I am writing this
month’s article during the first few days of November with a heavy heart. As
you will have read in the October Ramblings the CQWW contest took place as
usual during the last full weekend of the month. Thanks to many amateurs going
off on DXpeditions to far flung destinations, this is a marvellous opportunity
for everyone to work DX from unusual locations. One of the teams involved
included well know amateurs Pete W2GJ, Ed K3IXD, Randy K4QO and
On a happier note, the
band conditions in October appeared to have been consistently good throughout
the month with DX coming in from all directions and on all bands. The CQWW
contest provided us with very busy bands throughout the 48 hours. As usual I
had a go for a couple of hours here and there and managed to ‘crack’ most of
the pile-ups eventually and work some exotic calls. I find that if one cannot
get through after five or six calls, it’s worth carrying on with the contest
and coming back to the elusive ones every now and then to check if the signals
are better and if the pile-ups have subsided. Towards the end of the contest
these stations are usually begging for contacts!
The Brede Steam
Amateur Radio Society, BSARS was active during the Jamboree on the air weekend
in October with the GB1FBS callsign. On the Saturday we had around 17 scouts
from
On Sunday the Brede
scouts, some of them licensed had the station to themselves
and managed a good number of qsos throughout the day.
DX countries worked during October include:-
Sudan, Glorioso
Island, Conway Reef, Fiji, Belize, Galapagos Island, St.Maarten, Montserrat,
Brunei, Cambodia, Brazil, Guam, Thailand, Iran, Cape Verde, Chile, Puerto Rico,
Vietnam, Aruba, Benin, Iraq, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Qatar, Lebanon,
Japan, China, Tanzania, French Guiana, Argentina, Dominican Republic,
Nicaragua, Senegal, Turks & Caicos, Barbados, Costa Rica, Martinique,
Kuwait, Cayman Islands, Virgin Islands, Guatemala, East Malaysia, Saudi Arabia,
Trinidad, Curacao, Jordan, Australia, Philippines, Dominica, Indonesia,
Amsterdam & St.Paul Island, Austral Island, The Marianas Islands, St.Kitts
& Nevis, St.Martin Island, South Africa, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates
and Minami Torishima.
Contests taking place during November
include:-
High Speed Club CW Contest 0900Z-1700Z, Nov 1
Ukrainian DX Contest 1200Z, Nov 7 to 1200Z, Nov
8
ARRL Sweepstakes Contest,CW 2100Z, Nov
7 to 0300Z, Nov 9
DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest 1100Z-1700Z, Nov 8
WAE DX Contest, RTTY 0000Z, Nov 14 to 2359Z, Nov 15
JIDX Phone Contest 0700Z, Nov 14 to 1300Z,
Nov 15
OK/OM DX Contest, CW 1200Z, Nov 14 to 1200Z, Nov 15
CQ-WE Contest 1900Z, Nov 14 to
0500Z, Nov 16
YO International PSK31 Contest 1600Z-2200Z, Nov 20
SARL Field Day Contest 1000Z, Nov 21 to 1000Z, Nov 22
LZ DX Contest 1200Z, Nov 21 to
1200Z, Nov 22
All Austrian 160-Meter Contest 1600Z, Nov 21 to 0700Z, Nov 22
ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB 2100Z, Nov
21 to 0300Z, Nov 23
EU PSK63 QSO Party 0000Z-2400Z, Nov 22
CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW 0000Z, Nov 28 to 2400Z, Nov 29
DX to
look out for during November include:-
Nov
2-9, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: P29NI
QSL: G3KHZ
Woodlark I (OC-205); 160-15m; CW SSB RTTY
Nov
3-15, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: VP2M
QSL: Home Calls
160-10m; CW SSB RTTY; QSL OK via DARC Buro or direct
Nov
4-17, 2009
DXCC: Vietnam
Callsign: XV4
QSL: DL7DF
Phu Quoc I (AS-128); 160-10m; CW SSB RTTY SSTV; 3 stns; QSL OK
via DARC Buro or direct
Nov
7-16, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: 6W
QSL: RX3RC: By
EI6DX as 6W/EI6DX; focus on low bands and CW; QRV for JA DX Contest; QSL OK via
Buro or direct
Nov
11-13, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: P29VCX
QSL: SM6CVX
By SM6CVX: Hastings I (OC-117)
Nov
11-13, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: P29VLR
QSL: SM6CVX
By CT1AGF G3KHZ G3USR M0VTG: d'Entrecasteaux I (OC-116); 160-15m; CW SSB RTTY
Nov
11-18, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: 5W0MR
By IK1PMR PA3LEO PA0BWL AA4NN DJ5IW DJ7JC; focus on low bands + WARC for EU;
RTTY; dates tentative; call sign requested
Nov
13-14, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: P29VCX
QSL: SM6CVX
By SM6CVX Normanby I (OC-116)
Nov 13-27,
2009
DXCC:
Callsign: 9G5TT
QSL: I2YSB Direct
By I1HJT I2YSB IK1AOD IK2CIO IK2CKR IK2DIA IK2HKT IZ2CHO; also using 9G5XX Abokwa I (AF-084)
Nov
14-21, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: VP8BUH
QSL: EB7AEY
By CX2AM CX3CE CX3AN CX4CR CX4AAJ; focus on low bands
+ WARC; SSB; also with digital modes using VP8BUG
Nov
15-16, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: P29VCX
QSL: SM6CVX
By SM6CVX Loloata I (OC-240)
Nov
17-Dec 15, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: 5R8IC
QSL: F6ICX
By
Nov
18-30, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: 5W0KH
QSL: DL2FAG
By DL2FAG
Nov
19-23, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: FK
QSL: JA1NLX
By JA1NLX Ouvea I (OC-033);
HF; CW RTTY
Nov
19-Dec 1, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: A31A
By IK1PMR PA3LEO PA0BWL AA4NN OE2SNL DJ5IW DJ7JC; focus on low bands + WARC for
EU; dates tentative; call sign requested
Nov
20-26, 2009
DXCC: Canada
Callsign: VY1RST
QSL: KL7JR
By KL7JR WL7MY KL7BOB Beaver
Creek, Yukon; 160-10m, focus on 160 + 80m; SSB PSK31; QRV for SS Phone Contest
Nov
21-Dec 5, 2009
DXCC: Christmas I
Callsign: VK9XX
QSL: LotW
By DM2AYO DM5TI DL2JRM DL2RMC; 160-10m; SSB CW +
digital; verticals and yagis; QRV for CQWW DX CW as
VK9XW; QSL also OK via DL1RTL, DARC Buro or direct
Nov
23-Dec 6, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: TX3A
QSL: LotW
By AA7JV HA7RY;
dates tentative; if outside this date range will be with FK/AA7JV or FK/HA7RY
Nov
24-Dec 6, 2009
DXCC:
Callsign: V31PT
QSL: K8PT
By K8PT; likely 160-6m; likely CW SSB RTTY PSK31
Good hunting and plenty of DX.