Author - Charles M0OXO

More Qsl cards to Buro this week….

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Hot on the heels of the last Qsl Card drop to the RSGB bureau, (and after just over 2 full days Qsl’in) almost 1000 more cards have this week been processed for both RSGB and Direct to World Bureau’s.

They are made up of the following;

4W3A 5, GB0ANT 165, CM5FZ 5, DV1UD 3, G4RCG 22, GB0HI 37, GB0PSK 10, GB0WFF 16, GB0WSD 4, GB1HI 162, GB2HI 42, GB2WHL 15, GB5HI 5, GB6WRS 2, GD7VJR 7, GO2HQ 12, GR2HQ 47, GR4RCG 4, M0IAA 46, M0BZH 37, M0KYI 57, M2G 11, M2X 3, MQ0OXO 11, MW0JZE 8, MW0RLJ 11, GB2NSF 1, PW2D 56, PX2C 3, PY2MTV 15, RA3CQ 12, GB1TAN 15, V26VR 1, V55A 56, VK4NM 12, VK4HAM 5, VK8AA 1, VP8DMN 32, ZD8UW 37 & EA RSGB Members 11.

If you are unsure whether your OQRS requests have been processed then simply log back in to the OQRS with your Callsign and Email address (click here) select ”request your bureau Qsl Card here” and you will see on the next screen the status of your requests, whether ”Pending” or ”Processed”. Any problems send me an email.

 

Pileup Runner

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VE3NEA has done it again. The creator of DX Atlas, CW Skimmer, Morse Runner, and other programs has come up with Pileup Runner. Pileup Runner is an upgrade to Morse Runner. Pileup Runner allows you to tune to different frequencies in the virtual pileup to which you are listening. You no longer have to work simplex! There are also additional features that make this simulation so real that it’s almost scary, HI.
 
Examples of some program features:
 
1. Ask for a repeat and the calling station repeats his call sign.
2. Send the wrong call and the calling station either doesn’t answer or corrects you. It’s unbelievably real!
3. You can simulate where in the world your virtual operation is taking place. I set myself up as BS7YY from Scarborough Reef and went on a virtual DXpedition. I felt the salt spray at my feet! The JA’s were loud, NA was not.
4. Real call signs are in the program database. You will work the people you might expect to work. I worked N3DG from BS7. He was weak, but one of the louder NA stations! You might even work yourself!!
5. Pileup behavior is as expected. Stay too long on one listening frequency and soon everyone is calling you there. Keep moving.
6. Everyone you work responds differently. You might just get “599”, or “TU”, or “599 BK”, or a long winded “BS7YY de W3YY TU FOR THE QSO UR 599 IN VA”.
 
Get the free download at http://www.dxatlas.com/PileupRunner/
 
 

CQWW RTTY ‘Saga’ – not!

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Well after a troubled weekend in the CQWW RTTY Contest I still enjoyed it.

I was plagued with problems from Ham Radio Deluxe/DM-780 (but still the program of choice none the less!) and of course there were plenty of lids in attendance but it was good fun.  I had limited time on the second day but managed a good 7 hours on the Saturday from around 0400UTC.

I was of course interested in JA and North America not only for the Contest points but also to increase my JCC/JCG (Japan Guns/Prefectures) and also WAS (Worked All States) scores.

I worked only 10 and 15 metres and had good openings East and West logging 63 JA on 10M and 41 on 15M. In total after approximately 11 hours I logged 431 q’s. I still need Saga Prefecture so if you know a Japanese Ham who is active in this area, please drop me a line! I also worked some nice NA stations on 10 into CA, UT and AZ but still missed out on WY and AK which i need for WAS RTTY……and before anyone emails me…..I know they were active in the Contest…grrr!

KH6ZU on the Battleship USS Missouri

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Anyone who worked Keith G3SZU recently (whilst operating as KH6ZU) may be interested in seeing his You Tube clip from his operation aboard USS Missouri in Hawaii (KH6BB).

Click on the image to view the You Tube clip.

More information on the USS Missouri can be found on their website at http://www.kh6bb.org/

Qsl for KH6ZU via MØOXO

Qsl Cards to bureau

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I don’t usually post the details of my mail drops as it tends to be rather boring given the 130+ Callsigns I manage. However, quite a reasonable drop of cards went to the bureau today.

Whilst visiting the national Hamfest, I took the opportunity of passing 9 Kilo of cards today to the RSGB Bureau representative. There were cards included for most callsigns I manage from a single card to several hundred.

I also sent 1,370g of cards Direct to World Bureaus (and NOT via the RSGB) for;

4W3A, CM5FZ, CM5LV, DV1UD, DX1X, JY9ET, KH6ZU, GO4RCG, MO0OXO, GQ4RCG, MQ0OXO, PW2D, PX2C, PY2MTV, RA3CQ, V55A, VK2CZ, VK4HAM, VK4NM, VK8AA, ZD8UW and ZL7M.

RI1ANF Antarctica (IOTA AN-010)

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Thanks for the heads up this evening from Chris G1VDP informing me about RI1ANF on 10m CW. Bellinghausen base in Antarctica wasn’t a new base for me (IOTA AN-010), I have it confirmed on other bands but Antarctica on 10M (any mode) was new so pleased to rush to the shack and log him after a few calls, thanks Chris!

The Bellinsgausen station is situated on the Filds Peninsula in the south – western part of King-George Island (Waterloo island), being a part of the South Shetland Isles. The coordinates of the station are 62° 12 S and 58° 58 W, its altitude is 16 m above sea level. The station buildings are built on free of ice soil, on the both banks of the brook, rising from the small Kiteg lake and flowing into the Ardly bay. This bay is suitable for ships visits, the disembarkation is executed usually with help of floating transport, sometimes by helicopters. The King George Island is the largest island of the archipelago (its length is about 80 km, its width is 30 km). Most of the island is covered by ice with maximal glacier thickness of 326 m.

10M continues to be good…..but for how long?

Phasing out/Withdrawal of IRC’s in the UK

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Information recieved via a colleague is that the Post Office are about to start the next stage of the withdrawal of International Reply Coupons from the UK very soon.

“QSL Via M0OXO” will now be phasing out the use of IRC’s for exchanging QSL cards.
I will continue to sell IRC’s for the time being while I have stock.
 
This is completely out of my control so I am sorry that as from the end of 2012 NO IRC’s will be accepted.
I do not have a date that the Post Office will stop accepting IRC’s it is likely that the service will just be withdrawn without notice.
 
QSL exchange after this time will be $2 by post or OQRS €2 ONLY
 Suggestions are that maybe they should wait until the current run of IRC’s (valid until 31/12/2013) expire but no clarification on that yet. Any updates will be posted here.

DPØGVN – Neumayer base, Antarctica

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DP0GVN was logged this morning for my first contact with this particular German reasearch Station on Antarctica. Signals not too strong but working over the Long Path, 53 RST out and 51 RST in was all we could manage.

Situated on the Ekström Shelf Ice, Atka Bay, north-eastern Weddell Sea (Position: 70°40’S, 008°16’W, Neumayer Station III is the first research station to integrate research, operational and accommodation facilities in one building, situated on a platform above the snow surface, and connected to a garage in the snow.

Within a protective casing, the platform accommodates 100 containers with living quarters, a kitchen, a mess, a hospital, various laboratories, workshops, a radio operator room, sanitary facilities, the power supply station and a snow-melting plant. K640 b5cec166dcThe garage underneath the platform contains storage, waste and fuel containers, as well as space for vehicles, ranging from Pistenbullies to motor sleds to a rotary snowplough.

Normally, nine people live and work at Neumayer Station during the Antarctic winter: A medical doctor who also acts as the head of the station, a meteorologist, an airchemist, two geophysicists, an engineer, an electrician, a radio operator/electronics engineer and a cook. During 2010, additional 2 construction workers stay at Neumayer the whole winter through.

Each team overwintering at the station stays there for 14 to 15 months. For nine months of that time, their only link to the outside world is by radio and internet. Photo’s courtesy Alfred Wegner Institute.