Hi all,

You must have noted this, wherever you are inthe world. High bands (12/10m) were wide open to all parts of the world. Bands were full of exotic call-signs, even a few hours after sunset, and that enabled me to get very nice new ones here and there.

From Western-EU, difficult path is over the North Pole, and to zone 27/31. Even if I didn't get any KH6 there, I could get VE2CSI (zone 2) on 12/10m, NL7G on 12m (!), JH3PRR on 10m (z25), and KH0 on both 12/10m (z27).

In addition, this week-end also has been the occasion of getting some nice ones, like TG9 / XU7 / P29 on 10m, and 4W6A / JW7 / FY / J8 / YS  on 12m.

So you would say "what did you miss" ? Well, 4W6A on 10CW (they didn't stay long enough there last Saturday), T8XX on 12CW. Apart from this, I wkd everything I heard, Not that bad with a simple HExBeam at 30 feet high

This morning, I even heard KH7Y on 10m LP (South Pole), but he was just coming out from the noise and I had to QRT to go...to the office.

I really feel like z31 and z32 are now achievable on both 12/10m, where I still need them. My Zone score on 10m is now 35 over 40, and on 12m, 37 over 40. Not that bad, but I need to focus on this as I'm not sure this propagation will last very long....

73 !

Ronan

Hi again,

When looking at the "last good ones" articles, I do realize I'm late in QSL'ing.

Yes s htere were some expeditions QSO's, like for ZS8M and ST0R for which I'm still waiting fro the QSL card.

But others I know I've sent htem QSL, and which never replied.

Time to send them an email

Ronan

Hi all,

Well, I received yesterday the MFJ564 Iambic paddle and made the correct wiring connections to the transceiver (not a big deal, this is a simple 3-wire interface with common wire, dash and dot wire).

I immediately started to play with the FT-920 internal keyer at an average speed (at least a speed that I can decode); First thing was to adjust dot and dash spacing contact in order to get a good "feeling".

First observation, I always tend to transmit quicker than I can receive.

This has the main impact of doubling some characters (mainly dots), and this is due to the fact I'm using the internal keyer.

2nd observation: I need more time, at the configured keyer speed, between characters; Indeed, when I try to send "8A", the "A" often moves into "R". If I leave more time after the "8", then the "A" is correctly sent. This is due to the internal keyer and I have to get used to it.

So I'm training and already stored 2 messages on the internal memory of the FT920, for the pile-ups "F8AFC F8AFC" and "5nn 5nn tu". In parallel, I need to trainmore (still on the RX side), but also now on the TX side. I'm still a bit afraid of launcing my very first call in CW, but this should happen in the next few days.

Please, in advance, forgive me for all the mistakes I'll make (be sure I'll be doing my best !), and I hope to see you in CW soon !!!!

73 !

Ronan

hi all,

Well, a few radio activities here and there during this summer season with new IOTA's, and above all, 2 new "All Time New Ones" with ST0R from 40 up to 10m, and T32JB on 20m this morning.

The zoo was calling him on a 10KHz wide split when he passed in QRT....I just kept monitoring his frequency a few minutes,a nd he went back, taking a few guys on 14.205 (he was listening from 14205 up to 14215).

Of course, he had big problems to correctly catch a complete call, all EU was calling him there, on 14.205.

Remembering his split ranage before he passed QRT, I decided to call him on 14.210 (no one was calling him there !). I thought to myself he would get bored in fighting for each call and logically he would look on other frequencies. And that worked !!!!!

Lucky one, he was S3 here, and seemed to have a cracking signal in South Europe, and I wold have never been able to work him if he hadn't gone in QRT a bit earlier. But that worked !

2011 has been the T3 QSO's, with T30AQ, T31A and now this T32JB in the log. I ust miss T33, and a hungarian expedition is planned next autumn, that would be great to work it !!!!!

Apart from that, I also worked the OJ0UR expedition on all bands I can go on, including a QRP QSO which will definitely count for my marathon

Let's go back to my CW lessons, I'm now training to decode call signs by increasing the speed, and I can decode most of the callls up to 25wpm, not bad I think !

I also listen quite a lot on the CW portions, and I noticed the QSO's are not that fast. Some of them are at high speed for sure, when most of them are completely readable....this is a good sign !

73

Ronan

Some of you may laugh reading this title, but I found a web-site permitting to "learn" CW on-line. http://lcwo.net/courselesson

I tried it, and despite I have almost never been active on CW from the day I passed my exam (15 years ago...), I decided to try to see how crap I became in CW mode.

Don't know why, but I configured the basic 10wpm speed, lesson 1, and went through easily; That was a week ago. I went on with lesson 2, and you know the rest.

In a week time, I reached lesson 34, at 12wpm. 6 more lessons to go and I would have learnt "again" all the signs.

Why back to CW?

Well, I recognize being a SSB operator is quite limitating in terms of "new ones", mainly on the low bands, but not only. Needless to speak about the "CW only" expeditions, and needless to speak about the efficiency of this binary mode compared to SSB. I'm not a big gun, so I have to find ways to improve my "DX" activities, as well as my "WAZ" hunting.

Decoding is one thing, so once the 40 lessons finished at 12wpm, I'll try to increase the speed (20wpm would be a minimum before reaching the air).

But coding is also tricky and I should train a lot before Xmitting

Goal is to be ready for next low-band season, HI ! So if anyone has easy solutions to increase reading speed, as well as advices on which keyer to start with, I'd be more than happy

--... ...--

Ronan