Another splendid night with IDT

5Z0L - Kenya by Italian DXpedition Team

Kenya is activated at the moment by Italian DXpedition Team. Experienced operators are doing great job. Kenya is not rare DXCC and I have confirmed 7 bands from 10M to 30M 

So focus on new bands and new modes.

Last night I had BIG pleasure to hunt for 5Z0L from EI0PL location.

When they arrived on Top Band they were on 1826 .... on my side ... no sign at all ... no even a bip ... I was thinking maybe condition is not great at the moment. But spot on DX-Cluster told me what is wrong .... they were on 1826.2 huge difference when signal is so small. This was good lesson for me.

I can`t say it was easy. It was hard to copy them. Little signal , no Africa beverage , receiving on transmitting antenna only. When I gave them a call I was able to get KC 5NN only ... it was enough for me ... sent 5NN TU for reply and that was it.

Few minutes after QSO was "confirmed" on live log update.

Kenya low bands sorted ...

To be honest shortly after my QSO their signal was much stronger but they had no takers and after several CQ CQ 5Z0L up 4 they QSYed to 80M ....

and here I can say ... it was easy ;) 80M QSO was in my log after first call.

5Z0L gave me 2 new bands and new mode (Digital) 

So big CIAO for ITD and I am looking after to chase you from another AF DXCC soon.

P.S. Last time I had great fun when they were active from Dem. Rep. of Congo

K1N Navassa Island QSL card RX

K1N Navassa Island - front page QSL card

K1N Navassa Island page 2 & 3 QSL card

K1N Navassa Island last page QSL card

K1N Navassa Island QSL card received lately. Nice designed card. 

But from printer point of view .... poor quality print.

I mean cheap paper (do not call it card) and no finishing on the front page.

World`s Most Wanted nr 1 deserve better card ...

HF Happenings

SP7IDX Hexbeam @ EI9KC

10M is not very active at the moment but 12M looks like is in good shape .... when needed.

I did some kind of update of DXCC wanted (workable) on 12M band:

ANDORRA / ARMENIA / BELIZE / CAMBODIA / CORSICA / CUBA / FRENCH GUYANA / GOERGIA / HONG KONG / ICELAND / ITU HQ / LIECHTENSTEIN / LUXEMBOURG / MALTA / MAURITIUS ISLAND / SWEDEN / TUNISIA / VIETNAM / 

Contacted ARMENIA yesterday : 

EK/DL7UCX - Ben gave me also new DXCC on 80M! 

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Thanks for PQ0T uploaded to LoTW! Great style! 

4 new bands and new one on CW !

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7QAA - Malawi - also uploaded on LoTW!

Thanks for 3 new bands / two modes !

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4O/DJ8QP Montenegro and UK8AR Uzbekistan - new DXCCs CFM on 17M!

UK8AR - is doing great job with LoTW!

Thanks again Mikhail!

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JD1YBT - Ogasawara

Small Japanese invasion on Ogasawara Islands at the moment. Calls acticve: 

JD1BLY

JD1BMH

JD1YBT

JE2EHP/JD1

I was trying listen them on the bands when this entity is needed. No bip on 40M nothing on 30M as well.

I need Ogasawara on 12M too .... wasn`t on my list as .... I didn`t believe to work Ogasawara on 12M these days ....

Few spots on DX - Cluster early this afternoon showed that JD1YBT is active on 12M SSB.

Mast with my Hexbeam is folded because of bad weather. 

Antenna just 3M above the ground but pointed to Ogasawara direction.

I can hear them! Run to the garden. Mast up , back to the shack ... one call ... EI9KC 59

Ogasawara on 12M in the log !!! Shortly after JD1YBT went QRT ....!

There is a hope for LoTW upload! JD1YBT is one of the rare Ogasawara Operators who are uploading their logs to LoTW.

At the moment I have just one band CFM on LoTW - 20MCW by JD1BLY

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Update: E30FB - Eritrea also on LoTW today!

Thanks for 4 new bands and two modes!

299 DXCC on CW on LoTW!

VP8DOZ - South Georgia Islands

VP8DOZ - by Denis ZL4DB

Great surprise this activation was , great surprise LoTW upload was , great surprise to get QSL card so fast! This is VP8DOZ - South Georgia Island by Denis ZL4DB.

Great job also by his QSL Manager: ZL4PW Paul!

To be honest I had no hope for LoTW upload. Denis on his QRZ.com profile wrote:

"No online-log, eQSL or LOTW"

So thanks again to his QSL Manager Paul ZL4PW.

Brand new DXCC. One of the top 10 Most Wanted on Ham radio CFM as 308 here!

ZL7E - Chatham once again ...

ZL7E on 30M this morning

Chatham Island worked on 40M and 30M! Great DX! Last Friday condition on 40M was spotless and signal on 7Mhz was amazing. It was their first 40M activity so pile-up was massive. Managed QSO after long battle .... Some spots from EU told us that signal was going from LP but I didn`t care on my dipole which way I`ve worked them. My wimdom dipole for low bands has good take off for Pacific area and I wasn`t worry about QSO on 40 .... Last year I had QSO with ZL7AAA as only EI logged on 7Mhz ... and it was SSB ...
OK 40M sorted what next ? 30M and 15M ... 30M was active when I was at work ... and 15M is always in the morning here when no much time to be stuck at the radio ...
Set my alarm clock at 5:45 AM ... Sunday morning ... checked DX cluster ... yes ZL7E is active on 30M! Off the bed ... radio on , set the frequency 10.116 ... NIL ... ? RBN in DL , SE , HA showing signal 26dB strong ... while in EI ... nothing ... not a whisper .., checked antenna , all ok.
Decided to wait , enjoyed cup of coffee  .... then signal started to appear ZL7E up .... happy days. I know what my Inv V for 30M can do with Pacific and it was only question to figure out split frequency to log Chatham Island on 30M. And I did it! EI9KC 5NN ... R5NNTU ...

Why present ZL7A activity is so important to me ? I have Chatham Island CFM by QSL Card on 6 bands with ZL7AAA including 10M. Answer is ... LoTW. There is no hope for LoTW upload by ZL7AAA. ZL7E marked it clearly ... "Internet access permitting logs will be up loaded to Clublog daily, and LOTW after initial log checking on our return to Auckland."

I have Chatham on LoTW on 2 bands 17 by ZL7/F8FUA and 10M by ZL7/OE2SNL so this time ZL7E will give me new on 12 (as new DXCC on 12M also!) / 20 / 30 / 40 .,,, Most likely I will miss 15M .... it will be for next time. Happy with all my QSOs with them anyway. Great Operators and pleasure to work them.

UPDATE: 15M in the log! RTTY .... considering Chatham sorted.

Chatham on 12M at 22:00 local !!!

ZL7E - Chatham Islands DXpedition 2015

About week ago I heard ZL7E Chatham Island on 12M CW with great signal. But they just started so NA wall was quite big , then I was busy chasing V6Z and PQ0T on others bands. It was in the evening our time , about 2h after sunset here in EI. I knew it will be workable around that time because ZL7AAA gave me QSO on 10M about one year ago.

Chatham Island is a challenge to put it in the log because it is geography antipodes for Europe.

Short pass or long pass is "almost" the same.

Still needed ZL7 on ... 12M (and 80 and TB but this is different story)

Last night didn`t copy them on 12M CW but worked V6Z instead on 15M CW via L/P (nice surprise!)

Tonight ZL7E again on 12M but SSB ... much more difficult to work than CW ...

SP very weak , LP NIL

signal on SP was up and down all the time barely readable ...

"ZL7E listen up" SWL from time to time and 5/9 too

Many spots on DX-Cluster from USA stations which worked them up 8. Decided to give a try , I was trying for 1h! up 5 up 8 ... pile up was quite good and it was almost impossible to break NA wall ... but when up 5 was quite busy ... up 8 was clear ... and I was there for good few moments ...

finally EA9KC 59 ... EI EI EI9KC ... EI9KC 59 ... 59 Thank you 73!

DXCC nr 280 logged on 12M - Chatham Islands!

SP7IDX Hexbeam did fantastic job!

Tromelin FT4TA QSL received .... stamped!

FT4TA Tromelin QSL Card

Long awaited FT4TA QSL card arrived today! Nice surprise to get QSL card and envelope with special TAAF post stamps stamped on Tromelin Island! It is a real collector QSL!