Wednesday, April 30, 2008

ZS8T - Marion Island



Here's one to keep an ear out for. As I've mentioned before, I haven't been very active since getting licenced, so if I can get ZS8T into the log that'll be my first QSO with Antarctica. Then all I'll need is Africa to get worked-all-continents. Okay, that may not be much to some of you more experienced hams, but it's a stepping stone. Actually, come to think of it, my logging software will think it's Africa anyway.

The DXpedition to Marion Island is being done by one man, Petrus ZS6GCM and he should be on air sometime early next week, possibly May 5th. It just happens to be our labour day holiday here in Queensland, what luck.

Although Petrus will be operating alone, he has plenty of support back home and I can't finish this blog without mentioning three of them. Christian DL6KAC, Col MM0NDX and Stan SQ8X have created one of the best looking DXpedition websites I've ever seen.

I might have to turn the Comet H-422 around this weekend. It's facing toward Japan at the moment and I'm yet to put it on a rotator. It does seem to have a bit of directivity on 20m, but I managed to work Calgary, Canada on 40m last week with it facing the way it is. We'll see.

73 de VK4VSP

Edit: I've just looked at the rules for the WAC and Antarctica doesn't count as a continent apparently. That kind of takes some of the challenge out of it.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Sacriledge

I've got my brother Laurie's (VK4VCC) FT-920 and FT-950 at the moment while he's in rented accomodation.

I'm off to Armidale tomorrow for a uni residential until Sunday and I needed some shirts ironed. While Donna, the XYL, was upstairs washing the dishes I ironed my shirts. Something I'm not averse to doing, since everyone knows that men make better cooks and ironers.

Anyway, I needed some music to listen to. What better choice than to use a radio that can hear clear around the globe. So I have the radio tuned to one of the local AM broadcast stations 4BH 882, easy listening music. I grew up listening to 4BH, before the FM stations started up. I've got to admit, I was surprised to hear them play David Bowie, they wouldn't have played him 30 years ago. Marcia Hines, then Elvis (the King) Presley brought me back to the 4BH I remember.

I promise I won't waste resources like this too often*.

73 de VK4VSP

*Just when I'm ironing.

IC-7200

Now this is my kind of radio.



Not much news around at the moment, other than it will have 100w out and 80m-6m. It'll also probably cost more than I'm prepared to spend, or more correctly, my XYL will let me spend, especially with my upcoming unemployment.

Some of you will say you don't like the military styling and it won't have enough features. In fact, people are saying just that in the E-Ham forums. I like that rugged look, the fact that I can take it with me when I go away and the fact that it looks about the same size as my old IC-730. I think it would be an ideal replacement for the 730 come to think of it.

Guess I'll have to wait for a lottery win. In the mean time I'll be keeping an eye out for more information and posting here.

More pics are here on Lidio's blog.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

IRCs

After this year's CX WPX SSB contest I was writing out my QSL cards and using QRZ.com to find out where to send the cards, just in case some had QSL managers or wanted direct. A few said they only QSLed direct and request you send 2 IRCs. Some places seem more prone to this than others, Hawaii for one.

Now what's the deal here? An IRC costs $2.70 here in VK land They're even dearer in Canada. The most it costs to send a card anywhere internationally from here is $1.80. Doing a quick Google of post rates to Australia from countries such as the US, Canada, Hong Kong and Indonesia, they're all cheaper than Australia. So what are people doing with the extra coupon if I send two. They can't cash it in, as it can only be redeemed for postage stamps. Or can they, do you get change for the unused portion? I'm sure there are post offices somewhere that don't have a problem handing over cash instead of stamps for IRCs.

Some may be asking for two IRCs because they don't really want more QSL cards, which is understandable. They're kind of pricing themselves out of the market, because they don't want the business so to speak. I know of at least one ham that states in his QRZ listing that he doesn't collect QSL cards anymore, but that if you do and you've had a QSO with him, he's happy to send you one if you ask. No mention of money. That's more in the ham spirit.

I'll continue sending my cards via the buro and waiting for months to get replies the same way. Of course, if someone decides to send me a card directly I'll reply in kind, regardless of whether or not they enclosed postage.

What do other people think?

73 de VK4VSP

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Inverted V



Okay, it's not a radio, it's a hedge grasshopper (Valanga irregularis), but it does have antennae, looks like an inverted V.

This is what I'm supposed to be doing, mounting insects for an entomology assignment that I have due late next week. I have to have twenty-five specimens in the collection, so far I've mounted four (actually the grasshopper isn't finished). I still need to catch most of them.

The Holyland DX contest is on this weekend so I've got the radio on, N1MM software set up ready, and I'm tuning round the bands listening for Israelis. I almost got one earlier, but before I managed a QSO with him he got chased off by the ANZA net which was only 2KHz down from where he was CQing. I didn't hear him after that.

Anyway, I'm running out of pins for the insects and I'm hearing lots of DX out there tonight, so it's time to put the university stuff aside for the night and play radios.

73 de VK4VSP

Edit 20/07/2008: I should mention I'm not having a go at the ANZA net here. I often listen to them and they're a nice bunch of OMs and YLs.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Christmas Island

I haven't been a ham for long, a little over two years, and I haven't been particularly active in that time. All of my operating therefore, has been from home. I like the idea of operating in the field with a portable setup, but I just haven't got around to it yet. Okay, you can by them in the shops these days (a round tuit that is), but procrastination is one of my hobbies. I was going to write a book about procrastination once but... well you get the picture.

Anyway, I've enjoyed watching most of James Brooks' (9V1YC) DXpedition videos recently (and was even lucky enough to contact him in the CQ WPX SSB contest late last month). I love the idea of heading off to some remote island for a week or two and playing radios. Actually, I love the idea of heading off to a remote island somewhere, period. It just seems to encapsulate so many of the things I enjoy, radio, travelling, seeing the native wildlife, problem solving and working as a tight-knit team to get a job done.

There's a couple of DXpeditions coming up in VK land soon, one of those is to Christmas Island (OC-002), sometime in July. Okay, Christmas Island is actually closer to Indonesia than Australia, but it's still ours. It's not a huge DXpedition like the ones 9V1YC films, but it's still one I'll be looking forward too for two reasons. Firstly, since I haven't been all that active so far, there's are heaps of new ones for me still to get and Christmas Island is definitely one of them. Secondly, until I get a rotator for my Comet H-422, that's pretty much the way my antenna is facing, so it shouldn't be too hard to contact them, I hope.

As I mentioned, it's not a big DXpedition, there's only four operators. They are Marq CT1BWW (VK9XWW), John EA3GHZ (VK9XHZ), Henry EA5EOR (VK9XOR) and Claudina EC5BME (VK9XME). Yes, a woman on a DXpedition, should be more of it. The team are also offering an award if you manage to contact all four of the operators.

I'm just glad for their sakes they aren't going later in the year. November, December is when the Christmas Island red crabs migrate.