Wow! Now I have only 27 IOTA on order.

Today I've got 2 IOTA confirmation. It was AF-040 Lamu Ils from 5Z4/OZ1AA that fell down in my mail box. Super!

Thanks Thomas for a nice QSL.

Next that fell down in the box was from Australia. OC-233 Bruny Ils. Operator was the famous VK5CE. Thanks Craig for QSL.

This put my score up 2 Points. Only 2 remaining to get 500 confirmed!!! Wonder if some one read my earlier Writing in this blog!!?? Guess that I have to gear up my goal to 600!!

Well, click on the Pictures and enjoy.

CUL

YES! New DXCC on 50 MHz.

Today I received the QSL from JH0HZO worked on 50 MHz CW. Super thanks to Shinichi for answer my request for QSL. Worked him 3 of June at 07:32 z.

So this has pushed my DXCC score up one Point on 6 m. But I have a lot more to do Before I will receive a DXCC on 6 m.

This is my primary goal at the moment. To get a DXCC on 6 m and 500 confirmed IOTA islands.

I have at the moment a lot of static on 6 m due to Heavy rain. The reason might bee that the antenna has a gamma match.

Well, back to chasing on 6 m JT65.

CUL

QSL, Thunderstorms and cold weather!

QSL from, for moi, a new IOTA has arrived. It was AS-201 Marmara Isl. Call used was TA0/DL7UCX (Ben). Here is a Picture of the card. This pushed my score up to the fantastic sum of 496 confirmed islands!? WOW!

Well, I wonder when the rest of the IOTA QSL's I have on order will arrive! There are 29 in total this year only. And the activity on Club-Log vs RSGB IOTA pages is very low. Nothing at all for the last few months. The reason for this migh be that there are no $$$ involved  in this way of QSL-ing. I keep a Close Watch over my mailbox!!

Weather today will be most likely the same as yesterday. Some rain showers and localy thunderstorms. Temp outside is only 10 C ( 50 F ) and that feels Cold. We have passed the summer solstice and from now on it is down hill towards the dark again. And hopefully nice openings on low band!!!???

CUL

Bad weather

I have been down to Varberg City for midsummer celebration. Nice but a lot of rain.

Meatballs, Herring, Salmon, egg's and some caviar. Super nice. And all girl's have nice wreath of flowers in their hair. And of course a lot of alcohol!!!

Any way, I'm home and there is not much to do on the radio so I decided to modify the Noise Blanker in my FT-1000MP MK-V.
 The mod is from W8JI and all that you have to do is remove a 220 ohm chip resistor (R2046) from the source of Q2009, replacing it with a new 220 ohm resistor connected between Q2009 source and Q2016 (2sc4047) collector and junction of R2049. W8JI, Charles clime an improvement of more than 10 db reduction in IM Products.

Picture of area where the mod shall be done.

Here the 220 ohm resistor is installed.

And finally, the IF board is reinstalled in the TRX. Future will see if this mod will do as it is stated. But at the moment there are no big activity on the band. But it's sounds just fine at the moment.

Today there are prediction of TS. Temp is around 16 C ( 60 F ). And around 5/8 of Clouds.

CUL

JT65, IOTA and A25!

Yesterday I was Calling and Calling and Calling..............!!!??? But no QSO. It was yesterday morning and loads of JA stn's was Calling CQ. But I was not able to Catch one. But I guess 300 W to a 5 el yagi up 75' is not enough, or I'm I doing something wrong???

Any way today I received a (for moi) a rare IOTA. It was OC-123Niuafo'ou Island in the Kingdom of Tonga. Thanks Masa (JA0RQV) for QSO and QSL.

QSO was on 20 m CW and he was using only 100W and a GP. Super well done Masa!!!

And I also got QSL from the UK DXpedition from Botswana. They used the call A25UK and I worked them on a few missing slots. Remaining is 160 and 80  m. And I will try when the next one goes there.

Serviced my car today. Lots of cash was going out and new oil, filters and some other stuff was fixed.

Some local TS is on the way and I hope they miss my QTH. Temp is 17 C and partly cloudy.

CUL

New mode for me!

Due to the bad weather on Wednesday I was sitting in front of my radio and there was nothing on. So I downloaded WSJT-X into one of my computers and I configured the DigikeyerII that I have together with  my TS-590S. Reason for this is that many hams seams to do JT65 on 6 m. So if I like to get some new ones I have to follow the stream!!?? All went just fine and my first QSO was with my friend SM5DJZ. I had to check out all the bells and whistles in the program.
First QSO was with G4VCJ followed by K5XI and K4PI (cfm via LoTW). Super!

I was running with only 20 W from the TS-590S into my ACOM1000. Ended up with about  300 - 350 W out. And every thing turned hot. Long transmission times (50 sec on - 70 sec off). Temperature in the room was about 26 C after a short while.

I is fun with a new mode. And to all of you out there remember I'm a newbie to this so have some patience with me!!??

Here are a Picture of my Italian 5 el Yagi for 6 m on top of my tower. Feed with RG-213. Weight is only 2 kg.

All of my 6 m QSO's is done with this antenna.

Regarding the storm yesterday, I have cleaned up all the debris on my lawn and I will cut it tomorrow.

Well back to JT65! CUL

After 5 years...........

Finally after 5 years I've got QSL from 5V7V. Thanks to QSL mgr EA5GL help I was able to get a card. Worked 5V7V on 80 m CW for over 5 years ago. But here it is.

Nice eh...........................??!!

It is a storm outside today. Wind is gusting over 45 kt. And that's a lot in this part of Sweden. And it is followed by heavy rainfall. Sustained wind at the moment around 20-30 kt gusts 45 kt. I'm a bit worried about my antennas. But so far no problem. But rather big branches is falling from the big pine trees I have on my lot. Hope it will calm down soon.

CUL

Nation Day Celebration

To day it is Sweden National Day. And I will work on the museum railroad as a brakeman the whole day. But I have put up the flags on my house. And as I'm ½ Swedish and ½ UK I have put up the Union Jack together with the Swedish flag ( probably I will provoke some one but I don't care).

Hope the weather stays as it is now. Sun shining from a clear sky and temp is around 15 C ( 59 F ) and Rising!

OQRS is open for HD2RRC and HD2RRC/4 and my QSL is on order.

CUL!

More Wagtail!

I have tried to get better Picture of my Wagtail family that are straggling to get food for their small ones. And to get them is quite hard as they don't stand still at all. So I used high ISO and high shutter speed. But the drawback is a Picture with lot of noise.

So here you are.

On the radio front there is nothing new. Sun is Active spraying out CME's and a lot of other stuff. But to day it looks that the sun is taking a breath while loding up for the next one.

Just at the moment I'm vaiting for HD2RRC/4 to open up OQRS.

Well, take care all of you out there.