Hi folks,

Nice opening on 10m, right at my sunset (just a bit before), with K0VXU (Russ from Kansas, 5/9 rpt) and K9MRD (Wayne, from Nebraska, 5/5 rpt) in the log.

A few more guys from the East coast were also worked (Ohio for example), but above all those 2 first ones are from Zone 4, a very new zone for me on 10m, as welll as new states.

Let's hope the next good opening will be from Zone 3, the West Coast....10m is my last band for the West Coast, and this would be a new zone for me there.

Actually, K9MRD from Nebraska is not that far from W6/W7 (from a simple European point of view)...

The final count-down has now started on 10m with 31 zones worked...Is it a sign that Cycle 24 now begins ?????????????????

73

Ronan

21/10/10

Finally, my last band slot was fullfilled this morning, with PJ4D in the log on 80m !

One entire week chasing them at night to finally make a QSO at 07h45loc time, 30min after my "nominal" wake-up time. And I got them at the first call....

So this PJ quest has now ended, with all PJ (PJ4/PJ6/PJ7) contacted on 7 bands I can be QRV (80/40/20/17/15/12/10), NICE activation for those very new entities !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's hope this will be the same for the next event, CY0,

Ronan, F8AFC

20/10/10 : PJ7E in QRP !:!!!!!

OK, so whil waiting for my last band slot with PJ4 on 80m, I enjoyed the greyline effect at my sunset and got PJ7E on 10m with 5 watts.

Yes, this is a new one (of course !), and in QRP...Just for fun.

Let's try PJ6 and PJ4 the same way

Ronan

19/10/10 : PJ4 on 12/10m

4 days without any new PJ in the log....I've been waking up in the middle of the night the ast 4 days to catch the PJ4 on 80m, in vain.

And tonight, some spots on 10m (28345) for PJ4W...Right 1 hour before my sunset, and he was S2-S3 here. That was enough, cool !

Few minutes after, PJ4N on 12m...A lot harder, 1 hour, listening to the split, calling right after on the right frequency, but in vain. I moved a few Kc down, and PJ4D was there, just starting. I called him and went though in 30sec, before the Eu ZOO....HI !

So yes, 2 new bands for PJ4, just missing them on 80m now....Next night will be short.

PJ4 on 40/20/17/15/12/10mm

PJ5-6 and PJ7 on 80/40/20/17/15/12/10m

15/10/10

PJ7E on 12m at my sunset yesterday. Weak, but worked, YES ! On-line logs confirm this, cool !

Summary : and 10m

PJ4 on 40/20/17/15m

PJ5 on 40/20/17/15/12m

PJ6 on 80/40/20/17/15/12/10m (All bands I'm QRV on = Grand Chelem !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

PJ7 on 80/40/20/17/15/12/10m

14/10/10 morning

YES YES YES, my first new "PJ's" on 80m, but what a fight (hard to go over NA from here.....but the newly modified HF2V did it !)

PJ6A and PJ7E in the log on 80m.

Guess what : That was my very last band for PJ6A, YES !

For PJ7E, need it now on 12/10m only, could be worse !

But still NO PJ2 stn in the log, what's happening there ????????????

Summary :

PJ4 on 40/20/17/15m

PJ5 on 40/20/17/15/12m

PJ6 on 80/40/20/17/15/12/10m (All bands I'm QRV on = Grand Chelem !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

PJ7 on 80/40/20/17/15m

See you for the next one , but already, except this PJ2 fiasco, my goal is achieved by far !

13/10/10 evening

Wouaouh, 12m opening to the PJ's, with PJ5/AA4NC and PJ6A in the log !!!!!

I also could get (but what a fight !) PJ7E on 17m, so here is the status this evening:

PJ4 on 40/20/17/15m

PJ5 on 40/20/17/15/12m

PJ6 on 40/20/17/15/12/10m

PJ7 on 40/20/17/15m

Still no PJ2 in the log. Ideally, a PJ4 and PJ7 on 12m (10m ?)...I also forgot aout 80m, but hey, already a good part of the fun has been done !

13/10/10 Morning

Update

PJ6A on both 15 and 20m (5th bands for PJ6 !), so total is:

PJ4 on 40/20/17/15m

PJ5 on 40/20/17/15m

PJ6 on 40/20/17/15/10m

PJ7 on 40/20/15m

I missed PJ7E on 17m who was working only NA(!!!!!!!). I also missed PJ4D on 80m, who was calling "only DL", or "by numbers", with the entire EU calling back, WHAT A ZOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To be continued, but in already 3 days, I've never heard any PJ2 (!!!!!!!!!). Need to chase the PJ7 on 17m now and of course PJ2 !

12/10/10

Update

PJ4 on 40/20/17/15m

PJ5 on 40/20/17/15m

PJ6 on 40/17/10m

PJ7 on 40/20/15m

To be continued...But WHERE ARE THE PJ2 ?????????????????

11/10/10

Hi all,

As you all know, 5 new DXCC entities have appeared on the 10th of October at 04:00z, making the olds "PJ2/4" and "PJ5-7-9" as DELETED.

Actualy, I had PJ2 confirmed on all bands, and PJ5/7 on all bands from 40 to 10m.

Here we are, back again chasing those new DXCC (last entity I saw created was KH8/s Swains !) during the WE, but playing with quite bad propagation on the 20-17-15m bands here.

I could, so far, get

PJ4 on 40/20/17/15m

PJ5 on 40/20m

PJ6 on 40/17m

PJ7 on 40/15m

So actually, this adds me +2 DXCC on 40m (+4 new- 2 deleted), no change on 20/17/15m, but 2 less on 80/12/10m.

I didn't hear any PJ2 ?????? !!!!!!!!!!!!!! ????????????

I also heard PJ6A on 80m this early morning, but he was too weak here, and only a few EU big guns went through.

Enjoy the quest !

Ronan, F8AFC

Hi all,

I was secretly chasing Ivor on 40m for quite a long time, since I'm missing Mozambique there (as well as on 80m). C9 is already confirmed for a long time on te 5 upper bands, but on none of the low bands.

I monitored the band and heard John, ZS1A, with Ivor working simplex, with tons of QRM on their frequency ("YDA" stn from italy calling and calling.....).

They had the good idea to listen 5 up, and there we are, through te QRM (still !), I could get both of them.

John was 5/8, and Ivor 5/5 (in the clear).

Nice to work you Ivor for this # 206 on 40m !

73

Ronan, F8AFC

Hi all,

Well, I've been back on the air with "revised" transceiver and repaired amplifier, as well as with an "improved" HF2V, let's call it 1/4 wave center loaded vertical on 80m.

Actually, 4 new bands slots this week, including 1 one 15m (T6LR), 2 on 12m (CP6UA and 9V1DR), and a new one on 80m (at last) with JWDW..

Last new one on 80m was in March with P41M.....Low band season has started, with still some good openings on the high bands.

Total DXCC challenge: Now ranking at 1499 DXCC from 80 up to 10m incl WARC, who will be the 1500th ???????????

Solar flux closed to 90, SSN above 40, hope that will remain like this for the OCeania SSB contest this week-end !!! (I miss AH0BT on 40m...)

73

Ronan, F8AFC

Hi all,  

Here we are, the modified HF2V is now up in the air with a total height of 12m and the loading coils at 3m high.

I just plugged 16 radials on the new radial plate and proceeded to some measurements.

Basically, 40m was totally un-tuned, somewhere in the 7.5MHz area. I shunted half of the coil to make it SWR'ing correctly on 7.1MHz (Only 4 turns instead of 17 are now used). I'll make some measurements tomorrow to calculate the inducto r(and correlate with simulations !)

80m was not a big deal, I had a minimum SWR of 2.2:1 on 3.8MHz with full coil used, so the frequency shifted a bit and the SWR min increased a bit.

I played a very little with the coil to make it going down to 3.76MHz, and with the base loading coil to decrease the SWR down to 1:1.

Bandwidth is quite wide on 40m, less than 1.3:1 from 7 up to 7.2MHz

On 80m, I have a 2:1 bandwidth of 80KHz, so from 3.72 up to 3.8...Being a DX addict, I may adjust a little the coil to get a lower SWR in the DX portion, HI !

Let's see now what it will really give on the air !!!!!!!!!!! Do not forget, dummy loads have 1:1 SWR over a wide frequency range.....

New DXCC's o 40 and 80m, where are you now ? HI x 3 !!!!!!!

73 !

Ronan, F8AFC