Year of DXing 2011

January 2011

NEW YEAR!!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011 EVERYONE ! ! ! Hope you will get many more DX this year and enjoy the radio even more then last year!!!

The year seems to be starting nicely... Testing the vertical and found Alain TR8CA from Gabon on 7.0275MHz calling on CW. Made one call and that was it....in the log 599.... Found also Boye OZ1CTK on 1.835MHz CW calling from IOTA EU-029... Worked him also with 599s.

Tuned my antenna to 30m and worked some JA stations on CW... Nice conditions. Been listening on the bands mostly and not much worked.

On the 7th a baby princess was born into our family! A small QRP... Lovely. Been a few days to the hospital to help the XYL and also to get to know the baby. So the year has started in these signs...

3D2RB team, Juha OH1LEG, Kari OH3RB/OH1HD and Tuomo OH8KXK have returned. Guys made over 5k qsos and were hapy with the results, happy with their vacation!

Not much worked, been qrv tough but nothing that interresting on the band... Worked Raili on BPSK31 as CT9/OH2HOD from Madeira and Craig M1ELB also on BPSK31. Worked JW7QIA Peter from Svalbard on 40m SSB with a nice Auroravoice...

Had some spare time and took the 2m yagi down and decided to put a new pipe and more antennas up on the roof, ended up with 9el 2m, 15el for 70cm and 3el for 6m .
6m beam still needs coaxial but others seem to be working good. Will try to set the cable for 6m yagi in the near future, tough no hurry as still about 4months to the good magic on 6m...

Had a visit from Artur SQ9MLL and Paul SQ9HHT last evening.... They were cruising with a car in my city and I spotted them on the APRS website, one call for Artur SQ9MLL on the repeater and they replied, talked a few minutes and then Paul asked for a short meeting, I replied well why not and gave them directions to my QTH... It was nice timing as I will travel to SP-Land on Thursday, 3rd February and also taking my rig with me. The trip is with some co-workers and friends so will travel with QRP... Taking with me for HF, Yaesu FT817 and a few antennas. And ofcourse my handheld for 2m repeater qsos...

February 2011

Collecting antennas and stuff for the trip to Poland. QTH will be in the center of Gdansk, hope not too much of QRM...

Managed to get cable out for the 6m yagi, still missing connector inside the shack but getting there :).

Back from Poland, for qsos the trip was not so good, but for partying yes. Made a few qsos, might have gotten about 80qsos.

Know next time what kind of place to expect, well did like the town alot and food and drinks were good.

Radiofront has been quiet, nothing worked, one Direct rxed from JW7QIA. Well did put up a vertical for 40/80m, the 40m part works but needs some tuning and the 80m part needs much more tuning. Well summer is just around the corner and then its easy to fix this antennas.

Been waiting for our clubs 10m repeater to get online, seems the TX site is in condition and working. The RX site is waiting for spring and sunshine to melt the biggest snow piles away...

March 2011

Tried to work 2m NAContest but noticed that the rotor is frozen, worked what I could and that was some OH guys and ES on fm modulation, then decided to stop. Aurora was also doing its job and messing around the band.

Waiting for a desent time to setup a vertical for 10m, thinking either a A99, Frizel tribander or the T20 wire. Dont know yet and might end up testing how they differ from each other...

Ended up testing the antennas for 10m and decided to stick with the T20 Wire vertical. Also did a quarter wave for 15m, tunes to 12 and 17m also so can be used for all three bands. So lets wait for some 10m propagation.

Worked a few qsos on 6m JT6M, SM7FJE and LA/OE9ICI....During ARRL contest worked around 20qsos to states. Once again found another -MN suffix, worked HA3MN on 20m.

3V8SA with Wael operating was on the air working from the refugee camp between Tunisian and Libyan border. A few more JT6M qsos on 6m, OZ8ZS, OZ1DLD, OZ1JVX and GM8OEG.

Found 7X4AN on 40m cw, one call and through the pileup 599 with the quarterwave vertical. A few nice ones on 20m, VP8LP, KP2TM, HI3TEJ during WPX... Even 15m worked nice and was open really good for Caribian and South America.

April 2011

Arpil began with huge propagation on HF, all bands open from 6m to 20m. V85SS from Brunei on 20m cw and V85AVE V85AVE on ssb. YB guys on 10m and 15m. TL8CG heard on 10m , 15m, 17m and 20m :). LU3OE 59 on 10m....

Tried some CW on 40m, no DX but John 9H1XT came and replied. Nice to get some friends from Malta.
Also worked Joe KL7LF from Fairbanks on 20m SSB. Conditions are nice. Would like to have more sparetime for radio working... Now got to update Gallery pages... New pics and some story also into this page... Enjoy the pics!!!

Have had some time during Easter to work some qsos.... TK4DS, NX7DX and 4S7DXG on 20m and early morning qsos to Hawaii, WH7Z on 17m...

Wow... got myself a nice job.... Terence T6TL needed some help with the big europian pileup on 20m... We heard each other fantastic and so I piloted the frequency for him, taking care of the ZOOOOO... Big thanks also to the europian stations for listening on my words with Terence. Did a nice job, was nice to handle the pileups....

A few OH qsos worked during the national contest on 40/80m. decided to put up a few more wires, first wire is toward west (SA/Caribian), the ones I now put up are towards south (AF) and northeast (AS/Pacific)...

Was at the club on Thursday, did some antenna work at the new tower. Me and a few guys from the club put up antennas, 2m/70cm vertical for repeater working, a 9el long yagi for 2m and a dualband yagi with 4+4 elements for 4m and 6m. Next job is to put up the 20m 4element monobander and then do a few test qsos.

May 2011

May... Usually the beginning of ES season on 6m Magic Band... Looking forward on some new DX on 6m.

CE3PG worked on 20m BPSK31 and a few Royal Wedding SES from UK.

Got a first taste of 6m Magic as was monitoring the band and heard Max, DK3MAX calling, but was more MS/IONO then ES...

ES started rather late this year, 21th with a nice opening all over Europe, F, OM, OE, PA, EI, GW, G and on the 22th early morning started with DK3EE and then 9A, OM, OK, S5.... Until its all gone, magic band as they say. One moment open, next all gone, not even beacons around...

Nothing new, just 6m ES, Magic Band is open for the summer, yesterday was monitoring for TA, SV and ST stations, heard ST2AR just like last year but was too qsb to make anything... Nice opening to Europe again, shifting down to Italy and Spain... Longest for the day was 2666km Pablo, EA3EVL near Barcelona in locator JN00HR.

Mayny days gone since last check here...its already June when updating these stories... 6m has been great, been working almost each day, only a few days without any openings. A few new squares and for my luck got to work SV5BYR and 5B4AIJ as new DXCC on 6m also...

June 2011

Magic band keeps on being open... Each day there is activity and forgetting to check totally what is happening on HF frequencies... Have not been to 20m in ages...

Worked a few qsos during 2m NAC test. Getting qsos to OH1, OH2, OH4, OH6, ES1, ES2, ES8, YL2 and SM3. Not very long on the band, conditions were strange.

Janne OH5LID was going on holidaytour to north, expected him to come on air from KP17 as he did, worked him on 6m JT6M from KP17ue about 750km. Next day he was on air as SM/OH5LID from KP06wc, 612km, SSB qso was in the log :).Got him also from JP94qx, JP85xa and KP25qj finally as OH5LID back on Finnish side. Missed him only from JP84 but he wasn´t long there due bad WX and thunderstorm there.
Worked OJ0B from JP90 also on 6m, was nice to get Market Reef on the Magic Band also.

JW9DL worked on 20m and JW7QIA on 6m CW.

July 2011

CT1EPS on 6m SSB, nice opening on the first day of July... LU3OE on 20m and then long chats with Vincenzo IZ0FKE and Simone IZ0BTV on 20 also. Nice opening again on 6m, worked 9H1XT John and 9H1CG Joseph. PY5QW worked on 15m, worked before on 20m also.

SRAL Summercamp 2011 @ Sappee, Pälkäne. LOC: KP21GJ and 200m ASL. Setup was simple with Janne OH1SDR. We had verticals made by him for 10, 15 and 20m. 6m antenna was the good and easy portable setup, Turnstile... Nothing really big during the camp except HK1X in the morning and a few VK stations after him...

At home setting up new antennas... well only just a G5RV for some test purpose... @ 12m AGL.Been really bad WX few last days, heavy thunderstorms, lightnings and strong winds... One of my longwires, the one going west was gut due the hard wind...Will have to set a new one up when I got the time to do it.

OH summer camp @ Sappee KP21, visited the camp for a few days with Janne OH1SDR. We had antennas for 6m through 20m, made a few qsos... HK1X and VK2GV maybe the best ones :).

Back home 6m was still open so some work there also. Nothing really specia but waiting for Jannes OH5LID northern # tour in August. He is going to a few needed squares...Worked Thomas DF6HT from JO63, new one for me, also OZ1SKY in JO56. Then OH9KL Yussi OH7TE as operator from another new one, KP26... Nice to fill blank spots on map.

August 2011

EI6GF new from IO62 and OY6FRA clubstation from IP62 worked on 6m...

Then back to wait for the OH5LID Northern # Tour.... first in log from # KP45, then KP47... missed KP44.. Then KP37, KP55 and KP54...Worked him via MS, tropo and AUE... Many new # for me...

During Jannes Northern # Tour there was a big burst from the sun wich made some Auroras on the sky, but also on the band. Worked Markku OH8UV and his wife Tanja OH8HDL from KP34vj on SSB via AU, KP34 was also a new # for me :). On JT6M worked Kari OH8MGK from KP23pq, new one. Then also nice AU to SM and SP, SP2IQW, SM7VGQ, SM0YHG, SP2MPO...Later on also Kari OH8MGK on SSB via AU and Reijo OH7GGX LOC: KP52jh.

Perseids coming on and plenty of people QRV on 6m JT6M mode... New squares coming like flies, LA9AKA JP99ms, G4DEZ JO03ae, LA/SM6CMU JP79we. GM4VVX IO78ta, YL3HA KO26dw, YL2CP KO27ph, LA7DFA JP33uc, LA6VBA JO48mm, OZ1AXG JO65fp....

Was outside a while when making some BBQ and watched the night sky, saw 8 meteor coming down, peak is propably over already but still visible meteorits on the sky...

Decided to try also FSK441 qsos on 2m during the Perseids shower, started with Andrej UW8SM from KN28iv wich was a new locator for me on 2m. Tried a few others also but all rocks gone and most of the operators also gone to bed...

Wow, made a qso on 80m... Worked OH2YLS from Liesjärvi nationalpark WFF station with Memma OH1EG in the mic. Dont remember the last time when made a HF qso during this summer :). Been focusing like always only on 6m SpE conditions... And then back to 6m, Janne OH5LID was now in YL country, KP07sj and KO17gp were the next locators from where he was active and I worked him.

Time for OH1AA club summercamp in Tippsund, traditional summercamp held every year for a weekend in Tippsund, Taivassalo, about 50km north from Turku, in the archipelago. This time I didn´t have any duties as staff there so I could focus more on doing radio and BBQ... Worked a few qsos, G3VYF, LZ2ZY, UT5JAJ, CT1FJC and IK4ISR from there. LA6Q were active from a new one (JP30si) for me, tried them but no luck and saw they continued calling other stations on JT6M, well next day got them. Nicely after them worked SP4TKR from KO04fa wich was also a new one. Last qsos of the month was UT4UO. and OK1DO from wich Lery UT4UO was from a new square KO71bj.

September 2011

Too much of house renovating going on and too little radio time... Worked OH2FXJ Ari from Lohja, my birthtown on 80m and dacided to take the chance to deliver the qsl card direct to him as visited my parents and summercottage in Lohja the next weekend, Ari had a nice station, though visited only for a short time saw much of him equipment, but he is setting up a tower and talked that must visit him again when back to Lohja.

My old friend Mikko OH5FHG was portable in OH8 and called me for a sked on 80m, we made a qso, he was outside of Himanka on a IOTA island. Had been a long time since I talked to him last time, in the past when he was still OH1GCS and lived near my QTH, we used to talk almost daily.

Big break again after those few qsos, but heard conditions were getting better on 10m, looked for AH0J and 4W6A, both with really nice signals! 10m is finally open, F2 layer finally working! Also the europians are happy as they have big chance to catch DXes also on 6m MagicBand.... Worked PT7ZT with some nice 59s... 10m been open to JA, YV, W, ZS, PZ, YB, 4W, VK, BY, KP4, TI and all over!

Big magneticstorm in and blowing all conditions, A index is over 40 and K index at 4 / 40... Conditions are really bad, yesterday there was some AuE and little tropo on 6m but didn´t work any qsos as was busy with the baby.

October 2011

Welcome OCTOBERFEST and good conditions on the bands!!! Lets party!

MS0WRC heard and worked on 15, 17, 20 and 40m from the Isle of Tiree. Also great conditions to VA, KP2, PY, VU on 10meters. Seems now after summer and magic band closing I am stuck on 10meters watching for DX, not bad, really enjoy the band although I only have a vertical there.

Was listening for ET3AA and trying to get trough the pileup with my friend Allan OH1FJK but no luck for either of us.
Was back on the air listening for ET3AA again on 10m, now one call and trough, yes. Nice qso and a new DXCC. Made my day.

Been nice conditions in the beginning of the month, PY, VU, VA, W1, YV, PZ, LU, BV, JA.... all on 10m. List just goes on and on. Worked a few portables in SV9, OE9YRG and OM4KK.

Mr APPLE, Steve Jobs is dead, may he rest in Peace. Worked one of many memorial stations, W1S on 20m.
After W1S, was Eddie PR7CPK with a huge signal from Brazil. 7X5QB, LU1JHD and HK3OZ were next in line for my log...

After HK3OZ decided it was time to try with a friend from Facebook also from HK if we can make a qso, Francisco HK3W said yes lets try, what band? I replied 20m CW? yes and after a call the was Siso with a REAL 599 strong as my neighbor! WOW!!!! next we tried on 40m CW and also there 599! Couldn´t belive that, we also tried on 17m but band was already closed so no qso there.

Next morning ZL4RUGBY, a special event station, first call and trough all the italians and other europians :) was happy!

SAC, Thats Scandinavian Activity Contest, mainly OH vs.SM contest past years. OH guys have been recruiting many operators to the contest so we could beat SM once again like we did in icehockey, 6-1 ! ! ! CW part of the contest had already been and OH is leading with a few points (read: 13 million points)! Asked for my use the club callsign OH1T, plan was to work about 300 qsos but due to too much activity at home managed only work 186qso. But I am happy with that amount. Sent log out just before updating this new here.

Another JA on 10m... Shigeru san JR4ABB worked with a FB copy from Japan.

And the I had the honor to work Bharathi VU2RBI maybe the most famous YL station on the AIR. One call and nicely she replies to me!

Later that day turned to 20m as 10m was closing little bit for the evening/night. Found T32C working on 14188, split down, a few calls and seems it was a qso....

Tnx for 59!

Well conditions didnt die there. 10m was and is still full of stations each day, seems conditions are here to stay, SolarFlux is 153, A index 4, K index 1 and Sun Spot Number at 158! Great!

10m FM is getting crowded, people have noticed that the band is open widely and with good propagation, a few stations worked each time when doing some radio, VK6ANC, 7J7ACT, JA1OJJ, A61BS, D4C, Ted, HI3TEJ.... and the list goes one.

Latest catches are Cyril FR4NT on 20m and John V47JA on 17m.

So a few videos there... 10m still open. JV1A worked on 10m easy, one call. After that thought that it was time to give something back to everyone wanting OH on 10m, started to call CQ and got some nice replies from many europians, also a few dx stations answered my CQ. JH0KZQ and TU5JD... Then dropped to 12m band, there found Charlie VR2XMT and Peter VK6APZ.

A friend told me to look also for PJ5, Saba and St. Eustatius, Polish guys there on DXpedition, PJ5/SP6IXF, well wasn´t very hard to catch him. He was working split 5-15up and after a few call heard me. Then it was easy 59 tnx! One more station to work then move to another band, it was Ken VE9KEN from Canada.

Some tropo warning from a friend, well he was right, worked SM6MVE from JO67kw 620km from my QTH, also Nick UA3MBJ from KO87qv 901km from me.... This was on 2m as my 70cm yagi has some problem with coax or antenna feedpoint/match. Must take it down before winter and do some maintenance/repairs to it.

Back to HF... Tested 10m, but was not as good open as 15m. A little daytime CQ JA and Pacific on 21.240MHz and voila, 109 QSOS to JA, 8 VKs, 3 BA, 1 BX, 1 6K, 1 9M6 and one YC for the logbook in one hour. Was really nice to be wanted and enjoy the pileup!! Sure miss it! Need to make a DXpedition soon....

Conditions are still good, closing on the the end of the month, worked TU2T on 12meters easily and AA4V/VP9 also on 12m. NP4WR and KP2BU repied to my CQ on 10m, nice qsos to Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. Worked two stations from Gambia, C50C on 10m and C5A on 15m. Also into the log on 15m came XV9DX during CQ WW contest. Few other nice qsos during CQ WW, like FY5KE on 15m, V26B on 15m, A52AB on 15m, Bhutan finally, been waiting for this one :), ST2AR on 10m and 8Q7DV on 10m... New ones into the log before the end of October...

November 2011

Octoberfest has ended... November starts with nice tropo conditions on 2m and 70cm, my 70cm antenna has still some problems so could only work on 2m, some SP stations over 1200km away and heard a OK station weak. Waiting for the weekend and maybe will have some time to work the Latvian VHF contest on the 12th at 18-22UTC... Was the best OH station last year, maybe because was also the only station from OH to participate in the contest :).

Tropo still there, a few nice ones agn worked, SP2HPD, OK1TEH, SM7GVF on CW and OZ1FDH on SSB. More to come... SK6DK, R1AX on CW and SSB both and OZ1SKY CW... Worked also some HF, HV5PUL on 10m.

Conditions during the YL vhf contest weren´t any good, but after (ofcourse) they got better... Worked nice pileups on 2m, SP2WPY, DD0VF, DD3SP, SQ1VAA, SQ1DWS, SP2QBQ, DL9USA, DH8BQA, SP2MUM, SP2MKO, OH8UV and SP2IQW, most on CW but some also on SSB, others only on SSB... Conditions were great!

A friend posted again that he worked J79WTA on 12m so checked it out and called ones, through and altough only 57 but a new one for me. Worked also ZD8ZZ on 12m.

Been working 2m meteorscatter, MS as they say. Loooooong time since last on 2m FSK441 mode, well seems rocks are burning in the athmospfere and qsos are made. Worked easily in 4minutes G4YHF in IO92xo wich is 1630km from my QTH... UX2SB in KN28ix was next, only 1301km away. YU2DX was a hard one 1770km away in KN04gd, but qso was made with flying rocks! Seems DL direction is always easy, DK5EW, DJ9EV, DH6DAO and DJ6AG in log... Distances between 1640km and 1240km. A burst from DJ6AG. Later today also Tom DL3DTH called me random on 2m FSK and also PD0HCV.

December 2011

HK3C John worked on 12m and 10m with FB signals, also YY1EJS on 10m loud into the log...

Alot missed due to lack of time, missed big meteorshowers and many DX stations. 10m wasn´t very good in December.

Enjoy 2011 and waiting for 2012!!! HNY 2012!!!!