Yes!! - just worked YI9PSE on 7th band slot!!

Having never really worked any rare DXpeditions in the few months I've been on air, I've made a concerted effort to work YI9PSE which is based in Kurdistan in Iraq. I would have been perfectly happy to get YI9PSE into the logbook just the once, but I've beaten all my expectations by getting him seven times - on 80m CW, 40m CW and SSB, 20m CW and SSB, 17m CW and 15m SSB.

I worked him twice from the shack of EI2JD (Thos) on Friday evening, having nabbed him first from my own modest station on 40m CW on Thursday night. In Thos' I nabbed the DX station on 15m USB and 20m CW. Then in the past 24 hours I've managed to work him on another four slots from the home QTH. I got 40m LSB last night by lucky chance. He was CQing North America but didn't hear anything so gave a general call and I worked him first time on a big split - he was TX on 7.066 and I TX'd on 7.185.

They say if at first you don't succeed, try try again. This is exactly what I did on 80m CW. I tried him for about 45 minutes before he went QRT so I was very disappointed but he came back on after midnight this morning and I eventually worked him after trying for a solid hour. No joking. That's dedication for you! Again he was split, TX on 3.504 and RX on 3.506.5. Thanks lads!!

But not satisfied with five slots, putting me in 10th place on the list of EI's who have worked YI9PSE, I decided to give a concerted go on 17m CW this afternoon (Sunday), despite the fact that he was quite weak on 18.074, listening up. I didn't have to try very hard. I had only tapped out EI2KC a few times when he came back with "dah dit dah, dah dit dah dit, dit dit dah dah dit dit", which, for those non-CW folk among you means "KC?" so I gave him EI2KC another couple of times to which he replied "EI2KC 599". Brilliant!! I gave him "R R 599 73 TU". Six times baby!!!

At 17:25 local time I managed to nab him on 20m SSB, which I was surprised about, mainly because I was battling with lots of Italian, Spanish, Romanian, and other powerful European stations, and also plenty of North America. I managed to get him after about three or four calls having thought I'd be an hour trying. So that was very nice indeed. He was TX on 14.195 and RX on 14.200. Thanks again guys. They're winding up the station tomorrow I believe. I heard them briefly on 15m CW this afternoon but they vanished again. That's one I need. I also need 30m but haven't heard them there yet. Fingers crossed I might get them again some time later!!!

You can check his log on the Clublog website and enter "EI2KC" and it will show you where I have worked him. And remember, I hope this provides some encouragement to those stations who have modest antennas and modest power. On four of those slots I worked him with 100w and my Butternut vertical. So keep trying, and happy DX.

Update: 18:49: Just worked 3W6C, Con Co Island in Vietnam, a DXPedition, on 30m CW. He was working a huge European pile-up but I got him 5.5KC up!! He was strong too!

73 de EI2KC Tony.