Category - Blog

In case he cannot travel to the Russell islands (OC-168), his second option would be the Florida islands (OC-158) which was more recently activated and claimed by the 18,7% of participants. The Florida islands are easier to access and offer plenty of accomodation, so it would be an easy-to-achieve backup plan.

Christian will carry 2 batteries and solar panels to run his 100w radio, in case there is no power available at any time of the day on any of the islands, specially on the Russell islands.

After activating either the Russell or the Florida islands Christian will continue the tour and will fly to Bellona island (OC-127), not activated since 2009 and claimed by the 19,7% of participants, where he will stay for 3 days. The flight is booked and confirmed, but not yet the accommodation, as there is a very nice resort on the island but on a very bad location for a good take-off into Europe, therefore he will first try to find a different place to stay with a better take-off but surely much lower comfort…

According to propagation charts, 12 and 15m band will be the best bands to work Europe, so he will take a VDA for 15m band and a vertical dipole for 12m, as well as other vertical dipoles for 17m and 20m in order to work other regions of the world with fair conditions.

In view of the high demand, short stay on the islands and the battery-powered station, Christian asks everybody to make ONLY 1 QSO on each island in order to put as many different stations as possible in the log.

For a better understanding,  here is the schedule of Christian’s trip on March 2015.

As you can see, after the stay in the Solomons, Christian will do a stopover in Brisbane, where he intends to rent a car and access one of the islands qualifying for IOTA OC-137.

ALL QSLs viaM0OXO OQRS 

Please do NOT send your card via the Bureau, it will NOT be received.

IF any kind soul would consider helping Christian with any donation after getting a few new IOTA references, … it would be much appreciated, in order to offset some of the costs involved… (Paypal [email protected] )

Thanks to everyone that supported the C5X Dxpedition.

The Qsl Card has now been designed and is at the Print Shop. I expect Direct cards to be out in the next three weeks and bureau cards a few weeks after that.

Christian EA3NT, Chris VK3FY, Tim VK4HFO will be active from Flinders Island (IOTA OC-195) 5 – 9 March 2015 as VK7FG.

Qsl via M0OXO OQRS or Direct Mail.

Please do NOT send cards via the bureau, they will NOT be received.

The Qsl Cards for the VK9/G7VJR operation from Norfolk Island, IOTA OC-005 have been delivered today and will be mailed out this week.

Qsl Cards can be requested here M0OXO OQRS

C5X are reaching the end of their trip to The Gambia.

The team will continue to work through the next few days using CW, RTTY and SSB until the end of the operation.

The team will be qrv in CQWW 160m CW over the weekend before dismantling the antennas on Sunday afternoon, leaving one up until late Monday morning.

 The C5X Log is on-line and can be found here. LOTW is also fully updated each evening and/or early morning for your convenience.

Qsl information can be found here. Please DO NOT send your cards via the bureau, they will not reach us.

QSL card arrived today for XR2T.

XR2T were qrv from Damas Island, Chile IOTA SA-086 in late October last year.

VK16AC is currently qrv on most bands CW, Digital modes and SSB celebrating the 2015 Asian Cup.

The AFC Asian Cup is an international association football tournament run by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It is the second oldest continental football championship in the world after Copa América. The winning team becomes the champion of Asia and automatically qualifies for the FIFA Confederations Cup

VK16AC is qrv until 31st January 2015 and will be AX16AC on the 26^th Jan 2015 for ‘Australia Day’.

 QSL via M0OXO OQRS Direct. Please DO NOT send any cards via the Bureau, they will not arrive here.

Just a reminder that G3VMW, Steve; G3XAQ, Alan; Don G3XTT; and M0PCB, Iain; will be in The Gambia” as C5X from January 15-26, 2015.  This will also include “some activity in the CQWW 160m Contest”. 

Plans include two complete stations (Elecraft K3s and KPA500s) using Spiderbeams for the HF bands, verticals on an 18 meter high Spiderpole for 160 and 80 meters and dipoles/verticals on 40 and 30 meters.  Activity will be on 1.8 through 28 MHz on CW, SSB, RTTY and some PSK.

With the K1N Navassa operation likely around the same time, C5X will try to steer clear of those pileups.

Logs are expected to be uploaded daily to both Club Log and LoTW.  QSL via M0OXO (OQRS Preferred). Please DO NOT send your cards via the Bureau as they are NOT required and the team may not receive them.

Many UK Amateurs complaining and worried today when they received letters suggesting that OFCOM intended to change their Licence prefix to include the letter ‘E’ (GE, ME etc). This was indeed an error and here is the response from the RSGB;

”Dear Colleague,

As you will be aware, Ofcom are required to give all licenced radio amateurs notice that they intend to vary licences in line with their decisions following last year’s consultation. That process has nowbegun and letters are being sent out.

It has been brought to our attention that some amateurs have received a letter suggesting that their callsign now includes the RSL “E”. Ofcom have confirmed that this is an error and not a change in policy. I am advised that Ofcom intend to publish an explanation on their website (which we will replicate on ours) but, until that appears, I would be grateful if you could reassure any enquirers accordingly.

Many thanks

Graham Coomber, G0NBI

*General Manager*

Radio Society of Great Britain ”

A few days before the Year ends and i’ll be glad to see the back of 2014!

Thanks to everyone who supported me this Year and I wish all of you a pleasant and peaceful 2015.

Happy New Year!