Around 23.00 UTC I heard a few American stations on 40 meter, loud and clear with SSB. They calling VK and ZL via the long path. W2VP, John from Commack, NY; and W3JK, Ken from Croton Falls, NY.

The yesterdays sunspot is gone. We have to do without it.

This morning only a few German stations on 40 meter e.g. DL4NI, Heinz from Neuendettelsau, Germany. No DX heard. In the afternoon I heard: EI4IB in qso with M3TUC on 40 m ssb. There was a strong qsb on both signals. On 20 m I heard: LA6KOA with 600 watt ssb with 55 report. YO4QZ 5-9 calling CQ DX. With CW on 20 m I heard: YT3AA, SV7BOD, UT1AO and UT4HM. On 40 meter CW: G3HAL 579; and G4DDS 569 in qso with DL4VH 579.

Tonight I worked a new DXCC country: Albania. It was on my wishing list. ZA1E, Dik from Tirana was 579 here with CW. I kept the QSO short because I was afraid the QSB would disturb my QSO with Dik. But he is down in the log. Yes! Also worked E72U, Vedo from Brcko, Bosnia-Herzegovina with CW on 40 meter. Vedo couldn't pick my signal from the QRM. But he got my callsign right. It was a short QSO too. The last station for today was OM4KW, Roman from Puchov, Slovak Republic with CW on 40 meter (5nn).

Old spot from cycle 23

Today a new solar cycle 23 sunspot group emerged near S08W38. As has been the norm as of late it remains to be seen if it survives long enough for NOAA/SWPC to assign it a number, which would be #10116. Solar cycle 23 is now 13 years long from first spot to present one, an extension of the already record long solar cycle!!!

Tonight I worked 9A3IJ Kruno from Osijek, Croatia on 40 meter with CW.

Holidays

On photo Rolf SE6Y from Gotenborg, Sweden. We worked for the first time on 40 meter CW. It was my first contact since Friday. The weekend was very busy with social events, and the kids having holidays. So I must take some time with the kids for 2 weeks. I think I will be more QRV on 40 meter late at night around 7.030 MHz. This morning I heard a beacon on 20 meter IW3ICH/B on 14.097 MHz. On 14.060 I heard F5UKL/QRP working with a Swedish station. On 40 meter CW I heard G4EBO calling CQ, GMØOAA also calling CQ, but they couldn't copy me.

Weekend!

This morning I had a QSO with GØSVX, Ian from Sheffield, England with CW on 40 meter. He was running 10 watt. In the peak he was 599, though there was a strong QSB and his signal became weaker at the end of the QSO. Conditions are poor. So I turn down the rig because I have a busy weekend ahead. No time to go QRV. I wish you all a nice weekend!

Is CW going to be lost, when the oldies are gone? Will give younger generations CW another chance? When you have learned the new language, a new world will open for you. And really, with a CW signal you will come further, it's better readable than phone. In the beginning it's a struggle. I know, but when you study for a year, every day a half hour, then you will be able to decode morse with your own ears. Here is what K3WWP says about CW vs phone:
Going a little bit further, assuming a SSB signal takes up 2000 Hz., and comparing a 100 watt 25 WPM CW signal with a 100 watt SSB signal, we have the following. The average power density for CW is 100W / 100 Hz. or 1 w/Hz. For SSB it's 100W / 2000 Hz. or .05 w/Hz. Follow closely now, it gets interesting although a little more technical. We could say that the gain in using CW over SSB is Gain(db) = 10*log(1/.05) which is about 13db. That means that a 5 watt CW signal packs an equivalent punch to a SSB signal at 100 watts. [K3WWP]
So thats why QRP is fun. A small rig, and you can work a lot of stations.

Tonight I tried SSB on 40 meter. I heard LA8OKA, Martin from Slattum, Norway calling. I worked him and though I was very weak , we could make a QSO.
Then I switched to 80 meter, almost impossible with my antenna. But MØIPS heard me. It was very difficult but he got my callsign and my report was 3-4. We could not really talk to each other, but the contact was made.

Op de foto staat PA4MB/M Martin die ik sprak via de repeater in Wormerveer op 145.712 MHz. Vanmiddag werkte ik voor de tweede keer op 20 meter LZ1DS, Deko uit Kazanlak, Bulgarije met CW. Nu wel met de automatische seinsleutel via de computer. Condities zijn nog steeds belabberd. Wel hoorde ik VK7GK weer op 40 meter op een vrijwel stille 40 meter band. Vanmorgen hoorde ik op BNR radio een sterrenkundige die het had over de 'stille' zon. En waarom er geen zonnevlekken komen en wat daar op zou kunnen volgen. Hij verklaarde de relatieve winter die we hadden aan het lage aantal zonnevlekken. Dat is voor mij een nieuw gegeven.

Tonight I worked on 20 meter with CW SZ7SER, radio club from Serres, Greece; Z36A, Zoran from Kocani, Macedonia, we had worked before; UA6LUQ, Wally from Rostov om Don, Russia.

Repeaters 2 meter

On photo PAØPMD, Peter from Haarlem, The Netherlands. I worked him on the 2 meter repeater of Zaandam. He was transmitting indoors with a handheld. He is also active from Greece, as SV8/PAØPMD, and from the end of may I will try to work him around 14.025 KHz. Via the repeater of Zaandam I worked also PE1RIH/M Bert from Hoogeveen. He was on his way to Emmen. PAØGDK, George from Krabbendijke, Zeeland with a discone antenna and 50 watt. PE1OAC/M, Bart from Opmeer mobile on the A10, Amsterdam. It was nice to work the Dutch stations with my indoor Whip antenna. Conditions were rather good for 2 meter.

This afternoon I worked GS3PYE/P Neil from the Isle of Harris, Scotland with SSB on 40 meter.

This morning there was not much of activity on 40 meter. 20 meter was almost dead. The only station I heard with 5-9 was IZ3BSU, Joe from Cortina, Italy. I worked him with SSB and I got a 5-5 report. Maybe later this day for more chance.

Amateur Radio... enjoy it!

Enjoy Ham Radio! I came across this nice video. This weekend are a lot of contests going on. Check the contest calendar of PG7V for actual information. Have a nice and sunny weekend.

CW speed training

I found this program to improve my CW skills. Thanks to JIØVWL. Morse Runner is good for training with CW pile ups or contests. First of all I must learn to take one callsign at the time. So this is perfect. Nice for sunspotless or rainy days. Have fun, its free software.

Zurich

Not much to do on HF. Conditions were poor. I listen for awhile on 2 meter cos there were conditions better. Tonight I found HB9HTC, Robi from Zurich, Switzerland on 40 meter with CW. He was transmitting from the club station. More info at www.htc.ch

On 20 meter I worked LZ1DS, Deko from Kazanlak, Bulgaria with CW. Today I tried the ETM 2b Keyer instead of the automatic keyer. I think I will better learn to take CW when I listen with my headphones on, and I try to take every word I hear. Also worked UA3BX, Andrey from Moscow, Russia and on 40 meter this morning OK1FHD, Pepa from Molovice, Czech republic.

Tonight I worked RL3KQ Gena from Voronesh, Russia and OK7MD, Detmarovice, Czech Republic on 40 meter CW.

Shack PA3BTT

On photo the shack of PA3BTT, Wally van Houten. You see his home brew SW20+ (2 watt QRP) and the Versa Tuner MFJ941D. It's more than 2 times bigger than the transceiver. My easter weekend was very busy with family and friends, so I did not make much contacts on HF. Only one to show how it's works. UA4PT Pavel from Kazan, Russia on 20 meter with CW.

Conditions are poor again. On 40 meter are no stations to hear. OK, one station SQ2TOM, Tomek from Bydgoszsz, Poland. I worked him with BPSK31. On 20 meter is a Contest going on with CW. Thats it for today. Tonight I go for a gig of The Mystery Stones, old friends from 1964. Hi. And they still rock 'n roll. Old rockers never die...

Tasmania

No, I haven't work Australia, but I did hear VK7GK on 40 meter this morning with a very strong signal (5-9) with ssb. There were a lot of guys calling him. I didn't even try. I did work OZ9QW, Bent from Aarhus, Denmark with ssb on 40 meter. He was running 600 watts. Also worked EI4IB, Nick from Mullingar, Ireland with ssb. He was calling CQ DX but wasn't successful. Normally, when someone is calling DX I do not break in. But there was no DX, so I gave a call. This afternoon I worked UA3IMS, Eugene from Kuvshinovo, Russia on 20 meter with ssb. Now the kids are coming from school and the easter weekend starts to begin. There is no time really for working in the shack, so I wish everyone a nice easter weekend.

Tonight I listen for a while on 40 meter. Well, the band sounds great without digestion. Hi. With CW I worked OK1XGL Petr from Ceske Budojovice, Czech Replublic; and GD4EIP, Colyn from Foxdale, Island of Man on 7018 KHz. And with BPSK31 I worked GØUZL, Chris from Blandford, England. I also heard YI9HU with BPSK31 but he got lost in the QRM.

Vakantieronde

Voor velen zal dit wat overdreven zijn om zo je antenne op te zetten tijdens je vakantie. Voor mij is de Miracle Whip voldoende, eventueel verlengd met een draad. Vandaag hoorde ik op 40 meter een vakantieronde. Duidelijk was F5FLM met S9, George, die van oorsprong Nederlander is (PAØGDS), hij fungeerde zo'n beetje als net controller. Veel Nederlandse stations hoorde ik helemaal niet. Wel OE7LFJ, die ook Nederlands sprak. Ik zal dit net even in de gaten houden. Frequentie: 7.125 KHz. Vandaag werkte ik op 20 meter met CW EA7/GØOOD/M Times from Vera, Spain.

On photo station LM9K75Y with operator Torgeir celebrating 75 year of their club station. I worked him on 40 meter with SSB. On 20 meter I heard CT3AL Jose from Funchal, Madeira with BPSK31, he came back for me, but after I send my first round he was gone... maybe QRM of QSB. Also worked on 20 meter with SSB: CT2JTI, Bernd from Vila Nova de Milfontes, Portugal. He was running 1 KW. And using a 3 elements antenna. He gave me a 5-5 report. Also worked EA7HEG Sebastian from Aljaraque, Spain.

The weekend is over... we start a brand new week. On photo the city of Jarmen. The QTH of DL6NWA. I worked Hardy on 40 meter with BPSK31. On 20 meter with BPSK31 I worked RN3ZIC, Mikhail from Stary Oskol, Russia; and UX1IW, Serge from Donetsk, Ukraine (2383 km). With CW on 20 meter: F6AVE, Andre from Fillinges, France.

Sunspot crisis

There is not only a financial crisis at hand, no, there is also a sunspot crisis. Now I enjoy springtime and nice weather, and when I go with holidays I will take the FT817 with me. But when conditions are that poor I might leave the rig at home. The expectations are low: "Pesnell believes sunspot counts should pick up again soon, “possibly by the end of the year,” to be followed by a solar maximum of below-average intensity in 2012 or 2013." Well, we'll see. Read more >>

Have a nice and sunny weekend!

The weather was fine today. Nice spring time weather. Tonight I worked LY1000X, Tomas from Vilnius, Lithuania on 40 meter with CW. Also RA2FAC Serge from Kaliningrad, Russia.

I was looking for a long time for CT3FT. I heard him many times but could not work him. Today I was successful on 40 meter CW. It's my 62 DXCC country QRP. Cedric lives on Porto Santo Island, Madeira. (see photo) A nice place to live.