Austral Islands !

When I`ve worked FO/KH0PR Yoshi from PUKAPUKA ISLAND / FRENCH POLYNESIA (OC-62) last week I knew it he is going to another islands soon. I was thinking it will be French Polynesia too. But it was not! His new QTH is RAIVAVAE ISLAND / AUSTRAL ISLANDS (OC-114). When I realized that it can be my NEW DXCC on HF I needed to plan something how to work him in just one day. Busy time at work now so no much time for radio. I asked Michal EI3KG:

- do you want to work new DXCC ?

- VK9NT ? Norflok Island ...

- Norfolk too but something special ...

-What ?

-Austral Islands !!!

- OMG! Where!?

When I was working Yoshi from OC-062 in French Polynesia (on 30 and 17) I remember he was not so strong .... 100W from Pacific Ocean is a challenge to work! You need good antenna to copy him. I had no choice and no time to wait if I can copy him from my shack. Decided to visit Michal EI3KG and one of the BEST antennas in EI for metric bands. 

Location on Austral Islands - French Polynesia

5:30AM in the morning ready to go! 6:00AM on the radio. We were waiting for him. In the mean time VK9NT Norfolk Islands spotted on 15mCW, signal was not so strong ... but we did it! For me new band. For Michal new DXCC! ... Then Galapagos HC2IWM/8 showed up on 30mCW. 40m Moxon Yagi is great but 30m can be tricky! Galapagos is "easy" from EI and it was! New DXCC on 30!

Then yes! FO/KH0PR from Austral Islands spotted on DX-Cluster! Where? 15m RTTY !!!

OMG! 

EI3KG is doing set-up for RTTY on IC-735 at his shack.

At the moment back up transceiver is at use. Old, good ICOM IC-735. How to operate RTTY on it? Can we copy him first? Yes we can! 4 el full size Yagi is great antenna! What then .... Michal EI3KG spend few minutes to set-up RTTY on his interface. We are not DIGI emission fans but ... NEW DXCC is NEW DXCC! No choice. Has to be RTTY! And it was!

ICOM IC-735 and USB micro KEYER II did a good job!

AUSTRAL ISLANDS (OC-114) logged on 15m RTTY as new DXCC early in the morning today!

On the end. One more surprise ... VK9NT worked on 20mSSB! As new on 20m and Phone.

Great morning on the radio! To remember!

JX9JKA - Jan Mayen QSL

JX9JKA Svein is back home and his QSL cards received today. I don`t know when we will be able to work this DXCC entity on the bands again. Limited visitors landing on Jan Mayen declared by Norwegian Government [link]

Thanks Svain for 7 bands!

Galapagos Islands on CW

Welcome HC2IWM/8 Daniel (DL5YWM) currently QRV from Isla Santa Cruz (Galapagos) IOTA SA-004 as my New DXCC worked in CW mode (278). Worked on 12mCW , signal was not strong but his locations can be "easy" from West part of Europe.

Good condition on 12m spotted last few days. Especially from EU. Worked two new countries on this band ... Czech Republic and Norway ;) hihi Makes QSO with LA0FA as my 200 DXCC worked on 24Mhz! (QSO already confirmed on LoTW - thanks Mat!). BTW no luck with Lakshadweep Islands! Not this time. VU7KV SWL`ed few times on 17/15/12m but not this time. Good DX-pedition from this entity will be warm welcome!

Norfolk Island VK9NT

Welcome Norfolk Island in my log on 17mCW as NEW DXCC worked on HF!

VK9NT by Oceania DX Group is now QRV on the bands from this small island located between Australia and New Zealand.

Tokelau - ZK3T - QSL - 287 DXCC

Great surprise today! ZK3T Dieter from Tokelau QSL card received! Two QSOs confirmed , two bands. CW - 30/17! I was not sure about 17m but in the log! Card was posted from Malta by the way. Tokelau is my 287 DXCC confirmed on HF.

2 New DXCC confirmed today!

8Q7DV - Maldives as my 285!

QSO from late 2011 ... it took long time to get this card direct. No chances for LoTW, no chances for Bureau. USD stolen from letters. Only IRC coupon is doing a job. Slow Russian post is not helping either. Card was important for me 6 bands with Maldives and two emissions! Including QSO on 80m!

and Algeria confirmed ....at last !!!

7X2GK - Kamel from Algeria gave me 286 DXCC confirmed. This is eQSL from him, but he also gave me QSL on LoTW! I think he is THE ONLY Operator is Algeria using LoTW now. I have many QSOs with this country but QSL is other story. Thanks Kamel!

3 DXCC are not confirmed in my log:

Tokelau - ZK3T , ZK3N

Clipperton Island - TX5K

Dem. Republic of Congo - 9Q/DK3MO , 9Q0HQ/7

Tokelau and Clipperton is only mather of time ... but both stations from Dem. Rep of Congo are not valid for DXCC as they operating without legal licence.

Similar story with my 290 country worked but not accepted by ClubLog and DXCC - 

EZ8BP

Direct QSL Cards RX

Some nice QSL cards received direct recently:

5X8C - Uganda

9U4U - Burundi

A45XR - Oman (9 bands!)

H44KW - Solomon Islands - New DXCC

PT0S- St. Peter and Paul Rocks!

XR0YG - Easter Island

TZ6BB - Mali

Great job by QSL Managers for fast turnaround of these cards!

On the end .... little surprise from Tokelau :) 

ZK3N is still QRV on the bands makes log entries so many times as New One ...

last night one of the Operators on Tokelau visited my blog ...

I`ve never ask for it. So big time happy now collected Tuvalu flag on my flagcounter chart. So far 156 countries visited my blog. 218 flag collected. Many thanks!