Tuesday 28 October 2014

IOTA via Buro!

I've got this fine card via buro. Operator was Masa, JA0RQV. This is from Ha'apai Group of Tonga. Island name was Lifuka. Looks like a nice Place, or.........?!!


So the score is still improving slowly in the right direction!!


The score I made in CQWW for ARRL Centennial QSO Party was over 1300 Points. So I'm well over 3800 Points in the summary. And there are 2 months still to go. And the upcoming CQWW CW will push my score some more  (I hope).

So! Back to chasing ARRL Centennial QSO's.

CUL

Monday 27 October 2014

New IOTA confirmed vai QSL!

Finally I received NA-034, Anna Maria Island Florida. Call used was K0AP/4 and operator was Dragan. So this add a new one to my fantastic score.


This weekend I did some S&P in CQWW SSB. The conditions on Sunday afternoon was just fantastic on 28 MHz. Worked more than 100 State side stations in a very short time. It will be interesting to see how many Points this will generate in my ARRL Centennial chase.

Well, wx here in Sweden is warm for the end of October. Temp at this moment is 15 C (59 F). And tomorrow we might get around 18 - 20 C.

That's all  for now. CUL

Thursday 23 October 2014

VK9DLX update!

YES!


Yesterday at around 1820 Z I managed to work VK9DLX on 160 m. Heard them fine on my K9AY RX Antenna. He was working at 1833 KHZ and was listening on 1822 ( down ). I just gave him one call with my FTdx5000MP and ACOM1000. And to my surprise he came back to moi and a QSO on 160 was in the log. And this morning I could see it confirmed in the On-Line Log. Thanks Dietmar DL3DXX for super ears!!!
There are a lot of SM hams that has worked them on 160 m. But the opening is very short. Around 1840 Z he was gone. But nice to check out Lord Howe in my Challenge score.
Next fine news on the DX is that Navassa will come on air in January 2015 as K1N according to DXWorld news. This will be nice as Navassa is one of the missing ones for me.
And Tromelin is soon to come on air in a few weeks. Also one of the missing in my DXCC score.


Well, that's all for now. CUL

Saturday 18 October 2014

VK9DLX, Lord Howe Island-

What Amazing sigs this DXpedition is putting out. I worked them on 40 m for two Days ago. And he was 599+10 to 20 db over. Totally Amazing. And they have had the same fantastic signals on most of the bands. Worked them yesterday on 80 m and on my K9AY they where S5-9!
I have worked them on all bands except 160. But they will be there over the CQWW Contest so there are time to Catch them on 160 as well. But I have them also on all modes (CW, PH, RTTY). So I have added some band slots to my Challenge Award. If you don't have Lord Howe Island in your log just start Calling them. They have good ears and super operators and they work split.
I have no Picture today but I will write something new next week.
That's all for now. CUL

Tuesday 14 October 2014

WAS via LoTW!

Yes!

Today it arrived. My WAS Basic and CW totally via LoTW. Very Quick. I made the application last Monday. And today I received the Award. Nice work ARRL!


Have to get some frames and put it on the wall ASAP!!!
I have the following major Awards. DXCC 320, 8BDXCC (missing 160 and 6 m), Challenge, WAZ CW, WAC, and finally the last to arrive WAS CW.

Well! I have to admit that I also have IOTA 300 and pending 375 islands. But IOTA is going very slow. Hope that I will reach Honor Roll in a few years as the QSL handling is so slow. PLS RSGB, do something!!??

Well, that's all for now! CUL

Monday 13 October 2014

New IOTA and also new Band Slots.

Today I received a QSL from Craig for his operation as VK5CE/8 from OC-173 Bathurst Island. As Always with Craig he is standing with his arms stretched out. Fun gimmick!!


So, one more Point to my miserable IOTA account!!??

Also got a card from Norfolk Island VK9NF. Operator was NL8F Tim from Dutch Harbor AK.
This added to my VK9N score with Phone and 17 m Band Slot.


So my Challenge and Phone DXCC score is also improving a bit!

Well that's all for now. CUL

Friday 10 October 2014

Confirmed via Club Log!

YES!
I've got PJ7PK, NA-247, Guana Key of Pelikan confirmed via their on-Line log for my QSO on 30 m. So QSL is already ordered via OQRS. Super effort from the team for just to give us a new one! They made over 2000 QSO's so RSGB must be happy to register a new IOTA.


THANKS!!


Picture is borrowed from QRZ.com.


So my IOTA score is now in the fantastic sum of 373 (if all pending is approved). It is a slow process and according to my notes I have 37 QSL's on order either via Buro or direct. Wonder when they all will show up.


That's all for now. CUL

Thursday 9 October 2014

Long delivery time and a very rare IOTA!

Yesterday I received a QSL that I requested direct around May 2013. Well, finally I can sign off a few band slots for Galapagos San Cristobal Island. It was also a new mode (PH). I had almost written it off!!


But here are the QSL. Wonder if Buro had been faster!?

Worked ( I think ) PJ7PK on 30 m CW yesterday. They were on a very rare IOTA. Na-247,  Guana Key of Pelikan, and this Island had never been activated before. And the pile on 30 was Amazing! I hope he got me correct as the pile and QRM:ers had so much to do!! According to  PJ7PK home page this Island will never be reactivated again due to big problem during landing at the Island. Also according to their home page they made 2300 QSO's. Well done! Now the World is waiting to see the log. Hope it will be uploaded to Club Log ASAP.

We had a rainstorm yesterday. I've got almost 40 mm ( almost 1,5 " ) in about 30 minutes. I was as I was sitting in a waterfall!! This morning it is no wind and a lot of fog. Temp around 6 C ( 42 F ).

That's all for now. CUL

Thursday 2 October 2014

2 new IOTA*s via Buro!

Nice things happens now and then. Yesterday I collected some QSL's arriving via Buro. In that bundle I found AS-109 Zhuravlinyy Isl from RT9K/P and AS-132 Cat Ba Isl 3W1D.

Also received a few missing band slots for Challenge Award. They are to Close to you so they are not easy to get. E7 on 17 m was a new band slot for me. And a very nice card.


I have to show you all the card from Vietnam as well.


Click on the Pictures to see them a Little larger.

Have heard rumours that RSGB is working on a system to improve the QSL confirmation process for IOTA. Hope they do it user friendly!!??.

Well that's all for now. CUL


Wednesday 1 October 2014

New TRX is back!

Finally I've got it back! After two round trips to Yaesu in UK they finally made it work. Problem was no keying in RTTY mode. As it was under a limited warranty (bought as a second hand unit) I quickly found out the keying problem. All other modes was fine and the receiver is Amazing. Well after the second trip to UK it works. So now I have set it up together with a microHAM Micro Keyer II in all modes.


Nice or!

Got two new (for me) IOTA's this week. Both was from YB4IR operations and one was from his home Island OC-143 and the other one was OC-122. So the score is slowly improving. But it is slow. And if every one shall have 3$$$ for each QSL. Well I can't afford it at all. Some other system have to be in place ASAP!!! According to annual listing I have 340 IOTA's. But with the QSL I have collected so far this year (via buro and direct) I have 370 IOTA's. but to get to Honour roll of 555 confirmed IOTA's is a different story. I have 180 to go. and if I have to pay 3$ for each missing it will cost me 540$$$!!! That is in Swedish money around 3.800:- Sek. Wow. There is a lot I can do with 3000:- Sek. So I totally agree with K6VVA that a change has to come to get QSL confirmation ASAP!!!

Have to tell you that this morning the temperature was minus 4 C (24 F) and the lawn is just White with frost.

CUL!