Miscellaneous

Already September. That means autumn is coming and more time for the hobby. Last couple of summer months I didn't have much time for radio like always. Although weather forecasts were not so good the weather here in the northern part of the Netherlands was very reasonable. It was great since I am still busy painting the house and you need good, warm dry weather for that. Of course flowers in the garden took advantage as well. But it also means we have to pluck some weeds.

Next weekend there is the fieldday SSB in which I took part in the last couple of years. This weekend it is a little difficult I think. I hope I can spend some time weather and other chores depending. The Icom IC-706 is doing a fine job since I repaired it. No problems with FM transmit anymore. But the radio of choice these days is still my small Yaesu FT-817. Especially for digital modes it is a great radio. But unfortenately you can't always have luck. I am trying to get spotted on WSPR by T5/T61AA (Somalia) on various bands depending were he is active. But looking at his spots I think he is in a difficult position with QRM. I spotted him a number of times, so the path is open. It would be my 75th DXCC if I can get a spot... I did see P29NO (Papua new guinea) this sunday and monday evening on 30m JT65A. Called a couple of times, it would be a new ATNO DXCC. But unfortenately the DX did not happen. I know another time another day it will happen, propagation is not that good at the moment. September is usually the month that the DX is coming back, we will hope so...


The Lidl had a nice offer last week with LED strip warm white color. It was cheap compared to other offers and I bought a package that was enough for some extra light at the background of the shack. The nice thing is that it works on 12V and so it is possible to connect it to the future solar system which I want to implement in the shack.

I found a "old" award on the CQWW page from the CQWW SSB contest 2013. It seems I did a nice job in that contest. At the moment my interests are not that much in contesting anymore. At least not in the small ones were you have to struggle to get some QSOs in the log. I think I will take part only in the "big" contests if time allows. Of course you will not miss me at the most important Dutch contests like the PACC, PA-beker and 11 cities contest.




Did I publish the eQSL I got from WP4JCF? I can't

remember but it is the first confirmation from the contact we had on 6m. Probabely the highlight of the year and very special as I did it QRP with 5W and a vertical. That vertical is the Watson W2000 3-band VHF/UHF antenna which is mounted on the second mast. Since the 6m ES season is over it has to move again and make place for the HB9CV I guess. The HB9CV is still in the process of rebuilding.



The storm damage from last year has been repaired finally. Just in time for the new storm season. I hope we don't get 152 km/h windgusts again. I'm out of tiles now and to get "new" 80 year old roof tiles is not that easy. I'm confident the antenna mast will hold in a new storm. I'm almost done with the painting now. Some parts of the house can be removed so I can paint them in the garage and mount them again afterwards. 

Last week I spoke PD0ARI Arie on the 40m band, he is on the Air with the special call PD538RNI till 20 Sept. I did read a article about the activation somewhere and wanted to work him as it gives a romantic feeling when you look at the QSL card. The Netherlands has a history regarding to pirate radiostations which transmitted from ships off shore. Many started their radiohobby after listening to these "pirates". At the moment there is only one station here in the Netherlands (Radio Seagull / Radio Waddenzee) that still transmits from a ship. Although not entirely true as the main transmitter is on land. And the ship is in the harbour of Harlingen. Their program is mainly progressive rock. Of course it is not a pirate radiostation anymore. Last month they were transmitting for a while from sea (off shore). They transmitted with the transmitter made by PE5T which I saw last year. I didn't have the chance to actually hear them on the radiowaves, but I guess they did get some nice reports.

Dit keer geen Nederlandse vertaling. Gezien de belangstelling die voornamelijk uit het buitenland komt is het Engels de hoofdzaak geworden en de meeste Nederlandse amateurs/lezers kunnen prima engels lezen. Het kost ook veel tijd om lange stukken ook nog in het Nederlands te schrijven. Ik houd het dus voorlopig even bij Engels tenzij ik zin en tijd heb om het ook in het Nederlands te schrijven. Het voordeel van een eigen blog is dat je zelf kan beslissen wat je doet...