Today’s email from John 9M6XRO includes some photographs taken today at the Borneo Amateur Radio Club of East Malaysia. John explains “I took these photos ‘up the hill’ today when we were working on the ants. One shows Rahim 9W6RHM up the tower working on the Cushcraft A4S beam. Another also shows the 100ft tower behind the clubhouse. There are various VHF repeater ants mounted on it plus the 160-80-40m trapped dipole. Unfortunately we cannot get the trapped dipole all the way up as there is a family of mynah birds nesting right at the very top and they dive bomb any climber who starts to get anywhere near them! Mynah’s CAN talk but they have not entered into any negotiations so far (hi).

The other photo shows the view from the foot of the tower looking towards KK. We are up a fair height, unfortunately that’s why we keep getting struck by lightning! The top of the hill has a flat area of about 200′ square and slopes away quite dramatically on 3 sides. The road up is not for the faint hearted as it is narrow and with deep potholes that come and go, and land slips in heavy rain are not unknown. I have been ‘trapped’ up there on occasion due to the WX.
John has taken part in this weekends CQ WPX CW Contest and the log has now been uploaded to LoTW.

At last I have managed to log Panama, not a difficult entity to work just one that has taken me an age to log! HK3AK Jay was on 18.117 MHz this evening with a huge pile up from Europe, I tried to remain patient, it is not easy when you are only using a mini beam but not impossible! So thanks Jay for hearing my call! Also in the log today was TL0A Chris on 28.495 MHz from Central African Republic, on Multi Hop Es.
This afternoon I logged 9J2BO on 14.322 MHz Brian operating out of Lusaka, Zambia. TG9NX in Guatemala logged on 18.139 MHz so not a bad night in the end!

Pictured on the left is Jay HP3AK in Panama. 

This year like any other I am trying to work as many DXCC in the year as possibale, a little friendly banter between myself and some friends to see who can get the most DXCC or band slots. It is a difficult year with sunspots at a minimum so it is very hard going. SSB only here, I am currently on 171 DXCC in 2009. One application that you can use to calculate the band slots is by G7VJR Michael called Club Log that I have written about before in my blog, to find out more information about what Club Log does go to: http://www.clublog.org/about.php all you need to do is register and upload your ADIF file.

On Monday evening I had a QSO with CP8XA Ivan Davison in Beni BOLIVIA on 17m. I was unsure if the QSL card would get through, so I sent a courtesy email to his  address. Within minutes i had a reply from his son which i thought i would share with you.

“I am glad that you managed to contact my father and if you do so again please tell him that his son said hi. 

QSL cards….the mail system in Bolivia is poor and due to my fathers remote location, sending QSL cards regularly is not viable, indeed, some times he doesn’t even receive some cards. 
Anyway, when I next get a rare call from my father I will mention this email amongst the other which I have for him, and I thank you on his behalf for the contact. When he visits the capital sporadically, he usually endeavours to send out QSL cards but this may not be for months.  Many thanks, and I enclose a picture, Son of CP8XA”

I learned today that John Bearsby VK6JB sadly passed away last Wednesday night in his sleep.
I only knew John for a short while when he asked me to look after his QSL management for him.
Through my blog i would like to pass on my sincere condolences to his partner Mila, family and friends. R.I.P John.

Number 269 Confirmed arrived in the post this morning TL0A Christian operating from Central African Republic

Christian continues to be very active from TL from whichever band is producing results from 20m – 10m.

QSL is Via TL0A address in France

Christian Saint Arroman
Chemin de Mouteguy
64990 Urcuit,
FRANCE

Please do not send QSL requests to me! This is a BLOG!

Saturday 16th May 2009.
As the first sunspot group for some time gives us a welcome boost of optimism, propagation lifts just enough to be able to work JD1BIE Shigeaki Miyamae on 18.123 MHz today, a new band slot for me. Shige is operating from. Ogasawara Island (Group) OC-030 Volcano Islands. QSL is Via his call on QRZ.com.
Pictured on the right is JD1BIE Shigeaki Miyamae.

Steve, 9M6DXX (G4JVG), will operate as FK/G4JVG from Noumea (OC-032) from 22 May until 3 June, and as G4JVG/VK4 from North Stradbroke Island (OC-137) from 7 to 9 June. Both operations will be ‘holiday style’ while celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary with Eva, 9M6EVA. Activity will be SSB only, using 100 watts to ‘fishing rod’

verticals on 40, 20, 17 and perhaps 15m. QSL Via Tim, M0URX, Direct, Via Bureau or LoTW.

On beahlf of all, may I congratulate Steve & Eva on their 25th Wedding Anniversary. Tim M0URX

This morning I received a log update from Steve 9M6DXX, LoTW and my online log search have both been updated. Steve comments:

“I found a good opening to JA on 10m yesterday and worked a few. I discovered it as I heard a big pile-up in Japanese on 28495, on an otherwise apparently dead band, and this turned out to be Masa, JD1BMM, working the JAs. I tried calling him for about 10 mins as I hadn’t worked Minami Torishima on 10m before, but I couldn’t get through the JA wall. When his signal started going down in QSB I gave up, went down 15kHz and called CQ only to get a JA pile-up myself, with a couple of BYs and HLs for good measure, then a solitary VK8 off the back of the beam. I had a bit of a chat with the VK8 and then Masa called me! it seems he’s working for DXCC and hasn’t worked 9M6 on 10m before.”

9M6DXX QSL Via M0URX

Steve is the author of the ‘World Licensing and Operating Directory’, a guide to getting on the air from over 200 countries and territories around the world, which is published by the RSGB – please see

http://www.rsgbshop.org/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Operating___DX_13.html

The World Licensing and Operating Directory is lavishly illustrated throughout with over 230 photographs and maps. There is information on how to obtain an amateur radio licence in almost every country in the world – but this is only part of the story. There is information on organising a DXpedition and “All you wanted to know about licensing (but were afraid to ask)”. There is also a major section of the book that provides full details of how to rent more than 75 amateur radio stations around the globe – from Europe to the Pacific and from the Arctic to the Equator! There is a 32-page full-colour section with spectacular photographs of rental stations, including some of the most impressive antenna set-ups in the world.