All Time New One: ZK2V in the log on 20m SSB !!!!!!

Hi again,

Yes Yes Yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I finally got through and made the QSO with Chris, ZK2V, from Niue isl. An ALL TIME NEW ONE for me (very rare !).
I was to take a coffee this morning in my "shack shelter" at around 06:15tu when I turned my VFO, the antenna beaming KH6/KL7 as every morning. I generally stayed above 14.180MHz, but this time, and I don't know why, I went down to 14.150MHz...And he was there, on 14.153,3MHz, listening on 14.160. I was hearing someoine calling on 14.160 with some kind of exctiment in his voice. I thought to myself that that was a split operation and went a bit down..Here he was, ZK2V, calling CQ without much takers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I immediately jumped into the split, as Chris was "really" peaking S3-S5 here, without too many people calling him (I guess that was the beginning of his CQ calls on 20m sSB). That was the first time I heard him, so I took my chance and got a response after 2 or 3 calls only.

Thanks a lot Chris for the QSO and enabling us to make this all time new one !!!!! Propagation helped me for sure. I heard after a "logical" huge pile-up , with some UK stns callings....propagation was a bit more West-oriented than usually, which definitely helped me !!!!!! Normally, central and South Eu has propagation advantage versus my QTH but today, band was also opened quite early also for us in NW of Eu).

I don't think another band would be possible (but we never know), due to rather poor conditions here. But I'll put an ear from times to times on 17m (and 40m ?).

GL to all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

73
Ronan, F8AFC