- 3 December 2012, ZL9HR....short story about working a new one.
Campbell & Aukland Island is one of the entities that was on my list for DXCC and they would be on
from 28 November till 10 December 2012. Due to rough seas and very bad weather they finally got
on the air on Saturday, 1 st of December. The first day it looked like this would be a piece of cake for
me because there wasn't really a large crowd calling him. That was completely different the next day
and Pile ups grew quickly from 5 to 20 KHz up. Looking at the propagation charts I saw that the PA stations
that worked him mostly did in the early morning hours. I did see my chances fade because my working hours
are mainly in the early morning.At work on Sunday I could not get my mind of ZL9HR and thought it would be
a good idea to work them at least one time at my friends place for a new one. If I did, I would try from home
as well but the pressure would be off. So, on Monday morning just before work, I went to my friend Peter just
past 0700 local. They where on 20 meter phone so we tuned the amplifier for that band. By listening to the
pile up, and who he worked, I could easily get the frequency where he was listening and I got him very quickly.
Two minutes later I bagged him on 20 meter CW too within a couple calls, what a pleasure to use this fine
station! On to 40 meter things turned out more difficult at first as there was a lot QRM and band police making
it difficult to hear him. He wasn't all that strong then but they where still in daylight so we waited a while and he
became much stronger at 0620z. Large pile up and he listened from 5 to 20 up...which is really a lottery if
you ask me. I couldn't really get who he was working as stations continually gave their call over the band.
I decided to stay at 7.199 MHz and after some time I heard him give me a report:
'PA3GVI....hello Rob, you are well over the 9 here', another band added!
The rhombic antenna was the best antenna this time...on the dipole he was quite a bit weaker.
Just after the QSO I had to jump my car to be on time for work.
ZL9HR-DXCC # 327 , thirteen very difficult other entities remain!
- 26 to 28 October 2012, CW-WW-SSB at PI4W.
A special edition of the CQ World Wide DX contest this time because my very good friend Arnie/W7BIA
would come over to operate at the PI4W contest station. He arrived on Thursday 25Th after a very
long flight but was at our location 26Th around noon. We had set up most of the antennas except the
80 meter vertical was still on ground. This was done without a problem and we all enjoyed the
coffee soon! Fred/PA8F and Joop already installed the Transceivers and Amplifiers so Arnie could
make a couple contacts in the afternoon before we went home again. Around 0000z on the 27Th I
drove to the station to start the night shift together with Joop/PD2JAM. The 40 and 80 meter band
where packed full with stations and finding a clear frequency then is always a challenge!
It didn't really turn out bad for the first night and Joop worked several NA stations around the greyline.
In the morning the next shift arrived and I went home for a short sleep as I would go there again with
Arnie around noon. Arnie got on 20 meter as I worked 15 meter. Same shift again in the night and
40 meter went much better then the night before.I could quite easily find a clear spot now. Back home
again after SR and pick up Arnie around noon. We drove the long way so Arnie could enjoy the beautiful
Dutch landscape. Good runs this time for Fred/PA8F and Arnie...he could quite easily work a couple
friends from the West Coast. Joop and Stan went for the last shift on Sunday evening to reach the final
score of 1700 QSO's. Absolutely not a top 10 score but boy....did we have fun!!
Operators this weekend: Arnie/W7BIA, Erik/PD5EK, Stan/PA8C, Fred/PA8F, Joop/PD2JAM and Rob/PA3GVI.
Scores by band:
Band QSOs Pts ZN Cty
1,8 116 111 6 33
3,5 255 302 13 61
7 301 442 19 73
14 329 666 25 83
21 349 886 21 52
28 350 769 30 79
Total 1700 3176 114 381
Equipment:
TRX: - FT1000mp MARK V field
- K3
Antennas: - Yagi for 10/15/20 meter, up 60 feet
- Yagi for 10/15/20 meter, up 40 feet
- 1/4 wave vertical for 40 meter
- 1/4 wave vertical for 80 meter
- Dipole for 160 meter/feedpoint at 60 foot
Arnie/W7BIA and Erik/PD5EK (in the back) in action!
Stan and Erik preparing the 2Th yagi. (see 40 meter vertical and other yagi in the background)
2Th Yagi and 40 meter vertical.
Fred/PA8F preparing N1MM.
The second Yagi on top of our sea container.
- 29 August to 3 September 2012, LX/PA1TK/p DXpedition to JN39AX.
Last time I joined was 2009 and I really looked forward to this event.
On Wednesday morning the 29Th Kees/PA5WT and myself headed for Luxembourg where we would
join Theo/PA1TK and Frans/PC5T who where there one day earlier. The others, Gerard/PE1BBI, Rob/PE1ITR, Ruud/PE1BTV and Frans/PA3CQE would be there later in the week.
At the scene we encountered beautiful weather and the view there is absolutely stunning!
Building the antennas went quite well until Friday when a heavy storm hit us and we had to work
hard to save the tent. But after this it turned warm again and we finished the building of the antennas
on Saturday morning, hours before the contest. Due to Some other problems we started 18 minutes to
late in the contest.Conditions where not good at all but taking that in mind, it didn't go bad at all.
We eventually ended up with
783 QSO's and 286851 KM/points.The average distance was 366km and best DX was with EE2W in IN93GF (944km). Sunday evening we finished breaking down all the towers
and antennas to leave home again on Monday morning.
Thanks go out to all the operators who made this an unforgettable event.
Received my endorsement for DXCC mixed award #325 today!
- 11 and 12 August 2012, WAE/CW contest.
Planned tobe active as much as I could through the weekend and finally made 550 QSO's.
The higher bands where very good Saturday, daytime and following night.
Sunday was lesser and calling CQ didn't create long runs as it used to do.
But I worked great DX like 3W2LI (on 3 bands) and 9V1YC with a big signal on 20 meters.
Boy, I love contesting!
Worked DXCC:
- 9 August 2012, Holidays.
I am 3 weeks into my holidays now and haven't done much on my weblog.
However, I did quite a bit of contesting the last 2 months, some with marginal number of QSO's
but others with long hours effort.
- RAC: 67 QSO's
- DL-DX-RTTY: 350 QSO's
- IARU HF CHAMPIONSHIP: 250 QSO's
- DMC-RTTY: 300 QSO's
- RSGB IOTA: 567 QSO's
- EU CHAMPIONSHIP: 100 QSO's
The chase for DX never ends, a few of the highlight in my log:
- 1A0C(Sovereign Order of Malta): worked multi bands/multi modes.
- VU2NKS(India) : 30/RTTY
- H44USMC(Solomon Islands): 15/SSB
- YC6EI(Indonesia): 15/SSB
- OJ0W(Marker reef): 15/CW
- P29FR(Papua New Guinea): 15/SSB
In the weekend of 1/2 September I will be active from LX, in the IARU VHF contest with the
PA1TK contest-team. We plan to build large antenna systems for VHF in the days before the contest and be active as Multi/one during the contest.
PA5WT and myself will also be active on HF from 29 August till the early morning of 3 September
on 10/15/20/40. (and maybe other bands depending on available antennas)
Picture: LX/PA1TK 2011
- 28 June 2012, 10 cards checked by the ARRL!
My friend Peter has just returned from his trip to Friedrichshaben in Germany.
He offered to take my card with him and have them checked at the ARRL desk.
They were all good contacts and I just have to wait for the confirmation.
Cards that were checked and approved:
- T31A(central Kiribati)
- PJ2 (Curacao Island)
- PJ4 (Bonaire Island)
- PJ5 (St. Eustatius Island)
- PJ7 (St. Martin/Dutch Island)
- ZY0T (Trindade Island)
- ST0R (South Sudan)
- VP8ORK (South Orkney Islands)
- ZL8X (Kermadec Islands)
- TX7M (Marquesas Islands)
I am waiting for the 7O6T card from Yemen to complete my DXCC #326.
That's 14 to go, 5 to Honor Roll!
- 23 and 24 June, Marconi Memorial contest.
Had some CW fun in the Marconi memorial contest and made 300 QSO's.
- 2 and 3 June 2012, IARU Region 1 Field-day.
We take part every year and build quite an impressive antenna site.
This year went very well with excellent weather on Friday for the build and Saturday was wonderful
as too. Sunday was rainy and cloudy but it was dry when we took everything down the end of the day.
The contest went very well but we didn't have good DX conditions on the higher bands and therefor only a couple contacts where made on 10 meter, 15 was a bit better.
We had 3 operators, PA5WT, PA3FAL and myself made 1001 QSO's without the dupes, not bad at all.
Many people of our club helped one way or another to get this event on air.
We had good spirit, nice food, and many laughs, a super weekend!
I haven't been updating my weblog for some time but many nice HAMRADIO things happened. First I got to work an all time NEW ONE(7O6T/Yemen), Joined CQ-WPX-CW contest and was active during the windmill weekend on 12/13 may.
It's surprising to see how it happens that certain DXCC countries, from which you expect they will never allow hamradio, get activated,.....and this one for weeks!
7O6T was such a country and I was very happy that I managed to make 5 contacts.
As my passion is CW I always have joy in participating in CW contests, specially the bigger ones like CQWW and WPX.
As I had other obligations during the weekend of the WPX I could only join several hours. That resulted in 458 QSO's, absolutely not a high ranking score but I had fun!
During 12 and 13 may members of PI4WNO celebrated their 25TH anniversary and same time actived windmill 'The Windhond' in Woerden.
A video covers most of what happened during this 'fun' weekend.
- 11 April 2012, more cards.
Got some very nice cards via direct mail!
Hawai on 20/CW Diego Garcia on 20/RTTY
Anguilla on 15/CW Mexico on 20/RTTY/CW
- 7 and 8 April 2012.
My focus during this weekend was on contesting.
Participated in 3 contests, LZ-OPEN(CW), EA-RTTY and the Deutschland Telegrafy Contest (CW).
LZ-OPEN: 75 QSO's
EA-RTTY: 100 QSO's
Deutschland Telegrafy contest: 54 QSO's
-22 March 2012, nice card!
Picked up the paper in the hall, nothing important as it seemed.....
But hidden between some advertising and local papers I found a SAE envelope.Always putts a
smile on my face because this normally means the arrival of a rare country, or DXpedition card.
I remembered I had gone through a load of direct cards a couple weeks ago. Picked out a few rare ones and send them away. I wondered which one would be inside.
Wonderful, one from the Democratic Republic of Congo confirming a 17 MHz/SSB contact.
- 19 March 2012, ST0R video.
A 40 minutes video of this DXpedition in the Republic of South Sudan can be found here:
- 17 and 18 March 2012, Russian DX(CW) and BARTG-RTTY.
I didn't have the time to join the PI4W team for the BARTG-RTTY contest this weekend but could do some contesting in between family celebrations.
Through the weekend I made 100 QSO in the BARTG-RTTY contest and 150 QSO's in The Russian-DX contest, where I was only active in CW.
PI4W team did a wonderful job despite bad conditions and low activity on the bands.
They made about 900 QSO's in the BARTG-RTTY, well done guys!
- 11 March 2012, Bob Heil Interview.
After watching a couple episodes of Ham Nation I came in touch with Bob via e-mail and asked him to join the Ham Interview page.I got a quick reply from him and he was so kind to answer the 10 questions. To be honest, I knew Bob's microphones but reading his notes I found out he was much more then that, a true pioneer in developing new technology for famous bands like ZZ-TOP, The Who and others.
- 9 March 2012, chasing 3C6A, 3C0E, PJ7PT.....and more DX.
Spend many hours on the radio these days because of a dislocated shoulder.
There where/are a couple interesting Dx-peditions going and it's always fun to get them in my log,
One way or another. Worked 3C6A a couple times and after a couple days they went to visit
Annabon Island (3C0E)for the remaining time. I really could not hear them with the inverted V, and I was at my friends house, so why not try it from there?
That day they were on 10/SSB and 12/CW and I could get through and add them to my log.
Annabon Island is a rare one, not that often on the air!
A Polish team is in the Caribbean, active from St. Martin Island as PJ7PT.
Not a difficult path for Europe and fun to see how many bandslots I can work them.
Managed to work them 6 bands/modes so far.
Two big burst on the sun could spoil communication fun but it didn't, besides the band being quite silent on Friday 9Th.
Many 50 MHz spots on that day so the MUF must have raised quite a bit.
Anyway, enough DX to be found:
BY8AC on 10/CW PJ7PT on 30/CW, 80/CW, 17/SSB, 12/CW, 40/CW/SSB T6JP on 12/SSB VP2MOM on 12/CW C6AAJ on 40/SSB
ST2AR on 80/CW VP2MSN on 30/CW, 17/CW 5H3MB on 12/SSB TO11A on 17/SSB ZF8/ZF2AG on 40/CW TP8CE on 80/SSB
- 3 and 4 March 2012, ARRL DX SSB.
Woke up Saturday morning at 0600z and found that conditions were not good on 40 and 80 meters.
I could just hear and work a couple, the regular US/VE contest stations.
For the rest of the weekend their wouldn't be much time to be active, I thought.
On Sunday I eventually could break free a couple hours and went to my friend Peter/PA8A.
I guessed I could make a few hundred QSO's there in a couple hours, just for fun!
15 meters was hot and within 2,5 hours there were 250 QSO's in my log.
The best run was from 13:16GMT to 14:38GMT, when I made 182 Q's.
- 3 March 2012, ISS<->EARTH contact with Astronaut Andre Kuipers.
I am following the ISS news now days as one of the crew-members is a Dutchman.
Andre Kuipers has been doing some Hamradio contacts on a previous mission in 2004.
Wouldn't it be fun to make a contact?
PA7DA was the first to make a QSO with Andre/PI9ISS on February 25Th and he was big news in
the national newspapers and TV.
Today I had everything set for the next passage and all of a sudden he called one out of the many callers.
Great to hear him coming through, quite strong, but he disappeared within a couple minutes.
I realize my chances aren't that large with just a small vertical and 25 watts.
A yagi and some power would give me a better change evendo you can never know.........
In any case, I remembered listening to Bill McArthur aboard Mission #12 in 2005/2006.
I made an MP3 then and found it somewhere in one of my folders.
I haven't been active on my blog for a couple weeks so here is a line up of most activities explored:
Contests:
CQ-WPX-RTTY: 104 QSO's
BSCI-HF-CW: 126 QSO's
ARRL-DX-CW: 300 QSO's
UBA-DX-CW: 609 QSO's
PACC with PI4W team: 1529 QSO's
Higher bands being excellent with some off-days from time to time.
And there were/are some nice DX-pedition going.
What to say of 3C6A from Equatorial Guinea or ZD7XF by Nigel/G3TXF.
One I was particular happy with was FW0NAR/p, active from Futuna Island which belongs to
Wallis and Futuna Island group.
Interesting DX that found it's way to my log:
V25AA on 15/CW V5/DL8QT on 12/SSB, 10/SSB 6V7S on 10/CW, 10/SSB ZP5DKW on 10/SSB LW3EX on 10/CW 6O3A on 10/CW P29FR on 20/SSB VK6WC on 10/SSB V44KAI on 15/CW VQ9JC on 15/CW, 17/CW V5/DK2WH on 12/SSB V25NS on 12/CW ZD8Z on 15/CW V85AVE on 20/SSB FJ/N2IEN on 17/CW V31YK on 15/CW ZS2I on 15/CW VR2XMT on 12/SSB, 10/SSB TT8ES on 15/SSB PP5BS on 15/SSB KP4BLA on 15/SSB XE1GGX on 15/SSB
HC2/W7SE on 15/CW V31YK FW0NAR/p on 20/CW (rare... Futuna Island) CE2/CX1EK on 10/CW ZD8R on 17/CW 3DA0PW on 15/CW, 12/CW C5YK on 15/SSB VU2XO on 15/SSB YN9SU on 15/CW, 17/CW KG4AS on 12/SSB CP6AA on 12/SSB J88DR on 12/CW, 15/CW VP2MOM on 15/CW, 17/CW JY5MM on 20/SSB 3C6A on 17/CW, 15/SSB, 12/CW, 17/SSB ZD7FT on 10/SSB BA8AG on 10/CW ZD7XF on 12/CW XW3DT on 12/CW, 12/SSB 8P9CK on 17/CW C56XA on 17/CW
I received many cards, direct and through the buro.
T32C was one of them!
- 11 and 12 February 2012, PACC contest with PI4W team(PG6G).
As a tradition for the last few years we operate this contest from PA8A shack.
A comfortable situation because everything is plug and play.
Besides, Peter's wife makes very good Chilli Concarne which is a highlight in the weekend.
We are competitive but take the time to have dinner on the Saturday evening.
Peter arranged a special call sign, PG6G, one we used in an earlier PACC contest.
Conditions proved not the be good but we had fun and the score wasn't all that bad either.