Crew: DD2CW Jef, ON3UN Dirk, ON6LY Cis and ON6UQ Cel.
We try to work as many stations as posible also before as after the contest. Modes SSB, CW and DIGI. We try to activate some WFF parks as well.
Equipment: ICOM TRX and Expert PA as main station and a 100W yeasu for outdoor use. A 3 band full wave loop antenna for 10/15/20m, a 40/80m vertical and FD4 as back-up. QSL via ON3UN.
28 august we arrived on the island. The trip with the Ferry was calm and also withe pont connection with the island was easy. After a few hours with the car we arrived at the location.
A location with 2 beds and a sofa. One of us stays outdoor in a tent (ex. soldier). The weather forecast was good. After a few hours it to rain and blow, at least 60 km/h and it became a hell of a job te put de antenne masts up. Jef had a home made construction of a 3 band full wave loop antennen, created with a spyderbeam pole of 12m. Almost impossible to hold him up in the wind. Cis installed also a FD4 and a vertical for 30m. Not possible to set up the 40/80m vertical by this wind and rain.
We took place in a barak becouse there was no room in the cottage to place all the equipment so the only place was outdoors. Will you now? It’s the oldtimer(Cel) who writing this and I’m not so flexible anymore(70y) so the hard jobs was for the younger men.
Propagation was as usually not so optimal but we have in total more than 2000 Qso’s in the log. I myself was not so in the mood and was chaking from the cold. Later it would show that I had abdominal flu. Nevertheless we made it as an adventure.
Dirk was our kitchen chef and tryed to made also that Englisch food. O boy, my stomach. I needed a week to recover. But wonder oh wonder. For the first time no spirits but only wine.
Jef and Dirk activated also a park (GFF-0000) after the contest, a unique possibility.
That was all folks……CU by our next expedition.
Special thanks for Patrick ON3CQ for the QSL design.
We hadden een Volvo V70 gehuurd maar deze bleek maar juist groot genoeg om de bagage én de levensmiddelen voor een week. Na een 500 tal km arriveerde we bij Jörgen en Ulla waar we vriendelijk werden ontvangen en aan de koffietafel werden uitgenodigd.Na een uur en na het betalen van de huur, reden we richting Utanede naar de shack van SI9AM. Alles was perfect in orde en konden meteen starten.
On oktober 22 we take a flight to Stockholm and via car 600 km into middle of Sweden, Utanede. We will stay until 29 oktober.
We participate in the CQWW contest. Before and after we work in CW/SSB on WARC bands.
All info on www.si9am.se.
A beautiful award is available..
73, Cel ON6UQ
Back in the country. After one week in Utanede, Sweden. This year we were there with four, Jef DD2CW, Roger ON7TQ and Dirk ONL741, Cell, ON6UQ. This year formed into ‘ The R-team “
Our participation in the CQ WW SSB contest has taught us a lot and have a decent score.3040 QSO’s 113 zones 358 country’s and claimed score from 2.071.658
Before and after the contest we have both, in CW and SSB worked, mostly on the WARC bands, where we got regularly a serious pile-up.
In a room we had small place to take a rest between the QSO ‘s. Two mattresses on the floor and a bunk bed.
A good atmosphere between the R-team members and pleasant work without frequent appointments, just on the feeling.
The journey from Eindhoven went smoothly and in Stockholm Skavsta airport was the car reserved. We had another 600 km ahead via the E4 motorway to the QTH of SM3FJF Jörgen and SM3LIV, Ulla. where we were received friendly and equally could talk about our hobby at a cup delicious coffee and pastries.
It was 20h00. Another small 100 km to Utanede on the Swedish countryside. Everything was ready and could start right away.
Jörgen had the kitchen downstairs for us aside for our dayly meal. A very good idea where we regularly made use of. We had a stock gained for a few days and middle that week we are go shopping again.
The ACOM1000 was implemented along with the FT1000MP and was immediately started on the WARC bands. There was a lot of traffic.
One by one we were sleepy after a while and sunk in a sort of frenzy. However, the transmitter and the N1MM logger stil working. Aziatic russia and Japan especially. From now the transmitter was continuous in the air, Jef, Dirk and Roger in SSB and myself mostly in CW.
We worked the contest in multi single and have 43 of the 48 hours spent.Result: 3040 stations, 113 zones, 358 country’s and claimed score of 2.071659.A bit higher than last year.
Jef showed an illustration about TX5K on Clipperton Island. This for 15 guests amateurs.We started miserably with a minute’s silence as the president Lars, SM3CVM died that week.
It was a wonderful presentation and they listened carefully.
We had a good time in the SI9AM shack, made a lot of fun and that regular with a good Remy Martin boost. Planned to come back next year.
The weather was excellent and the temperatures above zero. sometimes mist in the morning but generally quite sunny. Of the storm in Western Europe we have not noticed anything.
The R-team
It’s end October and time to prepare to visit the Swedish amateur radio station SI9AM. We rent this the fifth time and still a station that generate famous pile-up’s.
The station is situated in the centre of Sweden, about 600 km above Stockholm.
The weather situation in that time of the year could be anything, as Rain, snow, fog and freezing temperatures. This year we had cold weather with temperatures around -8°C and a lot of snow.
We rented a car in Stockholm Skavsta airport and they had no winter tires on the rented car and we where not prepared for that winter weather 600km higher inland.
By arriving in the station, the weather was not to bad and we could immediately going on with extract our luggage.
What you see is a Thai pavilion that is build by king Chullalongkorn of Siam, now Thailand. Therefore calls the station SI 9 AM. You see SIAM and 9 in the callsign, 9 is the lucky number of the Thai people.
We installed ourselves in the shack, a 100 meters further and started immediately with broadcasting.
As station we had a FT1000MP with Acom 1000 and micro-keyer. The antennas ware 2 element for 40m, a 6 element 3 band yagi and folded dipole.
For the WARC band a Spiderbeam.
We where prepared for the CQWW contest of that weekend. the second day it started snowing and in short time there was a thick white carpet. The shack was warm, no the shack was hot, between 26 and 30°C and we only needed some lite clothes.
On the outward journey we were going shopping for food for that week.
Prizes are similar to that of us, except alcoholic drinks that are most expensive.
A local store was 25km further on and the roads where filed whit snow, but after two days we needed fresh bred and other things, so up to the store.
With three it is less tiring, there may be still a man sleep if he needed. And…they needed, everyone needed to wake-up everyone after his shift, Yes there is a lot of snorted.
Nevertheless we made a lots of contacts befor and after that contest and had a wonderful time on the station SI9AM.
Results: CQWW contest 2800 stations and 1.800.000 points. Befor and after we worked 1560 stations in SSB and CW.
DX-peditions are just fun. You are often totally alone with nature or a foreign country.
Or we choose an island or either a weird country where no radio amateurs are.
We were in Liechtenstein – island Römö in Denmark – island Texel in Holland and a special place, Sweden in the station SI9AM where we goin in october for de 5the time, for taking part of the CQWW contest, together with Jef, DD2CW (ON4ACA). A great station that you can hire . It’s a Thai pavilion and the call generate nice pile-ups. Look at the SI9AM website !
We also spent some time to be one with nature. WWF is the project and means World Fauna Flora . Belgium has a 130 natuur areas who have a number like ONFF001, ON stands for Belgium and FF for Fauna Flora. Every country has his own FF areas and begins also with the country prefix.
The allround logo is this butterfly and each country also have his own (second)country logo. Every country has also an award for working as many FF stations you can. The money is for nature funds. Greatings is simpel with ’44’ instead of 73 (normal greating code). We have also a custom QSL Card(report) and have regular a beautiful picture of nature on it.
You must know that this usually goes for a portabele Setup. A car battery or multiple batteries because we dont distrupt mother nature with a power generator to make some electricity. Also portable antennes or antennas on the car roof is usually the only alternative. A portable computer with wirless internet is sometimes possible but most of the time it is without. You can read about here . We also enjoy nature.
ON6UQ - OP1A 