Sometimes QSO’s are noteworthy, and so was the exceptionally nice hour long chat with Salvador EA4GLI from Madrid, Spain last night. He normally operates from Barbados with call 8P9EH and is also an avid Hex Beam user. We discussed Hex Beams and the Wellbrook ALA-1530 Loop antenna as a RX only solution in environments with lots of electrical interference from Chinese power supplies and solar panel inverters, like in our case. Quite a breeze from the usual “5/9 – 73’s” QSO’s. Thanks, Sal!
Category Archives: HF DX
New DXCC #115 (Curacao) and #116 (Panama)
A lot of activity on 20m late last night, really unusual propagation after midnight local time, booming signals all over the band. Worked several stations from USA, Azores, England, Sardinia, Spain, Argentina, Russia, Aruba, Portugal, Iceland, Australia plus two new DXCC’s! Had a nice QSO with Bart PJ2BB from Curacao Island, and Jose HP8JAA from Panama was country #116 in my log.
Pile-up / New DXCC #113 / 247DX
Tonight I put my new antenna tower to the test and started a CQ on 14.247 around 16.00 GMT and got a big pile up in return. Worked over 50 stations, including Jean FR5CB from Reunion Island, adding another new DXCC country to my list! I also had some very nice QSO’s with stations from Bahrain, South Africa, European Russia, Qatar, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Finland, Romania, Greece, Cyprus, Poland, Austria and Israel. Most of them gave me a 9+ report and many compliments about my audio. After a one hour break I tuned across 20 meters and worked several nice DX stations including YB1KI from Indonesia. Then I joined the 247 DX net. Tonight the net was managed by YL Lorraine AA0BS and Joe KB3NXT and worked some American stations. A 5/9 from Tony VK2RI in Australia (16.738 kilometers) ended the DX evening. Thanks, new tower, and thanks to the several stations adding me to the cluster(s).
First JT-65 QSO
I’m not really that much into digital modes but you can still have some fun on the bands when propagation is too bad for SSB/Phone. Installed WSJT-X today and gave it a try. First contact on 10 meters with Horacio CX8F in Uruguay, 11.225 kilometers away, with only 5 Watts! Maybe this JT mode is not so bad after all 😉
Angelo from Michigan & Stanley Island
This afternoon made my ham radio year complete.
First I had a really nice chat with Angelo W8ERN from Michigan USA. Angelo is a real ragchewer with a deep voice, taking his time to get acquainted and very interested and courteous. Really the opposite of most ham operators I have met (no offense). Angelo is an outstanding operator, really, very nice to work with. We chatted for some time and after clearing the frequency I heard some distant voice calling something like “the Dutch station 5 up”, so I upped 5 where I heard another “5 up” and after that a “2 down”. Whats happening?
After landing on 28.428 I had an exceptionally nice chat with Stanley VA3AAA operating from HIS OWN ISLAND somewhere in Ontario Canada. He heard my QSO with Angelo and lured me to a free spot on 10m. The Island is dubbed “Stanley Island” (you can’t make up stuff like this really). Just. Wonderful. Stanley is retired for 25 years and lives on the Island with his family. They are completely self supporting. Power from solar cells and windmills, electricity stored in special batteries. Internet via satellite, used only in emergency situations. Just awesome. I’m really jealous of this guy. Living in a permanent DXpedition without the daily internet news media madness, can you imagine that? I’m floored.