HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016 !

Time flies and Christmas was over without I could find a minute for the blog !
So I couldn't let finish 2015 without wishing all my readers all the best things for the next year, hope it will bring you all your wishes, keep you in a good health, and let you practice ham radio with all the nice DX-Peditions coming up... ^^

Happy New Year 2016 !

Chris F8DZY

TX3X Chesterfield Reef QSL received !

Hi all, today I received TX3X Chesterfield Reef QSL from M0URX ! 
It is my 426th confirmed IOTA (OC-176) and my last for 2015 !!
My tweet of this morning travelled... ^^

Thanks Tim, HNY !
Chris F8DZY

4 "new bands" & 500th IOTA in the log !

Hi, during these last days, I could work some interesting ones as :
- SV2ASP/A Monk Apollo from Mt Athos on 40M CW (new band !),
- VP5/W5CW from Turks & Caicos Islands on 80M CW (new band !),
- WL7E from Alaska on 40M CW (new band & new zone 40M !) 
- FR/OH2YL from Reunion Island on 30M CW (new band !)...
I finally also reached my 500th worked IOTA thanks to YV2CAR/4 from Alcatraz Island worked on 40M SSB !
To be continued...
Chris F8DZY 

VK9WA Willis Island : the chase ! (Epilog)

Hi all, it's OVER !
Thanks a lot to the VK9WA team for giving most of us the opportunity to log Willis Island, it was an ATNO for me and for many others I believe...
After my previous contacts, I could add 3 new QSOs on November 22th with the 15M CW for a new slot, then the 20M RTTY as a new mode (thanks a LOT to the operator who sent several times my report -because of QRMers/LIDs on QRG- until he got clearly my answer !), and finally the 30M CW as a new band but for this last, it appears I was badly logged because it doesn't appear on the online log...?
I sent a mail in order to fix this, I'll see later if this last QSO is OK...

 

Addidtion of December 31st:
I forgot to say my 30M QSO was corrected and confirmed by VK9WA team ! TNX guys !

Ready for another DX-Pedition's chase ! ^^ 
Chris F8DZY  

VK9WA Willis Island : the chase ! #2

Hi all, the chase continues here with some new QSOs in the log...
After my 3 firsts QSOs, I could add the 10M CW (new band) on November 20th ! They were 335 here, but not many people calling, well, not many people I could hear...
On November 21st, it was again a nice day : 10M again, but SSB this time, and they were really stronger than the day before ! 4-5 minutes studying the split, 4 calls & in the log ^^
Three minutes later only, I logged them on 12M CW (new band) !
These 2 new QSOs were in the morning before going to my job... 
Back in the evening around 2000UTC, I decided to have an ear on low bands, they were on 40M SSB, huge split but readable in the clear... My vertical is doing a great job on this band so, why not ?
10 minutes calling and it was ok ! YES, another new band ! ;)

A total of 7 QSOs, 6 bands & 2 modes right now...
To be continued, soon QRT, hurry up & GL !

Chris F8DZY

SU9IG in the mail !

Hi, today I received SU9IG QSL from Ivan (OM3CGN) confirming our 3 QSOs on 10M, 30M (new band) & 40M CW...
Thanks Ivan !

Also, on a short time, I worked 3 new others IOTA before & after VK9WA (#497) : 
- S79C from IOTA AF-119 (NEW) as IOTA #496
- YB8/DL3KZA from IOTA OC-157 as IOTA #498
- ZL1/G0KIK from IOTA OC-201 as IOTA #499
Who will be the 500th ?

Chris F8DZY

VK9WA Willis Island : the chase ! #1

Hi all, finally another DX-pedition as we love to chase ! ^^
VK9W is an expected one : ranked #32 on the DXCC Most Wanted List (Clublog November 2015), this is an important one that I can't miss this time...
On Monday 16th, I started to chase & got them on 15M SSB for an ALL TIME NEW ONE after some minutes in a terrible split with QRM !
SSB is not my favourite, but for a NEW ONE what wouldn't I do ? ;)
The next day, back from job, they are strong on 17M CW, listening to the huge split, I try one time +20 kHz : "F8DZY 5NN" Wow, very lucky one ! No complain. New mode.
Less than 20 minutes later, I also got them on 20M SSB, not easily, but the good operator's rules are always "logic" ^^

It is my worked DXCC #314 and my worked IOTA #497 !
Good luck to all for this possible ATNO...

Chris F8DZY

Low bands happenings...

 
Hi all, some new QSOs in the log since my last post, I tried to get these 3W3MD on 30M and down, but this was impossible to due QRMers and bad propagation to Vietnam... This part of the world has always been difficult to reach from here. 
Whatever, I managed to work them on 15M & 20M SSB for a new mode, and on 20M RTTY for another new mode. Thanks guys for your activity !

On an early morning (0340AM local) before going to job, I worked VP2MEW from Montserrat Island on 80M CW for a new band (#137). VP2M is now only needed on 6M & 160M... a fair affair ^^.

Two days later, and one hour after my sunset this time, I had the surprise to work S01WS Western Sahara on 160M CW with a nice signal (#49) ! 
In the same hour, I also worked MJ/K8PT from Jersey Island, again on 160M CW (#50) ! 2 new ones on the Top Band...

Yesterday morning, I had the pleasure to have a complete & sympathic QSO with Gary ZL2IFB on 80M CW coming here 599+ ! Our first QSO was 4 years ago on 10M CW... Always a pleasure to work New Zealand, especially on low bands !

Chris F8DZY

4U70UN & PY0F/AA4NC plus some others in the log...

Hi, some good contacts logged these past days :
- I chased PY0F/AA4NC active from Fernando De Noronha Island. It is not a new one but I added a new mode (RTTY) & 5 new band slots with 7 QSOs with him...

- I also chased 4U70UN who was only active during the past week-end : 6 QSOs (5 new bands & 1 new mode SSB) : PERFECT ! ^^

- C91B on 12M & 17M SSB (new slots), 4W/JI1AVY on 40M CW (new band), EW6DX & OY1OF on 12M SSB (new slot), HC2AO, 4S7VG & VR2XMT on 10M SSB (new slot), 9V1YC on 20M SSB (new slot) & 9Y4W on 15M SSB (new slot)...

- During the CQWW SSB, it was also the opportunity to fill some missing band slots as with D4C worked on 40M SSB & LY7M, 9A1A, CN2AA, SP5LS, HG3ITU on 160M SSB for some new ones on Top Band...

Chris F8DZY

S79SP Seychelles : the chase ! (Epilog)

Hi, S79SP is QRT and operators are now back home !
Thanks guys for a nice activity from Seychelles Islands, I couldn't work you on 10M as I wanted but I added some new slots on the high bands (vertical was still down for the lower) and a new mode with RTTY !
OQRS is already active...
Another S7 activity is soon previewed so it'll be the opportunity to fill the missing band/slots if possible ;)

Chris F8DZY

Vertical HF4B up again, low bands ready !

Hi, 2 days working on my vertical and finally finished...
A lot of components needed to be replaced after putting the vertical up again, plus all the necessary matchings but the job is finally done ! Now QRV on low bands from 160M to 30M.
40M SWR is 1.5 all band...
30M SWR is 1.3 all band...

Chris F8DZY

TX3X confirmed via LotW !

Hi, very fast OQRS LotW service with TX3X !
I already received my 2 QSOs confirmation with Chesterfield Island... 
This is my confirmed DXCC #313 !! ^^

Chris F8DZY

RA0QQ 10M CW Zone 19 in the Bureau QSLs !

Hi, again all is in the title : RA0QQ Zone 19 confirmed on 10M: 40th Zone on this band !

Strangely my missing Zones on 40M to 12M are not the most rare (Zone 1, 2 or 3) and on 80M again 10 zones are not worked so it lets me some work there ^^

Thanks Gena for QSLing, Bureau is sometimes slow but  do the job !

Chris F8DZY

TX3X Chesterfield Island : the chase ! (Epilog)

Hi all, TX3X is now QRT, I only managed to work them on 20M band, but a second time too in SSB for a new mode !

No really good propagation to Western EU on others bands up to 10M, and no vertical for low bands made the chase difficult...

Anyway, many thanks to the team for giving me an ATNO + new IOTA, can't wait to receive their QSL ^^

CU on the next one...

Chris F8DZY

S79SP Seychelles : the chase ! #1

Hi all, S79SP Polish DX-Pedition is on the bands since several days.
S7 is not a new one for me but only confirmed 15M, 17M, 30M CW & 20M SSB. Some other slots are worked but not yet confirmed, so this activity interests me for new bands & mode :)
At this day, I managed to work them 8 times for 2 new slots & 1 new mode (RTTY)... 

 

I'm looking for them on 10M band (not yet confirmed here) and on 40M-80M-160M? but for this, I don't know if I'll have the time : my vertical broke again at the insulator position !!! I had no other solution that cutting a little part of aluminium element. I now have to drill another hole with convenient material but I don't have here... Then i'll have to put up again the vetical (without breaking it again ^^) and manage to tune it properly. These things always happen when DX season comes... grrr...
Good luck with S79SP !

Chris F8DZY

 

REF CUP CW 2014 souvenirs...

When I went to my local Bureau QSLs, I had the nice surprise to find others items than cards waiting for me... The Vice-Champion de France REF Award (#2 France) and the 1st place department 47 medal were also there !
Thanks to everyone for calling me and giving me points and/or multipliers in this contest !

Chris F8DZY

6 new confirmed IOTAs via Bureau !

Hi, all is in the title !
It's been a long time I didn't go to my local Bureau QSLs... A little package of cards was waiting for me, including 6 new IOTAs :

 

 

 

My total number of confirmed IOTAs is now #422...
Today, I worked YV4KW/1 on IOTA SA-089 for my worked island #494 ;)

Chris F8DZY