Here is the QSL card preview of 4W/G3ZEM. All direct QSL cards are scheduled to be posted at the end of November.
Author - Tim Beaumont
Since its publication many DX groups and individuals offered to support this expedition which we highly appreciate. So far, the preparations are progressing smoothly and according to plan.
Exchange of QSL cards with EP is not always going smoothly and sometimes high costs are involved to cover postal expenses. As in the past with previous Rockall DX Group expeditions we asked Tim M0URX to take care about the QSL chores for the EP6T operation. Together with Max ON5UR, responsible for the QSL card design and printing, they are a great team and without doubt you can count on a fast service. And yes, the complete log will be uploaded to LoTW right after the expedition has ended.
We would like to thank Dr. Azim Fard. Dr. Fard is Director General of the Communication Regulatory Authority (CRA) and amongst others is responsible for the radio amateur licenses in the I.R of Iran. Together with his team and the people of national security, he has made this expedition possible.
This expedition stands for “ friendship and cultural tolerance.
In a country with 80 million inhabitants and only 13 (!) radio amateurs, the user manual written and edited by Tony ON6TM will be a guide for students to learn the basics for their Ham radio ticket.
MX0LDG EU-011 QRT many thanks to all that called in.
Left to right John M5JON, Rob MW0RLJ, Pete M0ILT & Ant MWØJZE.
Each year United Radio QSL Bureau dispatches bureau cards to all World IARU Bureaus every three months, the recent dispatch this week was our third one in 2014 so it is time to give you our report for the year.
In 2014 I have once again worked with Charles, M0OXO in our bureau posting, this helps us both keep down our outgoing expenses. 31,260 bureau QSL cards have been dispatched this year. All our packages are sent using online business account with Royal Mail, we use several products on the account to best suit the size and weight of the item. All of the packages are sent by Business Mail Priority so that we can be sure that they reach their destination as fast as possible and at a cost that is the most competitve in the industry.
It is very important to remember that bureau cards are NOT free, it actually costs us a considerable amount of money every year which has to be financed by the work that we do here, that is why direct cards cost $2, that is why i do not accept stamps.
The RSGB are in the process of doing a “Bureau Review” in which we have been asked to pay more for the incoming bureau service that we have from the RSGB Bureau. At this stage we are still waiting to hear from the RSGB as to how much this is going to cost. So this is a good time to remind you that for ALL DXpeditions you should NOT send incoming bureau cards to us as they are not required, they cost us money to receive them. You must always use OQRS to request your DXpediton IOTA & DXCC bureau cards. This will save us a considerable amount of money and time, and you will get your bureau cards very quickly.
Thank you to all the bureau staff at the IARU bureaus, we value your work very much. There are some that are giving outstanding service, notably the Venezuealan bureau where members informed us that cards had arrived in just 24 days after we had posted them. Thank you.
Using OQRS for direct QSL cards is the fastest and best way to request your QSL cards and this will help us fund our outgoing bureau for the future. Any donations are most welcome of course… Thank you.
MX0LDG IOTA DXpedition to Isles of Scilly EU-011 this week are using the new 7 Band Broadband Hexbeam by MW0JZE Anthony.
The 7 band Hexbeam includes a 40m dipole element. The team will be using this antenna on 40m so please listen for them and work them from wherever you are in the World, Anthony would very much appreciate genuine signal reports on this band.
You can read more about the MW0JZE 7 Band Hexbeam 40m – 6m by clicking on the link.
The team very much look forward to working you all on Isles of Scilly, St Mary’s Island.
The team have no internet so logs will be uploaded after the DXpediton.
QSL Via M0URX Direct & (Bureau OQRS only). Please do not send us any bureau cards for this activity.
MX0LDG will be QRV from the Isles of Scilly EU-011. We will be operating from the main island of St Mary’s.
Dates: 15th October 2014 to 22nd October 2014
Operators: John M5JON Pete M0ILT Ant MW0JZE and Rob MW0RLJ
We plan to have 3 stations on air. In the main it will be SSB.
Equipment
x1 Elecraft K3 With KPA500 Amp
x1 Kenwood TS570 With Expert 1K FA Amp
X1 rig (TBC) With Expert 1K FA Amp
X1 Kenwood TS480 (200w) for CW and Digi Ops
Antennas
All antennas are once agian supplied by Ant MW0JZE
x2 G3TXQ Hex Beams x1 40m vertial x1 Windom 80m
QSL Via M0URX – For Bureau Requests please ONLY use OQRS to request your Bureau QSL.
Please do NOT send any incoming Bureau cards they will not be collected.
The HF9V finally arrived in good shape and was put together in the scorching sun. Well worth the effort as it out performs my wire jumble on all bands. On those bands where the jumble is a good match to the coax it’s around 6dB up and where I rely upon the ATU to flatten the feed-line it’s up as much as 10dB in some cases. This would appear consistent with performance claims for vertical antennas at sea edge.
New challenges arise every day and power cuts are among them. It’s just like in Cyprus where without notice all power can be lost. Fortunately there is a generator back-up so I can usually be on air again in about 5 minutes.
Lest the thought may have been entertained in anyone’s mind, I can attest to the existence of Dili belly. Good runs are currently punctuated with barely adequate notice, by bad.
Looking through spots on DX summit I see I have taken a few bullets from the deserving for going QRT without explanation. Ah well. If anyone can explain how I might advise the pile of an unscheduled power cut before it happens, I will be most appreciative. Dili belly presents a similar challenge providing as it does absolutely no time for chit chat before urgent evacuation takes place. So far I have managed to evacuate the tent before any other evacuation gets underway. A situation I am concentrating hard to maintain. It is difficult to convey the subtleties of my situation to the baying hoards. Many of them are anyway too busy endlessly sending their own call to notice.
QSL cards have been posted to all World Bureaus today, Tuesday 14th October 2014.
This mailing is a joint mailing between M0OXO Charles and M0URX Tim
I would very much appreciate feedback from you when the QSL cards start arriving at World Bureaus.
Total amount of QSL cards 11,993
Total Weight 48460 g
Total Cost £241.40
per kg £4.97
Average postage cost 2p per QSL card.
It gets busy around here at weekends. A bunch of young folks pitched right along side me yesterday afternoon. They found my antennas useful facilities on which to hang their bathing suits for drying. It’s as well they could only reach the polypropylene support cords and not the hot end of the dipoles. Come 7pm local they stoked up the BBQ and on went the ghetto blaster (do they have ghetto blasters these days?). More likely some Bluetooth Boombox. Anyway it was boom, boom, boom consistently thereafter. Loud enough to drown out the noise from the waves crashing against the sea wall, which had hitherto been my main source of audible interference. At the same time they apparently managed to connect their assorted electrical junk to the power supply creating an S9 rasping noise across the whole of 80m. So much for my plan to try to work into the US on there.
These kids know how to party. Their Boombox didn’ ;t fall silent until 6am this morning. I assume the batteries went flat. Blow me but they were up and about again at 8am and the party goes on as I write. My fingers are crossed they will need to leave later today, to be back to Dili for whatever calls for their attention on a Monday morning. I’m certainly hoping they aren’t still here overnight tonight with their sundry electrical trash creating mayhem across 80m and their boombox denting my eardrums.
DX-peditioning has its challenges. Read More