2009-10-31

More DX

It's been a good run, of late. I don't know if it's the few recent spots on Sol, or what, but I'm up to 145 as of this morning. Latest was OX on RTTY (#95 on RTTY). Got 9M6 the other night on "CW".

Last weekend, during the CQ WW SSB contest, I got KHØ, ZK2, and HBØ. I'm not entirely certain if the KHØ or the HBØ got my call correct, but I know the ZK2 did because he has an online log. Cool!

Before that, I got 4U1UN, UN Headquarters in NYC, which counts as a separate entity for DXCC purposes.

Don't know why it happened, but 13 new ones in October is pretty darn good. Hope November is as productive!

2009-10-18

"I'm your host, Joe DX"

The tally box up there on the left now says 137 138. I've had a good run of late: GU, 3D2/f, FO/a, KH4, and FO/m. And VK on 'phone. Much of it is just happenstance. I use the DXLab Suite and the Spot Collector application works FB.

One evening, while filling out QSLs, I saw a VK7 (Australian state of Tasmania) spotted on 17 m 'phone at about 2100 local. I figured that this was a spot from a station outside of the middle part of the country -- Spot Collector lets you specify the origin of the spots that are displayed -- and that there was little chance of hearing him. Ha. Clicked to his freq and there he was, S9! It was midday in Tasmania and the op was working a little DX on his lunch break. Managed to actually break the pile-up, which made me happy. I've already confirmed him on LoTW for #99 on 'phone.

Well, make that 138. Just worked LA on the 17-m band. Thought I already had Norway, but no.

The others I got while looking for the KH4 DXpedition. I've been playing with the keyer memories in the IC746Pro again and worked the FO/m on "CW". As with K5D, I used UA9OV's CwGet to "help" with copying the code ... you know, since it was so fast and all. I worked K4M the same way. Actually, the K4M op was really cooking - about 40 wpm, I would estimate.

Now I just need to confirm them all. Don't have enough (and won't confirm enough) to get the 150-country sticker for my Mixed DXCC, but should be able to get Phone and 15 m this year.