ARRL 10M Contest

The past weekend was again the ARRL 10M Contest.This contest covers the whole weekend,48 hours.

I was a little afraid about the propagation.The 10M band was for a few weeks ago better then it was the week before the contest.But everyone who knows how the 10M band can be,there's always hope,hi.

Saturday morning when i put on the radio it was very quiet on the band.Nothing in SSB and very low signals on CW.So it didn't look very well.

Kept monitoring the band and also an eye on the Cluster...Saw in the Cluster that other parts of Europe had very good openings.Some of the best DXCC's for DX/propagation are for sure EA8,5B,ZC4 etc.

My best DX was ZS6BRZ.The total qso's came to 26 in the log.

Yesterday i got a very nice suprice by the post.Award from the ARRL 10M contest 2009.

I was 1st in the Netherlands in the Low Power section..

TARA Melee and EPC Ukraine DX Contest

The past weekend i was active in two contest.First the TARA Melee (RTTY) and later the EPC Ukraine DX (PSK63),

The TARA Melee started Saturday at 0:00 UTC till 23:59 UTC.

I was active from the start in an early contest...but that time there wasn't much to work.So i was only active from the morning 8:00 UTC.

I worked total 84 QSO's logged under who 2 Japanese stations.

Band QSOs Pts Cty

14 84 84 51

Total 84 84 51

Score: 4.284

-----------------------------

After that i went to PSK63.

Using for the digimodes MixW..so was easy to turn the modes.

Got a total of 156 QSO's logged....good for 68222 points.

QSOs Points OBL DXCC

40m 61 357 17 18

20m 94 527 20 21

10m 1 2 0 1

Total 156 886 37 40

Score: 886*(37 + 40 ) = 68222

eQSL's images download

Till some weeks ago i was able to download the eQSL's that i had received.

I used a small programm for this and it worked very well.

For almost 2 months ago this changed.When i start the downloading i get an error.It tells me that it's not en eQSL 2.o Adif file.If i read the forums about it,it's possible that eQSL did change it because of high server CPU usage.

For me the beauty of the eQSL is the image you see with it.If we want just the QSO confirmation we could do it with LoTW only.

They talk about going to the eQSL and then downloading them....

I have over 1100 eQSL's waiting for me,if they have to be done one by one....

If i was able to download them at once,the amount wouldn't be this big.I would have getting most in then already.I did check normal once a week...once a Month.

I hope that one day we get the downloading back.

See here a few of my received eQSL's...

CQ WW CW

The past weekend was again the CQ WW in CW.A very big contest with alot of stations that are joining it.This isn't only a nice contest for itself,but also a possibility to work some very nice DXCC's.Many op's are going to other places to get different DXCC and Zones on the air.

It's a 48 hours contest,starting at 0:00 UTC.

My goal is to try to get more QSO's and Points then the year before.Last year i had little more then 175.000 points with 560 QSO's.....so for me it wouldn't be that easy to get better.I just have a small station with 25 watts and my antenne's are 3elm Fritzel (FB33) and the PKW MHF1e40.And also for me as a Novice,only 3 band are allowed....10 , 20 and 40M.

I started at 0:00 UTC on 40M.In the start it's an easy job...all stations are new in the log.The best in this contest is to work DX outside your own continent,so for me outside Europe.Propagation wasn't very well this time,but still i managed to work a few stations from NA and also P40L.At 2:30 i decited to sleep a little...

6:00 UTC back at the radio,first again on 40M and from 6:24 UTC on the 20M.Propagation on 20M seemed to be ok...and i managed to work 3 stations from Japan.Also Asiatic Russia and Europe was very strong.After one hour on 20M i went back to the 40M band again to see how the propagation was.Propagation to NA was better as before,worked 28 stations in one hour,8 from NA and also KP2.After that back to 20M.

I also looked so now and then on the 10M and at 9:45 i did hear some good signals.Was able to work 21 Stations on 10M,mostly EU and 9J3A.Total i worked 58 stations on 10M during the contest from 11 different Zones.

This was the way i did work the whole contest.Checking so now and then other bands for propagation and new Multipliers.

Sometimes i also managed to work a station during a pile up.I just went up or down a few and this did work very well.I like to work contest.Also in CW but thats also difficult for me,as i work CW with my computer and MixW.This means that sometimes i got not everything ok or the other has mistakes.Sometimes i get back from the others GD7BZ instead of PD7BZ.Then it's always the question if it's my software that makes the mistakes or do they really send it wrong back.I can understand my own call in CW now,so the callmistakes are getting less.

Click here for the Contest results in SH5: http://www.pd7bz.nl/cqww/index.htm

Some nice DXCC's worked:

10M: 9J3A , VK6AA , 4K9W , OD5NJ , 9L5VT , D4C and C5A

20M: J28AA , VE2XAA/2 (Zone 2) , HK1X , 7Z1SJ , 5X1XA , TO5T , P40W , PZ5T ,

8P5A , HI3A , PJ2T , BY8AC , A73A , 8N5A and ZA3HA.

40M: ZA3HA , A73A , T70A , V47NT , OY6A , KP2M , OH0V , 8P5A , 8N5A and JA6GCE.

The results from N1MM:

Band --QSOs -- Pts -- Cty -- ZN

7 --221 -- 363 -- 60 -- 13

14 --298 -- 642 -- 66 -- 20

28 -- 58 -- 110 -- 26 -- 11

Total 577 -- 1115 -- 152 -- 44

Score: 218.540

WAE RTTY

The past weekend was again the WAE (Work All Europe) in RTTY.

In RTTY are different rules......all can work all....so not only EU with DX.....and DX with EU.

It's a 48 hours contest.

I started at 1.20 UTC.Was looking on 40M,but the band wasn't really open.

Worked in 1 hour 21 stations and didn't find any new ones.So i went to sleep a little.

At 5.41 UTC i logged again the first one on 40M.Worked so 5 stations and had a look if the 20M was already open.That was already open and stayed there a bit.Propagation was mostly Europe that time....also on 20M.

I always look on the other bands as well,to see if they are open for multies.

We where lucky that also the 10M was a little open on both days.

For me as a Novice,i have only the 10 , 20 and 40M to use.

So if the 10M is open,this means always new multies.

Nicest DX where:

10M EA8,UN8,RG9

20M OD5,7Z1,KP4,E21,5C,J39,HP3,YW5,VK3

40M FY1,5C,VK3

If you want to see more info from my WAE Contest,just have a look here:

http://www.pd7bz.nl/WAE

There i have used SH5..a very nice programm to get the information out of your contests.

It has many nice things you can see.I saw the programm first at the blog of my friend Bas,PE4BAS.Talked with him about it and also got it registrated now.

The free programm only goes till 200 QSO's.

My WAE was better again then in 2009.

Got 403 QSO's and over 100.000 points this year.

Shame that the propagation wasn't very well...maybe next contest better....

CQ WW RTTY

The past weekend was again the CQ WW RTTY contest.I always like Contesting and most also in RTTY.I started at 0:15 UTC and as the 20M band was closed,i went to the 40M band.

For this i use my PKW MHF1e40 who is on the roof,static in the North West-South East direction.This because in the big contest there are alot of NA stations active and they also count for more points.

At 3:15 UTC i took a little sleep break and was back at the radio around 6:14 for the first QSO again.The 40M band was still full of RTTY signals and also very big signals.Propagation to NA was closed,so mostly European stations.Still the last QSO on 40M,before i went to the 20M band,was PJ2S who still had a great signal here.

On the 20M band is was most EU what i did see and sometimes some Asiatic Russians.

At 10:17 UTC i managed to work JT5DX in the pile up.He was the only JT station i saw in the contest so happy to have him logged.

So now and then i also looked on the 10M band,as that is one of my favourite bands.At 11:39 UTC i made my first QSO on the 10M.It was with ER0FEO.I made 14 QSO's within the hour,with nice DX as well like ST2AR and 6V7X.

At 12:34 UTC i was back on the 20M.First QSO was with SU/HA3JB.From that time also the stations from NA got stronger.VE3DZ was the first one i worked.

At 14:00 the propagation to NA seemed to get lower and i got the beam towards the East.Saw a YB station when beaming to NA...when turned the beam i saw it was YB0PAH with a pile up.I waited a little and when it got a little calm i called him and could write him also in my log.

After this also BA1GM and VU2LBW could be worked.

After checking the 10M band again,it seemed to be open again and also to other directions.

First was ZW5B with a great signal.After that i managed to work Christian,TL0A,who didn't have much takes at that time.He was at 28094.8 a little higer then most contesters.This also made it easier to work him without QRM from other stations.

At 17:29 i worked PY2MTV and got already his eQSL card in.I managed also to work a few Argentinian stations and also 5N7M got logged.

Back to 20M again,working EU and NA...but also 9M2TO and VQ9LA were logged.

Propagation was very good in most directions.I managed to get also ZX2B,YV5AAX,FG5LA,FM5CD,CO2GL

At 21:40 UTC i took a little break,my soccerteam was playing (Ajax) so i looked that game last 45 minutes :)

After this i was back on the radio and the 40M band until 23:20 UTC.Bedtime,hi

Back on the radio at 7:20 UTC.First checking the 40M.Propagation to NA was down and only could work one,K1TTT, that morning.All other stations on 40M where EU.

At 11:55 i managed to work ZS2I on the 10M band giving me CQ Zone 38.

This was the only station who i could hear/see that time on 10M.So back to 20M...

First looking around 14063....and saw KL7RA...He wasn't very busy and i was able to work him.CQ zone 1 also in the log.

At 17:16 i did stop the contest.I managed to get my goal...more QSO's and points as the year before....

The propagation was very good for DX and sometimes also for short distances on 20M.

I managed to work a few Dutch stations from the South part,few Germans,Belgium,Luxembourg and Danmark as well.

It was very nice to have ST2AR on 10,20 and 40 M.Also i worked Larry,VQ9LA,on 20 and 40M.For me VQ9 is a new DXCC on 40M.

It was nice to see also more stations from Iceland active in the contest.Got 4 different OM's in my log.

More and more OM's are getting to use eQSL.I find it a very nice tool/qsl.I also do LoTW,but thats text only...eQSL you als have a kind of QSL card.

PD6MILL

Last weekend we were again active from the Windmill the Eendracht in Gieterveen,JO33KA.We are then active from friday till sunday afternoon.

We did start friday morning at 7:30 UTC to put the SWAN Tribander together.It was laying on a small trailer,what made it easier for us.When it was complete we did first look how the SWR was....and we got shocked.Putting the radio on we did hear ZL2 with 5/8...so all looked ok,hi.

After this we did put up a small militair tower and did put the tribander on it.Then we wanted to put the antenna up...but it was much to heavy.So it was only 3 meters up from the ground.

The SWAN is a 31 year old US made antenna,it's the TB-3HA.

After this was done we had to wait for a tower what we borrowed from the neightbour pirates.A 18 meter tower on a trailer.We also did borrow it last Mai,when we we where also radio active from the Mill.

In the maintime while waiting for them,we put together the Diamond N300 (2/70) and did dismantle the PKW MHF1e40 at Jelle's (PD5JFK) house.This one we did use several times already for the 40Mband and works very well.

The guys with the tower came around 16:00 UTC and in 30 minutes time it was up with the antenna's in.Now we coult get the coax to the Windmill.

We made alraedy a few QSO's on the 20M but now we could really start.

We where active on friday mostly on the 40M and stopped at 21:00 UTC.We did get around 60 QSO's in the log.After that,we did dismantle our radio's and Laptops and went to Jelle's home,who lives close to the Mill.

Saturday morning at 7:00 UTC we where up and running again with two stations.One on 20M and the other on 40M.The 20M band was not really open yet and maybe also because of the low antenna it wasn't a succes yet in the start.

The 40M antenna worked very well and also the propagation into EU was good.The location also was great for the 40M with no QRN/QRM.The band was very quiet so also the weak signals we could pick up.We went QRT saturday around 20:00.

The 20M didn't seem to be very open and the 40M got very crowdy.Not easy to find a free place for us,as we only are allowed to TRX between 7050 and 7100.

Sunday morning we started again around 6:30 UTC.

After putting up the radio's again,we did listen VK3XL on 20M.Jelle did try to call him and yess...we got him.With the SWAN Tribander on just 3 meters above the ground and 25 watts,we got 5/5 back,as he was 5/7 at our end.This was really magic forus and we where also lucky that he just started calling CQ.After Jelle's QSO.....the Zoo started,hi.

Jelle was active on 20M and also some on the 2M band.I stayed mostly on 40M.

Sunday was also a Harvest market at the Mill and alot of farmproducts were sold.

People can then also visite the Windmill and look inside.They ask us then questions about what we are doing etc....We have a Worldmap in wich we get pins in the countries we work.This way people can see what we worked.

So that we are active in the Mill has different reasons.For us nice to be active on the radio,for the Windmill some extra advertisemend and also for our radio hobby.

Sunday at 14:45 we did stop our activity.We got still alot of OM's calling for us,but we also need time to get our things dismantled and get ready to transport it home again.

We where very happy with the results...

Total amount of QSO's : 411

Total amount of DXCC's : 48

Biggest Distance: 16345 Km

We will be active from the Windmill again in May 2011.That weekend will be the National Windmill's day.We did start to transmit in 2009 in this weekend and were the only Mill active.We made some advertisemend and got in 2010 6 Mills active.

From now we try again to get more on the air.In the UK are in that weekend around 50-60 Mills active.We hope in time that maybe that weekend can be a kind of International Mills Festival with Mills active all around the World.If someone wants info or also would like to activate in that weekend,just mail us please at: nationalemolendag@gmail.com

73's The PD6MILL team

Jelle (PD5JFK) / Bernard (PD7BZ)

Starting Blog again

From today i will start to update my blog again.

Didn't do this since februar and now we are 7 month later in the year.

Alot of QSO's made since then also during the contests in the weekends.

In the next days i will get some more info inhere about the past months.

We will be also again activating a Windmill from the 17th till the 19 of September.

Our call will be again PD6MILL,from the Windmill the Eendracht in Gieterveen,JO33KA.

We will be mostly active on HF on 10 , 20 and 40M band.

This in SSB and Digimodes.We will also have a vertical for the 2M band with us.

ARRL DX Contest (CW)

This weekend was the ARRL DX contest in CW.

I also joined this contest with my computer for the CW.

The contest is a 48 hours contest and started at 0:00 UTC saturday morning.I wanted to be there from the start so stayed up till then as well.

Propagation was looking ok at the start.Alot of stations where strong here at my side and i was able to work most stations that i did receive as well.For me as a Novice,only 25 watts is allowed.

So sometimes it was very difficult to get a state that had a pileup.

But i worked what i could hear.I was up till 2:33 UTC and got 74 stations in my log then.

At 9:33 i was back at the radio and did work one station on 40M.Prop wasn't good enought to get more that time.So i had to wait till propagation getting open on 20M to NA.

This happend around 11:00 UTC.Last station worked that afternoon was at 18:32 UTC.

Propagation was still ok,but we had a birthday party at the neightbours...so qrt for me.

Worked 2 stations on sunday morning on 40M and then it was again waiting for the propagation on 20M to open up.Around 11:35 i worked the first station on 20M.Was sometimes difficult to find stations i did have in my log yet.I was very suprised to see that the 20M was open sunday evening till at least 22:16 UTC to NA.Normal it closes at 19:00 UTC.Maybe a good sign that the propagation is getting slowly better.
Last station worked was at 23:20 UTC on 40M.

I made a total of 229 QSO's and total multipliers are 62.

I was very happy to have worked W7RN from Nevada state.This means state number 50 worked for me and the day after also confirmed via LoTW.This in basic and 20M.

My total points where 42408.

Got more qso's and points then in 2009.So i am very happy with this result.

Some people say that it's very easy to do CW by computer.But let they try it before giving that opinion.The computer needs a good signal to decode.This is not always the fact and then it come's to my ears to listen if they got my call correct.I am very happy that the computer is in our HAM radio hobby.Also like the digimodes alot.The digimodes make it possible to make bigger distances for the 25W i am allowed to use.

Athena,plugin for N1MM

Today i got to read the magazine NCJ,National Contest Journal,from the ARRL.This magazine is in our clubs reading map.In the November/December issue is a article from Kirk,K4RO about software and he did mention Athena.

I never did hear from this programm before,so did read the article very carefully.

Athena is made by a Dutchman,PC5M.

It's a program that uses N1MM dbase and shows you many information about the contest you are in,or after what results you have made.In the article was also the url for the program and i did also go there to look ofcourse.

The url is: http://www.xs4all.nl/~kvgog/projects/athena.html

On the page you se alot of information about the program and also alot of graphics.i did download the program and did try it out on the PACC contest.

As you see,very nice graphics and info.

PACC and CQ WPX RTTY

In the weekend from 13-14 Februar was the Dutch PACC contest and also the CQ WPX RTTY.

For us as Dutch HAMs,the PACC is the most important one.

The CQ WPX is a 48 hours contest.Started at 0:01 saturday till sunday 23:59.

I also started at the begin of the contest,because i wanted to have some qso's in this contest as well.And the time the PACC is on...that the contest i will be in.

Propagation was very good on 40M.I could work alot of NA stations.Last QSO made before i got a little sleep was at 3:42.This was number 119 in my log....

At 7:29 i was back at the radio and back in the CQ WPX.I started again on the 40M band,but only European stations here and not much new to work.After 20 minutes i went to the 20M band,that was already open.But here also mostly Europeans that i could work.After 1 1/2 hour i went back to the 40M band again.Here i looked around some and started to call CQ on 7051.

After one hour on the 40M band,i went back to 20M.My last station logged before the PACC started was ZL1BYZ.
At 17:00 UTC i went from the PACC back to CQ WPX and was able to work Phil,KL8DX..confirmation via eQSL and LoTW came fast after the contest was over.

As i didn't hear much stations for the PACC i decited to stay in the CQ WPX.Could work till 20:30 stations on 20M,but the band was already getting to close down.So i went again to the 40M band.propagation was again very well,was able to work Francisco,YV5LI.At 1:16 i went QRT for bed.

I started the CQ WPX again after the PACC contest was done.First qso made again was around 13:12 UTC.propagation on the 20M was better then it was on saturday.I was able to work YB,XU7,E21,VU2,A61...

At 19:00 i went qrt for a little break..and was back at 21:40 UTC.

I was listening on the 20M band..thinking it was closed,but..no way.i still could hear some stations fron NA and also very strong Francisco,TG9ANF.It was very strange to work him at this time of the day,but did make me very happy as well.

After this qso i went back to the 40M band...till 23:30 UTC.Total i made 464 QSO's in the CQ WPX contest..almost 300 qso's more then i had in 2009.

Total points where 532980 !!!You bet i could sleep very well after this.

The PACC contest

At 13:00 UTC on saturday i did start the PACC contest.First looking for a free space,but the freq. was already very busy.So i went searching for stations in the contest.

I was able to work a few stations on all of the bands i am allowed to transmit on.PE4BAS,Bas and PD5JFK,Jelle are two of them.Also both did send eQSL's straight after the contest was over.Thanks guys for the QSO's and the points.

On the first day the contest didn't go well for me.Couldn't get a free freq. to call on and didn't find much stations who where calling in the contest.Around 17:00 UTC i did stop the PACC and went to the CQ WPX.So now and then i listened over the band and did pick some stations out for the PACC.Last station logged before bedtime was around 0:27.

Sunday mornig at 8:30 i was back at the radio and in the PACC.I first went to the 40m band,worked a couple stations.Nice was to work PA0AA with Peter that time as operator,PD1RP.Little later i went to the 20M and did hear Henk,VK2GWK giving point in the PACC.I could work Henk as well via Long Path.

After 30 minutes on 20M i decited to go on 40M and find a free freq.I did find one and did start calling CQ......wow..i never had such a pile up :) This made the bad start from the day before good again.I did work alot of Dutch stations as well.I think this year more PD stations where active then the years before.Good sign.

At the end i got 329 qso's logged and 57 Multies.Total points given from N1MM is 18.753.

I did join this contest for the 4th time and this time was the most succesfull.We have to wait a few months to see what place i am from the Dutch Novice stations.

This weekend was for me very good.Made in 2 contest almost 800 qso's !!