The Messenger Spacecraft which has orbited Mercury since March 2011 is running out of fuel.
It is going to crash into the planet sometime this spring – possibly around the end of April.
The Messenger team keep tweaking the orbit by using methods such as creating additional thrust by squirting cold pressurised Helium through the thrusters to raise the orbit. However this will only delay the inevitable crash whose exact time remains uncertain.
Click the image to read more about ‘Messenger’.
Qsl Card designs received today from the Team.
Images sent to the Print Shop at UX5UO also today.
Qsl Card designs received today from the Team.
Images sent to the Print Shop at UX5UO also today.
Qsl Card designs received today from the Team.
Images sent to the Print Shop at UX5UO also today.
The latest Card from IOTA activator Imam YB4IR arrived today.
This Qsl card confirmed Lemukutan Island, IOTA OC-252, worked back in March 2015.
Thanks Imam 73 !
QSL Card received from Jacek SP5FPW this morning for his recent operation from Con Son Island, Vietnam, IOTA AS-130.
Thanks for the Qso, Qsl Card and new IOTA Jacek, 73 !
The new version of the MW0JZE Hexbeam was tried today for the first time on SSB.
This new antenna replaced the original 6 Band Hexbeam as it now offers wider spaced elements (increased vertical spacing between the wire elements eliminating any chances of inter band interaction) and also a folded dipole for 40m with a separate feed-line allowing it cover 7 Bands (6, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20 & 40M). I erected the antenna a few weeks ago but this was the first real ‘CQ’ tests on SSB.
If you are interested in any of the Hexbeam Antennas by Ant MW0JZE (including the new Ultra-Lightweight (6Kg) D-Hexpedition Antenna) then take a look at the website on this link http://www.g3txq-hexbeam.com/
They will be qrv on the HF bands.
QSL via M0OXO OQRS
When NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft flies by Pluto this July, the spacecraft’s high-resolution cameras will spot many new landforms on the dwarf planet’s unexplored surface. There could be mountains, craters, rilles, valleys and, of course, the unknown.
They are all going to need names—and NASA wants you to help.
FULL STORY: http://science.nasa.gov/
This was a very interesting report published by Tim M0URX regarding his findings on some recent Qsl requests. I have to agree I find exactly the same as Tim does and in a recent batch of OQRS requests, out of 350 processed, 117 of them had already been requested/issued previously. Here are Tims findings;
”The latest incoming box from the RSGB Bureau arrived 3 weeks ago and has been sorted and processed and in the Bureau bins ready for the next bureau dispatch.
It is quite clear that many people are confused by OQRS, Bureau and Direct QSL’ing which leads to a huge problem of “Bureau Usage Abuse” Let me see if I can make it clear for you so that we can reduce this abuse and reduce costs within the bureau system and also reduce the wasted time that is spent on sorting bureau cards and processing them.
Out of 3,600 bureau cards received 75% of them should NOT have been sent. Yes, 2,700 cards that you have sent me should NOT have been sent.
For all DXpeditions that are QSL Via M0URX the correct way to request your QSL cards is by using my OQRS. (Online QSL Request System)
Once you have requested your DXpedition QSL using OQRS you must NEVER then put your cards through the bureau – This is NOT required and is ABUSE of the bureau system!
Once the cards are processed they are BINNED.
It is quite clear that many of you do NOT understand this, ESPECIALLY DL stations that send for EVERY QSO Via Bureau – THIS IS ABUSE of the bureau system Please DO NOT DO IT!
Once I receive your OQRS request, your QSL is processed and stored until it is time to send the card to your bureau. You must NOT then send your card through the bureau.
You MUST ALSO correctly mark your log as “QSL Requested” When you receive your QSL from me you will see “THANKS QSL“ This means your reply is NOT NEEDED. DO NOT SEND a reply QSL to DXpedition cards.
The Bureau service is NOT free, it costs national societies (AND ME) vast amounts of money to ship the cards around the world, abuse of the system is clogging it up and is extremely wasteful and will NOT be tolerated. This is the strongest language that I have used to highlight this massive problem. My next step will be to name and shame the abusers.
Personally I am being swamped by Bureau requests and I have to be honest in saying that most of it is ”irresponsible Qsl’in”. The main issue I have with OQRS/Bureau requests are those that not only use it to request a card they need – that’s fine. BUT, then they see that they have worked ’27’ different stations that I also manage and then they proceed to request ALL of these cards – why? It is highly likely that they do not NEED all the qsl’s but simply WANT them because they are ‘free’. This is what is making the bureau system unworkable and clearly abused.
I totally agree with Tim’s comments and we really MUST address this situation and get the system back to normal service.
