Author Archives: dh8bqa

Centennial Points Challenge Award

Unexpectedly something in the mailbox again today! 🙂 That’s for sure one I’m really proud of and one of the few that will find it’s place on the shack wall! I really like all the new designs of ARRL, be … Continue reading

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SP DX contest certificate received

 Found the winner certificate for my last year’s entry in the SP DX contest in the post box today. I have to admit I liked the “old design” of the contest certificates much better! Remember my participation quite well as … Continue reading

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Japan International DX Contest CW

No radio activity here since Easter. Had a marker in my calendar that JIDX-CW would be this past weekend. Wasn’t in the mood to participate on Saturday, thoughts were rather in a QRL project I’m handling right now. Also saw … Continue reading

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Antennas, antennas, antennas

Been busy the week before Easter with some antenna work. Weather was just awful with heavy storms and even snow on two mornings! So I prepared the new 6/4 m Dualband Yagi indoors and could only mount it on Good … Continue reading

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CQ-WPX-SSB 2015

Another WPX-SSB is done. Although not planned I managed to take Friday off and drive the 700 km to the station the night from Thursday to Friday already. Was certainly the better choice than driving after QRL on Friday evening … Continue reading

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Superb Aurora opening

Thanks to the phone alert by Heiko, DG1BHA, I managed to get out of QRL not too late yesterday evening. There was a very strong Aurora going on and Heiko being at our station had already worked over 20 stations … Continue reading

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Again two ATNOs wkd :-)

Haven’t been very active lately. Handed out just a few points during ARRL-DX-SSB last weekend and didn’t switch on the radio at all during the week … QRL taking it’s toll. This morning was a little different. Decided to chase … Continue reading

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ARRL-DX 2014 certificates received

      Two times post from the ARRL contest committee during the last few days. Received the ARRL-DX-CW participation certificate for doing more than 500 QSOs as a DX participant as well as the winner certificate for winning SOAB … Continue reading

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CQ-WW-160-SSB

Well, I did not plan to take part in that one. As reported earlier I have an RFI problem using the remote on 160 m. Practically this means I’m limited to about 15-20 watts output if I want to reliably … Continue reading

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ARRL-DX-CW 2015

It does not feel that long ago since I wrote about 2014’s ARRL-DX-CW contest in this blog. Another year is gone … wow, time’s really flying by! So I practised my poor CW again last weekend. 😉 Had a good … Continue reading

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TI9 – Cocos Island #302

Just saw that working TI9/3Z9DX was another ATNO so up to 302 now. Seems a great start into the new DX year with 4 new ones within 6 weeks but I suppose it will not continue at that speed being … Continue reading

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Weak and short Aurora opening this evening

Had a very small and weak Aurora opening on 2 m this evening. Did not last longer than 20 minutes. The SK4MPI Aurora warning beacon was barely audible via Aurora which is quite unusual even in weak openings. Elsewise only … Continue reading

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CQ-WPX-RTTY 2015

Another RTTY contest is history. After I was rather disappointed after last year’s CQ-WWDX-RTTY this one was real fun! Uwe, DL3BQA, was going to use our station as the 1st OP again and had the choice of band. He decided … Continue reading

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Tropo – the final

Taking the F5LEN tropo forecast into account I anticipated the tropo would move further east this morning and then start to vanish. Today is Fat Thursday in the Cologne carnival which means we only have to work half-day. What a … Continue reading

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More tropo and square #507 on 2 m

      Seems I was correct with my yesterday’s assumption concerning tropo moving. 😉 Sorrily I was rather under the duct tonight thus the really big distance contacts where done i.e. from LAØBY down into 9A & S5 over 1.600 km, … Continue reading

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Nice 2 m tropo opening tonight

Coming home after work today I saw a few spots on the cluster that looked like a bit of tropo enhancement between the UK and Western Europe. So I switched on the radio to check condx and boy, was lucky … Continue reading

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ZL7 – Chatham Islands #301

Worked another ATNO today! 🙂 ZL7/F8FUA is currently on holiday there and took a K3 and a Buddipole with him. Already heard him yesterday on 20 m SSB but lots of QRM and weak signals. He was still weak today, … Continue reading

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KP1 – Navassa Island #300

Now that the Navassa expedition has been on for a few days I found a little time to chase them. Pileups are immense and it took a while to put them in the log for an ATNO. But what really … Continue reading

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Nice trans-polar 10 m opening this morning

Had a great trans-polar 10 m opening this morning. Worked KL7XU who was peaking 59 and said he was waiting for that opening for 12 years. 😉 WL7E had a nice signal on CW, too, but was only working (or not) … Continue reading

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RUSDX 2014 contest certificate

Well, it’s been a busy time receiving awards recently. 😉 After it took well over 2 years to receive my RUSDX 2012 certificates the guys from Russia where much faster this time! RUSDX 2014 sure was fun but I did not expect … Continue reading

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