OJ0X - Market Reef - 100 DXCC Confirmed on 12m

OJ0X activation 2011 just received QSL on LoTW. It is my 100 DXCC confirmed on 24Mhz. Many thanks.

Minami Torishima 南鳥島

Fantastic DX in my log today! Minami Torishima - Marcus Island !!! This is dream locatation to be DX! JG8NQJ/JD1 Brand New Country. CW on 18Mhz. Take is using 50W and 3 ele Yagi for EU fixed. Condition was great from EI to JA direction. I`ve worked few Japan stations on 12m today. I had QSO with RI1FJA from Franz Josef  Land on 24Mhz as well.  When JG8NQJ/JD1 signal show up on 17m I knew it it will be workable! And it was. Few months ago I`ve SWL his signal on 30m but was very weak and he din`t reply to my call.

EJ0PL - Saltee Island EU-103

EI9KC joined Papa Lima DX Group in the operation from Little Saltee Island as EJ0PL , IOTA EU-103

13-15 April 2012

Vietnam on 40m

No much activity on the bands by EI9KC last few days :

* family life are more important

* weather outside is like during summer time! +20C

* break from the radio is needed

In spare time I did some improvement of my wimdom antenna balun. And now I am testing it on low bands how is working. Looks fine. Interesting DX just worked on 40mCW XV2W Larry from Vietnam.

7P8BP Kingdom of Lesotho

One of Best EI DX-Man EI7CC Peter is QRV now as 7P8PB from Lesotho. Last year he was there as well but I had no luck to be in his log. This year I happy to have QSO with Peter in Lesotho on 10m (last Sunday) and 15m - today. New DXCC on those bands for me and rapid QSL on LoTW. Many thanks Peter!

Tonga once again!

A35YZ Dx Pedition from Tonga in my log for 2`nd time this morning! 14MhzCW via L/P signal was low  ... similar to 30mCW but good copy, nice clear without noises. Very happy with that QSO. Their location is one of most difficult to work from Ireland.

A35YZ Website and online log

CW can do a magic .... Grey Line can help!

A35YZ is QRV now and I`m happy to have them in my log! For 1`st time Kingdom of Tonga worked on the bands. I was thinking few days how to work them. SWL their signal last Saturday on 30mCW but no luck. Decided to wake up early today to try and it was worth it! QSO on 10Mhz CW , very low signal but good ears on the other side there in Tonga! Grey Line helps too! Here is a video how low was their signal when I was working them. Few minutes after signal was much better.

HF Happenings

Few interesting QSOs made last few days: (all new ones on marked band)

• A45XR Chris , last missing band 40mCW 
• PJ7PT St. Martin DX Pedition on 80mCW 
• HR5/W9GL James is operating from Honduras , logged on 17mCW
• XW3DT Alex in my log on 80mCW
• 5N7Q Bodo on 12mCW , and 80mCW - Fast LoTW ! TU!
• TT8ES one more time QSO with Elvira but this time on 15mSSB
• 5H3MB QSO with Maurizio on 20/12mCW

Annobon Island SSB

Very lucky QSO on 24Mhz SSB this time with 3C0E. There was info on DX Cluster 5-15 up. I was calling up 20 :)

100 DXCC confirmed on 17m

TG7/NC2N Andrei is QRV from Guatemala and I had QSO with him yesterday on 17mCW. Nice one and very fast LoTW QSL for this QSO. This is my 100 country confirmed on 18Mhz. Many thanks.

Lesotho for 1`st time.

7P8GF Gerard ZS6AYU is QRV now from this small country in Africa. I had QSO with him on 17mCW. This is 1`st time when Lesotho is logged in my log. Nice one. Brand new country. Never worked before.

Some statistics

Here is some statistics 11 months operating on the HF bands by EI9KC

Band	April 2011	March 2012	Progress
10m	63	187	+124
12m	55	144	+89
15m	83	188	+105
17m	55	161	+106
20m	148	212	+64
30m	49	146	+97
40	103	140	+37
80	30	111	+81
160	39	52	+13

• 10m - +124 countries worked ... best band so far and amazing openings. My experience about propagation from 11m bands works here as well. I`m former CB`er.
• 12m - +89 good band and still some EU to do. A lot of good DX as well. Similar condition to 28Mhz. No bad in my opinion with high SWR on my antenna.
• 15m - +105 great band and in my opinion better openings here than on 14Mhz from some parts of the World. My antenna is working well here.
• 17m - +106 second most productive band here in my statistics. Still a lot of EU missing here. High SWR but it is working!
• 20m - +64 not much new ones worked but this is BEST band for new countries on just one bands. great openings around the world and 24h opening during summer months! 212 countries worked in total here.
• 30m - +97 my favorite band! Dream list ... 3 ele Yagi uff uff! Best DX stations Logged/SWL here. Good progress with New Ones anyway. 
• 40m - +37 not much attention last year. But 100 DXCC confirmed by QSL. Some good DX worked here especially during winter months early in the morning! I think 40m can do better for me next year.
• 80m - +81 this is special one. Hard to do DX but if logged then is a BIG THING! A lot of time spend during winter months on 3.5Mhz CW and it was worth it! Great band for DX and hard as well. Short , 30minutes openings from some parts of the World (VK/ZL). Grey line is doing magic here! Best DX here VP6T - Pitcairn! 
• 160m - +13 only. Only ? First QSOs with NA! Canada and USA. It is something for me. During summer months I will install new antenna for TOP BAND. To be prepared for next season for sure!

3C0E very lucky QSO on 28Mhz

Propagation is very low on higher bands today. Sunstorm hit Earth and condition is not good. But .... 3C0E had good enough signal in my location. When they started on 10m pile-up was massive. I was only SWLing them doing some work with my bicycle hi hi. And after few minutes operator said QRX. After 10 minutes he was back calling CQ CQ, I was prepared! After 3 or 4 stations he repeated my call-sign :)

ZD8Z .... QSL

ZD8Z Jim (N6TJ) Fast QSLer! Just received his nice QSL from ZD8Z QSO on 80m! Many thanks!

Today in my BOX

TX3T and TX7M received today.

Good quality QSL cards. 

PJ7PT St Martin

A group of six Polish operators is on air now from St Martin. Their call-sign is PJ7PT. Worked already on few bands. One of the team member is SP3GEM Jurek .... I was lucky to visit his QTH many many years ago when HAM radio exam was organised in his town. That day I`ve passed my HAM radio licence.

TT8ES Chad

TT8ES Elvira just logged on 20m. One call only. New country on 20m and SSB as well. I was hunting for 3C0E on SSB but it was NA only for long time.

QSL from EP3PK Pooyan , East Teheran IRAN

I had QSO with Pooyan EP3PK few days ago. New country on HF and rare one these days. Nice QSL and fast LoTW confirmation as well.

Today in my BOX

T32C QSL Card received today. From a printer point of view this "cheap" card. Printed on low quality paper with no finishing. OK it is 4 pages but ...

3C0E on 15m

Nu much time for radio today. Weather is beautiful outside and family commitments are more important. Just few spare minutes and very lucky 3CE0 logged this time on 21MhzCW! I was watching therr CW style operation last few days .... trying how they can manage traffic and it is working so far.

Annobon Island for 1`st time.

3C0E just started on 20mCW! And after just few calls .... logged! This is big time BRAND NEW ONE country. Never worked before. Annobon Island also known as Pagalu.

(Source: Wikipedia)

I was lucky because they just started! In the same time ARRL DX SSB contest is on the bands but I am not interested this time. Just 9 QSOs with USA stations on 15m and that is it. 

Annobon Island

(Source: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=485035)

Annobon Island when is activated by 2 operators only and for a lot of people this is NEW ONE they should be QRV on one major band (for example 14Mhz) as long as possible to give chance for "just one QSO" in my opinion. Changing bands OK but for short time operation this activation will be for BIG GUNS ONLY. 

CW vs SSB

To be honest I prefer call DX in CW mode than SSB. But this time there is opposite situation. 3C6A last day QRV and I was trying for long time on 21MhzCW to make QSO. No luck! When they QSY to 28MhzSSB just few calls and 3C6A in the log!