One more IOTA and DXCC

Now they start to roll in!? Today I received 4S7NE from Nelson in Sri Lanka, AS-003. Vaiting a long time for this to happened.

So now my IOTA is up to 233 (!). Still a lot to do here. Where are all the IOTA operations? I have a few worked and vaiting for CFM.

Anyway life is still to short for QRP!!

New IOTA and DXCC!

Yesterday the QSL from CY9M arrived. This was a new IOTA (NA-094) and also a new DXCC. So one more for my IOTA account.

Wonder why Victoria (SV2KBS) on the piture is in the shade!? Anyway a nice card with a rare IOTA.

Every one is lsn on the bands for the 3D2C (Conway Reef) operation planned to start tomorrow. Worked Conway last operation as 3D20CR on a few bands including 80 m. So there will not be any big efford from this end. Let the operators that need this operation as a new one take them first. But I guess that the QRM:ers will have a ball again for the next 10 days. Hope they (QRM:ers) will have enough supplies sutch as food and water to keep them up and going so the rest of us will have a h..l of a time.

CU in the pile!

New IOTA arrived.

Worked K8GI/4 (Rick) at the end of August. Yesterday the QSL arrived from NA-058 (Lanier Isl).
This pushed my IOTA score up 1 point. But still lots to catch.

I also got A35YZ (Tonga) via LoTW. But the QSL is still out there. But it is on order!

There are lots of exiting DXpeditions in the future to come. Clipperton, Conway Reef, Banaba Isl. Just to mention a few. So this coming winter and spring will be exciting. I hope the winter storms will be soft so all my aluminium that I have up in the air will stay there.

Take care!

NH8S QRT!

According to NH8S homepage they will go QRT on the 16/Sep 07:00 Z. I managed to work them on 4 bands and all modes. Unfortunally I missed them on 80, 40 m last night. I had to visit my doctor and take a few X-Ray pictures of my thumb. It was hurting like hell and I suspected I had some internal damage. But X-Ray show no fault. Suspected some nerve that was causing the pain. Had to put the Plastic protection on again and keep the thumb still. But I was home in time to work them. But the djungle drum didn't reach me!! Due to my injury there where no SAC contest activity from my side at all. I just can't handle the manipulator at the moment.

Have to show you an other picture of my antennas. Also a proof of the atumn as the sun is wery low and produced nice light on my antennas.Picture was taken around 18:30 local time.

Click on the picture and enjoy!

Tried to work NH8S on 40 several afternoons. And I must say, that the QRM:ers really have made a new record in making it almost impossible to hear and work the DX. But I guess that this is the purpose with this behaviour. Can it be that these guy's have worked the DX and then doing all they can to make sure no one else will have QSO with the DX?????!!!!!!! Just wonder.

Take care all of you readers out there!

Worked NH8S on all modes

Well, I have managed to work NH8S on all three modes. CW, SSB and finally today on RTTY.
Also I have them confirmed on a few band slots. Missing 160, 80, 40, 12 and 10 m. But I think this will be difficult from here.

Have to show you my antennas in my tower a little up close.

They are from top 5 el for 6 m. It is a ECO antenna.

Mid antenna is a 9 el for 2 m made by Swedish company Vårgårda. 9EL2 is the product name.

And finaly the lower one for HF is an Australia made Tet Emtron TE-56. It is actually 2 antennas with separate feeds. 2 el for 30, 17 and 12 m and a 3 el for 20, 15 and 10 m bands. Normally it works just fine. If I hear it, I can work it. HF beam is about 20 m up in the sky

Here are also a picture of the autumn in progress. Soon we will have the white fluff on the ground again. I think it is called snow!!??

Well, unfortunally I can't spend all my time at the radio. If I could I might be able to work NH8S on some more band slots. But I dont have my "Tube Feed System" installed yet. That's why I have to make some breakes to make food and coffie to keep me alive. I have to go away from time to time to purchase food and stuff. That's the explanation why I sometimes miss a few band slots. And I don't have a ground crew (wife or what ever) to help me out. I have to do it all by my self. He He He!!!

That's all for now. Take care all you readers.

NH8S is on the air!

Managed to work NH8S on a few slots yesterday (first day of the dxpedition). This is quite an achivement form my side. Normally I let the big guns work the DX first and then I come in and pick up the remains. Normally this is the best way for me up at 60 deg North. With the antennas I have and only leagal amps (yes, just 1 KW) I'm always 2:nd in the piles. I have checked out the propagations and I think the only bands that it will be certain to achive a QSO with NH8S is 30, 20 and 17 m bands. 15 m might work but any more is a bonus. 40 and 80 m would be nice but my antennas are not so good on these bands.

Autumm is making progress. Wonder how tuff winter will be. We have a say here in sweden that if there are many rowanberry on the  mountain ash we will have lots of snow. Well, the berryes is not that many.

As you see on the pictures there are just a few!! So those who belive in superstition will be happy. I just have to wait and see!

Have a nice weekend and beware of the QRM:ers!!

Repairing my K9AY antenna

I had very low sensitivity when using SW and NE loop. Checked SWR with my Rigexpert and found that I had very high SWR in that loop. Found I had a broken loop at the box. The wires had been sitting there for about 6 long years so it was time to replace them both.
I cut two 85' (feet) wires and installed them. After checking with analyzer the SWR is about 1:1,3 from bottom of 160 m to the end of 80 m.

So I'm back on 160 and 80 with pretty good ears again! By the way the control box and the relay box is from Array Solutions AS-AYL-4 K9AY system. But the support and antenna loops are my own construction. Works just fine and the preamp in the box sometimes adds just wonders to some week signals. This system is resposible for many of my DX worked on 80 and 160 m.

About one more day to "GO" before NH8S will be in the air. So hopefully all QRM:ers and all the "Police" calling UpUpUpUpUp and the rest of the words will have a ball! I hope I will get at least one QSO with this rare DX. Also I hope the QRM:ers will start calling on the right frequency and get a QSO insted of just causing noise!!! But this is only a dream!!!???

CU in the pile.