 logs were received on CW and SSB combined, breaking the previous record by about 350 logs. Most of the increase can be traced to a tripled participation by Team Finland and a 50-% increase in non-European SSB logs compared to 2010. Thanks to all for your efforts!

The CW part of the Scandinavian Activity Contest 2011 turned out to be a well-attended first leg of the famed Polar Battle. Based on log analysis, over 450 Scandinavian, 1400 other European, and 700 non-European stations were on the air and increased the SAC buzz, with a total of 1196 logs submitted. Special thanks and congratulations go to Team Finland for the unprecedented effort to fill the battlefield with signals from OH land! It will result in certain retaliation from the SM brothers next year, to be followed by LA and OZ, making it all the more fun for all involved.

A number of new categories were introduced and a new log upload form was used this year. Post-submission quality assurance efforts to ensure the placement of top stations in the correct entry categories took place through both personal contact and the analysis of extensive data sets. Especially the Assisted category for non-Scandinavians found its target audience and made SAC as a regional contest more enjoyable to many entrants. Congratulations to DL6FBL and UW1M (op. UR5MW) for around 900 QSOs with Scandinavia, a new record by an enormous margin!

The SAC rules forbid IARU Region 1 entrants from operating under 3510 kHz. Analysis based on Reverse Beacon Network and log data indicates (statistical confidence level > 99%) that at least the following Region 1 participants have called CQ and claimed credit for QSOs in the more QRM-free window: LA2AB (op. SP2ASJ), LN3Z (op. LA6YEA), LN5O (op. LA6FJA), OH0X (op. OH2UA), OH0Z (op. OH6EI), OH2BH (op. OH6UM), OH2PM, OH2VB, OH4M, OH5DA (ops. OH5DA, DJ9DZ), OH5NE, OH8A (ops. OH8WW OH8DR), OH9R (op. OH2BBM), OH9W (ops. OH2BCI OH2FHN OH2FPK OH2KM OH2LQ OH2TA OH5BQ), OZ2TF, OZ4CG, OZ4FF, S54X, SE5E (op. SM5AJV), SJ2W (ops. SE2T SM2LIY SM2WMV SM3JLA), SK3GM (ops. SM3PHM SM3VAC), SK4DM (op. SM4DQE), SM0A (op. SM0AIG), SM0W (op. SM0WKA), SM6BGG (ops. SM6BGG SM2BJS), SM6CPY, RA9AP, RU3SF, RW6AH, UN6P, YO9AGI, and ZC4LI. We encourage all to read the contest rules carefully before participating, and wish to remind that future logs will be explicitly penalized for infraction of this rule.

In an effort to increase transparency, the checked logs of all SAC participants will henceforth be open to the public. They will be placed on this website once formatting is finalized. Many have noted that the website robot sometimes adds a multiplier or two into its claimed score calculation; however, these are disregarded in the logcheck and the final results. Please send questions, information on any problems, and early requests for your checked log to oh6kzp@sral.fi.

Work is currently under way on the over 1050 logs that were submitted for SAC SSB. We hope to produce the final results of the Battle as soon as possible, now that solutions are in place for the unforeseen hickups.Congratulations to the CW winners, we hope that all will enjoy the lively bands in CQWW SSB!

OH6KZP – 2011-October-25