QSLs, 10m contest and N1MM Logger

Today I have spent some time printing QSL cards and QSL labels. On my old card (to the left on the photo) I print directly on the card and for the new card I print on labels. I use the new card (to the right) for QSOs made from foreign countries. The two stacks contain 220 cards.

Tonight I planned to join the NRAU 10m Activity Contest but I guess the conditions were not right for QRP as I only managed to raise one single QSO with EA7IQQ! I could hear Argentina and the Falklands but was not able to work any of them. I have e-mailed the N1MM Logger development team and asked them to add the contest to N1MM Logger and Nick NA3M replied within minutes to let me know it was on his to-do list.

QSL complications

Last night I was home alone as my wife was attending a meeting and I had planned to get up to date with my outgoing QSL cards.

I installed a piece of software called BV7 QSL Labels on my new laptop and imported my custom QSL templates from my old computer. These templates let me print QSL data directly on my QSL cards so no labels are needed. I exported two QSL files from Logger32, one for LA1TPA operations and one for LA1TPA/P operations. The portable QSOs are all from SOTA activations and I have a QSL template for this only. This template prints SOTA summit reference and "/P" on the cards. I printed a lot of cards and all of them were OK.

When I was done with the SOTA cards I imported the other QSL file and printed 80(!!) cards before I found out I was still using the template I designed for SOTA cards! Obviously I had to throw away 80 cards and as these were my last cards I have to wait for another batch of cards from Gennady at UX5UO print before I can finish the job...

Radio Activity

To bad I wasn't able to work any of you guys from the summit last weekend .

Today I finally made a 10m QSO, the first one this year, with IU3AC. I guess the Sporadic-E is about to arrive here in Norway as well.

And by the way, a QSL card from WP2Z, U.S. Virgin Islands dropped down in my letterbox today.

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!

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!

QSLs from the Scandinavian Activity Contest

My preferred method of sending QSLs is via the bureau. When I really need a card for a new country or a new band-country I tend to send my card directly including one or two IRCs and an addressed envelope.

After the SAC contest in September I sent a few by mail and the answers have already started to drop down in my mailbox. I have received cards from 4X0A (Israel) and EA6AZ (Balearic Islands). 4X0A is the contest call of Jan 4X1VF and the backside of the card is correctly labeled 4X0A.

I worked EA6AZ on 20m and 15m and 4X0A on 15m. That gave me 3 new band-countries. Thanks to both Jan and Tano!

QSL received

Today a qsl card from JE2HCJ dropped down in my mailbox. In the envelope I also found a beautiful photo from Lake Shinji. Thanks a lot Skip!

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