Year of DXing 2013

January 2013

On the 1st day went to OH1AU VUSHF contest station to work the 1st NAC test of the year... Well had some trouble there with powersupply that bursted into flames...Was quickly put out and then find out that the preamp for 2m was not working and we were deaf... triend to fix that problem also, but not enough stuff with us so worked the contest with OH1SDR switching the relay for preamp and TX... Well did the best we could and maybe 2nd place when missing 1½ hour of 4 hour contest... Will do better next time when all equipment is working.

First qso of the year.... 3B9/OH1LEG on 80m SSB... some trouble with my endfed wire, doesnt go 80 or 160m...Will need to check it out...

The latest on the antenna front... I have now the 9el LFA for 2m up for test and tuning... with also my 3el 15m and 4el 10m in the same tubetower...

Antennas are all working fine, though 15m and 10m yagis are quite low, they pick up the random dx I try to work. The new 9el LFA for 2m works just fine, SWR is good and so it will just have to wait for springtime and the snow to melt away, then maybe move to the rooftop rotortube.

Tried to work some 6m qsos during the NAC contest, making my place as 4th..Not bad, thinking I only worked maybe 1 hour in total, making first few SSB and CW qsos, then qsy to digitalmodes like JT6M...Longest qso was GW8ASD, 1752km in IO83LB. What a load of fun to work a contest from home..

February 2013

2m NAC time... Off to OH1AU, our clubs VUSHF station in locator: KP10CM. Full contest with some nice conditions on the band.. Worked 1st place. Seems the magic of OH1AU is still there, although many stations are not beaming our way yet, as they dont yet know we are on active again. I remember to tell the few long distance guys, we contact, that we are QRV here in 2m, 70cm and 23cm from now on.. Please turn your beams also this way.
Still there are many things to do on the hill during this year. Fixing all coaxials going in and out. Making room on the table and fixing things in order.

March 2013

Was again up to the hill, OH1AU contest station... 2m NAC test was nice, conditions some what good. Rig decided not to work on SSB, BFO was broken.. Also some other trouble. So we only worked about one hour on FM... No so good results.

Decided to work 6m NAC from home QTH..worked just for fun and made 16 qsos.. Was nice to be on air again from home QTH.

Have started to build a LFA yagi for 70cm... Decided to make a 18element beam with a boomlength of 4,3m. Taking all the material needed, little shopping for the STAUFF connectors, wich are used to mount the element on the boom.

Some little burst from the sun made us some aurora conditions, worked ES5AQ, SM7FMX, OZ3PLH, OH2TL and LY2CH on SSB, aurora didnt mess it up so much.

April 2013

Time for 2m NAC... Janne and I went to the hill again, now with the FT726R fixed.. Still we found some problem with the rig when starting the contest, it was not driving the linear and also the antennas were not turning... Janne first repaired the rig and the quickly the turntable for antennarotor... Conditions were strange, big QSB and signals were going up and down. Managed to work 1st place, nice.

Been building on the 18element LFA yagi for 70cm.. Now with all elements cut to lenght and boom ready for setup. Elements now fitted to boom and making the feedpoint and feed element..maybe the hardest thing on the beam. Antenna seems to be ready, still missing mast connection and feedcoax, so almost done.

First openings on 6m... Magic Band is open, SpE is here!
First station in log was ER1LW.

May 2013

Scored second place in 2m NAC from OH1AU, there was some nice conditions, longest qso was LA2Z at 670km.

Finished the 18element LFA beam for 70cm, works good. Had a chance to test antenna in May 70cm NAC test. Little high swr curve on FM band, but that can be fixed.

Big openings on 6m. Getting some new squares and some DXCCs... EA9 as new one..C3 and CN8 good ones.

Luckily my friend Sami called and he had some towerbase material for me... Well he came and he filled my hole in the ground with concrete.

Started to build the 9el LFA yagi for 2m. Done in full, small tests in the garden... SWR curve seems good and antenna is working. Need to wait to get the tower up and then install the LFA there with 6m 5el LFA and a 3el tribander.

June 2013

Missed the 2m NAC contest due illness but better luck next time, also didnt get anyone else to go and work due short notice...

Finally got a qso with UA2FT on 2m, we have tried few times before but rocks have never been good.
Worked also LY44WFF from KO05, as a new square for me on 2m.

6m openings...Few missed openings, TJ, ZD7 and ZS6.. Well still getting new squares from east, KN area.
Worked SV5BYR with back of antenna, was strong, 59+ here. And after many years of trying too little, 4Z5ML, new DXCC on 6m.

I got some pics from a guy who flies a small plane...from my QTH ofcourse.

July 2013

Again missing 2m contest...Now due summerholiday roadtrip around OH country...Well Janne OH1SDR worked the contest alone, making it to the third place. He missed half an hour from start but got nice qsos.

No much happnening on the radiofront before Finnsh Radioamateur Leagues Summercamp in Evo, Lammi near Hämeenlinna. Just testing some equipment and getting stuff ready for the hamfest.

Decided to take with me a new setup for 2m and 6m, with a tubetower bought from HongKong shop for 9.95e... 2m antenna will be 5el LFA and for 6m, my old 3el DK7ZB yagi.
Starting trip from work with Janne OH1SDR.. Lots of stuff with us. Driving to Evo was nice, sunshine all the way. We were greeted by a 100m tower at the entrance of the hamfest. In the tower were the following antennas, 13el multibander yagi, LFA beams for 2m (Horisontal and vertical) and a 6el LFA for 6m with own rotor.

Our portable setup with 5el LFA for 2m and 3el DK7ZB for 6m with tubetower (cheap from local HongKong supermarket, only 9.95e)

We got our tubetower up with our beams and endfed wire verticals for 10, 15, 20 and 40m.
We didnt take anything for 80 or 160m but we had a HT for 23cm... Actually the first qso after arrivel was made on 23cm band.. Worked Marko OH2BUF, who was portable also on the campsite somewhere. Also before going to check all places in the hamfest, we also setup our tent for sleeping.

August 2013

Finally got the tower up with the help of my friend Janne OH1SDR. Installed also the TH3 Tribander for 10-15-20m. But no cable yet. Also rotator is missing from action, still got to get some cable for rotor and also coax to beam.

Estonian Field Day contest on 2m / 70cm... Nice conditions on 2m, worked plenty ES, SM, YL and SP stations...some good tropo in the air. Even worked some new squares for myself. Nice tropo to SP, worked Slawomir SP2WPY on 70cm, with my small station, 18el LFA yagi and 20W...
Other qsos were done on 2m. Some random qsos on 2m FSK, with few to mention: UR5WD, UR5WCE, DH1WM, OH0/DM2ELM, UA4UK and IV3GTH.. Heard and worked also SP7VC as LA/SP7VC, first in KQ21 and then JP68 on 6m JT6M, both new squares.

September 2013

Started the month with a short drive to Kustavi EU096, worked some 6m qsos, maybe the last Spradic E for this summer. At home the same chokolate tropo conditions continue, working SP2IQW, SP2CHY and SM6CEN, all 700km qsos. OZ4, SK6 and SK1 beacons are all vy strong now. Worked some new OH squares also, OH7PI in KP42 and OH4MVH in KP32. Next few days tropo continues and luckily IARU VHF Contest during weekend, plenty of qsos to SP, OZ, DL, OK, YL...Some of the nicest ones: OZ6TY new #, DL0SWG, OL7M in JO80, few LY stations and SK7MW strong as ever.

Now when tower is up and have the tribander there, installed a cable to it, first test qsos on 15m... VQ9KA and A25JK, both on first calls.. nice signals and beam is working. Beam seems to work on 10, 12, 15 and 20m. Not so good on 17m. Next HL3AKL...then qsy 20m, RI1ANU, VE3RZ, VE3DZ, PY2DY and 7X2ARA. Seems ok on 20m also.

Been working on the rotor, had some minor problems with it but now its up and turning in the tower. Making some nice DX on 15m, H44MK Maggie came to reply my CQ, nice chat with her. After her worked 5R5FL Andreas from Madagaskar. Easy new DX from Papua New Guinea, P29LL Albert.

Working some PSK also, getting plenty stateside calls, some Cubans and Japan... PJ4M from Bonaire, was on the air on 15m, worked Frank and just after him VP9HE Albert from Bermuda on 20m. Few days after, worked XE3IARU on 15m psk31 with also HP500OP.

October 2013

JAs and BYs on 15m psk31...Also 10m open, worked there also few BY stations. TO2TT worked on 12m with CX2DK also. New DXCC CY0P Sable island on 15m ssb. That was a nice one.

Been monitoring these small floatters / Balloons from UK. Leo Bodnar makes small balloons with transponders that tx on HF or 70cm fly their way from the UK. B-15 was the first one to come all the way to Finland, flew right past my QTH and all the way to the Russian border. Then dissapered. Few days later B-17 was sent, coming this way also. They both sent their data on 70cm, wich I have a vertical to use for this kind of operations. Decoding software was FLDIGI HAB version, mode DominoEX16. Worked nice, B-17 got in range and was headed this way also, but started to desent maybe due WX, raining. Balloon dropped to a small island just outside Nauvo and stayed there on the ground for 4hours, after wich it got some lift or wind blew it up again.. Travelling several tens of kilometers and then dropping again. Now the sad part, dissapearing at 1002m agl, one cant know where it landed. Sadly it was not recovered. Some useful links: Tracking these floatters - IRC NET for highaltitude

Been working the bands for some new ones. V26RA from Antigua. KG4WV new one, worked on 10m. Found also PJ2 and PJ4 new band points on 10m. OA6Q new DXCC and also worked on 10m, its been wide open past few days... Hope it last to CQWW SSB contest, then there is a chance to catch more nice DX. Have been trying to catch some DX with my new 40m sloper antennas, but seems that I am always too late on the DX freq, there is often a massive pileup for those and my 100W is not enough. Works well to Europe, getting good reports.

Finally had some time to put the 2m LFA yagi to its final high on top of the tower. Coax is also coming down to shack, tests show the antenna is working.

Well thats all for now, will see what the weekend brings with it... CQ CQ CQ WW SSB CONTEST!!!

Worked some nice qsos during CQ WW. KL7KY from Alaska on 15m, 9Y4D Trinind&Tobago on 20m, Also HK1NA, TO5A and mny more on 20m. Lots of JAs and BAs on 10m with also E2E, AH2R, XW0YJY, 5X1NH and mny lots more DX... Only worked for fun and searching for some new bandpoints and possible DXCCs.

November 2013

Started by working Z60A with Martti OH2BH in the other end on 10meters.

Then it was time to do some IOTA activity. OH10TA was QRV from Kustavi island for few days again. Mainly working 2m FSK / Meteorscatter qsos.
There was no much radiostuff going on in November, mostly planning for December and testing equipment. Plans are to be QRV from Pyhätunturi in KP37 square. Will take 2m and 6m yagis and Windom for possible HF qsos...

Also installed Xmas lights to the tower...Running up and down on the side of the tower.

December 2013

TEKSTIII VAAN TÄHÄN SITTEN!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! KORJAA KUVAT Vuosissa!!! 9H3MK kuva sekä Good Old Times... Ainakin...Galleriaan uusia kuvia, myös good old times ja 9H3MK shack kuvaa, voi laittaa muitakin reissu fotoja. Lappi storyy tähän, HF ja 2m 6m biimi kuvaa. Windomi kuvaa?? Ylhäältä katolta ehkä antennit vinossa kuvaa tähän joulukuu tekstiin. Uudet QSL kortit. QSL tarjouksesta hieman jotain infoo... fukdfhgkhdfgkvhrvh ty cruiy vvyruityv rhvn ty8ryvn lrtyrv ruiot