Belize #73

This afternoon brought me a quick contact with V31AC in Belize Central America. I've been hearing a few stations in this area but this was my first opportunity to capture them on the 12 meter band. No more than a handshake but he was out in the clear and an easy catch. This station brings my DX country total to 72. Should Northern Ireland turn out to be a separate entity in the UK, I'll add another one to the list.

Belize is know to be a sanctuary for the Jaguar. What a magnificent animal!

Northern Ireland #72

This morning I made a contact into Northern Ireland with MI0AHH who lives in Cooktown. I'm confused about the DXCC entity because I don't see it listed on my DXCC list. I've worked two other stations in Ireland with an EI designation but this is my first with the MI designation. Perhaps someone can inform me about the difference between the two (if any).

Last night was spent on the 30 meter QRP frequency of 10.106 where I worked several stations here in the United States.

DX #71 Crete

I was able to shake hands with SV9DJO on the Island of Crete this afternoon. At 5,526 miles, this is country number 71 in my DXCC log book.

Talking to Old Friends

Last night (actually the first of March in GMT time) I worked an old "rock bound" friend on 40 meters who uses a home brew 5 watt CW QRP rig and uses a separate receiver for his station. We've worked each other nearly a dozen times now but Bob (N9HAL) and I last talked almost 2 years ago. I was amazed he remembered my call and all the details of my previous conversations. I did the same with him and the particulars of his station. Bob, by the way, is an excellent CW operator.

I enjoyed the long conversation immensely and it brought back a joy I've nearly forgotten since moving to the longer distance DX bands. Bob is a mere 500 miles from me in a straight line but I enjoyed the long conversation as much, or more so, than much of the 70 different QSO's I've had with different DX countries.

I enjoy reading about the towns and cities here in the United States and I found this unusual house in his home town of Watertown Wisconsin. It's an octagon (with eight different sides) home built by a doctor in the early years of the towns development.

I'm going to devote more time to regular QSO's again. I've missed this part of the hobby the last few years, and didn't realize it until last nights QSO with Bob.

This doesn't mean I'll forgo my daily DX contacts. I had breakfast with friends this morning but immediately got on the air when I returned from town. I quickly worked G3HGE in England, and surprisingly, it turned out to be an actual QSO also. We've worked before, but Tom wanted to know why I used QRP for his DX contact. I explained my dilemma about living a block down from the state capitol in a restricted antenna area. He stated it was a real joy to work a QRP station using 3 watts and a random wire for an antenna. After all, anyone could do it QRO with a beam. hihi

I agree.

Tom (G3HGE) produces a very nice set of keys which can be viewed here:

TM Radio

SM7ALC in Skurup Sweden

This mornings radio contact was SM7ALC in Skurup Sweden. On the southern coast of this country, he had an exceptional signal into the eastern coast. I don't hear many DX stations using a straight key but this morning the signal was 599 in both directions.

Day 50

I completed my 50th daily DX contact this morning with a station in Great Sutton England. This station (M0BAU) and also a Scottish station  (MM0CIN) were in the same general area. The English station won out; although he was barely above the noise level. He was desperately trying to keep my attention and repeated his call sign at least a dozen times before I got it right.

Fortunately, he was an E-QSL member. On my return home this afternoon from a trip to my fathers, the card was in my mailbox and apparently, he was operating QRP. I sent an e-mail to him with the hopes he could clarify this for me. My guess is yes since he was calling near the 17 meter QRP calling frequency.

Geof wasn't the only station I worked today. I also worked a familiar Italian station. (IK2SND) We've worked several times before (3) and he was an easy catch. Despite all my efforts, I could not get YU150TC in Serbia to hear me.

I'm very happy with 50 days of daily DX now. My original goal was 30 consecutive days which I met with 34 contacts. I took a week off on a travel trip and have continued making a daily DX contact everyday afterwards. I have no idea how long this trend will continue but my radio habits revolve around 17 meters every morning with an additional time in the evening on 30 meters looking for stations in the Caribbean and South America.

To say chasing DX has become a minor trend is an understatement. I've learned chasing DX is highly addictive and I've grown to love it. I know working DX is a standard everyday event with larger stations using QRO power and enormous antenna farms but with 3 watts and a 50 piece of random wire for an antenna, I'm very content.

Old Shortwave Broadcasters

Reading one of my favorite blogs in The Netherlands (PE4BAS) , brought back fond memories of the days when big International Short-Wave Stations were the delight of my generation. I liked his link (originally by PH5C)  so well that I thought I would also share it with my readers.

This video is a long one, but is guaranteed to bring back a sense of nostalgia. It also makes me think about those old receivers with "great audio". Many times, I wish those days were still here, and I can say with quite a bit of certainty, the programming was much better then, than anything you will hear on the local radio and television shows of today.



I've fed the audio on this clip into a FM transmitter and re-broadcasted  it throughout the house several times today. I can remember well my old Allied SWL Receiver  as well as an older Knight Kit regenerative receiver I listened to as a kid. Those were good days for radio...very good days.

Quite honestly, living in the city now, I can't hear many the current stations due to electrical noise and I use an internet connected wi-fi radio when listening to world wide SWL stations. Many of the stations on this video are "off the air" now due to high operating costs and maintenance issues.

But there was  something special about hearing a long distance station "over the air".  It's just not the same. It's difficult to put into words, but there was a magic associated with broadcasting in those days.

That is now gone in the modern world. There are times when I wish the old days were back.

Congratulations again to PE4BAS for the post on his blog. I would not be surprised to see this video floating around the web for several more weeks. It's sure to be a hit with the "baby boomers".