Good E-sporadic opening

Today, 2es_2506_dxcces_250615_15th of June, both, 6 and 4 meter bands were opened up to a midnight and, I guess, later. Regarding to the LiveMUF software, the best time was from 17 til 19 utc, than MUF was rise up to 170 Mhz! But I spent all time on 4 M band. And was awarded by 17 initial QSOs and 6 new grid squares. Total 39 QSO from 15 DXCC. Best ODX 2028 km (SV7GBR).

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Late afternoon E-sporadic on 14.06.2015

14th of June, 140615_sporadic_dxcc140615_sporadicI turned on my FT-2000 on 6 m band and was surprised: CW segment of the band was full of stations from Europe. I tried to work only new initials, but some time called CQ also.
Thus, 11 new callsigns on 6M and 2 on 4M band of 27 totally worked and 16th DXCC areas. My last QSO was at 00:33 of local time. The best ODX was EA2XR – 2879 km

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OJ0B, Market Reef EME Expedition

The Market Reef, OJ0, Grid JP90NH, is just a barren rock on the open sea between Finland and Sweden.
OJ0B expedition dedicated to the late Lenna, OH1NL and Bill, W6DNG and the magic QSO – 50 years ago. Lenna proved the skeptics wrong as he made a 2M EME QSO from Finland to California with Bill, W6DNG on 12 April 1964. This went down in VHF history as one of the major achievements of the 1960s in the field of Amateur Radio.

Not a new for me DXCC territory on 2M band. I worked several times with difoj0bferent expeditions via Tropo on 144 and 432 Mhz, but never EME before!
Full description of OJ0B expedition is here.
So, it was just wonderful to get new EME initial from a very rare place. I completed EME QSO with OJ0B on 10th of June.

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Penultimate state for my WAS 2m award

From June 6kb7q to June 10, 2015 Gene, KB7Q, did undertake 2m EME expedition to a Horseshoe Bend Campground, state Wyoming.  As far, as I need this state for my WAS 2M Award, it was a good possibility to get one! It was easy QSO on Gene’s Moon pass #4. He answered from my first call and his signal was -26 db, just in his moon rise. Thus, I’ve got 49-th state. Now I need only Rhode Island (RI) to complete my WAS Award.

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C6ANS – my DXCC # 147 on 144 MHz

C6ANS antennaThe team of four ops: AA7A (chief EME op), K2KW, W4KXY and WO7R are active now, as C6ANS (Baghams). Grid square FL15LL.  Active period from 08th to 14th of June. The first day was not good either for the team or for me: they have had  a RX issue, but TX side works very good: sometimes I have heard themes on a speaker! They were QRT after a few hours in the air. But common window was also short for me.
At the next day (9th of June), the common window was more wider. But so big and slow Faraday rotations! I have seen trace only on Team’s moon rise (around o540Z) for a several minutes, ten lost trace for 1 hour. Only big pile-up!
Next time I’ve got trace at 0651z, than started calling. And have got answer immediately!
c6ans_2
Not strong, but -25 db. QSO was complete at 0654z. Great! New DXCC and new Field/grid square. Thank you, Ned!

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The Cayman Islands on EME!

Bill NZ5N and Pete N8PR are activate the Cayman Islands for 144 mhz EME from 20 May to 25 May, 2015. They are using a solid state kilowatt amp and 2 x 2M9SSB antennas (vertically polarized). The call sign is ZF2EM (EK99ig).
Azf2emfter 1,5 hours of continuous calling in a big pile-up, I was happy to get answer from the Team.
Thus, new DXCC (#146) and new grid #870.

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1A0C QSL card arrived

Long time waited QSL card for EME QSO with 1A0C arrived. At last!
I do not trust to OQRS any more! The QSO was made on 28.12.2014. Few days later I asked OQRS and paid 4 Euro, as 1A0C team requested. QSL manager IZ7KHR. Four month passed, bu1a0c-t no QSL card! I asked some other EME-rs, did they got QSL? And answer was positive. They all got QSL cards from Frank, DL8YHR – he was EME operator during this expedition.  Frank promised to help me and two weeks later I received QSL card!! Without any extra payment from my side!
DXCC # 144 confirmed from 145 worked.
Thank you, Frank!
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7Q7EME – Malawy by Atletico Team

New EME malawiDX-pedition to Africa by Rene (PE1L), Eltje (PA3CEE) and Hermann (DL2NUD).  At this time they are intended to activate 5 bands: 2m, 70cm, 23cm, 13cm and 9cm.
QRV from 9 till 22 of May. The expeditions blog, online log, media is here.
At theirs first activity day (9th of May), my moon rise was at 23:20 utc (02:20 local time) from the most worse azimuth 124 degrees. Why worst – because I always have huge noise from this direction!  At this time there was not exclusion too. Noise was S7 on S-meter of TS-2000. So, I need to wait, at least, Moon elevation 10 degrees or more… Nothing to do: just seat and wait. One and half hours waiting and weak trace appears on the waterfall. I started to call and very quick got replay: as always, the Atletico Team has a very good hears! So, my DXCC # 145 was co7q7emempleted at 01:08 utc on 10th of May. I do not know, how loud I was there, but, probably, not strong, because twice got report RRR… Look at the screen shot.
Now I want to wish success to myself on 15th or 16th of May, than team will QRV on 70cm. Unfortunately, still I not ready on 23cm EME…
……To be continued……
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New QSL card arrived

The Falklend Islands (144 Mhz EME) and Seyshelles (144 and 432 Mhz EME)

vp8dqe s79eme_432 s79eme_144

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OH5LID’s 4M band expedition to LY

“Lithuania gained access to 4 m since 10 February 2015” Published on 8 April 2015 by Bo OZ2M.
BUT! No one from Lithuanian HAM’s have no RIG and antennas for that band. So, over two months passed and we never have heard any signal from LY-land on 4 meters.
Janne, OH5LID, decided to improve the situation and undertook an expedition to Lithuania from 30th  of April to 5th of May.  His plans to visit KO06, KO23, KO24 and KO26. Great trip from Finlad to Lithuania and back!! Please, visit his page in a Facebook for the pictures and story.
My first QSO with LY/OH5LID was on 30.04.2015 at 19:05 UTC, Mode CW, via Tropo.
The distance between me and KO06WB is 391 km. But, surprising, his signal RST was up to 579, although with a QSB. Any way, new DXCC and new grid on 4M band.
Let’s see, how events will develop further.
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