PT0S....

13.11.2012

28th of Nov

Final log updated !

F8AFC has worked PT0S on 9 out of 22 band slots

	6m	10m	12m	15m	17m	20m	30m	40m	80m	160m
PH
CW

YES ! Not bad with 100w

21st of November

Log updated :

F8AFC has worked PT0S on 7 out of 21 band slots

	6m	10m	12m	15m	17m	20m	30m	40m	80m	160m
PH
CW
RTTY

Today, I spent the entire day monitoring 12m band, in either CW or SSB mode.

Problem : PT0S didn't come on 12m AT ALL...arffffffff

This morning, they were also calling CQ on Top band, but didn't hear my 100w signal.

Bad day indeed, but this is the game !

Ronan

20th of November

What a lucky end of afternoon here, I'd even say beginning of evening since it was dark outside. I could get those PT0S on 17m CW for a new band. He started 15m before but moving his TX frequency within the split. One cluster spot said "catch me if you can", that was perfectly fitting to this.

Not easy, but I was keeping monitoring its initial frequency around 18075, thinking that he may realize that his previous working operating was not optimum. I was right actually, he went back to 18075.5, listening up. I kept my 2nd VFO on +6, but heard him working a NA station on +6.2KHz. A quick turn of the VFO know to be "zero beat", and there we go, the new band was done (#301 on 17m)

Tomorrow, I have a day OFF, hopefully they'll come on 12m for my last band !

Ronan

18th of Nov, 19:45z

Well, what to say? Nothing more in the log from yesterday morning on 40m. Is this excpetionnal? No, that simply was a super-crowdy week-end each time PT0S was on the air.

Splits were huge, too huge sometimes : Complete 12m SSB band, 25KHz on 10m CW, 100KHz on 21ssb...What more to say? nothing, except that there was no activity on 17m at all, and that I missed them on 12m (in either CW or SSB). 100w are clearly not enough to go over the crowd and the KW linears.

Now, I don't complain at all, since the QSO's already made are well above my initial "1 QSO" target.

F8AFC has worked PT0S on 6 out of 21 band slots

	6m	10m	12m	15m	17m	20m	30m	40m	80m	160m
PH
CW
RTTY

Of course, getting them on 17 and/or 12m would have been great, but the most "tremendous" QSO to me were the 10ssb, 40/80cw.

The expedition ending next Thursday, I might have a chance for 17m on my early evening here. For 12m, I have a day-off next Wednesday, my ultimate chance for sure!

But even if it had to end here, I'm super-happy already,

Ronan

17th of Nov, 07:10z

A true miracle again this morning. PT0S was on 40m CW, a saturday morning with the usual crowd, lids, endless callers with their OM3500, policemen, etc etc....A wide split as usually, with callers up to +12-+13Kc.

I started to monitor this split to understand where he was listening to when I pressed a wrong button on my FT920 : Instead of turning the knob of my 2nd VFO to change its freq, I pushed the default button "+2KHz" that I had initially set....So instead of listening on +12 or so, I was listening on +2. But what happened? Arrived on +2, I just had time to hear a station located just below passing 5nn. I immediately started to call while slightly moving down my TX frequency. I then heard "8AFC ?" so I repeated my call at a stable +1.8Kc and then got the answer "F8AFC 5nn". The guy missed my first letter because I was TX'ing while moving down my freq, so he logically missed it.

What's amazing is the coincidence of my error and his "split reset", restarting this last one from scratch when he had finished his 15Kc bandwidth.

This QSO is as lucky as most of my QSO's with PT0S. A saturday morning, on 40m, there are MANY MANY people from both NA and EU that are ready to fight to make it I was quite pessimitic when I woke-up to get a new QSO during the WE time, but there we are, 40m is now in the log.

Cool !

Ronan

16th of Nov, 11:30z

YES !!!!!!! New band with 10m SSB QSO few minutes ago. It took me 5 min to make the QSO and he was honestly only S5 max here....I remember that yesterday, I spent 4 hours calling him on 10m SSB, with his signal peaking to a real s9, but I couldn't make it.

Crazy split, propagation opened even till East Europe, but I took my chance +50KHz, after having heard a SO on +45 (he's working with 5KHz step in ssb).

2nd new band of the day, great !!!! I miss 12/17 and 40m now, but already, all those 4 QSO (80/30/15 and 10) were lucky ones. I should gamble to my national lottery this WE

GL to all, but as you see, even with 100w, this is possible !!!!!

Ronan

16th of Nov 10:30z

A lucky one !!!!!!!!!!! QSO made on 15m CW this morning, the guy was just starting and forgot to push his split button. As a consequence, he was transmitting and listening on the same frequency, which was supposed to be his TX frequency only.

Normally, he is used to transmit on 21025.6, listening up 2 to start. But this morning, he was transitting and listening on 21027.6, exactly 2kc up his supposed frequency. Not that strong here, but of course, nobody was calling him and QSO was made quite easily.

Few seconds after, he realized his "mistake" and pushed his spit button, transmitting on 21025.6 and listening up 2....but he went QRT few minutes after.

A super lucky one, hope this was not a slim !

Ronan

15th of November, 10:00z

Today I have to stay at home to take care of my one my kid who is sick....Not sich that much, but enough not to go to school.

After trying in vain 40cw this morning, I saw a spot on the cluster from EA stations on 20ssb...I went there, and wouaouh, what a zoo. But PT0S was well readable in the blanks, so I took my chance. He was simply incrementing his RX frequency by 5KHz steps, +5, then +10 etc...I heard a station on +15, so I put my 2nd VFO o +20 and started to call after his QSO. There we go, barefoot, but QSO made whereas everybody was shouting on lower frequency.

3rd QSO, 3rd band, let's see what today "may" bring....I'll focus on any new bands now rather than on new slots, and I'd greatly appreciate 17m to get this 300th DXCC there,

GL !

Ronan

14th of Nov, 20:15z

Sad news, I missed them on 17m CW where they were peaking 579 sometimes. But the split was mixing NA and EU, over a 20KHz range !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A pity since this would have been my DXCC n°300 on 17m...One more week

On the other side, I didn't dream this morning, since the log was updated and....

PT0S Log Search result for: F8AFC

Callsign	160	80	40	30	20	17	15	12	10	6
F8AFC		CW		CW

My 2 QSO's are well in it, COOL !!!!!

Working PT0S on 80m with 100w will be an unforgettable QSO (and a very lucky one !). This is my DXCC n°195 on 80m....

30m was added later on, but I was 100% sure of it.

Let's see if I can add one (or several) more bands...Already, the main thing has been done, with this All Time new one in the log,

73 and GL to all !

Ronan, F8AFC

14th of Nov, 08:30z

A second miracle occurs this morning, but PT0S logged now on 30cw !!!!!!

Amazing luck since after their sunrise (so stopping 160/80 bands), they went up first on 40m (calling AS/JA), then on 30m at 08:00z.

Usual zoo on 40m where tons of Europeans were still calling, and his signal was rather weak here, almost an hour after sunrise.

I decided to camp on both 30m and 20m CW frequencies, because their sunrise being at 07:45, they might go there if they decided not to QRT to have a rest after after a full"low-band" night, as they did yesterday (and which is logical for a 4-men operation).

08:00z, PT0S is on 10.138.5, calling CQ, and listening down 5. I heard a few JA LP making the QSO, but the guy was not yet explicitely calling AS/OC. I tried my chance and went through easily, sure 100% for this QSO. Few minutes after, he was then calling AS/OC, and I decided not to camp on 20m (I arrived very late at the office, but that was for a good cause)

2nd band in 2 hours time for this all time new one, after 4-days of hard chase in vain, this is my lucky day !!!!!!!!!!!!

Hopefully I'll add some more bands, but finally, I have a lot less "pressure" since already logged.

Ronan, F8AFC

14th Nov, 06:45z

YES YES YES !!!!!!!!! 4 days I'm chasing them to get this all time new one...in vain. I've been fighting with my 100w on all bands, but couldn't get through.

Every evening, when they show up at their sunset, it is simply impossible to get through, this is a pure KW race with no respect...A kind of usual zoo.....

So my chance is to make the QSO before the very first spot, and this requires patience, early wake-ups, and a lot of VFO turnings.

This morning, I woke u at 05:00, hearing them on 160 working NA. Then at 05:55, I couldn't hear them anymore. I thought to myself they might have QSY'd, so I went on their usual 80cw frequency and heard them, bot that strong (559 max), but they were there. Few people were calling, not that much, so I decided to jump into it and called on +2KHz What did I hear after my first call ? Yes, "F8AFC 5nn"

A true miracle on 80cw with 100w!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a doubt on the last letter of my suffix, so I repeated my call 2 times followed by "5nn TU", and clearly heard the "TU" in the god answer's timing. The guy may have had my cal OK on the first shot.

I went back home and made a spot at 06:03z..Only the W3LPL robot spot was there at 06:01z, meaning I made the QSO before any spot on the cluster, that was it ! A mucky one for sure !!!!!

Few minutes after, their signal went up to a solid 579 (sunrise in 30min here), but so did the pile-up, now spread over more than 5Kc.

Already lokking forward to the next log upload, since I'm not sure AT ALL to re-do this again.

Keep your fingers crossed guys, my main goal is now almost achieved, but I'll go on chasing them on other bands. Not sure St Paul rocks will be on the air again soon....

73

Ronan, F8AFC

An all Time new one, this is rare.

So far, no QSO were made, despite of all my efforts.

I can hear them quite easily on all bands, from 160 up to 10m, but never succeeded in getting them in the log.

Low band efforts is nice indeed, but when hearing the KW zoo on 80m yesterday evening, I even didn't try to call.

This morning, they were rather weak on 160, a bit stronger on 80m but the sun had already rosen up.

Yesyerdat evening, I tried on 15cw, but the guy stayed there 15min. On 30m, same story, too many people when I hit the band.

It is just the beginning, there is still more than 1 week to go, but after 3 days of hard hunting, it is generally not a good sign. I'll keep up trying for sure, my main goal being 1 QSO.

T30, 3D2C or N8S were easier !!!!!!

Keep your fingers crossed for me please !

Ronan