The Dave Gilmour quote in the title is there to mean that, since I've read about it first, I felt an attraction for the RSGB IOTA contest. I don't know why, but I love to think my days will end on an island, pretty far from "society", like St. Helena, or Ascension. Returning on OM tracks, I decided that I had to give a try to this week-end competition (it's like NYC Marathon, you want to run, even if you don't live in sneakers) and that the best way to take part was /P. I knew it would be harder than IARU HF Championship, as islands are like bread for DXCC hunters, so pile-up would prove more intense, but I decided I wouldn't mind. Some hours in the open, along with the chance to undust the PRC-320, were enough of a perspective.
I didn't went very high this time, choosing the heights of Champlong, near Lauzon, above Verrayes, in my Aosta Valley (loc. JN35pr). Some 1600/1700 meters on the sea, on a warm summer day. In the middle of a grass near the wood, a stone that seemed built there to install the 320 on, surrounded by the space needed to span the counterpoise. In ten minutes, my radio-engine was heaten. I did listen, and try to place some calls, to understand if everything was working properly, and to check how propagation was working. The former was positive, and the latter provided a fundamental piece of information: 20 meters were too crowded and busy to be heard with a minimal set-up like mine (the 2.4 mt. whip). So, the game had to be played from 15 mt. upwards.
That's what I did when 12.00 UTC clocked. Rather than sit on a frequency and call, I preferred to sweep continuosly the selected bands and answer to others contesters. This technique paid, as at the end of the three hours I spent there (I knew since the beginning I couldn't transmit for the whole twelve hours slot, as family was with me), some twenty-three QSO were in the log. Nine in the ten meters band, and the remaining fourtneen in the fifteen one. In all, I did work five islands (EU-025, EU-174, EU-040, AF-019 and AS-004), with all the others contacted OMs being "steady ground" participants, like yours truly.
The most remarkable result, in terms of DX, has to be 5B4KH in 28 MHz, for a 2400 kilometers QRB. Also, a good skip to IT9 (with some five stations worked from Sicily) has to be noted, as well as QSOs with italian zones 2 and 4 on high bands (which is not usually the case). Since a contest was on, everybody would pass the standard "five by nine". However, since I know how these things go, I asked a couple southern Italy stations for a real report, obtaining S from 3 to 5, with "perfect modulation". I was satisfied, as with less than 30 watts and a neither 3 meters whip this becomes a result in itself (and a good training for others operators ears). On the grounds of the final score, I'm aware all this work will be ridicolous, but once again IX1 will be ranked, and that matters to me. Nothing else.
This time too, the 320 surprised me for its reception performance. Some five minutes before the contest start, I stepped in the below QSO, in the 18 MHz band. Hear for yourself how both ends were booming in Lauzon, and guess why going /P is the best declination of the most beautiful hobby that a human being could ask for.
 

73,
Chris

Good things come for those who wait. So, no matter if it required quite five years of chasing, here I am with my QSL from SAQ, found in the mailbox today. It's related to the broadcast held on 3rd July 2011, twenty-six days ago (my previous blog entry here). I'd remember everyone that, for a radio aficionado, Grimeton Radio marks the last chance of a signal in the clear in VLF (17.2 kHz). The station ended its commercial mission years ago, but the Alexander Generator and the huge towers used to broadcast the signal from Sweden are too much of radio-architectural interest to be lost, so it's now a foundation which takes care of the station, with some special broadcasts scheduled every year. Receiving 17.2 kHz succesfully requires a set-up not really at entry level, but you have a challenginng option: SAQ frequency falls in the range of a personal computer soundcard, so plug the antenna to the "line-in", and run a spectrum visualization software like "Argo". Propagation should do the magic. Personally, as you know, I'm old fashioned, so I did run with an NRD-525 coupled to the PA0RDT "Mini-whip", and I'm proud of the confirmation. Long live to SAQ, and the Grimeton Heritage!

73,
Chris

Sometimes, I don't understand OMs. Probably I became licensed too recently to fully understand them and in some years I'll see the light. Sometimes, they do focusize on awards that, with all due respect, doesn't show much sense (no examples given, but you know what I'm talking about). Doing this, they forget others, that could reveal much more fun and interesting to achieve. It's the case, for example, of the WAIP, the "Worked All Italian Provinces". You need, to have it on your wall, QSOs with 75 different italian provinces, 60 if you're participating from abroad. That's either an equipment test without equal for a new station, or a determination exercise for an experienced ham. And then, you check A.R.I. records and discover that, since the birth of this award, just 1750, of the HF version, have been given out. To me, it looks like a low figure, as quite every OM doing shortwaves in this country should display it in his shack. That's why I wrote a story about this for the friends at DXCoffee. You can read it here in Italian, and here in English (it's an opportunity you should consider from abroad too!). And then, I expect you to rush to the radio. 75 (or 60) it's something, but impossible is nothing.

73,
Chris

We don't know if we'll ever hear (again, as something did exist in the past) a shortwave broadcasting station from South Sudan. However, ham radio operators did want to celebrate, since the beginning, the journey of the 193rd Country of the world, born on last 9th July. So, a mixed team from the Intrepid-DX group and the DX-friends (including Fabrizio, IN3NZR, from our land), after obtaining a license from the governmental authorities, did embark for Juba (the capital of the new State) and began HF operations from there, during the afternoon of friday 22nd July 2011, under the callsign ST0R. Please, read here my first story on this subject for DXCoffee.com (in Italian), and follow the DXpedition on its dedicated website. Most of all, however, witness, thanks to the video below (recorded a while ago, on 14145 kHz, from my QTH), the operations. The guys there are demonstrating once more radio is a wonderful way to mark history, and they're putting out a wonderful signal to Italy (but, judging from their QSOs, to a lot of other places too). Way to go, ST0R!
 

73,
Chris

Going through the files from last  /P day in Pila (see previous blog, on 20th July), yours truly found another video deserving to be shared. For a couple reasons, at least. Not only it's about crossing the Pond with just a 2.4 mt whip (and counterpoise), but it also allows to hear both stations engaged in QSO. It's not usual, especially on the 17 Meters band, to have a skip bringing you two areas quite far between them. So, here, at 13.50 UTC of 20th July 2011, in Pila (loc. JN35pr), we have M0BSV, from Peterborough in the UK, and W4UWC, in Knoxville, Tennessee, with thankings to Robin G0GNE for assisting in their identification. I have to say that receiving side of the PRC-320 surprised me once again, both for sensivity and audio quality. Judge for yourselves…
 

73,
Chris

Ham radio is the most charming, interesting, and self-rewarding hobby one can have, but I don't forget my BCL and SWL roots. Listening is the key of everything, also when you're in ham bands. So, last tuesday night, when friend Leo Bolli (you should check his "Taccuino DX") warned me with a text message that Radio Transmundial from Santa Maria-Camobi, Brazil was making it to Italy, I gladly gave it a try. 11735 kHz at 20.56 UTC of 19th July 2011 was, in fact, alive with signals from South-America, even if in my location, far from the sea and surrounded by mountains, it was not that strong. However, Transmundial is not an every night one, so I recorded a bit, and, as always, it's a pleasure to share it on these pages. Receiver was the Icom R71, and the antenna my new ham built Fishing rod.
 

73,
Chris