New IOTA confirmed!

Well, my IOTA is improving slowly. Today I received NA-060 Choluteca/Valle Group - Isla Del Tigre. Call used was HQ4W and I worked them on 20 m SSB.

So, with this speed I will get my Award when I'm a bit over 100 years old!!!!!!! He He He!

Nothing to do about it. It is what it is. You never knew if they (IOTA) start coming in clusters!

I have changed tires on my car to summer type. Nice to get rid of the winter tires with studs. They make a lot of noise. Temperature here in Sweden is at the moment 50 F ( 10 C ) and sun is shining from a clear sky. And all dirt roads starts to dry up.

Well that all for now. CUL

Now I can cook'em!

Finally my tube cooker for my spare GU74-b is up and running.

As you can see the current drawn at the moment is around 300 mA. Voltage is 8,5 VDC. This is my first tube to test so I can't say if this is a good tube. The unit provide 12 VAC for filament and 13,8 VDC for the small fan's to the left. Anode current is drawn by connecting grid, screen, and anode together and apply DC voltage between cathode and the rest of the electrodes. A DC power supply  is connected with a current limiter adjusted in this test for maximum 400 mA. I Think I shall go to around 500 mA to get the "gettering" done properly.
The chimney is a top of a PET bottle. Fits just fine.

Click on the Picture to see a large version.

CUL

New IOTA!

In the mail today I received a new IOTA. It was AS-146, Jiming Island with the call BY4IB/4. Worked them in 2013 IOTA Contest and Before the Contest on SSB. In the Contest I worked only CW.

So, here are proof of moi worked AS-146!?

The white fluff that I wrote about in my earlier post is shrinking fast. At maximum I've got about 5". Now it is only 2" remaining. And the temperature is around 41 F ( 5 C ).

This morning I worked a new one on RTTY. It was DS5USH on 24 MHz. So, both my IOTA and RTTY score is improving slowly.

Take care all of you readers out there. Remember that Life is to short for QRP! CUL

What the h---!

Looked out the window this morning and saw this!

I can't remember if I have ordered any more snow. All was fine and the lawn was growing as never Before. And this turned up!!

Well hope the sun will come on and it will be gone in a few hours as the temperature is above freezing.

Worked W1AW/7 on 80 m RTTY after sunrise this morning. Super ears and it is not so easy to work Arizona on low bands after the sun is over the limb.

Well hope the White fluff will go away as soon as possible.

CUL

Finally I nailed them on RTTY!

I ave been fighting to get 9J2T on RTTY for several Days. And finally this morning I managed to Catch them on 20 m RTTY. SO now I have them on all modes and a few band slots.

Banner borrowed from QRZ.com, (hope they don't mind).

So my RTTY score is also improving fast. Soon I will have a DXCC for this mode. I have not spent so much time on chasing 9J2T on low band. But they will stay until 17 March so there are some time left.

That's all for now. CUL

Real rare IOTA!

Wow! Just received a rare IOTA. AS-124 and call used was A63RI. Island name was Dibba Rock.
Nice Place, or??!!

Wonder how they climbed ashore!

I have just found out that I have a value of one Point! As a member of ARRL I'm Worth a solid one Point ( 1 ) in the ARRL Centennial QSO Party. So bewhare all of you out there. I have a value of one Point!!!!

WX here is still super. Temperature at the moment is 14 C ( 57 F ) and sun is shining from a clear sky.

Well, back to radio and I'm ready to give out one Point to anyone interested!

CUL

Once more a new IOTA

Today I received a new IOTA. It was AS-011, Agatti Island in Lakshadweep and the call used was VU7AG. Worked them on a few band slots. All was confirmed via LoTW. But the card is needed for IOTA. And here it is!

Looks like a warm and nice Place to just sit and drink a "cool" beer!!?? QSL was verified via W4VKU.

Weather is still OK in this part of Sweden. Temp at the moment is 10 C and sun is shining from a clear sky. But there are some prediction that during coming weekend we will get some snow!

Conds on the radio at 24 and 28 MHz is OK. This morning I worked KH6 and KL7 on LP with fantastic signals. So back to radio!

CUL

New on 15 m and Phone!

Today I received the following QSL from E51JD. Worked him on Phone on 15 m. And this was new on both. He also sent a coin from the Island. Nice!

Click on the Picture to see it in a bigger scale and read the note about the coin.

In this part of Sweden I have a temperature of 11 C (52 F). This is warm for March. Soon I have to cut the lawn!!!

That's all for now. CUL

New IOTA!

Today I received a new IOTA. Actually it was also a new DXCC but it was confirmed via LoTW a while ago. But for IOTA I need the card. It was from American Samoa, Tutuilla Island OC-045. Call they used was W8A.

My IOTA scores improved again with one Point!!

I have also looked at the possibility to achieve Honor Roll for DXCC. I have come to the conclusion that I will not be ale to get there. Today I have 314 confirmed. So I have 26 to go to 340 and 17 to achieve the limit for Honor Roll today. And that is 331. When I look at the remaining 26 I understand there will be some problem. As to mention the following where there are no planned operation in the near future as BS7H, 3Y/P, KP5, E3, CE0X, KH5K ( more or less under water), YK (war zone), VP8/G, VP8/S, P5, and a few more. 3Y/B might be on the air in some future. I'm hoping to get QSO with FR/T, FT5W, FT5X, KH1, KH3, KH5 and KH7K and a few more.
But I Think the Honor Roll will be a hard nut to crack!! Who has the Money and other resources to go to these remote places and give me a QSO!!?? So I believe it when I see it.
Good Luck to all of you out there that have all these rare DXCC entries that you worked when I was around the World fixing broken air planes for my Company and making money for the tax authorities!

CUL!

New QSL arrived today!

Today I received 4 QSL from the same station! It was from Sable Island. Call used was CY0P. Reason for 4 QSL is that each QSL only show 2 QSO's. And I worked them on all band's and modes except  160 and 80 m and no RTTY. But still managed to get 7 QSO's with them. And one fine thing is that all 4 QSL's have a different Picture. here I will show you two of the QSL's.

Nice cards indeed! Click on them to see them in a large scale. Thanks to Gary, Murray and Rick for a fine operation. As the UK guys would say: "Well Done"!!

Spring has arrived here in this part of Sweden. Definition of spring is an average temperature over 7 Days of over 0 C degrees. And this was achieved last weekend. So spring is here about 4 - 5 weeks early!!

On the radio at the moment is the Italian DXpedition from 9J2T. I have worked them on a few band slots already.

That's all for now, CUL