An update on the DXCCs worked as I am on the mend

J5UAP Peter with junior op on the beach in Guinea-Bissau

With the awful condition of having a severe ear infection and a perforated ear drum, I have not done any radio for well over a week. So now would seem like a good time to update you on how I've been getting on since the last DXCC and bands update. Also eQSL. So here goes. The last update was on March 12th and the bands have been in excellent condition since then, so let's see how I've been getting on:

Total DXCCs worked: 213 (4 deleted)

160M: 62 DXCCs worked (0 - no change)
80M: 85 (+2) This band is in hibernation for the summer !
40M: 136 (+5)
30M: 129 (+14 a really great band if you like CW :) )
20M: 161 (+16)
17M: 130 (+15)
15M: 128 (+14)
12M: 89 (+17 huge improvement here)
10M: 62 (+19 At last good prop on 10m)
6M: 52 (0 Waiting for the first opening of the season)
2M: 10 (0)


Some of the recent highlights include: 
TR8CA Gabon on 12m and 15m MFSK (first time using this mode and it gave me a new country on two bands!)
V44KAI St Kitts and St Nevis, new DXCC on 30m and 10m
CE2/VE7SV Chile - new DXCC on 17m
FY5LH French Guiana - new one on 15m
9M2CNC West Malaysia on RTTY new DXCC on 17m
ZA/LZ1UQ Albania new DXCC on 17m
J5UAP Guinea-Bissau - had never worked this one before and suddenly I had it on 6 bands thanks to this one operator who has been active lately - got him on 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m, all on CW.
6W2SC - new country on 20m

On March 9th I had 102 countries confirmed on eQSL, now that's up to 110.

Looking forward to more good propagation as the sun kicks into life. The peak of this solar cycle is supposed to happen in April 2013 so that gives us two years of decent conditions to look forward, provided everything goes to plan. I wonder, though, if we can expect an even later peak because the last lull was a year longer than expected? We will see.

If you're interested in working DX, you can read HF Happenings in Echo Ireland which is now being written by me. Dave Deane EI9FBB has retired from the post and I have taken over. The latest issue is out now.

Ear damage means less radio

I have developed a bad ear infection which has perforated my eardrum. I knew it was serious when my ear began to discharge blood. Plus I was in terrible pain.

I went to a doctor Saturday evening and she was quickly able to tell me I had a serious infection which had perforated the eardrum in my left ear.

I have a terrible feeling of having an ear full of water. It's hard to hear anything plus it is very sore. No radio for the time being.

PS: Just realised I can work digimodes without having to listen to anything!! I only have to read what's on the screen. Great!

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Third in Ireland for 5M2TT Dxpedition; now on Twitter

The 5M2TT Dxpedition to Liberia in Africa is now officially QRT. I made a very respectable 10 band slots, and finish joint third in the list of EIs to work them. Top of the pile is Thos EI2JD who nabbed them on 13 band slots, with Don EI6IL second on 11, and myself and EI0W, Dundalk contest team, in joint third place on 10 band slots. Here is the rest of the top 10:

5 EI8FH 9
6 EI9KC 9
7 EI4CF 8
8 EI6FR 8
9 EI7JN 8
10 EI2CR 7

Well done all. After trawling through their online log, it seems that at least 40 EIs made it through. Well done all.

Hamradioireland is now on Twitter. I've never been a huge fan of Twitter myself, but it is a handy way of keeping people up to date about things in a very concise fashion. Just visit http://twitter.com/hamradioireland and Follow hamradioireland for all the latest updates.

Finally, a great opening on 10 metres

Yesterday, Saturday April 2nd, I enjoyed my first really good opening on 10 metres. The band was open from early morning. Although initially only open to parts of Europe and Ukraine and Russia, as the day progressed there were more distant openings. At 22 minutes past midday, I worked KH2/N2NL on Guam island in the Pacific, a country I had never worked before on any band. I nabbed a number of new countries on 10m yesterday, including Bulgaria (I know, that's how poor the band has been for the past couple of years!), Turkey, Cyprus (who else other than the inimitable Norman 5B4AIF!) and the United Arab Emirates. Oh, and Liberia (see below). Since my last bands update on March 12th, I have worked 12 new ones on 10 metres. My total DXCCs worked on that band is now 55. I look forward to more great openings.

There was good action on some of the other bands too. I nabbed Vlad 4K9W on 12m, a new one on that band. He was quickly followed by UK8OM in Uzbekistan, another new on 12m.

I was thrilled to get 5M2TT, the new DXpedition to Liberia, into the log on 10m CW. That was a brand new entity for me, never worked before on any band. I nabbed E21EJC in Thailand on 17m CW using only 50w. And late last night I put the 9L5MS DXpedition in Sierra Leone into the log on 30m CW.