January 2010 

 

 

6W - Senegal

Operators Ron/PA3EWP and Tom/GM4FDM will team up again, but this time from the Le Calao rental shack in the region of Somone about 70km south of Dakar in Senegal for 2 weeks between January 26th and February 9th. Both operators have their license and will sign 6W/homecall. Activity will be on 160-10 meters, but operations will be concentrated on CW on the lower bands. Antennas are a Titanex vertical for 160/80m, 4 square for 40m, verticals for 30/17m and monobanders are available for 20/15/10m. They "may" also be active on 6 meters using a K3 radio and a 5 element yagi. Also, some RTTY operations are expected from Tom. The operators will attempt to be on the air during the sunrise/sunset for USA and Japan and hope that the path to Europe will not prove too troublesome. Tom will attempt to upload ONLY his logs to LoTW if the InterNet is available, if not, they will be submitted immediately upon his return home. QSL 6W/PA3EWP via PA7FM. QSL 6W/GM4FDM via GM4FDM, direct or by the Bureau and LoTW.

[SOURCE: OPDX Bulletin]

6m EME News

Latest News from Lance W7GJ :

The past few months have provided some very exciting DXing on 6m! At my station, during the last half of October, I worked JR6EXN, G4BWP, JG2BRI, and G5WQ and copied OH6MIK and OZ3ZW. During November I completed with K2ZD, JR6EXN, W3RGA, MM0AMW, XE2AT, GD0TEP, PA0JS, K9MU, EA8/G8BCG, ZL3NW, ZL1RS, and copied OA4TT, and YV4DYJ. The contact with XE2AT was especially exciting because that was the first ever 6m EME from Mexico, and my EME DXCC #98.

In December, I had the pleasure of working K7XQ, ZS6WAB, ZS6NK, K6MYC, K6EMI, OK1RD, N8JX, K9MU, K4YMQ, K4RX, ET3BN, ON4IQ, OA4TT, VK4ABW, N9CJK. Many of those contacts were during the second weekend of the annual ARRL EME Contest, which always seems to boost activity even if many stations do not qualify to submit logs according to the ARRL rules. Especially exciting during that contest weekend was my contact with ET3BN, which was my EME DXCC #99, and a USA ?First? on 6m.

The first weekend in January saw optimum EME conditions again, and I worked E51WL, GM4WJA, K7XQ and ZL3NW. Of particular interest was the contact with E51WL in the North Cook Islands, which was my EME DXCC #100, and took my 6m DXCC total up to 150.

A 2010 plenty of 6m DX
A few months ago, I thought for sure there must be some end in sight to new DXCC I was working during the bottom of the sunspot cycle. But now it looks like it appears to be starting out to be another great year with a new DXCC coming on 6m every month!

We are looking forward to A9/EI3IO getting set up in the coming weeks with his 6M7JHV and proven station.

During the good period at the end of February, watch for KH9/WA2YUN to come on the air with a K3 with external preamp for 0.5db noise figure, new LMR400 feedline with 1.2db loss and an optimized 5 element yagi with 10 dBD gain and a clear view of ocean in all directions!

During the last week of March, HB9QQ is going to be active as with 500w and a 7 element looking out over the ocean! (8Q7QQ)

At the beginning of April, we are looking forward to the C91GN (license finally in hand now) Dxpedition by ZS5Y with 600w and a 6M8GJ yagi!

As if those exciting new stations were not enough, VP8DMH in FC52wk is expected on the air next spring with an ACOM 1000 and a 6M8GJ yagi to provide the first activation of Antarctica on 6m EME!

There are additional DXpeditions planned for later months this year, including possible operations from 3V8, 3B8, and A6. There also is some noise about possible new DXCC popping up in the South Pacific.

[Direct E-mail from Lance W7GJ]

Senegal & Guinea Bissau
Laci, HA0NAR and his wife Susan will be visiting Senegal and Guinea Bissau between 30 January and 13 February. Look for 6W/HA0NAR until 6 February (with a side trip to IOTA group AF-078), and for J5NAR on 7 -13 February (with a side trip to IOTA group AF-093).

Expect activity on the HF bands CW, SSB and RTTY, with a focus on the low bands during operations from the mainland. Activity on 6m and 2m will depend on the local situation. QSL via HA0NAR, direct or bureau.
[SOURCE: 425 DX News #975]

Angola
Paulo D2CQ (CT1ITZ) will be back to Porto Amboim in February 2010, He operate with a beam 5 bands.

He expects to be working in Angola for the next few years.

QSL via CT1IUA

Cocos Keeling

NL8F will be active from Cocos Keeling (OC-003) between March 3 – 10, 2010 using a vertical for 80-10m +6m. QRV for ARRL contest on weekend of March 6 – 7. Hopeful of receiving VK9COF callsign, but apparently takes the WIA some time to process calls – so either VK9C/NL8A or VK9COF.

Beacon in EY

Tursoon-Zadeh/EY8MM - Nodir has been a beacon from Central Asia on Topband as well as 6-Meters. Not only technically and operationally skilled, Nodir has worked to establish a QSL Bureau for Tajikistan and is the Vice President of the Amateur Radio Society of Tajikistan.

[SOURCE: Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin #942].
 

 

SV5/DJ7RJ - Kos Island
Willi, DJ7RJ will be active from Kos Island (EU-001) from 24 February until 17 March. He will operate CW and SSB on 160-6 metres, with a focus on the low bands. QSL via home call.

 

OH5SB/MM Wet Squares

 

OH5SB/mm (Gerd DL2SB) will activate the wet squares at the Baltic on 2m SSB in summer 2010 again. Trip from Germany to Finland on 4. July 2010, trip from Finland back to Germany on 29. July 2010.

Main frequency on 2m 144.288 (after the decimal double of number before the decimal) or maybe sometimes 144.300.

Between the two ship travels of course in the summer QTH KP31MC again, mainly HF and 6m.

[SOURCE: MMMonVHF website]

 

 

VK9N - Norfolk Isl.

Andrew, VK2ACC will be active as VK2ACC/9 from Norfolk Island(OC-005) on 4-9 February. He will operate holiday style on 40-6metres SSB, possibily with some PSK. QSL via home call, direct or bureau.