“MARCH 2009 SPRATLY DXPEDITION POSTPONED”
Due to a combination of personal and logistical reasons unfortunately it has been necessary to postpone the proposed March 2009 Spratly Island DXpedition. It is hoped that the DXpedition will go ahead at a later date.
Donations will be returned to those sponsors who kindly made contributions to the proposed DXpedition.
73,
Steve, 9M6DXX John, 9M6XRO James, 9V1YC Pete, SM5GMZ Jay, W5SL.”
I am pleased to report that the MC0SHL / MW9W QSL design is now at the printing stage. I had delayed the printing of this card for a while as Oliver was awaiting his advanced exam results.
The QSL cards will be printed and ready for dispatch to you in about 2 weeks.
I am now back home after being away in Wales for a week taking part in CQWW contest. It was excellent, great friendships, excellent banter, brilliant contesters and just a really good time. Thanks to our host Rob Johns MW0RLJ for putting up with the crew this week. You can read the full story on our blog page at: http://www.mc0shl.com/blog.html
My entry was 40m High Power Single op and i managed to do 950 QSOs 98 DXCC, 23 Zones, Total Points 159,478, which is an all time record for the category in Wales and also beats other UK scores for 40m HP Assisted.
A big well done to Oliver Bross, he announced that he had passed his advanced amateur radio exam that he had taken the week before at the HFC and was now MW0JRX yeeehaaarrrr.
Since arriving home all emails have been responded to and all mail has been processed and is all up to date.
Back to work tomorrow!
Photo courtesy of Oliver Bross MW0JRX – MW9W Antenna Farm
Hello Blog readers from Tim M0URX,
As CQWW Phone Contest is almost upon us, I will be driving over to Wales today along with G1VDP Chris and a van load of gear to set up our contest station MW9W on a friends farm right on the coast of Pembrokeshire, as the week goes by you can see more info and hopefully photos on our website http://www.mc0shl.com If you hear us please call us!
I will be unable to answer emails or post until i return home on Tuesday 28th October as the UR QSL Bureau will be closed over CQWW.
See you next week when i get home.
Just before I packed up the radio this morning I stumbled across a huge Russian pile up on 14.180.4 MHz, it sounded like a rare station, so I listened for a while, all Russian speaking but a couple of calls and i was in, it was Alex RX0LYP in Zone 19 near Vladivostok Alex’s comment was “Blimey England!” we both laughed and I let him carry on with the pile up!
Finally a big thank you to Dave EI9FBB for the bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey, thanks also to the team of EU-121 IOTA activity. So this weekend it will be “Mike Whiskey (Hic) Nine Whiskey (Hic)”
73 de Tim
VK9DWX Worked on 15m. After a couple of hours of listening, VK9 finally lifted above the noise floor on 15m to be workable for some hours this morning. With conditions being very kind today i was hearing the Willis Island DXpedition on 20m 17m and 15m but just not workable for me on 12m.
For more information go to: http://www.vk9dwx.de/index.php
What a great start to my holiday this week, after working VK9DWX on 17m SSB this morning quite easily which makes a change i was alerted by Max M0GHQ that JD1BMM on Minami Torishima was on 14.186 MHz incredible no one was calling, one call and in the log for a big new one No 270 worked now! Two new ones in 2 days things are looking up.
Callum had a video introducing amateur radio to the beavers, cubs & scouts, then Terry G4MKP did an introduction to Morse code with a lesson in sending and receiving CW. Followed by an explanation about QSL cards and writing a message that the kids would then transmit over the amateur radio.
I was operator to generate some pile ups so that I could pick off a few strong stations that would help us with the passing of messages to the scouts. The wire loop was working well, a quick test put GB1DSG in the log of VK9DWX Willis Island, then a QSY up the band to generate a nice pile up to the
Excellent afternoon! All credit to Callum M0MCX for organising it so well. 73 de Tim M0URX
Another really difficult “New one” for me, VK9DWX Willis Island was worked on 20m this morning. I am pleased to say that it was the sponsored young gun on the microphone ZS6DXB Rhyn, for his first major DXpedition he was doing an excellent job with the European pile up sounding very proffesional.
For more news on VK9DWX go to: http://www.vk9dwx.de/index.php
I am pleased to report this week that the 1,750 Bureau QSL cards that I received have now all been replied to and the box of cards is now being sent back to the RSGB Bureau tomorrow.
The following is a list of log entries confirmed this week:
9M6XRO 1,134 log entries
A25OOK 484 log entries
XU7XRO 201 log entries
XU7DXX 138 log entries
9M4SEB 41 log entries
The rest amounted to about 300 log entries for all other calls managed here. Around 50 direct cards also received this week, all up to date.
I will be away from next Wednesday 22nd October until Tuesday 28th October in
I note from the DX bulletins that Steve 9M6DXX will be active as 9M8Z during CQWW, good luck Steve I hope this time the conditions have improved enough to enjoy the contest.
This weekend I will be with Dorridge Scout Group for the JOTA weekend, we have about 100 scouts on Sunday afternoon scheduled for the event and I will be in control of Radio Operations for the day. Listen out for me as GB1DSG.
That’s all for now, no luck here with VK9DWX, but I am hoping for a chance on Monday or Tuesday morning. Enjoy the weekend, cheers!
Tim M0URX is awarded the “G5RP Trophy”……
Hf Convention report by G1VDP Chris (Thanks Chris for writing this report! I am so busy with QSL cards today)
A group of us went to this event for the 3rd year running – hopefully next year all of us will be there – and boy what a weekend!
Group members who were there were Tim M0URX, Charles M0OXO, Oliver MW3SDO and Chris G1VDP. Along with these guys were some close friends and future guest operators Mack M0CUS and Nigel.
The weekend Started with Oli driving from his home on Friday night arriving at my house around 21:30. A bity of a natter and then we got settled down ready to be up and on road for 06:15 next morning. As it was the 3rd year it was my turn to drive, so we set off to pick Tim and Mack up. Arriving at the venue about 08:00.
It was then sign in and plan the day. Plenty of talks on Dxpeditions to attend, meet old friends, make new ones and have fun.
The first talk we attended was about the ARRL LOTW (Logbook Of The World) and how to get the best use out of it.
We then all checked the programme and went into the ones we fancied. I decided to have a mingle and chat with the CDXC guys, Martin Lynch and the guys from Icom
Saturday went quickly and it was then time for the meal and drinks. Showered and meet in the bar, a couple of cold ones, a chat and then in for the meal. It was during the evenings proceedings that we had a huge surprise. Colin the RSGB president stood up to do the usual Presidential address, and his first task was to announce that years winner of the RSGB G5RP plate for greatest progress in the DX field made by an RSGB member resident in the UK during the year. 
Which is where the surprise came in. Tim M0URX was the winner. No one had told him, or any of us in our team. So Tim went up to cheers and applause to collect his silver platter. Congratulations Tim on this fantastic achievement.
More trophies and it was then time to retire to the bar for a few more beers with friends old and new. Thankfully the bar at Wyboston lakes closes at 12:00 so we are then forced to go to bed. But while it was open the beer flowed, the socialising went on, tips were swapped, legs pulled and stories told. DXers are very much like fishermen where they both have stories of the ones that got away. Thanks to all the guys who were in the bar, for your excellent company, for the hints on how we can beat you all in the contests, and most of all thanks for the drinks! My head was pounding Sunday morning when I got up.
When we got up on Sunday morning both Tim and I had hangovers, Mac and Oli were pretty clear headed. Tim stayed in his room a little longer than the rest of us who went and had a good hearty breakfast. Oli then went and sat his advanced exam, Mack sat chatting to some more new friends, Jerry LA0HK,
and Charles and the boys from the night before. I went to get Tim for the lectures, where a simple but common mistake was made. I knocked on Tims door, and walked next door to my room, Tim came out of his door forgetting that it would shut and lock behind him! OOOPPSSS. A walk down to reception by me to get him the spare key and we got him back in there. A good job you were dressed Tim. I then went into my room and got the camera and ready for the lectures I wanted to visit that day.
Oli came out of his exam, but no results. It is now a await for the marking to take place and then for him to get his advanced licence. We are all confident he has passed, but as everyone else Oli is unsure within himself. More chat over tea and coffeee then in to the lectures and the closing ceremony and raffle draw, before heading home.
The venue where all this takes place is
Chris Colclough G1VDP
