Year of DXing 2014

January 2014

Happy New Year everyone from Lapland, North Finland.
New year was celebrated here above the Arctic Circle.

The year changed in peace and radios are still on. My small setup in Lapland gave me some nice qsos, but also something to improve for the next trip.
Next time need to take with me one of the 9el Tonnas for 2m and one of the 2m amplifiers. Also need to check if the laptop that I had with me is ok for digital as this time there seemed to be some QRM from it to WSJT software.. But have already bought a "new" laptop wich I will test at home before going anywhere again. Tried to make a sked with Janne OH1SDR on 40 / 80m but no luck for a qso. We were out in the wrong time.

My setup on the kitchen table...

Now at home... Time for Quadrantids meteorshower. Just running random qsos. Got a qso with EI3KD 2105km, nice one! Also worked some new squares. Fast and easy in big meteorshower like this. OH9EKT Vadim, also UA1ZFG, was now in Inari, KP38sp, got him on 2m, it was actually a new square for me. FB!

Also took part in the years first Northern Activity Contest on 6m, coming out as 3rd in SSB/CW/Digital category.

After the shower made some qsos on 6m MS too. PA, DL, ON and OZ worked. Now starts the quiet and looooooooong wait for next bigger meteorshower, they say these few months are so weak. We need to wait until April, Lyrids shower will be the next one.

Moving more to be QRV on HF... Well seems its a good time to be QRV on HF bands, making qso with FT5ZM Amsterdam island on 15m and later on 40m, both on SSB.

February 2014

Yet another band for FT5ZM, now worked on 20m at 2315UTC, late night qso on 20m... BOOMing signal. This was no small DXpedition! They made a good job!

IA0MZ / CE9 Antarctica worked on 20m also, conditions have been nice. Other new ones have been Jim E51JD from South Cook Island on 20m, V51WH new band points on 10m and also ZD8D on 10m.

One day during my cooking downstairs (shack is on the second floor) a friend Allan OH1FJK called to me on our local repeater and told 9Y-station was booming on 20m. Went upstairs and work Andy 9Y4LAS vy easy with a few calls.

Was up to the tower and turned my 2m LFA beam back to compass direction as one of the storms we had during the winter had turned it of the point. On the same trip took a look at the cables going up, all ok and made them tighter and better. Now waiting to have some time, will put the 5el LFA for 6m up there.
Did put a inverted-L antenna up for 160m, made only a few OH qsos with it, might need to put some more radials for it.

Vy nice conditions on bands during day time, I have had the opportunity to be at home during the week so have been able to work lots of nice QSOs...
Worked UA2F on 160m, was nice to see the Inv-L antenna working outside of OH :)
Been working on 10m, meny qsos to ZL and JA, mny UA0/9s, HS stations... Condx have been great.

March 2014

Condititons are still great, ARRL DX contest... worked nice stateside DX.
Was hanging around in 244 DXNET the other night... Had some stations come and work me, myself worked KP4BME, HI8IQE, KN3X and 8R1Z, wich I think was a new one for me maybe...

Had a long chat with ZB2FX on 17m, a new band dxcc for me. 6W1QL Jul was calling CQ on 15m, a nice QSO to 6W with him, afterwards huge pileups... 9J2T is active... worked on 10 and later on 12m... Italians make good dxpeditions!

Another new one Elmo, EA5BYP is active from Annobon island as 3C0BYP, worked on 15m. New DXCC for me.

FG4NN worked on 10m and minutes later ZS8C Carson also on 10m.

OH1LEG Juha is currently working 5weeks from EA8, Cran Canary. He is there on holiday with his family. Picked him up on 10, 12, 15, 40 and 80m... Nice! We tried one evening/night on 160m but for me it was a no copy...

Been working weekend and few days of holiday from the cottage in Kustavi, IOTA EU096. Mainly been running BPSK31 qsos with the small equipment here.
Simple endfed wire verticals that are fed just above the ground, 15m and 20m verticals are just fed around 2-3m... 10m vertical is a little higher.
I have been working with the special call OH1ØTA.

OH1ØTA Kustavi Island IOTA EU096

Kustavi is a small city in the archipelago, part of IOTA EU096, about 70km by car from Turku City and 85km from my home QTH.
Locator is KP00PN and I have and will also work meteorscatter from here.

Have planned some small activity with the Italian crew to this place also, here we got everything, electricity and seaside just outside the shack :)

Visit Kustavi

Planning to be active from KP44CD square in April, dates will be 13.4 - 20.4-2014.. QRV on 2m, 6m and HF. Will take 9el for 2m, 3el for 6m and Windom for HF...
This will be a family holiday so mostly QRV during evenings...

Nice going!!! Just got the 6m 5el LFA beam up to the tower during weekend!

Worked few qsos only during WPX SSB, had limited time on radio, but managed to get a few good qsos. Worked J8/UA4CC, new DXCC.
VP2VAK, HI3CCHI3CC, NP2P, ZP9CME, VR2/IV3TAN, FM4KA and many JAs... just to mention few nice ones.

April 2014

No good April Fools... worked Anguilla VP2ETE, 10m on the 2nd day, new DXCC...

C7A new call for UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), found them calling on 20m, one call in Russian language and he picked me up from the pileup :) 59 both ways. Was easy. Then worked PJ2/DL8OBQ on 10m.

First Tuesday of the month...Time for 2m NAC evening... It means going up to OH1AU to make soem qsos for 4hours...
Test results for OH stations can be found here.

Looks like we scored good :) condx were not vy good but still worked few nice and long qsos...SM7 and OH7, OH8...

Now back to working from Kustavi IOTA EU096... Will run some PSK and SSB qsos duting spare time.

OH8 area is calling.... OH1MN/8 on the Air from Vuokatti near Kajaani in North Finland.
Small setup this time due lack of skibox on car... Could only take a 5el LFA beam for 2m and 3el for 6m + Windom for HF.
Due big winds and storm the 3el for 6m got damaged early days. Repaired the dipol for use and worked few qsos on MS.
More focus on 2m then, but with this small setup did only 10qsos, of wich luckily most were new # for other stations.

Did also make a few qsos on HF, some qsos down to south Finland with local friends.
Holiday is over and packed all again to the car and drove home.

Been fixing the setup at home, now temperarely coax is up for 2m LFA beam, will install the SP2000 preamp and then make the coaxial from preamp to antenna.
Moved also the old coax from 2m yagi to 6m 5el LFA, so now all antennas in tower are on the air.
Still need to fix power to preamp but running few qsos without it.

Worked G4SWX for fun on 2m, JO02RF 1585km away...So setup works :)

200530 22.2 940 11 27 -21 73 73 73 G4SWX 73 73 73 G4SWX

Looks just like years before, as the meteorshowers get more active, less activity for me on HF bands. Well hope to make this year an exception and focus also on HF bands, mainly to get new DXCCs during activations.
This months last qso was made to SV9 with OH1VR Seppo, there on holiday. QSO was made on 17m CW with my 40m halfwave slopers that tune and work perfectly on 17m.

May 2014

Been monitoring 2m MS freq 144370 for few days, worked OZ5AGJ Benny from locator JO47ia, wich was a new one for me on 2m.
After Benny worked DF1JC Reiner from JO31og, both pretty short distance qsos but tells me that my new setup is working...

Quick drop to HF, D3AA calling CQ on 12m, called once and got a good reply with 59 back to me.

Finally hitting 6m ES opening up to North also... Getting stations from YO, DL, PA, G, I, UR and many more. Although I have not had much time on the radio, did work some MS qsos on 2m also. From home QTH and also during holiday in Kustavi.

June 2014

I see that some have been checking into my website if its been updated. But....sri I have been too busy with things to get it updated. I would like to update each month with new stories and pics but been simply too busy with work, children, wife and house :)

Few openings to JA in the mornings on 6m, there has been some openings to W1 direction but nothing here.

Worked a new square and DXCC, Alex EA8DBM in the log on 6m SSB... FB qso to Canary Islands.

Made a long weekend trip to ES8 area, had with me a small setup, small VHF/UHF setup in the car and FT897 in the house with small antennas for 10, 15 and 20m... Didnt make many qsos as was having family holiday and was just short time. Maybe next summer will take more time and pack also some more VHF gear with me.

July 2014

Seems I am still too busy for radio :), well seems I have not missed much due lack of good conditions. Worked EX9T the other day, I think was new DXCC and # for me, havent yet checked logs...Too busy. And will be more busy forward on, sadly. The new roof material for our house has arrived and soon will need to start putting the roof on our house.

Few qsos to OK, SP direction on 6m also... Have not forgotten to monitor HF this summer... But with so little time on radio, no qsos yet there :)

Heard KL7KY few days and tried calling but with my 100W and 5el LFA cant seem to make the trip... Further more saw that my LFA feedelement / loop is broked...needs some fixing. Noticed it when transmitting, that SWR was rising up too high.

Today had a little break from the roofmaking and had time to climb the tower and lower down the 5el LFA... Took the antenna down, fixed new loop ends to the LFA, checked the antenna condition othervise ===> OK :). Then up with it.
Installed it back into the tower and tested, works perfect, just missing conditions... Well will monitor for Seppo as he is QRV as OH1VR/VP9 in Bermuda for IARU HQ contest. Also WRTC contest this weekend....

Will keep monitoring bands!

No copy from Seppo in VP9 on 6m. Chatted with Alex IW5ELA on our 2m repeater, he was visiting Turku and OH on his way to OH0. Sadly was late night for Eyeball qso but talked that maydbe next time then. Also noticed that DL1NZA Hoje was going around in Turku on ARPS map... Tried calling efw times on repeater and 145.500 but no reply.
I saw later that day that DL1NZA Hoje was camping just 5km from my QTH...Decided to take a drive next morning to his camp, but only mobile was there and Hoje and XYL was treking the woods. Left my QSL on his window and a sticker from our club OH1AA.

That day was hot and had to go to the club for some tower work... We took down one old 42m tower that had our WARC beam and 6el for 15m.

Thats me and my friend Patrik taking down the WARC beam...Rest is history....

Later that day heard Hoje calling on the repeater. Talked a little and I halped him to go and get his eyeglasses fixed... After they fixed them they dropped by my QTH for chat and eyeball qso. Was fun to meet up with a radiovoice.

Was othervise also a fantastic weekend, CQ WW VHF contest was on. Worked just for fun and managed to get 121 QSOs, 6qsos & 5# on 2m and 115qsos & 73# on 6m. Had good time with few vy good pileups for me.
It was nice to see that KP10 was interresting to so many. Did some long qsos also, like Alex EA8DBM and Joe CT1HZE. Only problem was that I didnt have that much time to work the contest due homework that needed to be done. But happy with the result and all qsos.

Tropo has been trying to peak, hearing lots of beacons from SM, OZ and one LA but no, NO stations QRV during weekdays on 2m... Even the SK1 70cm beacon is coming loud.

Finally this evening Michal SP2IQW was calling on 144.300, wich then lead to qso with him! 2m Tropo, but still no stations. Big thanks to Michal SP2IQW for being QRV.
Been setting laptop + trip gear for KO19 pedtion ready, some testtransmission done on 2m MS, worked once again DF1JC in JO31 1400km.

All looks good, final adjustments with Janne OH1SDR. Plan is to be QRV on the 16th August from KO19FX locator in Lövö island, for iotahunters, its also IOTA EU096.

Sadly this is just after Perseids shower but will be good test and QTH try for next time.

August 2014

Looks like Perseids shower is already showing some rocks... Worked Nick RX4CQ in LO31, new # for me. 1860km easy qso, many strong bursts. Also RW4HW was logged from LO43, distance was 1800km. Few tropo qsos with SM4BDQ and UA1ANA, tried others but no luck.

Continued working random MS qsos on 2m, making nice contacts, good rocks from time to time. Making qsos with Martin GM6VXB/P in IP90KL, new square for me. Quite rare as small island with a lighthouse that Martin was fixing. PA3BWE Antoon and PE1OPK Bram were easy to work, short QRB qsos but always nice.

Then test with Marco IV3CYT was a success, 1731km into JN65tw making it a qso with RRRs and 73!. I was trying to look for more new # but with most new missing worked others, David OK1RK making it also to my log.

Got to try with RA3UAG into LO06gu, short QRB but new one for me... 1123km qso was done and I got another new #.

With such luck on short QRB, worked also Andy SP3IYM in JO82LJ only 972km away giving me also a new square. One long waited square was also active in KST chat, JO11 by PA5KM Henk, asked if he was free for sked and so we worked, was not that hard as QRB only 1527km. Some others also found their way into my log of wonders.... S59R Kope, G4SWX John, S51AT Boris. Martin OE1ILW/3 was portable in JN77XX, a new one for me, worked him from there, making a qso of 1466km. HB9FAP Fabio made the log :) and mny others.

I also tried few times to work some 2m EME with Franco I2FAK, but not making it, heard him and many others in the moonrise, but during our tests the moon was already too high for me. We will try another time.

Today packed the van and tomorrow morning start to KO19 Lövö island together with Janne OH1SDR.

Early morning start to pickup Janne, then driving more then 1½hours to KO19, searching a good QTH on the island, visited few places and then decided to stay at mobilephone linktower. Good QTH, good view 360° and away from noisy neighbours. Setup of stations was done quite fast...

As we got on air, both bands almost at the same time, first qsos were: DL6DAO on 6m and DK3XT on 2m. Fantastic place, great views and nice to be on air from KO19FX! Janne was operating 2m with Yaesu FT726R, linear ~150W and 9el yagi at about 5m AGL. I was on 6m with FT897, 100W and 3el DK7ZB yagi at about 5m AGL also.

We worked as hard as we could to give KO19 to as many needing it, we heard many callers on 2m and tried qsos but some qsos ended up with timeout due no copi of RRR`s sadly.. Would have wanted to log each and everyone. But still Janne got 15qsos done on 2m and I worked 33qsos on 6m.

You can find more pics and the log here

I actually spinned the VFO to HF today... Worked a few DX into the log, 5E7R on 10m, ZW8T, PR8EP, PX2A and PT2CM on 15m and SG0U on 20m from EU084 Traskö Island.

September 2014

Back to VHF :)

Weekend full of contests on VHF.. IARU VHF Contest and Finnish Foneralli aka PhoneRalley freely translated :) Well its just 2m contest now, 3rd part of 4 contests. Last one will be in October, on 70cm.

Nice conditions from early morning! HA, SP and OK stations worked. In the Foneralli made just few qsos... SP, 2 OK, 6 SM, 1 OH and 1 ES...

More and more focus on HF again after summertime Sporadic Es on VHF... Bands seem very good and making nice qsos on 10 trough 20m...
9K9GHL worked on 15 and 20m. YY2CAR/QRP on 15m, giving him another DXCC for his licence...
TY1AA DXpedition worked on 15m from Benin.

Also JW2OTA Svalbard worked on 20m, once again a group of LA-Amateurs there giving the JW prefix to DXers.

October 2014

Started the month with a nice QSO on 20m band, to Bhutan with Pekka OH1TV, signing as A52O.

Bands are open and working HF is fun again... 9N1AA worked on 10m, PJ5/OL8R dxpedition worked on 10, 15 and 17m... W1AW/KL7 booming signal on 20m. And KP4NS came to reply my CQ on 10m the other day. KC4AAA worked on 20m over the north pole to south pole... We had a laugh about this... Must work loooong path to get him :)
AH6UN came also on 20m.

T30D Westerns Kiribati new DXCC worked on 15m.

FO/DF1YP was worked over the pole on 20m, with a nice touch of Aurora in the signal.

Another new one in the log... Tot J69MV also logged on 20m. After Tot worked J85K Kumar on St Vincent in the Caribian.

Worked just for fun the 6m NAC, got qsos to SM, OH, ES and one LA station. Also SAC on HF...making just 62 qsos, but still taking part. Luckily we won SM-Land once again.

5Z4/DJ4EL in Kenya logged on 10m, short qso but with strong signal. Worked also 3B8DB Taher on 10m, new band..

Time for CQ WW SSB part... Decided to pick the best from the band :)

Started the contest with a new one for me, VK9XSP. Got them on 10m, fantastic I say!

Well as only picking good DX on the bands worked on 10m, E21YDP, S79K new DXCC and ZD8X Jorma, even got the card already via Direct. Big thanks Jorma OH2KI ! ! !

When moving to 15m, got another all time new one, VK9LM / Lord Howe. And another 2 more...Conditions are great! Logged VP5DX and ZF2DX. ZD8W also worked on 15m.

VU2RBI, XW1IC, JV5A, T6T and then the Finnish boys in Mariana Islands, AH0K.

Great signals during CQ WW, not many qsos done, looking at raw scores...17th out of 26 OH station, 885/1035 in Europe and 1627/1951 World stats.. but well only making a few DX calls :)

November 2014

Building a new antenna... 4element on 12m, it has been a tought for a long time, now got the time to make one. Searched the web for a design and modified my old 10m 4el yagi.

SWR is good and seems to work quite good, first qsos made, Michael 9H5DX in Malta and 5R8M Madagascar. Also VP8LP/100 and VP8AIB/100, both worked on different days.

Been chasing for Also FT4TA Tromelin Island for few day.. Finally making the log on 15m and later on 10m, happy with those!!

They have made a good trip and excellent job of bringing on of the Most Wanted to many DXers!

Logbook is looking good.

Just looking forward on rxing more cards and sending mine out!

Since last update, worked FM5EB on 17m and FG5DH on 20m.
Conditions have been ok, worked also VU4KV, a new DXCC for me on 15m. Was nice to get them, was almost by accident I heard them and called just few times and right on spot on their split freq. Worked the 6m NAC, mainly OH and ES stations.
Been trying to get few new squares on 2m FSK via MS, hard work with only few random stones. OZ6ABA and GM4ZJI were complited qsos and new #.
Worked also ZD8JR Henri (OH3JR) from Ascencion on 12m and T6T second band, before on 10m and now on 12m.

December 2014

Hard work and not so much play... Have not had that much rdio time, thought did have a Friday of fun and play with OH1SDR Janne, we tested the THz Beacon/Repeater that he has made. We did see the beacon txing one kilometer away, was fun trying to hear it in a dark rainy evening.

Mostly now planing for the second trip to Lövö island, IOTA EU096, KO19 square, plans are to leave vy early Saturday morning and a quick setup then QRV on 2m and 6m. Geminids shower peak is expected around Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th, so I bealive we can make alot of qsos... Hope the incoming storm will not damage our antennas... But hopes are high and feeling good about going on a trip again.

Will leave you with these pics and OH10TA webpage

I had to try early stones from Geminids, so hit the band and worked some qsos on 2m before packing equipment off for KO19 LÖVÖ island trip.
Managed to get a long searched square in Germany when DK1MG was QRV from JN39. New # for me on 2m.
Then a few more other in PA, OK, DL... Packing radio, linear, antennagear, tubetowers, coaxials, laptop, power generator, fuel, table and chairs to the van... See you next time from KO19!

We survived KO19! We had some issues but we cleared them and worked all day and night on 2m and 6m. 6m was little of a dissapointment as not that many stations, or conditions.
Luckily 2m was working fantastic and Janne OH1SDR did a great job in the pileup!
We took off a little earlier then last time, picked Janne up at 0400UTC and headed to Lövö KO19. As we drove to the island, we saw that the snowstorm is hitting us hard...
Only one set of tracks going on the road. More snow coming all the time. Luckily as we crossed the old ferry place, now a huge bridge, there was no snow on the otherside.
The storm front was behind us and just wet all around in Lövö.

As we got to our "campsite" wich was the same as last time, good location without any neighbours near (maybe 3km to nearest house). We setup our station in the van as last time.
Antennas 9el for 2m and 3el for 6m up in the tubetowers. Generator was behind the linktower cabin so not making any noise or QRM for us. We had our stations up quickly, but then the trouble began...
When setting up the computer and rig, I noticed that I had left my USB-Serial adapter at home...Damn!
Well after thinking some, Janne said its not a problem, I could drive the rig on VOX and just use all audio cables.
Problem solved after 10minutes. Next we had Jannes laptop wich was showing some trouble in the audioplugs, the right channel wich WSJT uses for TX audio was not working,
first we thought it was just the cable but quickly realized it was the laptop...
Janne did some searching in the WWW and fixed the problem with a virtual audioport, now using the left channel as right channel.
Meanwhile I had worked a few stations, now that both stations were up and running pileups the feeling was good. As looking outside, we could see the weather changing also for us.
Allready during antenna setup there was some rain, but now going more into snowflakes... The size of half a palm :)
Well as the temperature outside was about -1 to -2°C we minimized the turning of antennas and turned both at the same time, no rotor, just armstrong.
2 rigs, 2 laptops, a linear and a powersupply was barely keeping the van warm inside, we took also a 900W heater to keep us warm. I write also some more story and pics to OH10TA webpage.
But we worked 27 qsos on 2m and 18 on 6m and 4qsos on 20m SSB. Did have some trouble with the 20m antenna also so this is why so few qsos there.
Storm took our 6m yagi down before we could add the guywires/ropes to the pole. Reflector was broken in half and other element bent but we fixed them on the spot.
Sometime around 0100UTC we stopped and dismanteled our stations and antennas. Then there was the long way home again to get some sleep. But as I said when starting, WE SURVIVED!

Next time from KO19 we will have also 4m with us, as I just got my Yaesu FT847 from G0MGX Mark. Just need to make a portable 4m yagi.

One happy guy!

Worked a few stations from home also during Geminids, PA5DD and IK4PMB who gave me a new #, JN54 1950km on 2m.

And so I started to build a LFA for 4m..Made a 5element.

SWR curve looks vy good in the tubetower where I test most my antennas.
So a real life test for the beam, December 18th, 4m Northern Activity Contest. First worked a few local OH stations on FM, then few on SSB. Then quickly worked OZ2OE in JO45 907km on FSK.
Now have worked KP10, KP21 and JO45 on 4m. Much more to work in the future and when I get the antenna to the roof tube with rotor things will get much easier.
Just a few other qsos made on 4m, been too busy. Due ice and snow on the roof I have no access to the rooftube with rotor... SP9HWY and SP3RNZ worked from Poland, both giving me a new square, JO90 and JO92. Also worked OZ1JXY from JO46, but thats about it... See you next year and thanks for following my writtings!