Right now, a DXpedition to any place WARM would be on my wish list.....Which leads me to ask....Is anyone out there NOT sick and tired of this never ending freak'n cold weather?....Jeezus, enough already!!!!!!.... ......so if it's to someplace nice and hot, can I stowe away?......Please?..... .....

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Man, I'll tell ya....I feel that pain....as I have mentioned in previous threads, my mail delivery just plain sucks eggs.....so much so that at one point, I had to complain to the post master that we were getting the mail too infrequenlty.....and just think how I feel, as I hve yet to do LOTW.....and don't know when I will ever get around to doing so.....Like I said, there are far greater crisis in the world.....at least that's what I keep telling myself...... ...............

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ZL9HR -- Last heard, they have been out and a bunch of people have received it, per announcements on cluster. Which leads me to ask, anyone else out there still waiting for this one?......

PT0S -- GOOD NEWS!!!!.... http://www.pt0s.com/qsl.html

JX9JKA -- Worked Svein twice on 17 meters during the contest weekend (a break for a non-contest qso).  I don't think he's going to be back in Norway for a while, but I sent out the QSL card anyway

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P.S. Remember, fellow QSL card waiting DXers....Paitence!!!!!......... ...............

Waiting for QSL Cards sucks.....It's just plain painful....and I don't care just how sactimonious someone is or thinks they are, we are ALL guilty of being impatient in waiting for the paper verificaitons of our qsos, especially if it's for a new country.....It's just human nature.....It's not a matter of life or death, and there are far greater problems in the world, though.....that's one way of looking at it......but, yes qsl card anxiety is an aggrivation that we as dxers all have...no question...

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Amen!...Especially 24 and 26.....Perth, Australia is a big town....I am sure there are plenty of DXing hams in the metro area to work for zone 29.....which over the years, I have worked.....timing it what it's all about....

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4U1UN is the toughest close DX I ever attempted to work and worked....Mainly because up until only a few years ago, I never heard them on the air......The toughest that was close to my QTH......so yes, it is considered DX....even moreso than California.....Geographically that doesn't make sense.....but from a new entity standpoint, it does because of it being relativly rare....Hope to work them on 60 meters!...... .....

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KA3NRX

I think I only had one qso on 60 meters, and it was to the Turks and Caicos Islands....What say you to 60 meters?....

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Worked Luis many times over the years.....This really sucks....Enjoy the banquet at the Lords table, om....We'll qso again someday.... .....

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woops...My bad....forgive me....HV3SJ was NOT located in the Pontifical College....Just did a search as my curiosity got the better of me....the old HV3SJ station used to be located in the headquarters of the Jesuits...aka the Society of Jesus, hence forth the SJ in the call....the Jesuits hq is also located just outside the walls of the actual Vatican proper.....and those LPDA antennas you see in there used to be for Vatican Radio broadcasts....I think anyway...don't quote me on that.....If you look to the northwest of St. Pete's, you will see a big huge tower on top of a large stone building....that is where Vatican Radio and TV studios are housed.......

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Guys...guys....guys!!!!....I thought this was mentioned in another thread...HV0A is not physically located within the Vatican walls.....It is located in the North American Pontifical College, which was mentioned in this thread above, and can be verified by watching the You Tube video that Francesco made, also mentioned in this thread above.....The Vatican station was always located there, even back in the HV3SJ days....do a google search on HV3SJ and you will see....Also, to put to rest anyone's fears, the station DOES count for the Vatican.....the station is located on what is considered Vatican property.....Like if there was an operation from Castle Gandolfo.....Located south of Rome, in Italy, but technially still Vatican property.....As long as there is an HV prefix and the property belongs to the church, it counts for the Vatican.....But don't take my word for it....E-mail Francesco and ask him....I am sure you will get a response....

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P.S.  I took the liberty some time ago to highlight where HV0A/HV4NAC actually are on the wikimapia.org page.....go and see for yourself at the following link:

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=41.9&lon=12.46&z=16&l=0&m=s&v=9

and under map type, scroll down to "wikimapia classic"...mouse over to the south east of the vatican until you find the NA college, and zoom in.....you will see the antennas on the roof.....

That's disturbing!.... .....If that's the case, then it might be another 2 cycles before I ever sniff a Monaco qso....Antenna restrictions, terrain, geography, etc......and one lonely country to complete EU.....Guess I'll have to JT-65 it and suck it up.....

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OMG PAUL!!!!...That was tremendous!!!!.....A very nice insight as to what it's like over there and then the operations....You guys are seriously some of the bravest heartiest souls in Ham Radio....I especially love the footage of you guys on the plane with those sh*t eating grins on your faces as if to say "wait until we shock everybody and the world hears us!!!".....Love it.....Two questions....I noticed that you were not using any keyers for CW.....What were you using as far as software for CW and did the software decode the incoming signals?.....And also, when is the dxpedition to Mt. Athos???....LOL....Couldn't help myself...watched that video too......Thanks for a great video, a great expedition, for giving the world the rarest of the rare, and for being there......

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LOL....Love it....a world of ideas and answers...good stuff Geno....as I expected though, the general consensus is that Yes, Bigger $$$$ = a fast track receipt of a card, at least that's what I glean....Is it right???....that's another issue for another day....but it sure does prove the old saying: Money Talks..... ....

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Precisely....I will take your answer as a yes!.....Carry on....

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To answer your quesiton....not necessarily ethical, but does it happen?  In short, the old addage...."Money talks".....does this apply to an expeditions qsl card turn around time? Does it make a difference? I am seeking opinions....I will take yours as a "no" answer to my question.....Thanks!.....