From June 1, 2003, I was invited to a friend's house for a few days, which made me very happy. It meant for me that I would get back to my radio and be able to make a few connections. Of course, I won't have much time to broadcast again, but whatever QSO do môjho logu je dobré. To nie preto, že ich zbieram, ako opadané jablká spod stromu, ale preto, že mám DX-ing rád…
I have registered my permanent residence at the friend's place where I was staying QTH here in Wales so I don't have to use /P after my call sign. My rig consists of an Icoma IC-746, MFJ deluxe versa tuner II for those bands where I can't tune half G5RV, which is located about 10 m above the ground and the assembly is completed by a Kenwood Low Pass filter. I don't have an amplifier, why not? My license allows me to use max. 10W power on all bands and all modes, so no amp needed and anyway, I usually just go 5W SSB. Since June 1, when I was able to sit behind the station, however, the promotion did not work out very well for me. 12m, 15m and even 17m were mostly clear, without any stations, no openings, only a few operators from Western Europe tried to break through, but not with great success.
So I stayed most of the time on 20m and 40m SSB. The first connection I made was with 9A/DJ72G, who was broadcasting from EU170. I was pleased because I am so small IOTA hunter. He was followed by DL5KUA/P, who for a change broadcast from lighthouse FED188. Nice, I hope it will please you with a nice one QSL ticket. Germans probably like to go on vacations, another one confirmed it for me - DM3BJ/P broadcasting from EU057. The weekend trip was a success, the signals exchanged on both sides were 59.
2.júna som začal až poobede, ako prvého som však chytil OD5/OK1MU vysielajúceho z Bejrutu, čo ma potešilo. Neskôr večer sa konečne otvorilo 20 m pásmo aj na západ odo mňa a v logu sa mi objavili AA1YJ z MA, K3KHG z Marylandu, TI2VW a cez ťažký pile-up I also got to L28OO.
I started the next day by connecting with TM6JUN around lunch and since nothing much was happening on the band, I didn't turn the station on again until the evening. 20 m was not much, but on 40 m I heard CX7OV, which I had already listened to the previous days, but unfortunately I could not establish a connection. So I pushed a full 10W and tried to charge through the pile-up with my own technique that I've been perfecting for a few years now. When you broadcast QRP, you cannot use the same technique as with QRO. And yet everyone knows that. At 21:57 UTC I managed to connect, I got 57 and gave the same report. Great! I ended the day with a chat with LZ2KV on 20 m.
June 4, nice and sunny day, but again only European stations. I also watched the cluster, but nothing interesting was happening on the band. Fortunately, I found 9A/DJ7ZG on 15m, with whom I already had a connection on 20m, so I exchanged reports with him on 15m as well and was satisfied that at least something... Later in the evening I was pleased with EU3AR with a solid signal on 20m, followed by ZA3/IK7JWX broadcasting from Golem. 20m was livelier than the previous days, I continued with Zoran Z36A followed by SX9G broadcasting from EU187. New IOTA for me! It was nearing the end of the day, but the band was quite lively, as confirmed by contact with CT3MD, and I ended the day solemnly with HK3JJH, who I had also been shouting at for a few days, but my 5 W was not enough for a really big pile-up. HK3JJH broadcast from SA082, which perhaps explains the huge interest of other stations.
Ďalší deň nebol práve najlepší. V logu sa objavil iba jeden kontakt, a to však o to lepší… OM3EY a príjemný pokec. Ďakujem ED! Pokračoval som teda 6. júna, pracovne som bol trošku zaneprázdnený a k rádiostanici som sa dostal až večer. O to lepšie. Na 20 m som odchytil Janka od Komárna, vysielajúceho pod značkou OM5XX, so signálom pomaly 59+60 dB. Nečudo, používal 4el yaginu a 1 kW. Ja som pre zmenu dostal 59+25 dB. Následne som Janka presvedčil, aby to tam vypol a jeho signál sa s 100 W ustálil na 59+40. Pridal sa k nám aj OM5QM – Ivan z Nitry, takisto s vynikajúcim signálom, ale zase s 1 kW. Uff. Cítil som sa ako malá myška. Na Slovensko to teda letelo vynikajúco. Janka OM5XX som poprosil, či by sme si nemohli urobiť aj spojenia na 40 m a 80 m. 40 m pásmo bolo veľmi busy, signály sme však mali obaja nad 59, takže problém nebol. Na 80 m moja G5RV nie je veľmi dobrá, a tam nastali aj problémy. S týmito problémami sme ledva vymenili reporty, ja som Janka počul vcelku slušne a dal mu 5/5, musel však zapnúť svoj amplifier a išiel 1 kW, ja som zvýšil tiež výkon, a to z 5 W na 10 W, a dostal som 4/4. Super! Konečne mám Slovensko aj na 80 m, čo mi chýbalo.
I ended my DX week the next day by connecting with IV3DSH/P, broadcasting from EU130.
So that was my little DX week. It's a shame that I can't broadcast even from the place where I currently live. As I mentioned before, I made most of the connections at 5 W with the occasional increase to 10 W. However, the point was not to make as many connections as possible, but to have a really pleasant time with my IC-746.
Oliver Bross, MW3SDO
administrator www.CQ.sk