Category Archives: Contesting

CQ WPX CW 2018 & further 7300 experiences

Posted on May 28, 2018 by dh8bqa

Another CQ WPX CW is in the books! As usual I decided to do a 10 m single band operation. I just like the band, especially in sunspot minimum it offers a variety of propagation modes most people are not … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio recordings, Contesting, Equipment, Propagation, Sporadic E | Comments Off on CQ WPX CW 2018 & further 7300 experiences

Antenna work & VHF May Contest

Posted on May 9, 2018 by dh8bqa

Finally I had some time to go visit the guys and our station again last weekend. A distance of 2 x 700 km means I need to take Friday and Monday off for traveling and that is rather luxery in … Continue reading →

Posted in Antennas, Contesting, VHF | Comments Off on Antenna work & VHF May Contest

CQ WPX SSB 2018

Posted on March 26, 2018 by dh8bqa

Initially I wanted to go the 700 km to the station and do the contest locally. Unfortunately two facts prohibited me doing so: First of all one of my grandmas died 🙁 and I had to spare 2 days of … Continue reading →

Posted in Contesting | Comments Off on CQ WPX SSB 2018

ARRL-DX-CW 2018

Posted on February 20, 2018 by dh8bqa

Another contest in the books. 😉 Enjoyed operating the ARRL CW contest once more. Condx were not too good, i.e. 15 m only opened marginally and very spotty … Started about 4 hours into the contest but found even low … Continue reading →

Posted in Contesting | Comments Off on ARRL-DX-CW 2018

CQ WPX RTTY 2018

Posted on February 12, 2018 by dh8bqa

Just playing around a bit with the remote setup. Uwe, DL3BQA, was using our station on-site for a serious SOSB40 effort so I could only use 40 m when he was not QRV. Prior to the contest Heiko & Uwe … Continue reading →

Posted in Contesting | Comments Off on CQ WPX RTTY 2018

CQ WW 160 CW 2018

Posted on January 29, 2018 by dh8bqa

Time’s flying by that fast it’s incredible! Already end of January again and time for another CQ160 on CW. Participated in this one remotely again, about 600 W from my KPA500 into a 160 m “lazy loop” much too low … Continue reading →

Posted in Contesting | Comments Off on CQ WW 160 CW 2018

ARRL-10M 2017

Posted on December 11, 2017 by dh8bqa

Another interesting contest in the books! Although (of course!) not comparable to results of past years during sunspot maximum it was way more fun than last year. 😎 Due to other commitments I had a late start on Saturday, first … Continue reading →

Posted in Contesting, Propagation, Sporadic E | Comments Off on ARRL-10M 2017

PJ4Y in CQ WWDX CW ’17

Posted on November 26, 2017 by dh8bqa

Lots of fun! Thanks to Peter, PJ4NX, for joining us as the 4th operator to make M/2 possible. Thanks to Scott, W4PA, and Steve, PJ4DX, for leaving up the Hexbeam as a second high band antenna after WWDX SSB a month ago. … Continue reading →

Posted in Contesting, Expeditions | Comments Off on PJ4Y in CQ WWDX CW ’17

Active from PJ4 soon! :-)

Posted on November 8, 2017 by dh8bqa

This year we decided to visit Bonaire, PJ4, in the Dutch Caribbean for some holiday style DXpedition as well as participating in CQ WWDX CW at the end of the month. Paul, DL5CW, and Tom, DL5LYM, will travel to Bonaire … Continue reading →

Posted in Contesting, DX, Expeditions | Comments Off on Active from PJ4 soon! :-)

CQ WWDX SSB 2017

Posted on October 30, 2017 by dh8bqa

Well, this one was a real mixed experience! Got to the station Friday evening. Peter, DM5DX, was already there having some fun chasing all the different DXpeditions. After I had installed all of my stuff I turned on my K3 … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio recordings, Contesting, Equipment | Comments Off on CQ WWDX SSB 2017

WAG 2017

Posted on October 22, 2017 by dh8bqa

Handing out a few points taking it rather leisurely. Like last year CW-only as I still haven’t managed to cobble some voicekeyer solution together for the remote end. And that being the designer of the FA-SM and BX-184 voicekeyer kits, … Continue reading →

Posted in Contesting | Comments Off on WAG 2017

ARRL 10M 2016 certificate surprise :-)

Posted on October 14, 2017 by dh8bqa

Unexpected letter from ARRL in the mail box today! 😎 I have to admit I didn’t look for the results of last year’s ARRL 10 m contest on the ARRL contest website during the past month’, I had simply forgotten … Continue reading →

Posted in Awards, Contesting | Comments Off on ARRL 10M 2016 certificate surprise :-)

No luck after SCC RTTY log check :-(

Posted on October 10, 2017 by dh8bqa

Checking the SCC website today for updates on the results of August’s SCC RTTY Championship. It seems I made a few more errors in logging than LY5W as he’s now on 1st place while I was it when the claimed … Continue reading →

Posted in Awards, Contesting | Comments Off on No luck after SCC RTTY log check :-(

CQ WW RTTY 2017

Posted on September 24, 2017 by dh8bqa

Uwe, DL3BQA, was going to attack the German SOSB20 record once more. So no other choice than doing 15 m for me, 80 & 40 m are still producing some QRM to 20 m, although the bandpass filters take quite … Continue reading →

Posted in Contesting | Comments Off on CQ WW RTTY 2017

SCC-RTTY 2017

Posted on August 27, 2017 by dh8bqa

After a very busy week of QRL in the Netherlands and (for a change) no other plans this weekend (summer weekends are usually quite crammed with activities) I decided to give the SCC-RTTY organized by the Slovenian Contest Club a … Continue reading →

Posted in Contesting, Propagation, Sporadic E | Comments Off on SCC-RTTY 2017

BBQ @DP9A

Posted on August 20, 2017 by dh8bqa

Sorrily I couldn’t make it to the annual BBQ at DP9A last year so was glad to make it this year. Only drawback was the traffic. 🙁 Was going the 550 km trip with the YL on Friday afternoon but … Continue reading →

Posted in Antennas, Contesting, DX, General stuff | Comments Off on BBQ @DP9A

OZ5E/P IOTA 2017

Posted on July 31, 2017 by dh8bqa

When thinking about where to spend this year’s family holiday I thought it might be a good idea to combine it with some island activation as it conincided with the yearly IOTA contest last weekend of July. It’s been a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Antennas, Contesting, Expeditions | Comments Off on OZ5E/P IOTA 2017

July VHF contest – claimed scores

Posted on July 21, 2017 by dh8bqa

Seems I do not need to grieve too much over my oversleeping Sunday morning in the July VHF contest. 😉 The points missed would not have changed anything in the standings. It’s just not possible to win from our northeastern-most location … Continue reading →

Posted in Contesting, VHF | Comments Off on July VHF contest – claimed scores

July VHF contest … stupid me!

Posted on July 2, 2017 by dh8bqa

Well, not very satisfied! Reason is I completely overslept Sunday morning! Seems I either didn’t hear the alarm clock (had even set 2 different times to be safe!) or set it wrong, not sure. Just wanted to take a break … Continue reading →

Posted in Contesting, Propagation, Sporadic E, VHF | Comments Off on July VHF contest … stupid me!

CQ WPX CW 2017 with some interesting propagation

Posted on May 29, 2017 by dh8bqa

My decision to start SOSB10(A) was made a few days ago already. Last year I did indeed set a new DL record although I would not have expected my result to stay above the record after the log check. Obviously my … Continue reading →

Posted in Aurora, Contesting, Meteor Scatter, Propagation, Sporadic E | Comments Off on CQ WPX CW 2017 with some interesting propagation