Logbook of the world confirmations

I have used ARRLs Logbook of The World for some years and I think it's a good tool to get QSLs for my DXCC in addition to paper QSLs. Here the other day I found out that some of my QSOs were not confirmed even though both I and the other station have uploaded our logs. My guess is that some people log me as LA1TPA/QRP as soon as they find out that I'm running 5 watts although I never signs with the /QRP suffix.

I have sent an e-mail to some of the stations and asked them to verify my credentials but haven't got any answers yet.

SSB QRP activity

After a late breakfast I brought my K3/10 to the club station again. I decided to make some calls on 15m and tuned my radio to 21.285MHz which is the QRP center of activity. There I found ZB2JK/P calling CQ with 20w and no takers! Gibraltar was a new DXCC for me and I was very happy to work him. I QSYed to 21.276MHz and started to call CQ myself and worked 11 stations (US, I, EA, 5B4 and CT1) before working another 3 stations (R7, YT and YO) on 17m. YT and YO were both new band countries for me. I also had a few contacts on 20m and 40m in the HADX contest before going QRT.

Current SSB QRP DXCC count: 81 worked /73 confirmed

A good day for QRP

I had a day off today and after driving XYL to work I headed for the club station of our local radio club. I brought with me the Elecraft K3/10. The result of the day was two new DXCCs; HZ1PS Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 15m and A61R United Arab Emirates on 17m. I also worked 7 new band countries on 15m and 12m. All stations were worked with 5w SSB.

This brings my QRP SSB DXCC count to 80 countries worked and 73 confirmed.

Worked C36JI in Andorra

Tonight I bagged C36JI in Andorra, a new DXCC for me. My QRP SSB DXCC count is now 73 countries worked and 67 confirmed.

http://ura30anys.blogspot.com/2010/03/presentation-of-special-qsl-diploma.html

Iraq worked with QRP SSB

Today I broke the pile up and worked the YI9PSE DXpedition in Iraq on 18MHz! I used my Elecraft K3 at 5w SSB and a 5/8 wavelength vertical antenna designed for 27MHz! This brings my QRP DXCC score to 72 DXCCs worked and 67 confirmed.

http://www.yi9pse.com

CQ World-Wide WPX SSB Contest 2010

During the CQ World-Wide WPX SSB Contest this weekend I managed to work 3 new countries and 7 new band countries on 21MHz. The new countries were Crete (SV9), Azores Islands (CU) and US Virgin Islands (KP2). I used my Elecraft K3 at 5W and a vertical antenna designed for 27MHz!

http://www.cqwpx.com/

Two lost QSLs

Early summer 2009 I worked RK2FWA and PY5QW, both stations new DXCCs for me. I was rather eager to get the QSOs confirmed so I sent both of them a direct QSL card with SAE and IRC.

Yesterday I found out that both the return cards has been in my own home since August! My wife is subscribing to a women's magazine and somehow the envelopes got stuck between the pages of the magazine in the mail. By coincidence the magazine was never read but put away and forgotten until yesterday. When my wife grabbed it, the two unopened envelopes were revealed!

QSL from South Korea!

In October I was operating portable from a local hill called Holtankollen (SOTA ref. LA/TM-049) and worked 16 stations on 20m and 40m. All of them with my trusty FT-817ND at 5w and a 88ft doublet 5m above the ground and SSB. When typing my log into Logger32 back home I found that I had worked HL4RBR from South Korea! I didn't notice during the mini pileup, I guess I mixed the HL suffix with the HG suffix of Hungary. And he was answering my CQ!

I sent him my QSL card by mail the very same day and today HL4RBRs QSL card dropped down in my letterbox, confirming the QSO! Thanks Yoon!

Night operation

Tonight when I looked at the NØHR.com Propfire Extension in Firefox I noticed that the Solar flux had reached 82! I wanted to check out the conditions so so I decided to visit the shack of my local radio club for some night operation.

I listened for a while on both 40m and 80m but could not hear a lot of stations. Before heading home I managed to work a french station on 80m and that is a new band country to me! He struggled a bit with my 5w QRP signal but eventually he was able to copy my callsign and my report.

The 1B prefix

Yesterday I worked 1B1AB on 17m without recognizing his country prefix. When I later checked the call sign I found that the 1B prefix is used by the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus", a country not recognized by UN or any other countries except Turkey. The 1B prefix is not recognized by ITU and does not count towards the DXCC award.

It seems to me that Soyer is only using the call sign given to him by his telecommunications authorities and that they are the ones to blame.

When I checked my eQSL account today I found a waiting QSL from Soyer with the Authenticity Guaranteed by eQSL. The country information shows Cyprus.

I'm pretty mixed up here and I'm not sure whether I should confirm the QSL or not.

Worked 3V3S

Today I worked 3V3S on 17m with QRP SSB and a W3DZZ antenna. That brings my DXCC score to 68, all of them with 5w SSB! I really enjoyed this one as I used to be a scout myself!

http://www.3v3s.tk/

Another SAC QSL

Today another QSL-card from the Scandinavian Activity Contest dropped down in my letter box. It was from 5B4AIF in Cyprus, a new DXCC for me!

PY worked with 5 watt

Tonight I managed to break the pile-up and work PY5QW with just 5 watt SSB and a W3DZZ antenna. This is my first PY-station - in fact this is my first South American station ever. Vigand gave me a 44 report and we were able to chat for a couple of minutes. He was truly 57 with me.

My QRP DXCC list now counts 64 countries: http://home.broadpark.no/~mnygaa/dxcc.html

New DXCC

Tonight I stopped by at the Club Station again the check if 10m was still open. I worked 3 stations including Iceland which is a new DXCC for me! I'm off to the post office tomorrow morning to buy more IRCs.

My QRP DXCC list now counts 63 countries: http://home.broadpark.no/~mnygaa/dxcc.html

QSL received

I received direct qsl card from CN2BC (op: "Hart" DL7BC) today and from JO7CVU Ken yesterday. Both are new confirmed countries to me! Thanks to both of you for your fast reply!

My DXCC list: http://home.broadpark.no/~mnygaa/dxcc.html

CQ WW WPX SSB Contest

This weekend I have done some casual QRP operating in the CQ WW WPX SSB Contest. I started up with a few hours of "warming up" before the contest on Friday and worked two JA stations (my first ever) and an UN station.

During the contest I worked 4L, UP, RG9, RK9, RA9, UA9, CT9 and CN.

The weekend has given me 3 new DXCCs and 12 DX stations on qrp!

All stations worked on my Elecraft K3/10 at 5 watt and an Extended Double Zepp Antenna. Thanks to Hans-Petter LA6GOA for providing the excellent QTH!

My DXCC list: http://home.broadpark.no/~mnygaa/dxcc.html