Following on from last month, I have had a little luck and a little problem.
The problem was that the shack RF suppressor choke decided to stop working. So a quick check and I found an open circuit in the band selector switch circuit. So a temporary lash up using the 40m band choke selected for 12m. It will have to do for a while.
The month started off with 135 DXCCs in the log and a big one to chase, Bouvet Island down in the Antarctic sea. I was listening to see if I could hear them with nought for a couple of days. Then on the 3rd, 12m FT8 sprung into life. In spite of calling 3Y0K from his third CQ, no reply. On the 6th he was working NA but I thought I'd try anyway. He seems to have had a filter to lock EU out, but about tea-time I got a reply but no confirmation. However two days later I got a complete contact for another ATNO, and it's confirmed. Whoopie!
In the meantime, J51A kept popping up, so I worked him, again, 5 band slots!
So back to the RF suppressor problem. A careful inspection highlighted an un-soldered connection.
After finding the soldering iron, I re-made the joint and hey presto! It all works again.
With all this activity going on I discovered that I had qualified for another certificate. Over the years I have been working the Bulgarian Saints station, 75 in all to date. The colourful certificate is a bit religious (unlike me) but will look good on the shack wall.
As things were quiet, I decided to have a play with FT2. Thanks to Berni who got me off the starting blocks and then Steve GJ6WRI who helped by sending the latest version of one of the programs.
This still has bugs (loads of them) which I am sure will be sorted soon. So a quick look at the log and IK0QKN is safely logged as my first FT2 contact. On the evening of the 23rd I managed to work 14 quick-fire, using a paper log & search & pounce. I can now see why the auto CQ button has been included. More of this later.
Back to DX working and a longish list of ATNOs including XX9W, S21WD, and T88KH. The IOTA count is 25 including 3Y0K, CY0S and S21WD. My grand DXCC total now stands at 295, only 5 more to the magic 300!
This month was the CQ WW WPX contest on SSB. Unfortunately my voice was not up to much, so I just contacted a couple of rarer DXs for the points.
Perhaps it is a coincidence, but I haven't heard the interfering over the horizon radar this month, suggesting the source might have been in the middle east. Long may it remain silent.
So as we come to the end of the month with a clock change, not too bad a tally. Hopefully a few more next month.
PS. Can anyone help please. I worked a station call E97YNO/P in grid BL 84 (near Hawaii)
Any ideas what this is about?
Cheers & Good DX,
Chris, G4ZCS
