Another new Pacific DXCC: H44PA Solomon Islands

Above is a video of my QSO this morning with Greg, H44PA, in the Solomon Islands, on 17m CW. This is another new country for me, my 275th DXCC worked and my tenth new DXCC since putting up the hexbeam. If you listen you can hear my obvious excitement at working the new one. His signal, with QSB, was up to 579 at times. Really, really thrilled with this one. There were very few people calling him, so obviously there was just good propagation between us at that moment. He had just worked a JA (Japan) station immediately before me. I think from his reaction he was pretty happy to work EI himself. I will definitely be sending a QSL card to Greg for this contact!! Cheers Greg!

V73NS Marshall Islands QSO confirmed on LoTW

I've just checked my ARRL Logbook of the World Account and I am delighted to see that V73NS has confirmed our recent QSO on 15m CW. This is a brand new DXCC for me, never worked before.

My confirmation from V79NS

Remember that LoTW counts towards DXCC credit. It is a great service, and it's generally easy to upload your log if you use a computer log and have internet access. That brings to 229 confirmed DXCC on LoTW alone, not counting QSL cards.

In the past week I have sent cards to 5W0XT, JG8NQJ/JD1, 3D2MM/MM, XX9E, VK9CS, VK9XS, 3D2C and FK8CE. It will be a great pleasure to see many of those cards coming back!

Dxpeditions and DX to be listening out for

There is lots of potential rare DX to be worked over the next while, and indeed currently. The 3D2C dxpedition on Conway Reef in the south Pacific is still in full swing and is QRT on Friday, October 5th. Meanwhile, keep an ear out for KH8, American Samoa, from where N6XT and N7CQQ have been operating on RTTY and SSB.

Tristan de Cunha is currently being activated by Rob M0VFC and has been worked in EU with relative ease.

Starting this week is 5U5U, a three-man dxpedition to Niger in Africa, led by Chris, TL0A. The three operators will be active on all bands from 160m through 6m and will be there for two weeks. The three callsigns to be used will be 5U5U, 5U6E and 5U8NK.

BY1WXD/0 is operating from Tibet, but beware that Tibet AC4, is a deleted entity and does not count for DXCC.

Later in the month, on October 16th, the T30PY dxpedition to Western Kiribati starts. T30 is Clublog's 68th most wanted DXCC. See more information on the T30PY website.

ZD9UW Tristan de Cunha logged as a new DXCC

ZD9 Tristan de Cunha in the south Atlantic is the 49th most wanted DXCC according to Clublog.org. So when plans were announced for two British amateurs to travel there to activate this rare one, EI2KC was getting excited. Unfortunately, one of the pair, G3ZAY, was unable to make it, but Robert, M0VFC, has made it and was on air a short time ago on 15m SSB as ZD9UW.

Robert M0VFC is operating from Tristan de Cunha as ZD9UW.

Pretty soon he had a big pile, but was listening up 5 to 10 kc, which is not a huge split really. I felt like I had a chance. I switched on the linear and turned the hexbeam south and pretty soon I was calling on 21.335 with 400 watts. After less than 10 minutes, I could hear 'who is the Echo India three?' I thought maybe he was listening for me and I said 'Echo India Two Kilo Charlie' and he said 'Echo India Two only' and soon I was in the log for a brand new DXCC!!

That's nine new DXCC in less than three weeks, and all worked with the new hexbeam. The more I use it, the more I like it. Robert was not strong, and there was QSB on his signal, but he was strong enough to work and to be heard in EI. This is a brilliant hobby, with so many rewards.

Working ZD9 made up for the lack of time I had over the weekend for radio. The couple of times I sat down at the radio to try to work 3D2C on Conway Reef were brief, and sadly there was considerable QRM on both 20m SSB, where music was being played over them, and on 17m CW, where, at one stage, there were THREE CW signals QRMing them. Very sad. Let's hope they're back on those slots tomorrow and that all the lunatics are off at work or back at the asylum!

Six slots with Conway Reef but less time now

I now have six slots with Conway Reef. At least I hope I have six. I worked them on 15m SSB yesterday morning and I wasn't 100% sure that they said EI2KC, but I will wait for a log update. My other five QSOs are in the log alright.

I find the hexbeam is doing a terrific job. None of the slots took more than half an hour to work, and, honestly, in some cases I was only calling for a few minutes. I did try 10m CW yesterday for a while, but with musical activities to attend to over the weekend I have less time for radio. The split was incredible. They were listening 25kc up at one point. So as you can imagine, the pile-up calling them from EU must have been significant. I will wait for the pile to calm down before trying them on 10m.

I still need them on 17m CW, where there seems to be a dearth of activity. And surprisingly, I also need them on 20m SSB. I am listening on their QRG on 14.190 right now and, unfortunately, someone is jamming them with a slow scan signal. This is an unfortunate and regrettable side of the hobby, where disgruntled individuals cause QRM on a DX station.

Ah well, we need lots of patience in this hobby. It is usually rewarded, but sometimes not. I am glad to say I am enjoying Conway Reef 3D2C so far. Being unemployed does have its upside!! In between hunting for a new job, I can be at the radio during the daytime, something which was impossible while I was working full time!

3D2C has only started - and they're in the log!

I am a very happy man. The 3D2C Conway Reef dxpedition has only just started. I could hear them quite well on 20m CW (14.020 listening up) with my hexbeam pointed due north. So I put on a split and started to call them. Within five calls, I could hear 'EI2KC 5NN' coming back through the ether. So I gave him 'RR EI2KC 5NN TU' and he was in the log! That's DXCC no. 273 for me, with eight new ones being worked in the past fortnight.

It always takes the pressure off a bit when you can work a dxpedition on the day it starts. There is always the anxiety of wondering if they will have to go QRT early, as happened with the JX5O dxpedition to Jan Mayen Island in July 2011. So although the pile-ups are always quite extreme at the beginning, it is nice to be able to break through the pile to give oneself a measure of peace of mind!

Below is a video showing the signal from 3D2C on 14 Mhz CW working EU at the time:

Update: Thursday September 27th - 3D2C worked on 15m CW also.
Friday September 28th - 3D2C worked on 17m SSB and 12m CW

A quick update on the DX

Since my last posting I have had more success working DX, and the more I use it the more I become convinced that the hexbeam is a great antenna. Here is a brief summary of the DX in the log:

My hexbeam (pluys 2m/6m beams and Butternut) under the stars.

I worked VK9CS (Cocos Keeling) again, this time on 17m CW, with just two calls.
This was followed by T8XX (Palau) on 15m SSB for a new country on that band.
The same day, I worked T8XX on 20m CW.

3D2GC in Fiji provided a brand new DXCC for me when I worked him on 15m CW. He was very, very light and to be perfectly honest it's possible I am not in the log, or have a busted call.
However, when I later worked him on 17m CW, I was definitely in his log this time.

T8XX made it into the log again, this time on 12m CW, giving me a new DXCC on that band. VK9CS got into the log on a third band, this time on 20m CW.

Just this morning, I worked VK7CW, Steve in Tasmania, on 17m CW using just 100 watts. This was followed a short time later by T8XX again, this time on 15m CW, also with 100 watts.

Later, I worked BD7IS in China on 15m SSB using just 100 watts for a new slot, and then YB0ETC in Indonesia on 10m CW for a new slot there. Glad to hear 10 metres in good shape!