eHam
eHam Forums => DXing => Topic started by: KD0PO on January 19, 2023, 01:39:33 PM
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OQRS is turned on
Ray
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OQRS is turned on
Ray
Thanks for the heads up!
OQRS complete - says LOTW will be uploaded within two days...
Randy / WB9LUR
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OQRS is turned on
Ray
How does this work? Go into clublog, find FT8WW, enter my call in, If it finds my record, I STILL have to enter the date and time, then..what? Paypal for a card, or free to qsl buro?? Never did OQRS before.
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If you've already uploaded your log info to ClubLog, you won't need to enter it. Otherwise, you'll need to enter the date and time for each QSO. Then proceed like any other PayPal purchase.
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Looks like QSL vis BURO is free.
Ed N1UR
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I'll probably hold off until we find out whether his permit to operate will be extended. I'd certainly try to add a few more bands if he can get back on the air again.
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I'll probably hold off until we find out whether his permit to operate will be extended. I'd certainly try to add a few more bands if he can get back on the air again.
That is exactly what I was thinking. From what I have heard there is a good chance he will be operating again and hopefully he gets permission to use a better antenna.
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Seems like it should have been a simple request. The fact that 4 days have come and gone without the extension is not sounding good.
Quite frankly, it doesn't sound like he actually wants to go to the trouble of putting up a better antenna. Sounds like he is very okay with lesser antenna and using FT8 to compensate. C'est la vie.
Ed N1UR
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You obviously know nothing about how the French work,
You have insulted him so much why are you even interested,
Just wait another 20 years for a SSB guy to go there,
Seems like it should have been a simple request. The fact that 4 days have come and gone without the extension is not sounding good.
Ed N1UR
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Just requested my card via OQRS, and added a donation as well. With only 3 more ATNOs possible for me, I don't mind giving a few dollars or Euros to say thanks for being there—in whatever mode or on whatever band.
Something I did notice was that several of my QSOs that came in from Clublog had bad dates and times associated with them. I changed the values from what was recorded in my log, refreshed the page and all was good, but it did catch me off-guard a bit.
I am extremely grateful for this new one. It sure wasn't looking promising for the first four days of Thierry's operation, but lady luck was finally on my side and the curse was broken, thanks in no small part to the Palos Verdes Sun Dancers doing their thing. Here's hoping he gets re-authorized for a longer period!
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Ha - my ex wife is French and I lived for a time in Brittany. So much for jumping to conclusions.
If the local Garrison leader wasn't able to approve it on site, its not looking good from my experience. Time will tell.
This crowd certainly likes to jump to often wrong conclusions. The list is endless.
Ed N1UR
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I did my OQRS last night. I also noticed that some QSO details were already loaded in the OQRS form, but others weren't. The 20 m QSO data were correct.
I did OQRS for TN8T a few days ago, and noticed none of my QSO details were pre-loaded in the form. I had to load it from my log.
Previously I've not had to do this, as my QSO are uploaded to ClubLog when I log them in HRD.
I'm happy to have Crozet off the "Wanted" list.
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I'm happy to have Crozet off the "Wanted" list.
Oh, its far from off the most-wanted list, but I'm sure it's been moved down a few pegs, thankfully.
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Finally got him on QO-100 SSB, doesn't count for anything but still was nice one to have,
73
Trevor
EI2GLB
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I'm happy to have Crozet off the "Wanted" list.
Oh, its far from off the most-wanted list, but I'm sure it's been moved down a few pegs, thankfully.
I should have written "I'm happy to have Crozet off MY "Wanted" list.
Finally got him on QO-100 SSB, doesn't count for anything but still was nice one to have,
73
Trevor
EI2GLB
Does QO-100 not count for DXCC Satellite? I'd have put it in the same basket as 60 m, which not all countries have access to. A bit like QO-100 which excludes much of the world. Admittedly, it does include a lot of the world, but nobody in Australia can use it, nor can we use 60 m.
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You are right Luke it does count for Satellite DXCC but as I have only about 4 entities worked it's not something I actively chase,
I put together the QO-100 setup just for the fun of building it, maybe I should use it more, it is very active at times here and it does cover a huge amount of area,
73
Trevor
EI2GLB
Does QO-100 not count for DXCC Satellite? I'd have put it in the same basket as 60 m, which not all countries have access to. A bit like QO-100 which excludes much of the world. Admittedly, it does include a lot of the world, but nobody in Australia can use it, nor can we use 60 m.
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Now LoTW!
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Now LoTW!
Just did OQRS Friday and it's already confirmed. Very fast.
Randy / WB9LUR
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yep...
also just received FT8WW LOTW confirmation....now at 331 worked and confirmed
kind a neet cause it has been 60 years ago this month
that i receive my general class license at age of 14....
and
started dx'ing for the thrill of it all
and
in 1970 got my extra after 4 years in the USAF
SO
only takes a life time to get to HR ...
a life time well lived...
and
still kicking ... ;-)
Paul K3SF
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also just received FT8WW LOTW confirmation....now at 331 worked and confirmed
...<snip>...
only takes a life time to get to HR
Congrats on earning a spot on the Honor Roll! These days that's a heck of an achievement. Well Done OM
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After Dom would upload paid OQRS requests for FT8 QSO's to LoTW (where a Q could not be retracted), some people "disputed" their PayPal and got their $5 back, but the Q stuck. My recommendation to counter that was to publicly name & shame them.
How low will some of these guys go to get their "free sh&*"?
N0UN
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Congrats on a great achievement, Paul! The more time it takes us to get on HR, the more fun we have, and the more we value the award. What is your station setup? Maybe you could update your QRZ page with some info, since many of those who are chasing HR want to know what antennas/power/location is needed to achieve it.
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You obviously know nothing about how the French work,
You have insulted him so much why are you even interested,
Just wait another 20 years for a SSB guy to go there,
LOL how do the French work? ::)
A simple statement that it has been several days since he made a request and he has heard nothing yet, is an insult to the French :o
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After Dom would upload paid OQRS requests for FT8 QSO's to LoTW (where a Q could not be retracted), some people "disputed" their PayPal and got their $5 back, but the Q stuck. My recommendation to counter that was to publicly name & shame them.
How low will some of these guys go to get their "free sh&*"?
N0UN
Wayne, yes, and in addition to name & shame, a ban from ever using the Clublog OQRS would be appropriate.
Marvin VE3VEE
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How low will some of these guys go to get their "free sh&*"?
That is stooping low. But those like the Mexican guy who went to a nearby island via the Mexican Navy and demanded 10 bucks deserve it. And those operating from their home and demanding 5 bucks for a LoTW upload like VK9DX also deserve it. He says on his Zed page, "If you don't like it, don't call." Reckon he's talking about folks like me?
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OQRS is turned on
Ray
Wonder how much profit Thierry will put in his pocket? All that donated equipment that was never used, all that grant money, and the OQRS haul. Biggest dxpedition scam ever.
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also just received FT8WW LOTW confirmation....now at 331 worked and confirmed
...<snip>...
only takes a life time to get to HR
Congrats on earning a spot on the Honor Roll! These days that's a heck of an achievement. Well Done OM
Thank you...
Paul K3SF
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Congrats on a great achievement, Paul! The more time it takes us to get on HR, the more fun we have, and the more we value the award. What is your station setup? Maybe you could update your QRZ page with some info, since many of those who are chasing HR want to know what antennas/power/location is needed to achieve it.
Current setup is Flex 6600M with Elecraft KPA500, Antennas are 8 Element LPDA (T8) by Tennadyne at 45ft, 145ft OCF at 60ft and 43ft Vertical all on a nice 2 acres wooded area . However, over the years a i went from heathkit AT1 and hallicrafters S-120 to heath Hw101 with HA14 amp..all dipole antenna, then got Ten Tec Omni with 40ft tower with stacked Mono-banders
....then Divorce came along..ham radio gear disappeared..
so.....started over....and rebuild...
Manage to rebuild my life. worked my bunns off
..got two kids thru college...debt free
... a new wife and new QTH and setup Ten Tec Orion II, 40ft tower with TH7dxx and Yaesu FL7000 amp...
At retirement in 2013 got Flex gear (6300 which i traded in later for 6600m) and Elecraft gear and traded out the TH7DXX for T8 LPDA, moved the OCF from 30 ft to 60ft high and installed the vertical.
..with the Flex 6600m i can monitor 4 bands at once with different antennas simultaneously
..and easier to analyze a pileup quickly...
i operate any mode the dx is operating...
lotsa computers here (two mac mini in the shack and three mac minis in small server farm in basement)
SO
getting to HR was a 60 year effort.. slow and steady with life event bumps along the way...
Thanks
Paul K3SF
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Wonder how much profit Thierry will put in his pocket? All that donated equipment that was never used, all that grant money, and the OQRS haul. Biggest dxpedition scam ever.
To be honest, I wondered about that myself when I first saw the that big list of sponsors and individual contributors. This is not like DXpeditions that went on the Braveheart and took a helicopter along. Didn't Terry hitchhike there with the scientific research crew, and isn't he staying on their base? Maybe I'm missing something and someone can explain it, but I just don't see what expenses are involved for the amount of grants and contributions. I know he's at #3 on the most wanted list and all that. When Chuck was on Bouvet, all I ever heard being asked was an SASE to his stateside manager.
That being said, I'm glad he went and I'm not criticizing his operation. I believe he gave as many as possible a new one, and he had to play the hand he was dealt. Just don't understand why mucho dinero was involved.
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Well to get me to sit on a rock in the roaring forties for three months, twiddling my thumbs for 2 of them would require either a feeling of making the sacrifice for the benefit of thousands of people, or some form of inducement.
BUT, the christmas food looked pretty good.
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Wonder how much profit Thierry will put in his pocket?
I don't care.
The truth is, most DXpeditions, however organized, lose money. They always have. Resident DX might make a few dollars, but I doubt if a big killing was made here.
And if it was a money-maker this time, I really don't care. He didn't have to bring a rig along. He's suffered (if he ever sees it) tons of on-line abuse.
The truth is, we'd have more expeditions to rare places if we didn't ask the operators to pull 5, 10, even 20 thousand out of their own pocket for the "privilege" of working us from some Godforsaken Rock. If they at least broke even, we'd see a lot more operations.
And, sorry, there's tons of hidden costs, including the potential for high exise taxes and who knows what else. When you have a lot of environmental provisions to meet, you often pay for the privilege of getting the papers to show you've jumped through those hoops.
I haven't seen his budget and I'm not going to accuse him of profiteering without seeing it.
The foundations weren't born yesterday, either. It's not like they have never seen this kind of expedition before.
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I've never heard of anyone's 3 element 80 meter Yagi lasting more than 3 years before it came crashing down & I've never heard of DXpedition members "getting rich".
Tom KH0/KC0W
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I worked FT8WW on 30m FT8 and 20m CW. But no LOTW confirmation.
The Club log shows both contacts. When I try to request QSL, details for FT8 are filled in and those for CW are blank.
Any idea what may be going on? FT8WW would be my #336.
Ignacy NO9E
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So had you previously uploaded the QSO details to ClubLog for the 30M FT8 and not for the 20M CW? But regardless, you can still fill in the 20M CW date and time and proceed to PayPal checkout.
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I uploaded both to Clublog and LOTW. Not sure why the date or time may be wrong in CW. So I am trying to find out if there is another case like this.
Ignacy NO9E
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I uploaded both to Clublog and LOTW. Not sure why the date or time may be wrong in CW. So I am trying to find out if there is another case like this.
Ignacy NO9E
Same happened to me with 2 of my 5 QSOs. Just put in the correct date and time from your log in the provided slots, refresh the page and submit. I got my LoTW confirmations a couple of days later.
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I worked FT8WW on 30m FT8 and 20m CW. But no LOTW confirmation.
The Club log shows both contacts. When I try to request QSL, details for FT8 are filled in and those for CW are blank.
Any idea what may be going on? FT8WW would be my #336.
Ignacy NO9E
Don't forget it's long and short path, not long and short 'pass'.
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I worked FT8WW on 30m FT8 and 20m CW. But no LOTW confirmation.
The Club log shows both contacts. When I try to request QSL, details for FT8 are filled in and those for CW are blank.
Any idea what may be going on? FT8WW would be my #336.
Ignacy NO9E
Don't forget it's long and short path, not long and short 'pass'.
Are they blank as in you can enter data into the missing fields? Try uploading your QSO's directly to ClubLog as an Adif file - or just manually enter the missing data.
I only upload logs directly to LOTW - and then export the LOTW out. I never upload to ClubLog except in cases like this. Seems to resolve that issue.
Randy / WB9LUR
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For you IOTA guys, just got FT8WW (AF-008) added to my totals via ClubLog. That's good timing for the Jan 31 deadline for submissions.
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I worked FT8WW on 30m FT8 and 20m CW. But no LOTW confirmation.
The Club log shows both contacts. When I try to request QSL, details for FT8 are filled in and those for CW are blank.
Any idea what may be going on? FT8WW would be my #336.
Ignacy NO9E
I experienced the same. ClubLog changed their upload url and your logging program was unable to automatically upload the QSO since 31 December. Ham Radio Deluxe released an update to fix this, and I presume all others have too, or will.
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I requested QSL via Clublog today, paid, and the QSOs are now in LOTW. #336. Hopefully #337 next week. But little chance for #1 Honor Roll. Need BS7, KH7 (Kure) and P5.
Ignacy NO9E
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I requested QSL via Clublog today, paid, and the QSOs are now in LOTW. #336. Hopefully #337 next week. But little chance for #1 Honor Roll. Need BS7, KH7 (Kure) and P5.
Ignacy NO9E
Either long and short PATH..
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I put in for OQRS yesterday and have received LOTW confirmations.
It was a lot of fun working FT8WW on FT8 & CW for an ATNO with 100 watts and a wire.
Thank you Thierry, and the team, for putting in the time, money, and work to get Crozet on the air.
Your efforts are very much appreciated!
73 Rich KB8GAE
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I uploaded both to Clublog and LOTW. Not sure why the date or time may be wrong in CW. So I am trying to find out if there is another case like this.
Ignacy NO9E
Here's a possible cause:
Most ADIF processing, including LOTW and Clublog use the TIME_ON field to determine the QSO time match. (It uses QSO_DATE also, but that's not a problem here).
If your logger "started the clock" from the moment you entered the call into your logger at the start of your pileup journey and didn't log it until you worked it, as you yourself requested, your TIME_ON will be from the moment you entered your pileup TIME_OFF will be when you actually worked and logged the station. General purpose loggers don't know the difference between a long rag chew and sitting in a pileup.
The TIME_OFF field will reflect, pretty closely, the actual time you worked the DX. Maddeningly, however, almost all software processing ignores that field. So, as far as LOTW or Clublog or anyone else is concerned, you are claiming to work the DX as of the moment you entered the pileup. Dumb, but that's the way code works.
So, if you (say) sat in the pileup for 45 minutes, your TIME_ON field will be 45 minutes earlier than the TIME_ON for the DX. Clublog will not match a time difference that large. I believe the difference is 15 minutes for Clublog, 30 minutes for LOTW.
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Some of you need to read the whole story of this trip.
Thierry got permission to go and operate Jan - March with restrictions. So the fundraising started etc.
He is NOT an employee, neither is he "hitching a ride". He was on the ship as a paying passenger, NOT cheap. I'm sure he's paying for food and board too. Not long before departure they changed the rules to what we have now.
At the moment his request for an extension of HF ops is being reviewed by some scientific body in France, who knows how long that will take?
For HF ops so far, for just one guy I think he's done a remarkably good job.
73
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For HF ops so far, for just one guy I think he's done a remarkably good job.
+1
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I uploaded both to Clublog and LOTW. Not sure why the date or time may be wrong in CW. So I am trying to find out if there is another case like this.
Ignacy NO9E
Here's a possible cause:
Most ADIF processing, including LOTW and Clublog use the TIME_ON field to determine the QSO time match. (It uses QSO_DATE also, but that's not a problem here).
If your logger "started the clock" from the moment you entered the call into your logger at the start of your pileup journey and didn't log it until you worked it, as you yourself requested, your TIME_ON will be from the moment you entered your pileup TIME_OFF will be when you actually worked and logged the station. General purpose loggers don't know the difference between a long rag chew and sitting in a pileup.
The TIME_OFF field will reflect, pretty closely, the actual time you worked the DX. Maddeningly, however, almost all software processing ignores that field. So, as far as LOTW or Clublog or anyone else is concerned, you are claiming to work the DX as of the moment you entered the pileup. Dumb, but that's the way code works.
So, if you (say) sat in the pileup for 45 minutes, your TIME_ON field will be 45 minutes earlier than the TIME_ON for the DX. Clublog will not match a time difference that large. I believe the difference is 15 minutes for Clublog, 30 minutes for LOTW.
Yet another reason I like DXLab so much. The DXKeeper module has a QSO capture window where you can enter the call sign of the station you are trying to work and populate all fields (except received RST). Your QSO gets time stamped with a start time of either when you overwrite the default received RST, or when you click the log it button.
Uploads to Club Log and LoTW require just a couple of clicks,
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Twitter:
“ CROZET 2022
@crozet2022
·
46m
Thiongs are slower thant what we would have hoped, for the extension of Thierry's permission rto come back to HF. CFrench bureaucracy at its best (or is it at its worst ?). We will keep you posted next when extension is granted. 73”
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From DX-World:
"NEWS UPDATE – The IPEV answered. It does not object to the TAAF making an amendment so that Thierry can resume contacts under the following conditions:
Over 4 rolling weeks only the first 3 are authorized for traffic, the 4th is forbidden to me for “analysis of logs”.
Thierry must provide the logs each week in a format “understandable” by their services.
Traffic below 14 MHz is prohibited; it seems that 10 MHz disturbs the measurements so no 10 and 7.
The conditions that were in force remain valid, namely:
5 hours per day prohibited to carry out the absolute measurement.
Stopping of all broadcasts 10 days before the departure of the boat for the Réunion Island.
Currently, Thierry is awaiting the endorsement that the TAAF must make. There is no HF emission for the moment.
As for the QSLs, Paul F6EXV says that the double-sided QSLs to answer direct requests are printed, they should arrived this week."
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So a guy has the potential to work the #2 and #3 minutes apart.
Gino
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So a guy has the potential to work the #2 and #3 minutes apart.
Or better still, have their pileups on adjacent frequencies and the entire world mistakes Crozet for Bouvet. ;D I do hope they can work each other, though!
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I do hope they can work each other, though!
That would be awesome!!!
Well, that does sound like some positive news regarding operating!
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I do hope they can work each other, though!
That would be awesome!!!
Well, that does sound like some positive news regarding operating!
If you can't work them from your QTH come over here and you might have better luck. Still tricky, though. All but one of my Qs with Thierry were hard-won, and the one easy one (15m FT8), he was being spotted as a pirate. Even I was dubious until I checked the log :)
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I do hope they can work each other, though!
That would be awesome!!!
Well, that does sound like some positive news regarding operating!
If you can't work them from your QTH come over here and you might have better luck. Still tricky, though. All but one of my Qs with Thierry were hard-won, and the one easy one (15m FT8), he was being spotted as a pirate. Even I was dubious until I checked the log :)
Thanks for the offer! Looking at the statistics - for 17 & 15 there are only 151 QSO's to NA so far. As his focus at the time was more on 20/30m - NA might get a better shot at the higher bands as he'll spend more time on them. (I've already worked Thierry on 30/20ft8 and 20 cw so far). Yep, working him certainly was a good challenge.. 20 cw being the hardest only because of qsb... 20 ft8 being easiest only because I caught him at the tail end of when he was operating on 20 cw - he moved to ft8 and I nabbed him right away!
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https://www.dx-world.net/ft8ww-crozet-island-2022-23/
He's back, was QRV on 20 tonight.
Good Hunting
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https://www.dx-world.net/ft8ww-crozet-island-2022-23/
He's back, was QRV on 20 tonight.
Good Hunting
Yep! I was copying him rather well, but wasn't sure as they hadn't posted that yet. Didn't call as I worked him on 20m FT8 previously.
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Thierry is now active on 21045 kHz CW listening up.
Weak but readable at VK3HJ. 529 now, but fading.
Great he is able to continue operating HF.
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Awesome! I held off on processing oqrs just in case. Hope to add another band or two!
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Wow number 2 and number 3 most wanted on the air at the same time. Fantastic!
73 Rich KB8GAE
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I received services from the Prefet of the TAAF the new convention me
allowing me to start my HF activities under the conditions set by the IPEV.
So I will be on the air again from this day (Friday February 10)
on 20 and 15 to start in CW and FT8 with as soon as possible tests for the
SSB.
Thank you to the TAAF services for drafting this new agreement as well
quickly and for allowing me to starte my activity, thanks also to
the IPEV for the log analysis work that has been carried out and their
agreement to extend HF traffic.
Thierry F6CUK/FT8WW
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I posted this on our local club chat room tonight:
"Paul N5PG, Yesterday 8:50 PM (Central)
FT8WW 14068 +8 "
Earliest and best I ever heard him, maybe he put up a better antenna finally.
Good Hunting, 73
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He was on 12m FT8 today, I called for 5hrs solid and nothing,
I tried high up low down following others ect and nothing,
He must have worked half of the active stations in Italy and France, Not a single EI or GI was worked,
I see Darrell G0HVQ made it so well done Darrell,
What a waste of electric that was, And I was using a lot, I could have cooked eggs on the amp ::)
I like FT8 but hate big FT8 pile up's there is no skill in it, there is zero way to lower your odd's like you can do in CW,
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I like FT8 but hate big FT8 pile up's there is no skill in it, there is zero way to lower your odd's like you can do in CW,
I still find CW the best way to work the DX, unless the DX isn't on CW! FT8 is a PITA when you are trying to find a gap in the pileup. It's probably similar to trying to work someone in CW who is using a skimmer, and jumping all over the pileup.
Give me a skilled CW operator at the other end anytime!
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He pops up on 15 cw most mornings at East Coast sunrise, but he's always working JAs and a smattering of EU.
If he would only listen for NA once in a while.....
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He pops up on 15 cw most mornings at East Coast sunrise, but he's always working JAs and a smattering of EU. If he would only listen for NA once in a while.....
He's on 12 at the moment (11am Eastern Time) running four streams of Europeans continually. Huge signal to NA but not a single one worked in the time I've been trying.
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He worked a few NA earlier and is still calling the odd one, a tip call him on one of his TX frequencies I spent 6 hours trying in total and then 5 minutes after moving there I got in,
I wouldn't normally call on a DX frequency but I seen a E7 do it and it worked so I said I'd give it a go,
Trevor
EI2GLB
He pops up on 15 cw most mornings at East Coast sunrise, but he's always working JAs and a smattering of EU. If he would only listen for NA once in a while.....
He's on 12 at the moment (11am Eastern Time) running four streams of Europeans continually. Huge signal to NA but not a single one worked in the time I've been trying.
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He was on 12m FT8 today, I called for 5hrs solid and nothing,
I see Darrell G0HVQ made it so well done Darrell,
I like FT8 but hate big FT8 pile up's there is no skill in it, there is zero way to lower your odd's like you can do in CW,
Thanks Trevor.
I employed the same technique I use in CW pileups, listening (watching) a lot where the people he worked were and TXing around the same freq, and trying to work out any pattern to the stations he selected. I spent quite a while calling, what helped in the end was that he faded out completely but I hung around and he came back up out of the noise 10mins later and quite strong too, by which time a lot of the callers had gone QRT. Found an empty slot around 2400Hz and bingo. It was quite late for 12m here, right on sunset. I wasn't expecting to make it but pleased to get 12m.
Glad you got him in the end.
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I like FT8 but hate big FT8 pile up's there is no skill in it,
Well, if you don't apply any skills, there isn't any skill. Some of us think otherwise and we do tend to get into the log just a little more often.
It's like any other pileup in the end. If you can out-think the mob, your chances of getting picked go up.
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Haven't missed too many that I've tried to work,
Last one was Peter 1 back in 07 and all I had back then was SSB and 100w to a 40m dipole 10ft up at my parents house,
So I do have an idea what I'm at,
but there isn't much you can do if the DX is just randomly picking calls, you just stand you ground and wait, occasionally stopping to see if your DF is clear and pick out a few he is working to look for a pattern,
I like FT8 but hate big FT8 pile up's there is no skill in it,
Well, if you don't apply any skills, there isn't any skill. Some of us think otherwise and we do tend to get into the log just a little more often.
It's like any other pileup in the end. If you can out-think the mob, your chances of getting picked go up.
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FT8WW is strong on 14.085 FT8 F/H now... worked in two calls and received a +04db report. Pretty good for ~90w :)
73
Mason - KM4SII
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Haven't missed too many that I've tried to work,
I missed some - mostly because a large hill blocks my signal path to south east Asia - so places like T8, XX9, 3W, 4W are very difficult. Glorioso, but I was living in an apartment at the time with an indoor antenna.. so. Otherwise I manage to work just about everything else I try to work. If I can figure out antenna modeling and HFTA I'd love to take a crack at building something that would "get me over the hill" with a decent signal over the pole. Either that or a 500 foot self supporting tower 8)
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but there isn't much you can do if the DX is just randomly picking calls,
People are notoriously not all that random. It may be harder than finding out someone is working a "snake" pattern on CW, but there is a pattern to such operators. It may be hard to discern, and maybe I fail to find it, too, but there is one.
We can, if we like, stand our ground and wait as you suggest. Or, we can try and figure something out. It sounds like you have often enough done so. Well, all I can suggest is "keep at it" because if you are experienced and are not in the log in a reasonable time, you are somehow outside of the DX' pattern.
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but there isn't much you can do if the DX is just randomly picking calls,
People are notoriously not all that random. It may be harder than finding out someone is working a "snake" pattern on CW, but there is a pattern to such operators. It may be hard to discern, and maybe I fail to find it, too, but there is one.
We can, if we like, stand our ground and wait as you suggest. Or, we can try and figure something out.
I will always look for the QSX first, and that takes a bit of time depending how crazy the pileup is. I've only been in a few very wicked-nasty pileups where the op would spin the dial after every QSO. Usually they're trying to keep rate, so they'll find somebody loud and work him, and the inevitable cluster of enclued callers who've figured it out. When it becomes impossible to pick out a caller they'll move a bit (or a lot), or else start at the top or bottom edge. If I find the QSX and just don't have any luck at all then I'll encamp on a frequency and call in turn for as long as I can hear him, and hope for the best.
If I can figure out antenna modeling and HFTA I'd love to take a crack at building something that would "get me over the hill" with a decent signal over the pole. Either that or a 500 foot self supporting tower 8)
HFTA is eye-opening. That's how I discovered just how screwed I was to certain parts of the world compared to someone theoretically a mile east of me. The key is your takeoff angle. If your takeoff angle is around 4-6 degrees you'll easily work short and medium range DX. South America, western Europe, our West Coast, etc. If you're around 3 degrees you'll do a lot better and will have an OK signal to the middle east, Japan, VK/ZL, and so on. If your takeoff angle on a directional antenna array is dead flat or less than 1 degree then you'll own the real long-haul DX in those directions. I've got a clean takeoff to Japan and I'll get through to weak JAs when a lot of guys here can't work the big gun JAs in contests. I'm clean over the pole so if there's good propagation I'll always be able to work into China, Indonesia, etc, on the upper bands. Easy-peasy. But I'm blocked from 020° to 220°, so all of Europe, Africa and the Southern Ocean is at about 6-10 degrees. If conditions are rips I can get through, but in marginal propagation, if I am able to make the contact, it's usually on the third or fourth day, with a lot of QSB.
HFTA calculations are complex to configure, but once you get a set of 5° radial fans saved it's just a question of plugging in the right data, along with angle data from the .PRN files. But if you're seriously terrain limited within about 4km there's not much you can do, as the Bouvet crew found when trying to work to NA.
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I managed somehow to work Thierry on 12m yesterday right as he was fading away (exactly as VOACAP predicted!), and already today the QSO showed up in ClubLog. He's killing it!
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Anyone know what he's using for HF antenna nowadays?
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FB Sig on 20m CW right now.
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Someone should send him a microphone.
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Someone should send him a microphone.
Heil sponsored him - they can't be very happy.
http://crozet2022.r-e-f.org/sponsors.html
(http://crozet2022.r-e-f.org/sponsors.html)
NØUN
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Someone should send him a microphone.
Heil sponsored him - they can't be very happy.
http://crozet2022.r-e-f.org/sponsors.html
(http://crozet2022.r-e-f.org/sponsors.html)
NØUN
How many hours in a row should a rare dx call CQ on phone with little to no response before they are allowed to switch to FT8 and a massive, instant pileup?
Gino - KE8KMX
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Someone should send him a microphone.
Heil sponsored him - they can't be very happy.
http://crozet2022.r-e-f.org/sponsors.html
(http://crozet2022.r-e-f.org/sponsors.html)
NØUN
How many hours in a row should a rare dx call CQ on phone with little to no response before they are allowed to switch to FT8 and a massive, instant pileup?
Gino - KE8KMX
False equivalency.
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How many hours in a row should a rare dx call CQ on phone with little to no response before they are allowed to switch to FT8 and a massive, instant pileup?
Gino - KE8KMX
Well, that's up to the DX. But I'd say for an operation like 3Y0J, with extremely limited operating bands and hours, I'd put it at about 15 minutes.
False equivalency.
It is neither false nor an equivalency. It's an operational strategy discussion.
The question can even arise even if a pileup is raised. Suppose an operator wants to reach whatever is roughly antipodes (here, NA). Suppose they raise a roaring pileup of JAs and EUs, but don't hear the NAs. Switching to FT8 could be rational if this is supposed to be a time they focus on NAs.
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Someone should send him a microphone.
Heil sponsored him - they can't be very happy.
http://crozet2022.r-e-f.org/sponsors.html
(http://crozet2022.r-e-f.org/sponsors.html)
NØUN
Good catch Wayne ;D ;D ;D
(https://i.postimg.cc/wjb9w5sY/heil.png)
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Its fake news that you can't get a pileup going on SSB unless its the bottom of the sunspot cycle.
You honestly think that if FT8WW was spotted on 21225 up 5 - 10 this coming weekend, when its open to NA, that he would sit there and have no callers???? Are you high on something? Whether he could handle it is another question. No idea. I have and could.
Ed N1UR
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Its fake news that you can't get a pileup going on SSB unless its the bottom of the sunspot cycle.
Apparently, you need to read more. I have read reports from DXpeditions, even to rare places, that have (on certain bands and modes) that did have trouble raising pileups. Not always, to be sure. But we aren't talking about always. Just sometimes.
I have experienced it myself. The first few days of the VK0EK expedition, I had very little trouble getting into the log. It was clear that their initial station was having trouble being heard. Anywhere. When they were fully operational, it was a different matter. But I got in the log early because I had the advantage in gear and maybe propagation those first few days when I was on. They did steady business, but not at the clip you would expect and not with the pileup you would expect either.
Some of these places are a long ways away from anywhere. Bouvet and Heart are two such.
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I have experienced it myself. The first few days of the VK0EK expedition, I had very little trouble getting into the log. It was clear that their initial station was having trouble being heard.
I had to laugh, when people started referring to that as "Unheard Island"! :D
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I have experienced it myself. The first few days of the VK0EK expedition, I had very little trouble getting into the log. It was clear that their initial station was having trouble being heard.
I had to laugh, when people started referring to that as "Unheard Island"! :D
Crossing the streams slightly, but when I operated as VK0LD, I was actually calling CQ off and on for about 9 hours. They put me on 20 meters because it was dead and therefore my little project wouldn't steal any QSOs. I could not believe how dead propagation was. Once 20 started opening up a bit, they kicked me off and took over in person.
The lack of propagation was real.
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I didn't listen for VK0EK on 20 meters.
Jim Smith VK0JS called me on 20 SSB, answering my CQ! I didn't need Heard on that band.
Zak W1VT
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Someone should send him a microphone.
Heil sponsored him - they can't be very happy.
http://crozet2022.r-e-f.org/sponsors.html (http://crozet2022.r-e-f.org/sponsors.html)
Just conjecture here on my part, but knowing his time on the island is coming to an end soon, that propagation still sucks to a lot of the world, and he's on the #3 most wanted entity, perhaps SSB isn't the best use of his limited operating time. That said, I really want to work him on phone! So far it's the only one I have in the log that I've not worked on SSB.
Or maybe like certain Heil products I've used in the past, the mic fell apart right after he started using it on 10 the other day.
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Thierry's QSL manager (F6EXV- Paul) is really great.
Two thumbs up for doing a thankless job.
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I use my Heil Proset daily, and have on all of the 15 or so DXpeditions I've been on. They are quite decent headphones. Occasionally I swing out the boom mic!
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Yeah, what the heil? I recently switched to a Heil Pro Set and I can tell you it is far superior to the WG set I had been using. Heil rocks.
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Yeah, what the heil? I recently switched to a Heil Pro Set and I can tell you it is far superior to the WG set I had been using. Heil rocks.
Maybe their newer stuff is better, but I've found so many mechanical issues with Heil hardware, and severe RF ingress into an earlier noise reduction headset when I was in C6A that I just gave up on them. I bought an Arlan Radiosport headset in 2016 and it's been perfect ever since. Not a single complaint, and you can beat on them like a red-headed stepchild. Heil mics do sound really good, though. I'll give Bob credit for that. But the price point he has to hit means the construction and components aren't top-notch. Just my own experience, but I'll never touch anything from Heil again.
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Yeah, what the heil? I recently switched to a Heil Pro Set and I can tell you it is far superior to the WG set I had been using. Heil rocks.
Maybe their newer stuff is better, but I've found so many mechanical issues with Heil hardware, and severe RF ingress into an earlier noise reduction headset when I was in C6A that I just gave up on them. I bought an Arlan Radiosport headset in 2016 and it's been perfect ever since. Not a single complaint, and you can beat on them like a red-headed stepchild. Heil mics do sound really good, though. I'll give Bob credit for that. But the price point he has to hit means the construction and components aren't top-notch. Just my own experience, but I'll never touch anything from Heil again.
I agree. They are built like crap. Also, the Heil Ic mike comes without a coiled mike cable so it becomes a length of linguini after a short time.
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300 bucks for a headset and another 100 for the lead to connect it to the rig all so you can look like a crew chief in Nascar ;D ;D
Forget that I will stick with my PC headset I got on Amazon for 60 bucks,
Yeah, what the heil? I recently switched to a Heil Pro Set and I can tell you it is far superior to the WG set I had been using. Heil rocks.
Maybe their newer stuff is better, but I've found so many mechanical issues with Heil hardware, and severe RF ingress into an earlier noise reduction headset when I was in C6A that I just gave up on them. I bought an Arlan Radiosport headset in 2016 and it's been perfect ever since. Not a single complaint, and you can beat on them like a red-headed stepchild. Heil mics do sound really good, though. I'll give Bob credit for that. But the price point he has to hit means the construction and components aren't top-notch. Just my own experience, but I'll never touch anything from Heil again.
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300 bucks for a headset and another 100 for the lead to connect it to the rig all so you can look like a crew chief in Nascar ;D ;D
Forget that I will stick with my PC headset I got on Amazon for 60 bucks,
Agreed. Mine was $40 from Amazon. Works just fine. Sold my Heil headset years ago.
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300 bucks for a headset and another 100 for the lead to connect it to the rig all so you can look like a crew chief in Nascar ;D ;D
Forget that I will stick with my PC headset I got on Amazon for 60 bucks
You get what you pay for. I didn't have a hand mic or desk mic for my radios, so I relied on Heil headsets because they were the "in" thing. Once the mics started failing regularly (MB-5 and MB-6 boom mics) and I missed a few SSB slots I said to hell with that and bought the best I could afford. I'm firmly in the "buy once cry once" school of equipment purchasing.
I tried all sorts of PC headsets for Zoom meetings during the pandemic and I wouldn't want to spend hours in a pileup or contest using any of them. I've heard good things about the Yamaha, but admittedly never tried that one. In the end, I bought the PC interface cable for my Arlan in Dayton last year and have been happy as heck with it ever since. Only complaint is the Arlans do get a bit heavy by mid-day Sunday in a contest.
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I bought a Yamaha when I was in TX years ago for Business and it broke, I never found it comfortable or nice audio and lots of people said they were great,
I have a almost 20 year old Heil that still works but is a bit tired, It needs a new windscreen and ear covers,
And I have a Koss 45 from Amazon, it's nice a light and my ears sit nicely in it, only complaint it the mic boom is a bit flimsy but it sounds great on TX and RX and it was only about 45 euro which is about the same in $'s these days,
If you can write the $400 for business then I am sure it's a no brainer but it's too rich for my blood no matter how good it is,
300 bucks for a headset and another 100 for the lead to connect it to the rig all so you can look like a crew chief in Nascar ;D ;D
Forget that I will stick with my PC headset I got on Amazon for 60 bucks
You get what you pay for. I didn't have a hand mic or desk mic for my radios, so I relied on Heil headsets because they were the "in" thing. Once the mics started failing regularly (MB-5 and MB-6 boom mics) and I missed a few SSB slots I said to hell with that and bought the best I could afford. I'm firmly in the "buy once cry once" school of equipment purchasing.
I tried all sorts of PC headsets for Zoom meetings during the pandemic and I wouldn't want to spend hours in a pileup or contest using any of them. I've heard good things about the Yamaha, but admittedly never tried that one. In the end, I bought the PC interface cable for my Arlan in Dayton last year and have been happy as heck with it ever since. Only complaint is the Arlans do get a bit heavy by mid-day Sunday in a contest.
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I've owned a fair bit of Heil gear, usually bought used, that has been OK. My main "mike" on my Flex 5000 was Heil and it had an on/off switch that was garbage, actually painful to operate, but was OK enough when I needed it. If I was a regular on a traffic net or something, it wouldn't have lasted a week.
The rest have been better, but not enough for a testimonial.
I've been doing quite well with simple inexpensive, wired ear buds for a long time now and a low cost Yaesu "entry" mike that they give away with rigs. For my minimal SSB use, and CW for that matter, it's plenty good enough. Busted a lot of pileups with no more than that.
I wouldn't advise new hams to spend a lot of money on this stuff, especially if they are DXers. Flex had this incredible built-in equalizer that can make an eight dollar PC mike sound like a million dollars. I've seen the demos.
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I wouldn't advise new hams to spend a lot of money on this stuff, especially if they are DXers.
The best headset is the one you'll wear comfortably and enable you to hear clearly with for the longest time. The best headset is also the one that won't mechanically fail on you at the most inopportune time. Mics are definitely secondary, but if listening is a chore you won't want to do it as much. My K3s has EQ built in as well that really helps, especially since my advanced tinnitus has made regular listening even more of a problem, however the timbre of the elements makes a big difference.
The other factor is whether you need active noise reduction. Until last summer my amp was in my shack and was so loud that I had to have a way to reduce the sound when operating. The Arlan set isn't ANR and was inferior to my old Bose QC-15s in that regard, but I really hated the recovered audio on the QC-15s; I couldn't find an EQ setting that made it pleasant. Thankfully I moved the amp and I can get away with non-ANR cans now.
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Thierry was on 12 m yesterday on FT8 and CW, then FT8 again when the DQRM became ridiculous.
Today, he was on 17 m CW, then FT8.
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Thierry spent a few hours today on SSB(!) on 10m. Let's hope he will continue on phone.
Marvin VE3VEE
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Thierry was on 12 m yesterday on FT8 and CW, then FT8 again when the DQRM became ridiculous. Today, he was on 17 m CW, then FT8.
Yeah, I got a nice surprise around 11:30pm last night when he showed up on 17m FT8. I hadn't seen any print from him (just his callers) so I swung around Long Path and a minute or so later he showed up with a nice signal (around -06 or so). Took a few calls but I got through. Out of curiosity I swung the antenna around 180° to short path and he was peaking +10!! I also saw Champ, E21EIC in the pileup, so hearing both Thailand and Crozet in the same just-before-midnight pileup on 17 was definitely interesting propagation!
Thierry spent a few hours today on SSB(!) on 10m. Let's hope he will continue on phone.
I hope I can bag him on 10 for a new band, and SSB for a new mode. Here's hoping!
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Does he still QRT at 0500z ?
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Thierry was on 12 m yesterday on FT8 and CW, then FT8 again when the DQRM became ridiculous. Today, he was on 17 m CW, then FT8.
Yeah, I got a nice surprise around 11:30pm last night when he showed up on 17m FT8. I hadn't seen any print from him (just his callers) so I swung around Long Path and a minute or so later he showed up with a nice signal (around -06 or so). Took a few calls but I got through. Out of curiosity I swung the antenna around 180° to short path and he was peaking +10!! I also saw Champ, E21EIC in the pileup, so hearing both Thailand and Crozet in the same just-before-midnight pileup on 17 was definitely interesting propagation!
Thierry spent a few hours today on SSB(!) on 10m. Let's hope he will continue on phone.
I hope I can bag him on 10 for a new band, and SSB for a new mode. Here's hoping!
We were both in there! Nice little 17m opening. Added 17 for a new band last night as well. Will keep trying for 15/12/10.
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I was thrilled to see my FT8 QSO from last night, and my CW QSO from last week, show up in Thierry's online log this morning! I already have my confirmations in LOTW and look forward to getting a paper QSL in the future.
I really appreciate Thierry's persistence in trying to stay on the air as much as possible. Thanks to both him and Paul (F6EXV) for all their work on this Dxpedition.
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Thierry was on 12 m yesterday on FT8 and CW, then FT8 again when the DQRM became ridiculous. Today, he was on 17 m CW, then FT8.
Yeah, I got a nice surprise around 11:30pm last night when he showed up on 17m FT8. I hadn't seen any print from him (just his callers) so I swung around Long Path and a minute or so later he showed up with a nice signal (around -06 or so). Took a few calls but I got through. Out of curiosity I swung the antenna around 180° to short path and he was peaking +10!! I also saw Champ, E21EIC in the pileup, so hearing both Thailand and Crozet in the same just-before-midnight pileup on 17 was definitely interesting propagation!
Thierry spent a few hours today on SSB(!) on 10m. Let's hope he will continue on phone.
I hope I can bag him on 10 for a new band, and SSB for a new mode. Here's hoping!
We were both in there! Nice little 17m opening. Added 17 for a new band last night as well. Will keep trying for 15/12/10.
No need to be modest, you got him well before me!
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Is it my imagination or has he not been on the radio all that much for the last 2 days? Anyway I guess he must need a break from radio. I would go insane after a few weeks of it much less a month of working Dx for hours everyday.
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Yes it's your imagination he is knocking out some of his best days, but his times seem to be earlier in the day I guess that is partly due to no 30m,
Date Total QSOs Uniques Uniques %
22-02-2023 1192 123 10.3
21-02-2023 1353 73 5.4
20-02-2023 1375 212 15.4
19-02-2023 1608 188 11.7
18-02-2023 1393 119 8.5
17-02-2023 825 334 40.5
16-02-2023 526 189 35.9
15-02-2023 1240 341 27.5
14-02-2023 1656 388 23.4
13-02-2023 1199 282 23.5
12-02-2023 1287 478 37.1
11-02-2023 667 262 39.3
10-02-2023 966 319 33.0
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Just checked ClubLog. He has 400 SSB Q's on 10m. 0 to NA. Oh well I will be happy with what I got. He has operated 13 days since coming back on HF. Means about 7 or 8 days left. I will focus on St. Brandon since it will be a ATNO for me. Lots of op's and lots of stations and I don't think they will have to swim to shore.
Gino
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Just checked ClubLog. He has 400 SSB Q's on 10m. 0 to NA. Oh well I will be happy with what I got. He has operated 13 days since coming back on HF. Means about 7 or 8 days left.
I was hoping he would be on 20m SSB last night. He was QRV, not on SSB though. He was on 14.085 with a decent signal. I'll monitor the band again today hoping for 20m SSB. I think at around 0300z would be a good chance to work him short path.
Marvin VE3VEE
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got him on 12m this afternoon 539 -579 signals a healthy pile up took 45 mins to get through
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got him on 12m this afternoon 539 -579 signals a healthy pile up took 45 mins to get through
Also 12m CW at 0718Z.
Listened 12.3 up and 579 - but took 45 minutes for me, as well.
Chris VK5SA
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Been hauling myself out of bed early for the last four or five days in the hopes of catching Thierry on 15, 12, or 10, but he has always QSYed to 17 before we get propagation here on the West Coast. I think he did work a lot of W6/7s on high bands a few days before that, but I slept through it. So it goes.
It's still funny to me that I was really worried about this operation, and not at all about 3Y0J.
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Maybe try dropping Paul F6EXV an email and tell him what openings Thierry is missing,
There isn't a huge amount of time left so If you need it for an ATNO now is the time to get him,
73
Trevor
EI2GLB
Been hauling myself out of bed early for the last four or five days in the hopes of catching Thierry on 15, 12, or 10, but he has always QSYed to 17 before we get propagation here on the West Coast. I think he did work a lot of W6/7s on high bands a few days before that, but I slept through it. So it goes.
It's still funny to me that I was really worried about this operation, and not at all about 3Y0J.
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Maybe try dropping Paul F6EXV an email and tell him what openings Thierry is missing,
There isn't a huge amount of time left so If you need it for an ATNO now is the time to get him,
73
Trevor
EI2GLB
Thanks, but this is just me being a DX piggy and wanting a few more bands. He's been doing a great job for the West Coast, mostly on 17, so it makes sense to me he's optimizing for that.
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FT8WW now started on 14.195. He said I was his 1st SSB QSO on 20m. ;D ;D ;D
Marvin VE3VEE
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solid signal SP this evening on 20m ssb. #330 Phone
Think I heard him call Wayne as well
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My 20M CW and FT8 contacts with FT8WW have been confirmed on LOTW.
|\/|ike
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solid signal SP this evening on 20m ssb. #330 Phone
Think I heard him call Wayne as well
Congratulations on #330 Phone!
He was quite strong here in Denver on the short path (120°). Interestingly the West Coast was copying him long path.
NØUN
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solid signal SP this evening on 20m ssb. #330 Phone
Think I heard him call Wayne as well
Congratulations on #330 Phone!
He was quite strong here in Denver on the short path (120°). Interestingly the West Coast was copying him long path.
Congrats to you both. Never copied him here in NJ on SSB. Of all my 337 entities worked in total all except Crozet I've gotten on SSB. Really hoping I can make it on phone for any band.
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solid signal SP this evening on 20m ssb. #330 Phone
Think I heard him call Wayne as well
Here's a little present for your #330 Phone
You can hear my auto digital notch filter (DNF) cancelling the strong carrier, but you can hear him call you through it clear as day.
N5MOA Working FT8WW 20M SSB (https://www.n0un.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/N5MOA-FT8WW.mp3)
NØUN
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solid signal SP this evening on 20m ssb. #330 Phone
Think I heard him call Wayne as well
Here's a little present for your #330 Phone
You can hear my auto digital notch filter (DNF) cancelling the strong carrier, but you can hear him call you through it clear as day.
N5MOA Working FT8WW 20M SSB (https://www.n0un.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/N5MOA-FT8WW.mp3)
NØUN
Thanks,Wayne. B-day present came a couple weeks early. :)
I tried LP, heard him but much weaker.
Huge pile on 14.200, soon as he said "200 to 205" I slid up 3kc and got through
73, Tom
N5MOA
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Wow, FT8WW just uploaded to LotW without needing a payment. Think I'll make a contribution anyway, but that's a nice touch whilst still on the expedition.
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Wow, FT8WW just uploaded to LotW without needing a payment. Think I'll make a contribution anyway, but that's a nice touch whilst still on the expedition.
From what I saw on the Clublog discord, the upload was a mistake. Sure enough, I checked and have all but my most recent 17m FT8 QSO confirmed on LOTW.
73
Mason - KM4SII
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Wow, FT8WW just uploaded to LotW without needing a payment. Think I'll make a contribution anyway, but that's a nice touch whilst still on the expedition.
From what I saw on the Clublog discord, the upload was a mistake. Sure enough, I checked and have all but my most recent 17m FT8 QSO confirmed on LOTW.
73
Mason - KM4SII
Oh man... I kind of thought it might be a mistake. Well, I still hadn't OQRS'd yet (waiting til he's off the air in case I work him on more bands) but I still definitely want a card and want to donate towards the expedition so it won't change a thing for me.
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Bit of kick in the stones for those of us who donated at OQRS to get a quick LoTW upload
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Well that's a costly mistake! Once uploaded to LoTW, there's no recourse to "claw" those confirmations back. There's only uploads & downloads, no deletions from LoTW whatsoever.
And for those of us that already paid $5 (twice) no harm, no foul. You'd have to be a real low-life to "dispute" a PayPal for a LoTW confirmation (don't laugh, it happens all the time).
I remember all the crying by the masses a few years ago when a LoTW confirmation upload was a buck or 2. We just saw $15 with Bouvet and I haven't seen a single complaint. I remember when Martti Laine was asking for a $20 LoTW "donation" when his group reactivated Kosovo - #1 DXCC Most Wanted (briefly).
One way or another you've got to pay to play for this DXing thing we do. That is unless of course you just got a freebie LoTW from FT8WW Group's mistake.
Pay your way folks.
NØUN
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I remember when Martti Laine was asking for a $20 LoTW "donation" when his group reactivated Kosovo - #1 DXCC Most Wanted (briefly).
When Martti put Kosovo on the air I sent him an email saying I would be on the first plane to Kosovo from Minnesota. He agreed to my DXing proposal. I then kindly requested he obtain my own Kosovo callsign since he knew the licensing people. He agreed to this as well..................It's at this point there's a lot more to the story.
Maybe someday we will meet at Visalia or (what was formally known as) Dayton for the rest of the story. :) :)
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Bit of kick in the stones for those of us who donated at OQRS to get a quick LoTW upload
Does anybody seriously begrudge a modest donation for putting the world's number three needed entity on the air? I sure don't. My personal rule of thumb is I'll always give a little something, even if it's just to cover postage and a small tip for a relatively common entity, as a tangible way to say thanks. If I get a new one on 160, 10m, or 6m, or a new mode then it goes up. If it's an ATNO, it's a LOT more.
These are our fellow hams paying thousands of dollars/euros/pounds/etc out of their own pocket to do us all a favour. The very least I can do is toss the financial equivalent of lunch in my local diner for their trouble! Plus I'd be glad to treat them to an actual lunch at my local diner!
I was reading on Dom's Facebook page how he named-and-shamed a DL ham who made a PayPal donation for an OQRS QSL/LoTW upload, got the upload, but then filed a chargeback and won the decision. Seriously, who does this?!
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My personal rule of thumb is I'll always give a little something, even if it's just to cover postage and a small tip for a relatively common entity, as a tangible way to say thanks. If I get a new one on 160, 10m, or 6m, or a new mode then it goes up. If it's an ATNO, it's a LOT more.
These are our fellow hams paying thousands of dollars/euros/pounds/etc out of their own pocket to do us all a favour. The very least I can do is toss the financial equivalent of lunch in my local diner for their trouble! Plus I'd be glad to treat them to an actual lunch at my local diner!
+1
Marvin VE3VEE
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I fully agree with him publishing calls of hams that scam the PayPal system for a free confirmation. I think ARRL should look into not crediting the contacts for them. How far outside the ham spirit can you get by frauding for a free confirmation?
Frank KG6N
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Sadly, perhaps, the ARRL has never shown any enthusiasm for policing QSLing.
From their perspective, I can understand it. The number of aggrieved people (fairly and unfairly) would consume every resource the ARRL ever had -- and to actually act would be to piss off stations that the program frankly needs in order for things like #1 HR to have what little credibility remains.
We are, as always, far too worried that the DXpeditioner and the resident DX are going to make "big money" off of QSLing.
We should be far more worried that they will stop subsidizing us. Because that's the reality. Any DX, resident or not, that can turn a modest profit is, in the end, a good thing. They do not have the same experience of DXing you and I do. When they get on the air, they get a pile up whether they want one today or not. Yes, even for places like VP5 that are way down the need list.
I assure you, that only a long term resident DX has any chance of turning a profit off of QSLing. The expeditioner has none. The resident to some place rare usually has expenses we don't see (islands are pricey places to live and they often tax the hell out of any kind of tech gear).
When they want that pileup, it is a nice thing. When they want to do something else, anything else, it really gets in the way.
W9KNI writes about this. He talks about rare DX that are effectively hounded off the air. About DX that deliberately operates with low power, CW in the SSB bands, and at times unfavorable to US propagation (how they hide from EU stations was not mentioned).
In short, like many things in life, being the DX is a mixed bag.
And, QSLing is, believe me, a marketplace.
Suppose you enjoy working pileups now and then, don't like LOTW (there are such), yet do not want to spend hours a day fielding QSLs? Well, set a high price for your confirmation. The higher the price, the fewer cards you get. It's economics 101.
Not everyone (hardly anyone, actually) will send 10 dollars for a single band country. They might hesitate (often rationally) for an ATNO at such a price.
Realistically, my QSLing is nearly done. I'm a stone's throw away from DXCC 2500. I will not live long enough for DXCC 3000, especially from Arizona. I am a handful away from the Mixed Honor Roll #1 and even if I get it, I could pay 50 per card for those (I won't) and it won't affect me much.
I'm not looking to retire from the bands, not yet. But I am looking to the day where QSLing is optional to the point of disappearing from my life. And, I rarely paid over four bucks for anything, other than DXpeditions I thought worthy.
If you don't like the price, wait. For the vast, vast majority of entities, you really can.
When I was young and green and didn't understand the reality of QSLing, I tried JT on 10m via the "buro". And waited, and waited. The guy finally went SK on me. It took me 20 years for the sunspots to give me another shot. But , get it I did. And that is the worst case out of 2450 or so confirmations.
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Worked 20m SSB on just after 0415z, March 13. Only a couple of callers, no QRM, clean signals! WOW!
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just got him on 10m a a earlier today he was +06 would have loved an ssb but im happy .
btw dom got t33kc to operate from t30 a nice a marathon point I dont think there will be a qsl
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Big signal on 10m SSB as of 1330z (Monday 3/13), but not working stateside yet. Would love to get a 10m QSO if at all possible. Fingers crossed, etc.
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Big signal on 10m SSB as of 1330z (Monday 3/13), but not working stateside yet. Would love to get a 10m QSO if at all possible. Fingers crossed.
And I win the Big Dummy award of the day. I was right on his QSX several times and didn't make it. I only noticed later on that my @#$% amp was in standby the whole time. He switched over to 10m FT8 and I worked him there (or at least I think I did--the 73 message was garbled on my end). Fingers crossed, and if both this one and last night's 20m SSB contact are in the log I'm done with FT8WW, with a HUGE thanks to Thierry for putting on an amazing show despite significant limitations having been imposed that were out of his control.
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DX-World announced that Tomorrow (Thursday, 15 March) will be Thierry's last day of operation and he will be active on 20m. Good luck to all who still need Crozet; may the pileups be manageable and the DQRM non-existent. Thankfully my last two QSOs did indeed show up in the log.
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FT8WW QSL card rcvd today :)
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Awesome! I'll watch the mailbox. He was pretty quick to upload after OQRS, before the folly of accidental uploading.
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He is still on right now at 04:40 UTC on 14.226 listening up 5 KHz and he was easy peasy in the pac northwest at a real 59+ now, short path.
The only band that I have him on and the only band that he has been loud on in the northwest is 20 meters on CW, then FT8 then finally on SSB tonight, he certainly has a great setup what with a strong signal every time that I worked him.
And he just shut down, is this his last day or will be on the island longer?
I sure would like to get him on 15 or 10 meters but if not then I guess that working him on 3 modes on 20 will have to do.
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He's still on, he just moved to FT8 on 14.074 so maybe he will be around a few more days?
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I think today or tomorrow is his last day on the air..
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My card arrived today. That guy really figured it out! Think of it this way; he knew he'd be stuck on the island for roughly 3 months and initially he knew he was only granted about 3 weeks operation. Meaning he was willing to sit around taking pictures of snow and penguins the remaining 9 weeks. Thankfully he was granted more time, but that's a commitment to putting up a country!
Frank
KG6N
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My card arrived today. That guy really figured it out! Think of it this way; he knew he'd be stuck on the island for roughly 3 months and initially he knew he was only granted about 3 weeks operation. Meaning he was willing to sit around taking pictures of snow and penguins the remaining 9 weeks. Thankfully he was granted more time, but that's a commitment to putting up a country!
Amen to that! My hat's off to Thierry and everybody that was part of that endeavor. I don't know if he's planning to come to Xenia or Visalia, but I for one would like to buy him a drink and shake his hand. While I have a tremendous respect for those who travel to the furthest reaches of the globe to treat us to a rare one, I have an extra appreciation for those who overcome serious obstacles and hardships to put a signal on the air and operate in such a way as to make our humdrum lives a little happier. Ditto for the Bouvet team and the many others who've risked life and limb, or at least sacrificed comfort, work, and family—not to mention a substantial sum of money—to activate these entities.
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Agreed, that guy won't pay a cent for a drink if he's at Visalia! I'm stoked on the effort and the amount of guys who had the chance for an ATNO.
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DX World just announced FT8WW is now QRT. I think he's still got a week left to go on the island before he heads back home.
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As one of the Co-Chairs of IDXC 2023 in Visalia, CA, we have invited Thierry FT8WW to IDXC however he has a nice vacation with his very understanding Spouse planned during the same time as IDXC. We would love to meet Thierry and thank him for his excellent activation of Crozet. And you are correct, he would not be able to buy a drink!
73,
Paul N6PSE
Co-Chair, IDXC 2023
www.DXConvention.com
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Has anybody received their LoTW matches for the final couple of days? All my QSOs except the last two (which are good in the log) have already been uploaded to LoTW, but I wasn't sure if they sent the final batch through or not.
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Details W1VT FT8WW 2023-03-13 11:05:00 10M FT8 28.09700 CROZET ISLAND
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I remember someone saying that they had paid the OQRS money when his license had expired and others warned that he might come back on the air if they renewed it.
So the question is do they now have to pay twice or is he going to take care of the people who paid early? Seems only fair since all of the early Qs got dumped to Lotw for free and yet those people still paid.
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I remember someone saying that they had paid the OQRS money when his license had expired and others warned that he might come back on the air if they renewed it.
So the question is do they now have to pay twice or is he going to take care of the people who paid early? Seems only fair since all of the early Qs got dumped to Lotw for free and yet those people still paid.
I paid after the initial operation concluded in January, and after working Thierry a couple of times after he got back on the QSOs appeared within a couple of days on LoTW. But for the last couple of days of his operation they didn't. I'm ready to submit a DXCC application but I'm holding out until those two come through. Just to be safe I paid again and made a second donation after posting this yesterday--and I mean it's not like he doesn't deserve the extra little bit for doing everything he did.
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I received an LOTW confirmation for a QSO on March 13th, 2 days before his final QRT. I'm sure yours will also come through in due course.