Sat 21 December, lucky late morning contact on 10m.

[m3KXZ]

Hi all. Hope everyone's getting plenty of air time!

I'm having some cracking sessions after work during the week with CW, but just for a change today I visited 10m SSB in the hope of working VK6PTU, Jonathon, who is a fellow member of the realhfmobile yahoo group.

Propagation conditions were quite poor, and I was sitting in my Jeep in heavy rain and strong wind up at Ditchling Beacon. I was unable to work Jonathon, but as I tuned around a bit I heard a VK on 28475 calling CQ. I replied with a heady 10W. Lo and behold, Steve VK2Nss heard me and we managed a QSO even though my sigs to him were very low - readability 4, s 0! He was s 5 to me, but only readability 3 due to tremendously heavy rain, strong wind and very strong YO station on a very nearby frequency.

Apart from finding my uncle the ideal older person's mobile phone for Christmas (a Telme that I found in Asda), this contact has been the highlight of my weekend so far. Next highlight will be Ski Sunday tomorrow

73 and best wishes to you all,
Pete M3KXZ
GQRP 11767
SKCC 10219

[LU6DO]

Well done!! VK!!!

72

[m3KXZ]

Thank you Mark!

I had another great surprise yesterday morning at 0820UTC. Parked on the cliff top at Brighton Marina, 5W CW on 17m. The band was very quiet and my CQs were going unanswered. I was going to go QRT but first I tuned very slowly further down the band and heard FK8CE calling CQ. We managed a great QSO, and this was my first with New Caledonia.

And ANOTHER nice surprise this morning at 0847UTC on 17m CW, I worked LU6EF. This is very unusual as I have never heard LU here on 17m at that time in the morning.

I love really listening and listening instead of doing what some people do which is to just look at the DX cluster.

73 and merry Christmas.
Pete M3KXZ
GQRP 11767
SKCC 10219

[GM0LVI]

I love really listening and listening instead of doing what some people do which is to just look at the DX cluster.

Congratulations Pete!! That's good going with 5W during not terribly good propagation.
I think you are spot on with listen,listen, listen. There's stacks of DX unreported on the DX cluster and it's amazing what you can find by slowly tuning up and down the bands.

"A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?"

Dave