The Grand Bahama Island

Having just returned from the Bahamas Islands, I was happy to work another new DX station this evening on the 30 meter band. I was in the right place at the right time and quickly worked C6AKQ in Freeport on Grand Bahama Island.

The Grand Bahama Island is a major dry dock area for cruise ships; 

My 40th Daily DX Contact

In addition to working my 40th daily DX contact this morning, I also worked a new entity in the city of Athens, Greece. When I worked SV2CQB, he was also my 68th country in the log book.

I had another great QSO with AC8LJ on 40 meters last night using his new K1. Much of today will be spent getting ready for the drive to North Carolina tomorrow. I'm glad I worked this station quickly today.

Italy and France Morning Contacts

Yesterday was a VERY busy day. My brother and I drove my father to the city of Clarksburg which is a 250 mile round trip which took up most day. I attended a public healthcare meeting afterwards and then watched the Presidential address. I finally sat down around 10:30 pm.

But before all that, in the early morning "window" before the long drive, I worked IK2SND in Italy. 

I've worked this station twice now and yesterday morning he had a good solid signal into Charleston. Italy is an interesting country with lots of history, fantastic architecture, and beautiful art works. 

This high arch dome in Florence is among the largest in the world. When I was in the Navy, I spent an entire month in Naples and traveled to Rome to view the Vatican and see the art works of Michael Angelo. 

In Charleston this morning, I had a nice breakfast with my friend Eric.(AC8LJ) who is an excellent QRP "CW" operator. I met him on the local repeater several months ago. Yesterday he worked my friend Larry (W2LJ), and a fellow blogger from New Jersey on the 40 meter band. Eric has just completed a K-1 kit and used it yesterday for the first contact.

Once a month, we hash around our "radio" accomplishments at a little cafe here in town.

After our breakfast meeting this morning I worked F8DGY in France who was my 39th daily DX contact. Tomorrow morning I'll be looking for my 40th morning contact. After that, I'll be off the air for a few days.  

Marilyn and I will be driving to North Carolina to share in her sisters 30th Wedding Anniversary. Marriage is a wonderful thing with the right person; but an absolutely horrible thing with the wrong person. Its taken me three times to find that special wonderful partner and soul mate; but its been worth all the pain and hardships to find her. I've never been happier in this lifetime.

Tomorrow is Valentines Day, and one of the things I've learned over the years is to make that special effort to say "I Love You" to your partner.  

A mistake here could land you in the "dog house". 

You don't want to go there....

Beware of the Doghouse- Hilarious! - YouTube

My Morning DX Contact

I made my 9th contact with YN9SU this morning from Nicaragua. I'm beginning to wonder if he is the only station in that country? He had a great signal today (599) and we quickly shook hands and moved on as usual. He's changed "keys" with the resulting different "fist" being noticeable. My guess is a new "bug" instead of his normal iambic paddle.

Today is my 37th daily DX contact!

My contacts are no longer "consecutive" now; since my interruption while traveling to the Bahamas, and in a few more days, I will be driving to North Carolina and will be off the air for a few more days. However, I'm very satisfied with my ability to make a DX contact, every day I'm on the air from here at home.

Last summer I talked to an old friend here in the valley who asked me to participate in the Kanawha Valley Amateur Radio Club  "Hamfest" this year. I drove to the site yesterday with the hopes of finding a place to string an antenna and getting on the air during the activities on March 16th. I'll be taking the station I normally use when out in the field and operating from a picnic table. I'll have more to say about this later.

Yesterday evening I made an announcement about it on the local two meter net and it was well received.  I'm rather amazed that more folks don't take advantage of Morse Code operations with simple wire antennas. Very few people here in the valley operate with low power, and I think it will be an "eye opener" for them when they realize how easy it is to work DX with 3 watts.

I'll be taking my small laptop and using a memory stick to show my QSL collection, and also views of my logging program and the DX cluster I use here at home. I have a few hundred cards loaded on the memory stick and 300 or so on the E-QSL site. I hope they will make interesting conversation.

My Morning DX Contact

I worked two familiar stations on 17 meters this morning. My first was FG5FR in Guadeloupe and soon followed by EW8O in Belarus. Neither of these stations were spotted on the cluster at the time.

Belarus has a harsh history because of the German invasion during WW2. The above church is dedicated to the memory of those lost at that time. The economy is mostly industrial products sold in Russia and almost everything in this country is ran by the "state".

This tractor is produced in Belrus: 

Back in the Saddle Again

Madeira Island is a unique place off the coast of Africa which I worked for only the second time this morning on 17 meters. I've seen these small "aqueducts" in South America, or what I should say, what's left of them, but didn't know they were still used on this small island. They're used to transport water, which is abundant on one side of the island, but almost non-existent on the other side. Those stone steps beside them are also great hiking trails of which Madeira has hundreds of miles.

This morning when I worked CT3FT, I thought not of canals, but wine made with a unique process developed on this island. Being a traveler, one quickly learns "not to drink the water" in most parts of the world, and besides, good Madeira Red Wine is a blessing in more ways than one. I love it!

Getting back on the air this morning felt good and I was able to work a total of six DX stations. I made my 30th contact in Germany with DL1DGS. The station in Nicaragua (YN9SU) was the loudest I've ever heard him and I worked him for the 8th time. Next came IK4VFD in Italy. He was my 18th contact in this country, and the 4th time I've worked him. Soon afterward, I worked OM3SEM in the Slovak Republic, for a total of 12 times. My last contact was HB9CVQ in Switzerland; of whom I worked just before leaving for warmer weather.

For those who missed my clue to C6 land, We ended up in the Bahamas Islands last week. We spent only a few days there but it was warm sunshine and cool breezes.

I prefer the simple life and had a great time using local transportation and viewing local sights:

Taking a Break

This morning my DX contact was F5CQ in France. 

The temperature was 13 degrees (f) this morning with a gusty wind. Tomorrow morning I will be headed for warmer weather, sunshine and sandy beaches. I'll be off the air for at least a week. 

Unfortunately my string of consecutive DX contacts will stop at 34 and I will continue when I return home.

This evening I was able to work two additional DX stations on 30 meters. I made my third "World Championship Ski Event" contact into Austria with OE2013A from St Mitchael, and also EA3NT in Tarragona Spain.

A little earlier before working these stations, I tuned into the 40 meter QRP frequency of 7.040 and talked for a long time with an old friend in Pennsylvania. Dave (WA3SCM) has just retired and spent many a year working QRP from motels all over the country. I've worked him from at least a half dozen of them.  I'm looking forward to regular QSO's with him now, and wish him and his wife the very best of happiness with his new occupation. -----RADIO-----

Congratulations on retirement Dave !!

This is it.....my last entry for at least a week.  I'm off to C6 land.