CQ WW SSB 2013

Had a pleasure to spend few hours on the radio during CQWW SSB 2013. During windy condition and other important commitments I`ve made 400 QSO on 21Mhz. 85 countries and 25 CQ zones. Great fun it was when my antenna was just 3m above the ground level and I was able to make some interesting DX including Hawaii Islands, Japan, China, Alaska. Not always had a chances to break a pile-up. Didn`t log many stations. 99% of my activity I was calling other stations. Did some CQ as well but not impressive , made about 10 QSOs. Enjoyed when I was chasing for example ON stations and when finally logged heard "thanks for new one". ;) 85 DXCC scored with my antenna pointed at 315 I did not use DX Cluster to look for Multipliers but I was sending spots when heard some of them. Noticed wonderful opening on 28Mhz  during this contest looks like it was one of the strongest on 10m during this solar circle.

Job has to be done ...

Busy day at EI0PL Club station. Adam EI5JQ will participate this weekend in CQWW SSB 2013 Contest and we had to do some antenna job at his QTH. Second antenna had to be erased for Multiplier station. On the picture Adam EI5JQ doing antenna job. 

Meanwhile when we had some spare time bands were monitored for DX.

I had pleasure to log several Japan stations on 20m CW , Palau on 20 as well, Marianas Islands on 20 

and South Korea on 14Mhz too. On 40m nice DX from West Malaysia. 

Dx of the day was FW5JJ Jean-Jacques worked on 15mSSB. His QTH is Wallis Island.

At the moment he is using G5RV and 100W only and good antennas in EU are needed to copy his signal. Did some record of his station using my phone.

285 DXCC worked on CW

I had little hope to catch Al Danis W6HGF as KG4HF on CW. When he was active on CW it was always too late for EU or too early. Tomorrow KG4HF is going QRT ...  he was very active on the bands from Guantanamo Bay but mainly on DIGI modes. I had pleasure to log him on 6 bands all RTTY. CW was on the dream list. And it happened tonight! . / .. / ----. / -.- / -.-. / in the log CW mode on 12m! Great .... it is my 285 DXCC worked on morse code. Slow WPM speed but no worries. I had to remember his RTTY style of operation to find best split option. Done at up 0.5 ;) Thanks Allan!
BTW his fast QSL on LoTW gave me 200 DXCC confirmed on 30m band!

3 new ones on 30m in one night

Great achievement on 10Mhz last night. So far my favorite band on HF. No much time for the radio during the day but no worries 30m is in good shape during the night. And my first new one was

TI5/N3KS - Costa Rica (CW)

Then had hard battle to get into the log of TN2MS - DAGOE MERCY SHIPS DXpedition to the Republic of the Congo ... around 1:30 local time they had good open window to North America and it was very hard to break the wall. I had few QSO with them already, no much pressure on higher bands with this DXCC but on lower welcome. My antenna is covered from Africa side and it is not easy to make it through. But I did it! (CW)

And the last one .... GITMO .... KG4HF Al Danis.

He is doing great job from there. Bit late showing up on low bands but it was worth to wait for him. Signal was not strong. I was only able to receive and decode some single letters but 2-way QSO was made! (RTTY)

Night to remember. 220 DXCC worked already on 30m. 199 confirmed

Last new DXCC confirmed on 30w was Azerbaijan and QSO with Vlad 4K9W great CW Op.

Good condition on higher bands.

Higher bands are in good shape last few days .... 10m and 12m are wide open. In the morning Japan are coming with great signals and in the evening West Coast are strong too. Hawaii Islands are logged in the morning on 28Mhz via long path and Easter Pacific Ocean are strong in the evening. Next weekend CQ World Wide DX Contest SSB 2013 - I hope bands will stay open for the greatest competition on HAM bands. Be ready ! 

Mozambique - filling the gaps ....

C82DX is now QRV. I had few QSOs with Mozambique confirmed and few new band slots are welcome. For some reason they are not so strong on higher bands. Managed few QSOs already. Happy to see them on 30m in my log. Africa is not easy with my 30m dipole .... few days ago struggled TO2TT without luck .... this time C82DX lucky logged .... most of the time by watching their style of operation in split.

Aloha on 80m - confirmed!

Big New One received today : QSL. KH7Y Fred confirmed QSO on .... 80m! Not easy one on 3.5Mhz! Especially with dipole on the tree .... Many thanks Fred

Iota Contest 2013 Results ....

EJ1Y - IOTA Contest Team 2013 from EU-006 Inish More Island

From left to righ:

EI9FBB / EI9KC / EI5JQ /  SP9NWN / SQ7NNM / EI4GK / EI3KG / EI7KD / SP7IDX

Provisional Results from IOTA Contest 2013 are published now on RSGB IOTA Contest Page. So far EJ1Y - Papa Lima DX & Contest Group on 7`th position - IOTA DX-Pedition - Multi Operator 24h High Power Category. With 2078 valid QSOs - 440 Mults And 6983300 points. Great results!

See you next year from EU-007 Great Blasket Island for IOTA 2014! 

Guantanamo Bay

Not so often we can hear station from Guantanamo Bay on the bands. Direction is not so difficult from EI but pile-up is always guaranteed. Yesterday was first day when KG4HF - Al (W6HGF) showed up on 12m RTTY. I am not big fan of digi modes but to work new DXCC on the bands there is no choice .... KG4HF worked on 12m and few hours later QSL on LoTW! Great! It was my 2`nd QSO with DXCC and first QSL on LoTW. I will always remember QSO when I was calling CQ and KG4EM gave me a call on 20mSSB. I like style of KG4HF, rapid ClubLog / LoTW while he is still there. Few more days left I hope to catch him on another bands. Good Luck.

Austral Islands on 28Mhz !

Yes ... Austral Islands again ... after few days waiting for good condition on 28Mhz today logged at last ... TX5D on 28Mhz ... Uff was not easy , good EU pile-up, wonderful signal. Great location for DX on 10m, great QSO, great DX-Pedition. Thanks for your time for EU Lads! At the moment missed Austral Islands on 20/17m TX5RV will be soon QRV from Raivavae so there will be a chance another time.

Beverages needed

4 more days left with TX5D. Tried to catch them on 28Mhz but condition was not good last night on 10m. Today early in the morning they were active on 80mCW. Heard them , very weak signal too weak to manage 2-way QSO. Beverages for low bands are needed if I want to work small remote places with average 80m antenna. In my QTH at the moment there is no room for such antenna system ... Had a pleasure to give them a call on 40m instead and get reply EI9KC 599 on CW. Operator on the other side asked for EU shortly after sunrise in EI.

Austral Islands on 12m

Last night when TX5D showed up on 12m CW I had no chances to get them .... NA wall was too strong. Operator on the other side did not call EU and opening wasn`t long. Maybe it was longer but when they started 12m bands closed soon in my QTH. This evening decided wait for them .... when I went back from work they were active on 17m CW but I had no signal at all. About 17:30 UTC they went QRT -  breakfast ? Looks like. I knew it they will be back - but which band? AT 18:49 first spot on 20mSSB - no chances for me that time .... I knew it CW operator will be shortly on the air and he was !!! As usual robot - spotter W3LPL (Bull %^%$^^&%&%^ skimmer!)- decoded them on 12mCW and sent cluster spot. I had few moments only! And I took it! 2`nd station logged was EI9KC :) Workable opening was shorter than yesterday - 3 minutes , maybe less. Then strong QSB .... Thanks for FB DX!

Austral Island on CW .... done!

TX5D Suitcase DXpedition is now QRV on the bands. When they started in PSK31 mode ... I had nothing to do. But they promised CW as well ;) When their signal showed up on 30m in my location it was very strong real 599 on my 30m dipole. Glad to make QSO making Austral Islands new DXCC worked on CW.

QSL by The Bureau busy long day ....

EJ0PL - EJ1Y - QSL Front 

EJ0PL - EJ1Y - QSL Back

This is QSL card from EJ0PL 2013 IOTA DX-Pedition from EU-006 Inishmore Island. Card is now printed and almost all Direct QSL cards are replied (posted last week) and today was "QSL by The Bureau" day. We had to answer all OQRS request made via

Great service for QSL cards management and log on-line.

Several hundred cards were overprinted with QSO details.

We also had to answer few hundred QSL cards received recently for 2012 year for DX-Pedition from EU-103 Saltee Island

EJ0PL QSL Card from EU-103 Saltee Island 2012 operation.

Around 1000 cards were prepared today to be posted "By the Bureau" 

 

All printed cards ready to by stamped "Verified by EI5JQ" QSL Manager of EJ0PL

Uff

In the mean time we monitored bands to chase for some DX .... it was busy day to be honest .... I had to pleasure to log about 100 QSO today.

Enjoyed great 10m opening towards North America

As we were busy from 6AM this morning a lot of DX contacted today!

Stay tuned and expect your EJ0PL card soon!

EJ0PL card were printed by 

OQRS by 

73 de EI9KC

Aloha on 80m

In EI when we are working Hawaii Islands is a big thing! No matter what band. Hawaii very welcome in my log. But Hawaii on 80m is a THING! I was early on the radio to catch CY0P from Sable Island on lower bands but they were not active that time. Spotted great condition on 3.5Mhz from ZL. New Zealand station had real 599, strong signals here. On reverse beacon networks I`ve found station from Hawaii KH7Y was calling CQ. And I was really surprised to hear and then to work my first Hawaii on 80m. Thanks Fred for QSO to remember!