CW vs SSB (WKD)
316 x 305
Band slots (CFM) on Clublog x LoTW
2306 x 2226

Wednesday 24 September 2014

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!

2 comments:

  1. Very nice catch and I have read online many upset hams with the W3LPL's robot spotter. It' a real pain that when a station is spotted the crowd gathers and I also find some in the crowd don't understand UP1!!!!
    Have a great what's left of the week
    Mike
    VE3WDM

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  2. Hi Mike. Well said. As my little protest against W3LPL robot useless spots I am not working W3LPL at any contests .... 73!

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