Morse Runner practice

43 WMP 15 minutes session Single Calls on Morse Runner , my daily practice. Mistakes can happened , best thing is to get 43WMP call-sign from first sound. This speed is only for call-signs , TEST mode. Open text will be much slower. 

Screen - shot from this session

And my all time record.

Started slower about 35 WPM and finished at 42WMP

less mistakes and more calls-signs logged at first time ....

2 years ago my CW was much slower .....

End of year QSL waiting list ...

7O2A - Yemen - latest QSL card received

Some statistics will be published on my blog by the end of the year.

First ... Direct QSL card I`m waiting for:

C21BN  - Nauru

CY0C - Sable Island

C21GC - Nauru

ZK3E - Tokelau

5R8M - Madagascar

ZD9ZS - Tristan da Cunha

XX9R - Macao

FT4TA - Tromelin

VK9DLX - Lord Howe

VU4KV - Andaman and Nicobar Islands

EI9KC CW RBN Skimmer

SP7IDX Hexbeam used for RBN CW Skimmer

Quite busy these days. No much time for the radio but my SP7IDX Hexbeam is doing great job as  RBN CW Skimmer

Antenna is connected to SDR receiver and is set for 28Mhz. 

Skimmer frequency band(s): 27964.1-28155.9 (192 kHz)

10M is busy. This is just small piece of the band and is hard to find clear QRG.

Screen shot from RBN website de EI9KC spots

This is 2`nd time when my Skimmer went on air. First time was during CQ WW CW few weeks ago. This weekend is helping during ARRL 10M Contest,

Happy to see few Japan stations heard on my antenna even when wasn`t pointed to their direction.

Few images here how it looks like.

Spots sent to RBN

Stations heard on the band. Only with + are spotted.

It is important to send CQ from some to time. When Skimmer hear CQ thinks the station is calling CQ and it will be spotted. Station without CQ are not spotted.

Good QSL turnaround on LoTW

This is Uli DL9WVM as ET3AA recorded on 21Mhz in my location few days ago. His recent activation from Ethiopia gave me 3 new bands (10/12/17).I was paying attention for him on 20M as well where QSL from this DXCC was needed. It was hardest task to do because he was only active in the mornings. When he was on 20M condition was not good or was too early or too late. Last week perfect moment I had on 14Mhz. 5 min opening on 20M and here we go. EI9KC 5NN. All QSOs uploaded on LoTW and QSL received here as well. Thanks Uli for great one Man activation.

What else received on LoTW as new slots CFM:

• HC2AO/8 - Galapagos Islands 80/40/30/17 ... unfortunately 20M busted ... there is hope for another Galapagos 2014 DX-Pedition team member with LoTW upload ...
• Vatican City - late night hunting on low bands .... 40/80 
• VK9DLX - Lord Howe 7 bands / 3 modes
• 3V8BCC - Tunisia - Digital
• C21GC - Nauru - New one as number 300 on LoTW - Mixed / few bands 
• V63YY - Micronesia - 301! new one on LoTW - 2 bands! TNX JA1VND! It was worth to wait for you,
• W1AW/KH8 - American Samoa .... just one band new 30M ... QSO on 10M not valid. Worked fake station! Once again American Samoa not in log .... it was important QSO but ... not this time ...
• VP2EIM - Anguilla - another FB JA activation from Caribbean. 80/40 and Digital done .... no luck on 30M ... it will be for next time.
• 3C0BYP - Annobon - TNX Elmo for 17M as new here.
• Z31RQ - Macedonia on 80M - TNX Dejan! 
• J79F - Dominica - new on Digi
• VP2V/SP2FUD - British Virgin Islands ... new on Digi .... here is great example when LoTW upload is not sure and surprise is 100%
• HI3A - Dominican Republic 80/40 ... short CQWW CW activity from my side. It was worth it to wake up at 5:00 AM and wait for them on low bands! 
• ZB2CN - Gibraltar - TNX Bert DJ9WH. The only LoTW from Gibraltar. New QSL received on 12 and 20M. All bands CFM now. Including TB! What left? Phone :)
• 5R8M - Madagascar - latest DX-Pedition and LoTW just received - 4 new slots! Digi / 17M / Phone and most welcome 30M.

BTW.

Latest QSL on LoTW from RZ3MM (not listed on QRZ.com) is counted as my 10.000 QSL. Almost 50% of my all QSO confirmed on LoTW at the moment. 

QSL cards ...

200 Bureau QSL cards received

DX QSL cards received via Bureau. American Samoa , Ogasawara , Reunion Island, Philippines , Chad , Malawi , etc

Most beautiful QSL card

PY0F/PP1CZ - Fernando de Noronha Island received by The Bureau as well 

EI9KC` QSL ready to go via Bureau. 4 types of card this time. 

All cards sorted by countries. Biggest pile DL and JA

JY9FC QSL Card

In the mean time QSL from JY9FC arrived direct here to CFM my 80M QSO.

and 

E30FB QSL Card

FB QSL card from Eritrea by JH1AJT Zorro!

On the end small ranking of QSL Printers cards received via the Bureau:

1) IT9EJW - 13 cards

1) QSLshop.de - 13 cards

3) CoolQSL - 12 cards

4) UX5UO - 11 cards

5) ONOUE Print Japan - 8 cards

6) Gold print LZ3HI - 7 cards

7) LZ1JZ - 5 cards

And many otheres QSL printers: LZ1YE , Sax Print , Memo QSL , IK1PML , QSL Marptint , UA1OMS , QSL Studio , SP6CZ , SQ1K , QSL Italy, Radio QSL , KB3IFH, W4MPY , UT8LN 

Yemen 7O2A on 40M !

7O2A Yemen QSL Card 2013 edition

When DX- World announced 7O2A activity from Yemen for CQWW CW 2014 ... I said to myself ... 40M will be my target. As new one on this bands. Missed previous DXpedition on 40 , well not missed, not worked .... Last year when Dmitry RA9USU was active from Yemen for CQWW I was busy at EI1Y ... this time ... 2 days before contest , few hours after announced info 7O2A in my log on 7Mhz! Spotted his call on my "DX Helper" and here we go ... first few QSOs simplex , then he asked UP1 ... I was prepared ... my transceiver is now set to be almost all the time in SPLIT mode ... and here we go I was up 0.8 ... one shot ... EI9KC 5NN from 7O2A

Happy days!

Did not expected to work Yemen in 2014 ... this is so rare entity .... but it happened.

Logged as 251 DXCC in 2014 !!!

Need 1 more for my all time record ...

Clublog is not counting 7O2A ... yet ...

Callsign: 7O2A   Date: 2014-11-26 18:34:00       Band: 40        QSL: No

'7O2A' is not known to have been active from YEMEN on this date. As a precaution, this QSO will be stored but marked as invalid for DXCC. If this callsign is valid, it can be whitelisted - you are invited to send feedback. For a detailed explanation, please see: http://clublog.freshdesk.com/solution/articles/77534-whitelists

2014 DXCC Timeline

247 DXCC Countries worked this year so far!

Needs 5 more for EI9KC all time record.

In 2011 I`v logged 251 countries on HF.

Here is my list countries possible to work before the end of the year:

ARMENIA

CAMEROON

EL SALVADOR

FAROE ISLANDS

MAURITANIA

MAYOTTE

NIGERIA

OMAN

SAINT HELENA

SAUDI ARABIA

SWAZILAND

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Update:

248 - St. Helena wkd 4 to go ...

249 - United Arab Emirates 3 to go ...

250 - Armenia 2 to go ....

251 - Yemen !!! 1 to go .....

252 - Oman ... NEW RECORD ! 

253 - Saudi Arabia ...

254 - Mauritania

255 - El Salvador

American Samoa W1AW/KH8

 

Welcome to American Samoa

I was chasing few good days for W1AW/WH8 from American Samoa. I still need this entity on few bands and it it best time now to get them sorted!

This is not big DX-pedition and we had American Samoa on the air recently ...

Pile-up wasn`t big and Operators on the other side are experienced DX`ers!

First QSO .... 12M .... always great to work Pacific on higher bands in the evening here ....

... there was a hope for ... 10M! And dreams came true ... few days later KH8 ... logged on 28Mhz!

Short, just few minutes opening on my side ... but worked! 

Last missing band ... last missing workable band ... I would like to say ... 30M .... and today in the morning (just one day before they QRT) .. W1AW/WH8 in my log on 10Mhz!

To be honest both Samoa worked today on 30M ... 5W0UU from Samoa and W1AW/WH8 American Samoa ... great signals from both stations.

Good turnaround on LoTW

FT4TA - Tromelin Island

Great QSL received via LoTW recently:

4L5O - Georgia 80M/30M

W1AW/KH0 - Mariana Island - 12M

8P2K - Barbados - Digital

GJ8DX - Jersey - 15M

7X3FG - Algeria - 30M

Z37M - Macedonia - Digital

and ... FT4TA ... Tromelin Island 10 to 20M all three emissions.

This is my 299 DXCC confirmed on LoTW , waiting now for magic 300 ...

Tromelin Island will stay in my memory as hardest to work on CW .... managed 4 bands without CW (3 x SSB and 1 x RTTY) ... worked CW finally on two bands just for sure ...

The day when FT4TA uploaded first logs to LoTW was also the day when ... baby Guinea Pig was born at home and was called ... Tromelin 

Guinea Pig called Tromelin

QSL

ZD9XF - Tristan da Cunha 

9N7AA - Nepal (front) 

 

9N7AA - Nepal (back)

TY1AA - Benin

2 x new DXCC worked on CW !!!

Tromelin Island

Yes! At last! FT4TA Tromelin Island DX-Pedition 2014 logged on CW! On 12M ... I was trying 17M SSB for new band when operator went QRX on 18Mhz decided to give a try on 12M CW ... it took me just few moments and Tromelin was in my log on CW! This time for first time my new device to watch pile-up on CW helps, very much so! 

 Tromelin Island DXCC nr 303 on CW!

Second new DXCC on CW was Andaman and Nicobar Islands VU4CB Campbell Bay

Great Nicobar Island .... IOTA AS-033 managed QSO on 20M for new DXCC on 20M as well!

Andaman and Nicobar Islands nr 304 on CW!

Nice surprise in the middle of the night ....

FT4TA Tromelin Island 20M RTTY around 1:00 UTC

I was chasing Tromelin Island FT4TA during weekend. When it was possible of course. Finally 4 bands worked! It was tough! For first time ever it is easier to reach them on SSB than on CW .... Still missing CW with Tromelin but on the end If I can`t make I will try to fix busted call on 12M CW ...

Saturday night when I was trying 30M CW ... big signal ... was spotted on 20M RTTY from FT4TA ...

About 40 minutes after midnight , just 1h before their SR. Here we go ... It was hard to get into their log

but hint from EI2KC Tony helps .... he worked them before me and let me know what his split was ....

I was calling way under without luck. Changed tactics and started calling them using wide split. Up 17.6 aprox ... gave me few magic characters on  my screen ..... EI9KC 599 EI9KC 

My plan is ... to reach them on 17M and maybe CW. One QSO per band it is more than enough for me.

From my personal point of view they should have one dedicated station for example 20M CW with 24h operating system to give chance for just one QSO ... 

Good Luck.

Tromelin Island!

FT4TA Tromelin Island

One of the most important DX-Peditions in 2014 QRV! Tromelin Island FT4TA. No 8 Most Wanted DXCC by the Clublog. Happy to be in the log! On 10M and 12M .... both SSB can you imagine split on 10M reaching up 60! Can you imagine CW on 17M reaching SSB portion of the band ? This is what it was today on the bands! So far ... great SSB operators .... 

At the moment good signal on 30M CW spotted. Good Luck!

Nice surprise from Fiji

3D2AG/P Rotuma Island

Post stamp from Fiji

3D2AG/P Rotuma Island confirmed on 17M. Thanks to Antoine and his recent activity. 

Timor Leste ... sorted

This Bob G3ZEM in 4W on 28Mhz ... I was waiting for good opportunity to work him on 10M. Last week he was very strong on this band but I had no time for the radio ... during the week condition was not good late afternoon or band was closed . When I had some time to get him on 28M he was active on different bands ... for example 80M ... When he was spotted on 3.5Mhz I didn`t go there to have a look ... no hope to work Timor Leste on 80M in the evening where EI is "last" in EU and you have to be stronger with all European in the pile-up. My simply dipole on the tree is not good for that. Maybe ... when signal is coming from the West but this is different story. When finally tuned into his frequency on 3.5Mhz I was really surprised how strong I can copy Bob on 80M! ... uuu ... worth to try ... I think many EU stations did not believe to copy him as well and pile-up wasn`t big. Decided to try. "G" stations usually have good ears for G stations and EI too ... and Bob G3ZEM is one of them. I gave him a call few times and ..... received reply .... EI9KC EI9KC 5NN .... on 80M !!! Timor Leste on 80M!!! gave him reply but he didn`t get it .. he sent one more time EI9KC EI9KC 5NN 5NN ... I`ve replied ... RR 5NN TU .... and heard TU UP .... 2-way QSO logged and confirmed already on LoTW! Great operator and pleasure to work .....

Last band left ...10M! (I am not counting TB) ... Very weak signals last few days ... no chances with hexbeam ... too weak and pile-up so strong. Only good antennas can do this. I had proof early this morning. I was one by one with Bob on his QRG when he started calling CQ, no one else .... his signal was very weak but "workable" .... so what when he didn`t copy me .... just once picked up KC KC? but he didn`t get full call .... shortly afterward he was spotted on DX Cluster and it was it ... but thankfully his signal was rising! And I had bit of luck to get EI9KC 5NN on 10M from East Timor after about 20 minutes of calling him in the pile-up. When I was recording that video his signal was good but in next 5 minutes he was real 599 on my S-meter. 

Thanks Bob for great fun to work you from 4W , 3 new bands! 80/40/10

Tokelau by SP team

Marcin ZK3E and Jacek ZK3Q are active now from Tokelau. Small dot on the Pacific Ocean ... always welcome on the bands, great DX to work from Europe and I had pleasure to work them on few bands. Last QSO on 15M just logged. Heavy pile-up , because is great opening on 15M towards western EU. 

Visit their website here

VK9DLX - Lord Howe Island 2014

"German invasion on Lord Howe Island" QRV!

Lord Howe is welcome in my log on several bands ... I have just one band confirmed 21Mhz CW ... and now there is hope for more. Thanks to Lagunaria DX Group DXpedition VK9DLX

This is big style operation from Lord Howe. 3 tons of equipment! 10 stations running .... well!

Last night massive pile-up on 20M CW .... without luck from my side. I was watching them

on SDR device ... (their pile-up ... uff) ...! No doubt they will give a lot of new slots to HAM radio DX community and many ATNO as well! From my side ... never heard Lord Howe Island so strong!

They will stay there for more than 2 weeks. I hope everyone will get a chance to work them.

Good Luck!

Western Kiribati T30D

T30D Western Kiribati - spiderbeam

German DX-Pedition T30D from Western Kiribati is nearly QRT. Two new slots welcome here. 40M and RTTY. 40M SSB managed from EI0PL QTH. SWL`ed on 40CW early in the morning one day but no luck. Had no chances to hear them on 12M band. Congratulations to Brendan EI6IZ who managed QSO on 12M CW. Always welcome great signals from Pacific Ocean. Their signals on 20/17M were very strong.

Good team , previously active from Niue in 2012 and Samoa in 2013

WAS achieved on another band ....

EI9KC 4 bands WAS

Last missing US State on 17M was IDAHO (ID) .... recent W1AW/7 LoTW upload gave me last QSL - IDAHO confirmed on 17M .... To make sure I will get that I`ve worked them on CW/SSB/RTTY :) Worked All States 4 bands sorted .... 20/17/15 and 10 .... next step .... catch missing States on another bands .... and main focus on 12M now .... where:

Montana / Oregon / Rhode Island / South Dakota / Wyoming

Are still missing ....

P.S. W1AW/7 from ID gave me also WAS on 17M CW but I am not counting different modes / bands , etc .... 

QSL from .... the Jail

3W3RR/Jail Romeo QSL Card

3W3RR Romeo Stepanenko, aka Roman Vega, P5RS7, UB5RR, 3W3RR, XYØRR, 1SØRR, , etc 

was very active on the bands from various and exotic places by the end of 90`s. 

He activated P5 North Korea ....

At the moment Romeo is jail in USA. Long story ....

There is a chance to get his unique QSL card 3W3RR/Jail-Pedition and be listed in his log. All infos on his website.

www.3w3rr.com

Thanks for QSL DR ROMEO. Good Luck! And CU on the bands some day.

QSL is beautiful 6-page full color card.

 

 

3W3RR Jail-Pedition QSL card was posted from Russia.

EJ1Y - 2`nd place in IOTA Contest 2014

Great result by whole Team!

2`nd place in IOTA Contest 2014 from Great Blasket Island EU-007 in Island DXpedition Multi Operatror High Power Category ....

It was Papa Lima`s biggest DXpedition so far.
QSL cards from EJ1Y and EJ0PL are on the way from printer and will be posted out shortly.

Pictures , logs and the story are published on official website dedicated to this DXpedition.

http://ej0pl2014.com/

Good turnaround QSL on LOTW

Good turnaround on LOTW noticed! 

Some new ones received for Digital after participating in CQWW RTTY 2014 Contest last weekend. No much QSOs but just for few DXCC missing in digital in my log.

This is short list of new ones received on LoTW last few days:

CT2IOV - Portugal (digital)

ZS6RJ - (digital) South Africa

E30FB - Eritrea - NEW DXCC / Mixed / Phone / 10M/15M

HK6P - Colombia - (digital)

ER5DX - Moldova - 40M / digital

ZD8RH - Ascension Island - digital

YL2SM - Latvia - 40M

ZD9XF - Tristan da Cunha & Gough Is. - 10M (TNX NIGEL great 

surprise before QRT)

FK8DD - New Caledonia - digital - TNX Sam!

E30FB - Fine Business Eritrea!

Thanks Zorro JH1AJT and his Team for fast response for my query in log entry. My 20M QSO is not there, was not completed and is not counted ..... Lucky 15M QSO was there but with busted call .... now fixed. Did my OQRS via Clublog and received my LoTW QSL already. Welcome Eritrea as NEW DXCC confirmed in my log. Great service and perfect example how to manage such a impossible mission in Most Wanted DXCC. Thanks Zorro. Hats off.

C21GC Nauru

Approach Nauru island

Stan LZ1GC is active now from Nauru as C21GC. And I am happy to log QSO with him on 20M CW as new DXCC in that mode. Numer 302 for me.

Stan is great operator, had pleasure to work him last year from Fiji as 3D2GC.

Nauru is located in "hard" area to work from EI but I have hope for new band too.

Good Luck Stan and CU AGN!

Milestone reached on 40M (LoTW)

200 DXCC

Confirmed on LoTW on 40M. Thanks to Alexey HC2AO from Ecuador!

Yesterday QSO and instant LoTW appreciated.

He also gave me QSL on 80M. My first QSO with Ecuador on 80M - HC2AC still not confirmed but I`m not counting for it. Had bad experience with his QSL manager unfortunately.

To be honest HC2AO Alexey gave me 

6 LoTW credits already. Many thanks!

My call-sign was mentioned on his blog recently:

http://hc2ao.livejournal.com/23874.html

Benin once more

TY1AA Italian Dx-Pedition Team is QRT now. Great joy during last 2 weeks. 

And big surprise in my log!

One morning when I was chasing Nigel ZD9XF on 40M and also Benin TY1AA

on 40 and 30 ... little signal was discovered on 80M. Well maybe not discovered because

when they are starting operation on new band there is always kind of self spot on their

frequency. It is bad idea in my opinion , SPOT = QRM ... anyway ....

maybe this time it helps ... Italian Team are not strong on low bands when they are operating from several location in Africa so I wasn`t dreaming to hear and work them on low bands.

Maybe 30 ... and maybe 40 ...

40M SSB managed from EI0PL location with 2el Moxon designated for this bands.

80M ? No hope .... 

But this time Benin on 80M was logged :) !

HF Happenings ....

SP7IDX-Hexbeam

Autumn is here and condition is on the bands improved.

1) E30FB - Eritrea - Log is online now and my QSO on 15M is fixed ..... no QSO on 20M ...

2) VK9NT - Norfolk Island - on LoTW already and great to see two new bands 12/30!

3) VK9AN - Christams Island - 40/30/17 new bands QSOs! Still trying RTTY

4) VK6IR - Steve - New DXCC on RTTY (LoTW)

5) T6T - Afghanistan Vyacheslav- New DXCC on RTTY (LoTW)

6) V31MA - Belize - Marc - New DXCC on 80 (LoTW)

7) XU7TZG - Wim - New on 20 and on Phone (LoTW)

8) 3D2AG/P - Antonine - Rotuma Island - new on 17M

And few more .... TY1AA - Italian Job from Benin is QRT tomorrow ... great achievement this time! Will be extra post here on the blog tomorrow.

Tristan da Cunha on 80!

Tristan Da Cunha ... long way from
anywhere photo by Adrian Turner

This is similar story to .... this one here ... when I was chasing Nigel (G3TXF) as ZD7XF on 80M 3 years ago ...

This time:

same Operator

same band

same Ocean

similar call-sign ....

Just logged Nigel ZD9XF on 80! Tristan da Cunha ...

Nigel is QRV on 80M last few days. Decent signal SWL`ed but had no time to wait long enough for good moment. And at around 20:00 UTC, when he is active on 80M there is SR in JA! Japan stations have only few moments to work him at that time .... This is like to work New Zealand on low bands here in EI. EU QRX simply as that. We can work him all night long ...
The worst things are .... DX Cluster spots .... after that almost always QRM begins  .... W3LPL robot spotter is not helping at all! DX Spot = QRM
When I started my radio hobby many years ago ... good friend of mine told me : "Listen , Listen , Listen and again L I S T E N" this is good old school of DXing. This time was perfect example. Nigel was QRV on 17M bands. Then he said .... QSY to 80 .... easy .... as he has little pile-up on 17M .... I was waiting for it .... I`ve noticed his previous QRG on 3.501 , everything ready to go , my new rig is doing surprises for me and sometimes split is not set , this time I was sure .... split ON... the only "problem" can be when he will call CQ JA ... but he didn`t. Good strong signal appears on 3.501 CQ CQ CQ de ZD9XF ZD9XF ZD9XF UP 1 ....and one more time. Just one Reverse Beacon Station noticed that .. EI6IZ .. no doubt ... one of best receivers in Ireland! EI has good patch to Atlantic Ocean ... so this time this is our advantage. I wasn`t alone on his frequency. Some Italian station was waiting for him too :) He went first , then EI9KC 5NN! Lovely signal from Tristan da Cunha on 80! 579 on my horizontal 79m long dipole ... This is 5`th band QSO with ZD9XF .... 40M QSO managed early in the morning ... I don`t know if Nigel will operate on "metric bands" .....10/15/20 will be nice. Last night I had QSO on 20M with ZD9ZS Paul who is with Nigel on Tristan. I was trying on 10M today but without luck .... no worries .... Next year Italian DX-Pedition Team will activate Tristan da Cunha again!

SPDX Contest 2014 - Results published

and EI0PL is a Winner in MOAB Mixed Category!

New EU record and 2`nd place in World.

Call: EI0PL

Operator(s): EI3KG EI5JQ EI7KD EI9KC

Station: EI0PL

Here is my blog entry about SPDX 2014 Contest

EI0PL - all time record MO AB Mixed - SPDX Contest 2014