An extraordinary coincidence

Just a couple of days ago, I checked my progress on 12 metres, knowing that I was approaching the 100 DXCC mark on that band. I had crept up quickly since the beginning of the year as 12 was open more and more to various parts of the world.

Recently there had been good openings to North and South America in the evening time, even long after dark. This evening I put out a CQ on 12 metres CW, knowing that there was a chance I might bag a couple more. As the evening started I was on 98 DXCCs worked on that band, so I needed just two more to make the century.

I was also testing out a radio which I have acquired for HF but especially 6 metres and 2 metres multimode. It is an Icom IC-746. An older radio, perhaps, but an excellent rig, and the staple diet of many a great shack. So I gave out a CQ on 12 CW with my Antron 99 and 100 watts out of the 746.

To my surprise, Oscar Mike (OM / Slovakia) was a new country for me on 12m, so that made it 99. Then came the coincidence, this time with me calling out on SSB.

HZ1GW called me from Saudi Arabia. I checked my progress window and, sure enough, I needed Saudi Arabia on 12!! I told the operator, Ken, that he had the honour of being my 100th country worked on 12 metres. He came back and said, "let me just check . . . you are also my 100th country worked on 12 metres!"

A really extraordinary coincidence. How often would that sort of thing happen? We exchanged reports and then had a good chin wag. That's one nice QSL and I look forward to exchanging cards with Ken in the near future.