Saturday 12 November 2011

Saturday on the bands

Another great day on the HF Bands.  I spent the day cruising up and down 10m making many QRP SSB contacts.  It wasn't the best of days as I'm currently suffering trying to pass a kidney stone.  Not a good time at all.

Anyway, first up this morning was Les - SP9LJD in Zabrze, Poland.  Les had an outstanding signal, S9+40.  I was pleased to get a true 59 report from him, not too bad for 10w into an Off-Center Fed Dipole.

As the day progressed 10m got busier and busier and I managed to work stations in Cuba, Germany, the Azores, Ecuador, Italy, Spain, UK, and the USA. 

In the late afternoon I heard VK7ZE calling from Tasmania.  I attempted to work him but the pile up was just too great.  On top of this, the foul and abusive language that was being transmitted on top of the VK7's signal had to be heard to be believed.  I guess some people think that the DX station should answer their calls first!  Some people need to chill out and learn how to behave properly in a pile up, because if they don't they won't be too happy when other DX stations refuse to answer them as well. 

At 2201Z my day was made when I managed to work Toru - JA7MSQ in Aomori City, Japan, and almost right away I worked Masanobu - JR5JAQ in Ehime, Japan.  Both of these contacts were done on 15m with 10w.

Just a great day on the bands, and I can't wait to see what Sunday brings.  I'm extremely pleased with my new IC-703, if I can hear the station I have been able to work them.

Happy QRP'ing!!

Friday 11 November 2011

In Remembrance


In Loving Memory of the
Officers, NCO's, and Men
of
2816 Squadron, RAF Regiment
1941 - 1946

LEST WE FORGET



Sunday 6 November 2011

Great Sunday on 10m QRP

Once again 10m is just hopping here in Kingston.  Lots of EU stations up and down the band, some very loud, 59++.  There was a bit of QSB but nothing we couldn't handle.

Of course the good weather has brought out the LIDS.  Why do people insist on tuning up right on frequency?  Why would you spend five minutes whistling into your microphone, when you know you're right on top of a 59++ QSO?  Is there now a law I don't know about, that stops you from moving up or down the band 10 Kc and tuning up there?  I just don't understand these idiots!

This afternoon I managed to get 40 minutes on the rig before "She Who Must Be Obeyed" arrived home.  I fired up the IC-703, and with a whopping ten watts managed to work:

SV3DCX - Panos in Greece
S52OT - Rado in Slovenia
MM0AMW - David in Scotland
F9IE - Bernard in France
G0UWK - Ian in the UK

Ian-G0UWK had an awesome signal, 40 over at the worst of the QSB.  When I originally heard him he was beaming into the South Pacific, looking for ZL and VK's amongst others.  Ian very kindly took the time to turn off his amp and reduce power to 10 watts.  My first trans-Atlantic QRP QSO !!

Many thanks to all the stations who heard me call QRP and asked everyone to stand by while they worked the QRP station.  Your kindness in helping make the QSOs is deeply appreciated!

Monday 31 October 2011

CQ WW SSB Contest 2011

Wow!!  What a weekend!!  The conditions for this years CQ WW SSB Contest were outstanding as most of us will know.  This had to have been the best weekend we have had for DX chasing in many, many, years!  The bands were packed - wall to wall with strong signals.

It seemed everybody was having a great time, and what was most surprising was the behaviour on the bands...I didn't hear one piece of rude or obnoxious behaviour like we have heard in previous contests.  Also missing this weekend were the "Band Police", and given the size of some of the huge pileups I heard, that's just amazing.

This contest was the first big test for my new 40m OCF Dipole and boy did it pass with flying colours!  However, as expected it will not tune on 15m, but I certainly feel it way out performs my old 80-40-20 fan dipole by a long shot.  This antenna tunes on 40 - 20 - 17 - 12 - 10.

While I did work stations on 40m and 20m, the vast majority - 90% - of my contacts for the weekend were made on 10m.  It's been a long time since I have heard 10m open like that.  In fact I think my Dad was still alive and operating VE7CVQ when we last had similiar openings.

I worked 58 countries this weekend, a new record for me, and on top of that I managed to put seven new countries in the log book.  Some of the 10m highlights were:  8R1EA in Guyana; C5A in The Gambia; and ZM4T in New Zealand.  However....VA3QV eluded me all weekend!!

Just a phenomenal time on the bands!

Friday 28 October 2011

Nicholson's Point Light

There's another local light now ready to be activated!  The Frontenac ARES Group recently "found" a local light that not many people actually knew about, and the light was not listed in the World List of Lights.....so off they wrote to the Amateur Radio Light House Society to see if it could be listed.

The location of the light will be a challenge to activate as it is a small area that is very well used by the locals.  The actual site is about two regular house lots in size, covered with some good sized trees.  I have a feeling that this site will have to be activated either early in the season, or very late in the season in order to escape the crowds that seem to hang out there on the limestone beach.

The good news is of course that Nicholson's Point Light is now also known as "Can-1425", its official World List of Lights number.

We're looking forward to next year when we can activate it.  Stay tuned for news on that.  I'm sure that on its first activation it will be well sought after by the hams who collect lighthouse numbers. We'll arrange to have it put on the DX cluster which is sure to cause a good pile up.