Guest operation from SV2CXI

Yesterday evening from 19:00z until 00:20z SV2CXI Kostas from Thessaloniki visited my shack and worked on 40m ssb beaming to Asia and Japan.The ja pileup was nice.Worked stations from JA with dipole and 100w.Then we looked for any dx on 40m.We worked ZD7X 1st call,C6AGN,OJ1ABOA.

73 all

de SV2DCD

Surprise with 6m and 4m sporadic e during Christmas Day !

Yesterday at 17:08utc i worked on 4m band 70.202 cw Bo OZ1DJJ.Big surprise duringChristmas day!
The sporadic e started from 10m band to SP,DL then on 6m where OZ7IGY/B on 50.021 was 599 for long time.Then the same beacon came up on 70.021with signal peaking 559.At the next moment i started calling in cw on 70.202 and Bo answered.
The funniest is that the qso made with my hf beam due to a repair on my 4m band antenna !!!
Now we know that an OB12-4 working also on 4m :-)
Tnx Bo
Happy new year 2008 to all
de SV2DCD

Merry Christmas and Happy new year 2008 de SV2DCD

Christmas with snow and very low temperature here in Kastoria.
Martti OH2BH and Olli OH0XX still working from FJ St Barthelemy and the pileups are big.
These days we have nice tropo conditions on VHF,UHF ans SHF.Very nice site why plenty of info about these frequencies is www.ok2kkw.com .You will find many interesting info.
Good news also for the 4m operators.
ES2NJ Mart reports the follows :


"To VHF-community of Europe
We are very happy to announce that from December 23, 2007 the 70 MHz (4 m) band is officially allocated for regular amateur radio use in Estonia on secondary status. The band may be operated by all national licence classes (A, B and D).
A foreign radio amateur, who is the holder of a valid CEPT licence, can also use his amateur radio station on 70 MHz during a temporary stay (up to 3 months) in Estonia without any extra registration, application or charge – like it is the case with other amateur bands in the country.
The secondary status of the band however means that it can be operated on non-interference basis to other communication services in Estonia. The transmitter’s RF power output limit is set to 20 dBW (100 W) for the national classes A & B and to 10 dBW (10 W) for the class D (entry level). All modes (CW, SSB, AM, FM, MGM) are permitted. In general, using a horizontally polarized antenna is recommended.
The band plan of the new allocation shows, that the lower limit for operation is at 70.140 MHz – perhaps there is a hope that it can be shifted down in the future, but currently we have to be pleased also with this permission.
There may have been some preliminary notices of the new band allocation from Estonia also before, but at that stage they were more rumours and did not carry actual official data. Herewith we are glad to say that all official paperwork has now been finished, corresponding permission has been issued by the Ministry of Economy and Communication and after almost 5 years of hard work ES should be soon heard on the 4 m band!
With Season’s Greetings
Mart, ES2NJ
ERAU VHF Manager"


And about the Estonian readynes on 4m band ??
ES1CW reports :
"At this time we have a "wild white field" around 70 MHz, only some 10-12 (mods needed) pieces of FT-847 in use in whole country. But at the same time our activity on the Six are OK - in example, I had wkd over 100 different ES-stations (with IC-706xx, IC-7400, IC-746, IC-756, FT-100, FT-817, FT-857, FT-847,FT-897, FT-920, TS-2000 etc now) on the Six during this year. And perhaps, many 6m 10...15 W transverters are still OK for a 4 m conversion items... And a vy new "everybody one" must be constructed in the "Estonian fashion", lot of work on the horizon...
Merry Xmas and HNY 2008
73! de Arvo, ES1CW
ERAU Technical coordinator"


I wish to all of you many DX and Happy new year 2008.
de SV2DCD Leo

2007 Expedition to Rotuma Island, 3D2AG/p worked

Today morning i worked Antoine 3D2AG/P on 20M CW via long path.
Antoine is using ICOM IC 706 MKII and 100w no linear.His signal was 599.
More info about this dx pedition here http://www.3d2ag.fr.tc/
Tnx Tony for the fb qso.

FJ – SAINT BARTHELEMY New One

Worked today morning FJ/OH2AM on 40M CW !! His qrg was 7.005 and worked 7.011.New one for me.The pileup was big.Many stations calling for the states and also from Europe.
For information about this new dxcc entity you can check here http://www.dailydx.com/barthelemy.htm

Here is the info you will want to input into your logging software.
Prefix – FJ
Country Name – Saint Barthelemy
CQ Zone – 8
Start date – Probably February 22, 2007
QSL Bureau – Yes (REF France)
UTC Offset – 4 hours behind UTC
IOTA – NA-146
ITU Zone – 11
Continent – North America
Longitude – 62.83 West
Latitude – 17.92 North
Other islands that will count for Saint Barthelemy – Chevreau, Coco, Fourchue, Fregate, La Tortue, Le Boulanger, Pain de Sucre, Pele and Toc Vers.

New tower and antenna installed for the shack

Since 10/11/2007 i have a new 90ft tower and new antenna OPTIBEAM OB12-4 12elements for 40m-20m-15m-10m band.After the firsts qso's antenna seems to work very good

.Tested on 40m where i had qso's long path to west coast W6,W7.Also great performance on 20m and 15m.No qso's yet on 10m due to poor propagation.Waiting the CQWW CW contest for better test and many dx qso's.CU on the air

New 4m antenna 9el 10m boom

New antenna for 4m band since 10/6.Is a 9el 10m boom DK7ZB homemade by me and SV2RM.
The antenna is working great.Today had qso via es with G4IGO,G8HVY,G3VYF,G7CNF giving me all 59 report.Also late evening CQ5FOUR/B in band on 70.608 and after some minutes Joe CT1HZE worked with 58 signal giving me report 55.
Here some spots from the dx cluster
12 Jun 2007G4IGO 70200.0 SV2DCD 59 booming io80 1447
12 Jun 2007G0CHE 70200.0 SV2DCD 59/59 fb sigs Leo gl 1544
12 Jun 2007G3VYF 70200.0 SV2DCD JO01FN(ES>KN00QP 5x9 plus vfb!1544
12 Jun 2007F5DQK 70200.0 SV2DCD 59 XB 1657

New SV1FOUR beacon

As SV1DH writes at www.70mhz.org

"Since 24-Apr-2007 SV1FOUR beacon from Athens is licensed on 70.040 MHz at 5W RF to 5-ele yagi (~8dBd, -3dB & 50 deg az) beaming 315 deg (centered for UK). At the moment is running at ~1W RF, mode is CW (callsign followed by several dashes) and loc. KM27AW. Keeper SV1DH."

ST2A New one on 6m

On 23 April worked ST2A on 6m 50107.0.Good signal 559 in KN00NF from KK13 square.The opening last about half an hour.Jovica was at ON4KST chat when he informed that we was able to copy IT9 beacon.Then he started to call cq on 50.107.After some 64 qso's he moved 50.147 ssb.His website with online logbook is http://www.t93y.com/st2a/
Some spots from the opening:

IT9INO 50107.0 ST2A cq qsb 1711 23 Apr 2007

IW9CER 50107.0 ST2A kk13>jm78 599++ 1718 23 Apr 2007

9A2KL 50107.0 ST2A 599 in jn74oc 1720 23 Apr 2007

EA6VQ 50107.0 ST2A 599 KK13(>JM19 1720 23 Apr 2007

YU1FW 50107.0 ST2A 1724 23 Apr 2007

IK7FPV 50105.0 ST2A 599 plus pse phone for new one1731 23 Apr 2007

EA8JF 50107.0 ST2A 599 Great surprise!! new1!! 1734 23 Apr 2007

S57RR 50106.8 ST2A 599 KK13 1737 23 Apr 2007

CT1DRB 50107.0 ST2A im58(->kk13 1742 23 Apr 2007

SV2DCD 50107.0 ST2A 559 in kn00nf 1743 23 Apr 2007

IK5MEN 50107.0 ST2A 55 in JN53 1747 23 Apr 2007

CT1HZE 50147.0 ST2A 55 cq 1815 23 Apr 2007

Preparing for the 2nd Subregional Contest 5/6 May

Last Sunday a 4 member team SV2RM,SV2MCH,SV2MDV and me where on the road to the vhf contest site in KN00LI about 1800m asl to test new equipment for the contests.Unfortunately we found at least 20cm of snow in about 100 meters on the road 1km before the site.Under these conditions it is not sure if we will be qrv in the contest.

Anyway we hope that in those 2 weeks period before the contest the snow will melt and we will qrv with our new antenna system on 2m which is 2 time 17B2 Cushcraft.