Year of DXing 2009

January 2009

The year started with qsos to PC7M on 6m JT6M mode, after wich made some 2m FSK qsos with DK1MAX 1480km, OZ3TT 766km, DL3WW 1268km, OQ4U 1517km, OM3TEP 1419km, DL1SUZ 997km and PD0ORT 1300km. Also did some 20m CW qsos for test... CWSKIMMER is a nice and good working program.

February 2009

February was not that different in the beginning, OZ8ZS 819km and SP9HWY 1144km 6m JT6M. But a nice aurora opening, got SM0GWX on 2m SSB and SM7GVF on 2m CW from loc:JO77GA

Some DXes...VU2PAI and company on 20m... but not much on the bands, people waiting and getting ready for WPX contest in March...

March 2009

Last qsos with Bob IZ0GKN (SK) in the beginning of March.

ARRL contest... nice one.... Made some really good stateside contact, even had some pileup...

V51AS on 17m... also 3V8BB with Hrane (YT1AD) in the mic. Did go to OH1AA for some WPX contesting with Janne OH1SDR and Markus OH1FKR, enjoyed our time... until a powersupply of the biggest linearamp. cought fire and had to pulled out to the snow. Was put out by OH1SDR and OH1FKR but that was the end of the contest weekend there...

Made a few qsos at home, picking nice ones from the band.... OY9JD, 8P5A, 5D5A, VK4KW, B7P, ZL3A and some JAs with W8 guys....

April 2009

This month started nicely with a qso to PY2VA, on BPSK31 20m, using my station remotely from the Club OH1AAA, showing some guys how things work... After PY2VA was VR2XLN´s turn.. worked 599 both sides... Tnx 73!

Another PY worked the next day... PY2RDS... After him decided to make some more qsos... Worked 20m, 40m and 80m BPSK31. Also got SH1568OZ in the log on 40m... After a few CQ DX calls got JA4MMO, DU3MEL, 9V1SV and BA5AP...

12th April, a few qsos made. YI9HU Rob from Bagdad warzone on 40m in the log with a nice 599 reports...Worked some europians there on the side also.

After working ZS6GRL on 20m, made a nice JT6M qso with Jurg DK3WG on 6m, 1017km...

During the next couple days worked JT1BZ 20m BPSK31, UR5MN 40m BPSK31, VK3TDX 40m BPSK31.

25th April started ID9N Vulcano Island DX pedition.

Worked the guys from the island on most bands and all modes... as Vincenzo IZ0FKE and Andrea IZ0EHO were two of the guys there. They worked a good pedition and made over 6600 qsos during the four days there.

Late April also got 5N9NDP and YV1PX in the log to mention some of the nicest ones..

May 2009

May started with some nice E spradic on the 2nd. Worked GW8ASD on 6m from IO83LB. Also 10m was open, but decided to stick on 6m and got some more qsos in to the log... UT9FJ, GM8LFB, YO6OBK, UT5UR and YO2BBT.

Then moved for a few days to EU-096 Kustavi island, Loc: KP00PN, worked PA9M, DL2DR, PE2GRT, PA2DD, DL2NO, PE1CZG, PA3GND, PE1RLF, G0JHC, PA9DD, PA2M, PA1AW, F8ZW, LX1NO, GW8ASD, G4MBN... Hope they liked the new # and iota... Some spots on cluster during this year...OH1MN spots 2009 on 6m.

Did a few trips more during weekends and enjoyed the pileups there alot! Qsos filling the logbook pages are mostly made on 6m during May, some even made from QRL with my remotestation, some of us need to work!

Didn´t get TR8CA on 6m but took Alain on 20m SSB just after he finished on 6m.

June 2009

No different was June from the other summer months...

ES continued strong almost each day, just to mention the DXCCs, worked: F, OH, LA, DL, 9A, ER, OZ, UR, PE, G, GM, YO, ON, IY4, HB9, EA1FDI 2800km, S5, EA3, E7, T70A new DXCC, OE, OK, OM, EA5, EA7KW 3247km Longest QRB, EA6SX 2700km and new DXCC.

Some new and really nice DXCCs worked.

July 2009

E sporadics continued well during June too, with lots of qsos to G-Land... Mostly 6m worked, G, EA, US, IW1 and IZ5, F, GM, 2E0, GW, EI, E7, 9A, S5, DL, HB9, PA, YO and ER... Not many qsos outside 6m, few locals on 2m and 80m.

Was also starting to get really busy planning and organizing our wedding, that was due to happen on the 5th of September, thats 599, short for 05092009. Dont think I will ever forget the date :)

August 2009

Was looking for Marq CT1BWW on the bands during his trip to OH0 Åland Islands... Helped him out with cottage and antenna stuff on the island. But didn´t get any qso with him, heard though.

Started full planning of OH1AA summercamp... We would get a special guest this year, Simone IZ0BTV would come and present to us Palestine 2009 E44M DXpedition story and video.

As the summercamp started the last weekend of August, I had shortly worked some nice DXCCs on 2m FSK... RA1OFH 1318km in LOC: LP31HG, PA3BIY 1441km LOC: JO22EB, DL0HOF 1305km LOC: JO50XG, RN4NF 1610km LOC: LO56GH, RW3TJ/1 1343km LOC: LO16XG, PA3ECU, UT5ER 1514km LOC: KN78ER and DL1YMK 1314km JO31QX...

Not much more was worked during August... Maybe some worth mentioning was during the Lighthouse Weekend, OF200AD, OH1AF/LH and OI3W/LH on 80meters....

September 2009

599 came and I got married to my lovely wife Siina. Not much happened on the radiofront, as after the wedding we headed out on our honeymoon DXCC tour to DL, W7, HH, 6Y, ZF and XA. Back to W7 and home via the F-land (Paris)...

No radios though...

October 2009

1st station into the log was GP0STH on 20m ssb. Got a nice new one on 40m R1ANB Nick worked from the Antarctica station.

During CQ WW SSB part, I just decided to pick some nice DXCCs and not to compite so hard :) , got a few nice qsos like: KB1SNB, OH8X, JA8RWU, K4ZW, P40A, VC3O, AA1K, TS9A, SX5P, JJ0KRD, JA7XBG, BX5AA, PJ4K, GJ2A, VR2C and many more....

November 2009

Winter is coming and its getting cold... Also the weather is mixing up some nice tropo on 2m... During the 3rd day NorthernActivityContest on 2m there was some interresting conditions... OH5 guys were booming into my radio. SM stations really loud and made some good ES qsos, like ES1ATE and ES2MC.

4th November was the release date for new radioamateur regulations, OH hams got a new band to play on....4m, thats 70MHz, well as you might know not many of us have radios or antennas for 70MHz., so most of us started building equipment. Now waiting to get them finished... OH1SDR Janne is making a transverter for me and I try to help out with the building..

So camed the Leonides meteorshower... Mostly showers here, rainshowers... Worked only one station, didn´t even notice a peak... well maybe more during the Geminids.

Decided to make a SC6-4-8D 50/70Mhz Dualband Antenna as I have limited space above the rotor on the roof. 4elements on both bands will do the trick I hope, around 8,6 dBi on both bands and F/B 21dB and 19dB (50/70MHz). All materials have been picked up and the feed+choke has been built.
All elements have been cut into the right length, boom measured and cut. Next thing is to make the insulators for element and the making of the driven element. After that is time to put it up on the roof

December 2009

First qsos in tropo conditions... 2m qsos SM5EPC JP90CE, SM4HFI JP70TO, SM0NZY JO89WI...

Still building the 4/6m antenna, element insulators done and fixed, next to attach the elements to them. Drilling the holes to the boom for elements...

Looking to get hold of some OK hams as traveling to Prague 31th Dec.. back 5th January... Trying to get some time for meeting and radioactivity. Started "mindpacking" all equipment with me...FT897, 2m portable rig, couple of antennas... digital stuff and laptop :). Will setup in the hotel Trinidad Residence Prague... Maybe something small.

Still not yagi up on the roof, bad WX, snowing and temps around +2 / -2°C. Dangerous on the roof. But... Bought a FT-817 wich was tuned up, all fan, charger, 40m expancion etc mods done... Even saved all the 2m frequncies into the memory.

Early bird gets the worm... Looking for FSK signals on 2m, as the Geminids meteorshower is upon us. Will check whats happening on 6meters also, but I think I will focus on 2m qsos.

Lots of qsos made already on 2m FSK and Geminids peak is not even here yet.. Looks good. So far, DL, OK, YO, PA, UR, UA and OY... Big tnx to Trygvi OY4TN for giving me a new DXCC and #, QRB was also nice 1562km. Tried a few Italian stns but with not so good luck, only few pings heard from them. Maybe later during the shower.

No luck with any Italians, but did get lots of nice new qsos and squares. Also was nice to work OK1DIX Ladislav DIX 73. , who I hope to meet in Prague to give QSL direct :). Latest qso was with Uffe LA/PA5DD in JP40ks, short 733km but a nice qso. Finally all my 2m qsos that made it to the cluster.
5 more days to Xmas and worked DH6JL on 2m via MS, took 29mins but finished qso nicely with 540/7 as best burst from Mike in JO31NI, 1380km away.

Putting some old and new QSLs in the gallery. Thinking about making some new design to it but, not that good on webdesign. Slow and with errors.
More pictures coming when I have some time to check harddrive.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone!! The DX Rabbit is wishing peace and joy to all the people in the world!!!!

During last few days been working with digitalmodes on HF, BPSK31 mainly. Would hope that people would pay attention to their signal, lots of distorted ones on the bands. Too much audio gain, power etc... Also tried on 30m, wich was nice, got a good pileup on psk and worked many new stations
Got the chance to work UR4MN, a new MN station for me. Worked UR5MN in April and now got -4MN. From OH guys I have worked -2MN, 5MN and 7MN.

Finally packing suitecases with holiday stuff...Yaesu FT-897, 2m handheld, HF vertical, small 2m/70cm mag. antenna, tuner and a end fed wire, ouh and those clothes I might or might not need. Logbook and some QSLs.

And so the year changes while I am in Prague, Czech Republic OK-land.

HNY 2010 and lots of DX!!!!!!!!