Author Archives: dh8bqa

FW – Wallis & Futuna Islands #305

Posted on June 13, 2015 by dh8bqa

Well, I finally defeated my “nemesis”! 😀 I have been chasing Jean-Jaques, FW5JJ, for a few month’ now. Whenever he was QRV we either had no propagation (it’s a difficult path almost directly over the Northpole) or if he was … Continue reading →

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OJ0 – Market Reef #64 on 2 m

Posted on June 10, 2015 by dh8bqa

Not very active after returning from holidays, QRL taking its toll. Besides this 6 and 4 m haven’t been very active, too. There were a few openings but if I was there in the evenings I was either too close … Continue reading →

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W1AW portable WAS correct now :-)

Posted on June 6, 2015 by dh8bqa

Holidays are over. 🙁 But opening the mailbox today I found a letter from ARRL HQ containing a small envelope with the missing endorsement stickers. 😎 So my “W1AW WAS Award” is finally correct and reflects all the hard work … Continue reading →

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More 70 MHz Sporadic-E

Posted on June 4, 2015 by dh8bqa

“Four” opened up again this afternoon and evening. Seemed very patchy most of the time although Malta, 9H, proved to be the ES hotspot again, the guys were in & out for several hours! Just wished activity would be a … Continue reading →

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Double hop Sporadic-E into EA8 on 4 m

Posted on June 3, 2015 by dh8bqa

Wow, what a great day! It didn’t look too promising during the morning. There was a nice ES cloud with MUFs up into the 80-90 MHz but too close, i.e. just 250 km east above SP2. Nevertheless I went to … Continue reading →

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Some fun in the 144 MHz NAC/LYAC tonight

Posted on June 2, 2015 by dh8bqa

It’s been a while since I participated more seriously in the only 4 hour long NAC (Nordic Activity Contest) and LYAC (Lithuanian Activity Contest) evenings which take place regularly every Tuesday and Thursday on different bands. Tonight was the first … Continue reading →

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QRP in the WPX-CW using the Elecraft KX3

Posted on June 1, 2015 by dh8bqa

My motivation to participate full-time and high power in the WPX-CW was quite low this time. Currently I’m rather in “VHF mood” enjoying 6 & 4 m as well as waiting for more Sporadic E on 2 m during my holidays. … Continue reading →

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SØ – Western Sahara #136 on 6 m

Posted on May 28, 2015 by dh8bqa

Well, not much worked during the week. Bands were rather flat. 6 m just only opened quite nicely this evening but I spent most of my time on 4 m again as there was a big ES opening in Western … Continue reading →

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Building a 50 MHz notch filter with coax cable

Posted on May 24, 2015 by dh8bqa

Holidays now! 😎 Decided to visit my goddaughter Anna-Lena (now 4 years old or better young ) near Frankfurt/Oder. Her father is my good friend Sandro, DD3SP. While there he mentioned interference of S5 to S7 between his 50 and … Continue reading →

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ZP – Paraguay #135 on 6 m

Posted on May 17, 2015 by dh8bqa

Another day without any ES overhere. Was not very sad this time as I could spent all afternoon in bed trying to recover from a flu I caught on Friday and not fearing to miss anything on the bands. 😉 … Continue reading →

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TJ – Cameroon #134 on 6 m

Posted on May 16, 2015 by dh8bqa

Propagation sucked today. Six and above stayed closed all day long. Thus I had to rely on Meteor Scatter to work something new. The Camb-Hams are currently active as GS3PYE/P from the Isle of Mull, IOTA EU-008, in the relatively rare … Continue reading →

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More 4 m and first 2 m Sporadic E this year

Posted on May 15, 2015 by dh8bqa

What an interesting day! Just worked two OH1’s on MS for a new country and square before leaving for QRL in the morning. So could only watch all the fun on the cluster and DXMaps website. Seems 6 & 4 … Continue reading →

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First 4 m ES opening + 6 m ES/TEP link

Posted on May 14, 2015 by dh8bqa

Father’s Day is a public holiday overhere so I had the chance to be at the station early morning already. Sporadic E season has started and the whole day saw massive ES propagation over all of Europe. MUF went up … Continue reading →

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Wrong W1AW Worked All States Award received :-(

Posted on May 13, 2015 by dh8bqa

Was happy to find another letter of the ARRL in the mail box today. Could only have been the applied for W1AW WAS and indeed, it was. 😉 But very unhappy as it is not what I applied and paid … Continue reading →

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My first week on “four”

Posted on May 12, 2015 by dh8bqa

Having spent my first week on the new for me 4 m band it might be a good time to sum up my first experiences. As anticipated the band is very interesting. Despite running QRP only into a small 5 ele Yagi … Continue reading →

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Small Aurora tonight

Posted on May 6, 2015 by dh8bqa

Had a rather small Aurora opening this evening with signals fast in & out. Worked: —————————————————————— TIME CALLSIGN LOCATOR TX RX BAND MODE PROP. QRB —————————————————————— 17:05 LAØBY JO59FW 55A 55A 2 m. CW AUR 784 17:13 SM5KWU JO89IP 57A 57A … Continue reading →

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First 4 m QSOs done

Posted on May 5, 2015 by dh8bqa

Finally found a bit time late this evening and worked my first two 70 MHz tropo QSOs with Greg, SP3RNZ, in JO92 (300 km) and Marek, SP2MKO, in JO93 (267 km). Also tried with SP9HWY in JO90 (465 km) whom … Continue reading →

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DFØFA results DARC May VHF contest ’15

Posted on May 4, 2015 by dh8bqa

Back from the “mountain”. Well, “hilltop” is certainly a better description for our location about 100 km north-east of Berlin near the German-Polish border. 😉 Expected bad weather but after all we were quite lucky! A few guys already made … Continue reading →

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Temporary permit to use 4 m in DL again! :-)

Posted on April 29, 2015 by dh8bqa

German BNetzA informed today (Amtsblatt 8/2015, Mitteilung Nr. 412/2015) that they allow German class A radio amateurs to operate on 4 m again during the upcoming Sporadic E season. 😎 Effective from today the permit is valid until 31 August 2015 … Continue reading →

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WPX-SSB 2015 raw scores published

Posted on April 18, 2015 by dh8bqa

Raw scores for this year’s WPX-SSB contest were published yesterday. Seems I can be proud of placing 1st out of 6 participants in Germany, 2nd out of 52 in Europe and 6th out of 85 worldwide! 😎 The points differences … Continue reading →

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