Contacts worked for the Ukranian DX contest

001 5B4AIF 59 182
002 IW5ELR 59 032
003 YU1DW 59 206
004 UZ0U 59 KO
005 YT6M 59 100
006 LZ1ZF 59 162
007 IZ8GNR 59 143
008 EA7IBK 59 109
009 YT1BB 59 281
010 UY4WWA 59 LV
011 YO5AM 59 039
012 YT0W 59 147
013 UR9QQ 59 ZP
014 UA9CLB 59 302
015 UW2I 59 DO
016 RU6LWZ 59 632
017 YU1WS 59 648
018 UT7L 59 HA
019 RZ3AXX 59 1966
020 RC9O 59 1827
021 UR4U 59 KO
022 UA9XL 59 619
023 UT1DX 59 ZA
024 HA8KV 59 456
025 UY7MM 59 LU
026 OK4PA 59 030

Stations worked today, 7th November 2009

W1FDY - testing my newly-raised half-size G5RV 59 into Virginia
CU2DX - Azores - and I beat the pile-up on 17m!!
5B4AIF - Norman in Cyprus, thanks for 59!
IW5ELR - 59 each way
YU1DW - Ukraine contest 003
UZ0U - 004 59 59
YT6M - 59 59 005
LZ1ZF - 59 59 006
IZ8GNR - 59 59 007
EA7IBK - 59 59 008
YT1BB - 59 59 009
UY4WWA - 59 59 LV 010
YO5AM - 59 59 011
YT0W - 59 59 012
EA6/DJ5GI - Heinz in lovely Majorca, where it is 21 degrees! Thanks.
UR9QQ - 40m - 59 59 ZP 013
UA9CLB - 40m 59 59 014

Stations worked over the past two days

Got some interesting contacts on various bands over the past 48 hours:

SQ3LVO 40m Poland
EI9CJ 2m Tom, Dundalk
ES1/OZ5IPA 20m Special Call - International Police Assoc. excursion to Estonia
EW8A 20m Belarus
I2OHO 20m Italy
IZ1JLG 20m Italy
YU1DW 20m Serbia
9A430KA 20m Croatia
EA2CNW 20m (2nd female operator worked!) Spain
EA6UN 17m Spain
YT1BB 20m Serbia
VO1DGP 20m Newfoundland - first QSO
EI2IN 2m Brendan, Julianstown, Ireland
YO4RIU 40m Bogdan in Romania
YU1XA 40m Serbia
HA8JV 40m Hungary
I5ZSS 40m Italy

Got my very first QSL card in the post today

My very first QSL card since becoming a licenced amateur arrived in the post today. I was delighted to get it. In fact, it was more than a QSL card because there was a separate photo of the operator at his station.

The card came from Fox Nine Sierra Hotel - F9SH - in France. Thanks very much Charles for the lovely card with a nice welcome to the bands. I was only licenced two days when I worked Charles last Sunday, November 1st.

The contact was made at 10:33 UTC on 14.245 Mhz (20 metres) and Charles gave me a nice 59 report.

Charles is 85 years old and still going strong on the radio. "Hope and wish you have a long activity with many DX contacts" he sayd. Thanks a million.

Dundalk Amateur Radio Society monthly meeting

I thoroughly enjoyed the monthly meeting of Dundalk Amateur Radio Society last night. Held at Marconi House, Castletown Road, there was a good attendance of local amateur station operators from the area, including operators from north and south of the border, and some from Drogheda.

The meeting was introduced to one of the new Mike India operators, Mickey MI6MMT, who was given a warm welcome.

Of particular note at the EI7DAR meeting was the fact that the Echolink station EI2MOG (Mount Oriel Gateway at Collon) is up and running again after a power cut and a problem with hardware. Thanks to Richard MI3CQR for the speedy repairs.

I heard a Zulu Lima station (ZL = New Zealand) working a G (England) station through the EI2MOG this morning at about 8.50am. I am looking forward to working my first DX contact through Echolink soon.

The club's contest team, EI0W, is taking part in the Ukraine contest this weekend on 40 metres. I hope to be operating the contest station for a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon/evening, so keep an ear out as this will be my first venture into the world of HF contesting.

Worked Armenia on 20m this morning

I decided to switch on the radio for 10 minutes after breakfast this morning. I heard an interesting station calling CQ on 20 metres. He was EK6TA, and was coming in strong, about 5 and 9. There was very little noise on the band. I could hear that he wasn't exactly working a pile-up and gave him a shout. "Station with Hotel Bravo again" he said, so I keyed up and gave the callsign again. "Echo India 8 Golf Hotel Bravo".

He gave me 5 and 8. Nice new country for the log.

A few interesting contacts today

Today being Sunday, I got some opportunities to work the HF bands. I worked mostly on 20 metres and a bit on 17 metres where there were a few openings. There were one or two spots on 15 metres as well but I failed to work any.

I worked my first Stateside contact - W4CCS - at quarter past midday. Thanks indeed. And it has been confirmed on eQSL which I got set up with today.

I also worked my first female contact today. HB9EGR Regy worked me on 20m with a dipole and 100watts. A modest station, like my own. Thanks Regy!

I got two special callsigns in the past 24 hours. Last night I got DL60CHILD, celebrating 60 years of the Children's Villages charity, on 40m. Today I got SP80WAC, which is not listed on QRZ.com.

All my 20 metre contacts were worked on an Antron 99 with 100 watts.