In an email tonight from OY1OF Ólavur Frederiksen explains that the air waves over the Faroe Islands have been quieter than normal this summer due to the shack renovation of the FRA HQ. Floors, ceilings and roof have all been replaced. Thanks to Ólavur for the following photographic images of the work being done. It is great to hear the Islanders “On Air” from the new refurbished shack. You can view more of Ólavur’s gallery here.
John 9M6XRO, Steve 9M6DXX and Gordon 9M6/G3USR arrived back in Kota Kinabalu last night. John reports:
“6578 in 3.5 days. Gordon & Steve made 3064 on SSB and I did 3514 as 9M6XRO/P on CW, so it was close to a 50-50 split between SSB and CW (46.6% SSB and 53.4% CW). I have had a lot of nice emails in and the DX Cluster comments for us look pretty good too. We are all very happy with the QSO count, and we gave out a lot of “new ones” for 9M6 even for the non-IOTA chasers.”
Both logs have been uploaded onto the online log search this afternoon, also to LoTW. The team will be meeting tomorrow to decide which photographs to use for the QSL cards which will be designed soon.
I received a telephone call from Stuie VK8NSB today. Sadly his QSL Manager and personal friend VK6NE passed away.
Stuie asked me to take over QSL Management for VK8NSB. New QSL cards will be available very soon. Please be patient while we print new cards.
I have uploaded the log for VK8NSB onto my logsearch.
QSL is Direct Via M0URX or Bureau via my Online QSL Request Service.
Any QSL cards already in the Bureau system will be rerouted.
Today more boxes of QSL cards arrived from the RSGB Bureau. Here is a breakdown of the work in progress:
Incoming Bureau cards arrived 28th September 2010 for the following call series.
2,700 QSL cards for the G4Dxx – Sorted and dispatched 30/09/2010.
1,400 QSL cards for the G4Rxx – Sorted and dispatched 01/10/2010.
3,200 QSL cards Via M0URX. 4,600 Dispatched 05/11/2010
The Sebatik Island OC-295 Team are ready for the long drive from their base in Kota Kinabalu. 9M6XRO John sent me his latest log update today with the following text.
“I just thought I’d clear the decks before leaving for Sebatik Island in the morning so I will send you the 9M6XRO log up to date. We have the CRV all packed and ready to roll at 6am in about 7 hours time for the 550km to Tawau, overnight there, then boat to Sebatik about noon L/T on the 24th. We hope to have at least one station on by the 24th evening but I think we can manage to get both set up with a bit of luck. We met the deputy headmaster of the Wallace Bay school for lunch today in KK and from his description things have improved a lot since 2006 and sounds like we will have no problem setting up the two stations and antennas on the jetty which he says is 300 ft long with lighting along its length.
OK, we’ll see. I’ll get this off to you then pack the laptop – and my camera this time! 73 – John – 9M6XRO”
9M6XRO/P (CW) and 9M6DXX/P (SSB) are now both active on IOTA OC-295. This is only the second time that OC-295 has been active, the last time was in July 2006 with 3,600 QSOs logged with the call sign 9M4SEB. So we are expecting this activity to be in demand by IOTA hunters. There will be two QSL cards printed, one for each callsign so if you do work both please check my Direct & Bureau Instructions for QSL Info.
Where is Sebatik Island? Click Here > Map of Sebatik Island OC-295
The log will be uploaded AFTER the activity in a few days.
25 August 2010 – 3,500 QSL cards Via M0URX arrived from the RSGB Bureau. All QSL cards have now been processed, there are a total of 4,500 cards that will be sent to World Bureaus.
90 direct letters also posted Wednesday 1st September.
ZC4VJ Andy ends transmissions from ZC4
ZC4VJ – Andy reports that his duties in Sovereign Base of Cyprus have now come to an end. Andy has sent me his last log update which takes the total amount of Qs in the ZC4VJ log to 66,000. Andy will soon return back to the United Kingdom.
Following their operation from Sebatik Island (OC-295) from 24 to 27 September (see below), John, 9M6XRO; Steve, 9M6DXX, and Gordon, G3USR, will operate as 9M6XRO/P, 9M6DXX/P and 9M6/G3USR respectively, from Labuan Island OC-133, from 5 to 8 October inclusive (and possibly approx 0000-0200GMT on 9 October). Activity will be on SSB, CW and RTTY with two stations using amplifiers to a Hexbeam, verticals and a 160m inverted-L very close to the ocean. All bands from 10 to 160 metres will be used. QSL 9M6XRO/P and 9M6DXX/P via M0URX, and 9M6/G3USR via home call.
73, Steve, 9M6DXX
ANNOUNCING OC-295 SEBATIK ISLAND IOTA DXPEDITION 24-27 SEPTEMBER 20109M6XRO, 9M6DXX, 9W6AMC, 9W6LEE and G3USR plan to activate the rare IOTA island of Pulau Sebatik, OC-295, from 24 to 27 September inclusive. The operation will be on 10 – 80m with the emphasis on 15 – 40m. Two stations will be used with amplifiers to a HexBeam and verticals located directly above the sea water. Callsigns will be 9M6XRO/P on CW and 9M6DXX/P on SSB and it is hoped to have both stations on the air during all the major openings to Europe and North America. OC-295 has only been claimed by 14.2% of IOTA participants, having been activated just once before, in July 2006. QSL both callsigns via M0URX, direct, bureau, or LoTW. See Sebatik Island for further details and for a link to M0URX’s on-line QSL request form for both direct and bureau cards.
SPONSORS
The operators of the 2010 OC-295 Sebatik Island DXpedition would like to thank IREF.Inc CDXC Chiltern DX Club & GMDX for their generous sponsorship of this DXpedition.
A number of “Not in log” QSL cards have recently been returned to sender for reasons that I would like to bring to the attention of readers. There was a pirate operating at some point and also when Andy gets persistent callers there has been the case where band police interfere saying “xxxx you are 59!
I was talking to Andy this week and discussed this with him and Andy told me that he is strict with logging, a correct signal report exchange MUST be confirmed both ways for you to be logged. After all this IS the correct way that a 2 way QSO should be conducted.
Andy WILL NOT reward any bad operating; persistent callers who do not stand by will not be logged. LISTEN carefully and before you send me your QSL card check my online log search.
Once again this morning I have had to report to Ofcom an interference problem that has caused major problems to my Amateur Radio Station. After the initial investigations back in March 2010, two deivces were found to be faulty, a plasma TV and also a mast head TV pre amp. Both of the previous matters were resolved by Ofcom who i have to say dealt with my complaints very well. So now I have S9 plasma TV type noise again and I have to start the whole complaint off again. I will keep you informed of progress.
Ofcom field engineer will be here to investigate this week.
130 direct QSL cards were sent in the post on Thursday 12th August.
