OPDX Bulletin 1351 February 12, 2018

The Ohio/Penn Dx PacketCluster
DX Bulletin No. 1351
BID: $OPDX.1351
February 12, 2018
Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW
Provided by BARF80.ORG (Cleveland, Ohio)
Written and Sent from Strongsville, Ohio

Thanks to the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society, Northern Ohio DX Association, Ohio/Penn PacketCluster Network, AB5K & the AR TelNet Clusters Network, NJ1Q & W1AW, N2OO, NG3K & ADXO, W3UR & The Daily DX, K5GS, K8GI, K8YSE, W8GEX & 60m DX News, W9ILY, DL1SBF, DL7UXG & The DX News Letter, DxCoffee.com, DXNews.com, DX-World.Net, ES1CW, F5NQL, F6AJA & Les Nouvelles DX, I1JQJ/IK1ADH & 425 DX News, I2MQP & DX Italia News, OZ6OM & 50 MHz DX News, RSGB News, Sixitalia Weekly, and VA3RJ & ICPO for the following DX information.

DXCC COUNTRY/ENTITY REPORT
According to the AR-Cluster Network for the week of Sunday, 4th/February, through Sunday, 11th/February there were 217 countries active. Countries available: 3A, 3B8, 3B9, 3D2, 3DA, 3V, 3W, 3X, 4J, 4L, 4O, 4S, 4X, 5A, 5B, 5H, 5R, 5T, 5V, 5W, 5Z, 6W, 6Y, 7X, 8P, 9A, 9G, 9H, 9J, 9K, 9M2, 9M6, 9Q, 9V, 9X, 9Y, A3, A4, A6, A7, A9, AP, BV, BY, C3, C5, C6, C9, CE, CE0Y, CE9, CM, CN, CP, CT, CT3, CU, CX, D2, D6, DL, DU, E4, E5/s, E6, E7, EA, EA6, EA8, EA9, EI, EK, EL, EP, ER, ES, EU, EX, EY, EZ, F, FG, FK, FM, FR, FY, G, GD, GI, GJ, GM, GU, GW, H4, HA, HB, HC, HH, HI, HK, HL, HP, HR, HS, HV, HZ, I, IS, J2, J3, J5, J6, J7, JA, JD/o, JT, JW, JY, K, KH2, KH6, KL, KP2, KP4, LA, LU, LX, LY, LZ, OA, OD, OE, OH, OH0, OK, OM, ON, OX, OY, OZ, P2, P4, PA, PJ2, PJ4, PJ7, PY, PZ, S0, S5, SM, SP, ST, SU, SV, SV5, SV9, T30, T5, T7, T8, TA, TF, TG, TI, TK, TR, TT, TY, TZ, UA, UA2, UA9, UK, UN, UR, V2, V3, V4, V5, V7, V8, VE, VK, VP2E, VP2M, VP5, VP8, VP8/h, VP8/o, VP9, VQ9, VR, VU, XE, XW, XX9, YA, YB, YI, YL, YN, YO, YS, YU, YV, Z2, Z3, Z6, ZA, ZB, ZC4, ZD7, ZF, ZL, ZP, ZS

PLEASE NOTE: The report "could" contain "Pirate/SLIM" operations or more likely a "BUSTED CALLSIGN". As always, you never know - "Work First Worry Later".

3Y0I BOUVET DXPEDITION NEWS (Rebooted DXpedition). According to the Web
page , operators Dominik/3Z9DX, Stanislaw/SQ8X,
Leszek/SP3DOI, Branko/YU4DX and Frans/J69DS have rebooted their plans
to activate Bouvet Island. They state, "Our trip originally planned at
the end of 2017 was canceled at the request of the organizers of the
'3Y0Z' expedition. Due to the cancellation by the organizers, we are now
returning to the implementation of our project and preparations for our
trip as a matter of urgency." No dates are mentioned on the Web page,
but "DX-WORLD.net" states that they "received info from a Norwegian
contact that the 3Y0I license has been renewed. A landing permit has
also been issued by the Norwegian Polar Institute. No dates of activity
are mentioned, but the permit is good until February 2019. However,
DX-World contact suggests activity could be sometime this year." The
expedition plans are as follows per the Web page:
How? -- For the purposes of the expedition, a 24-m-high seagoing yacht
with a PowerSail sails and 2 engines of 250 HP was chartered.
The unit is adapted to move in extreme weather conditions.
During the stay on the island, before the bad weather, we will
be protected by proper construction of expedition tents.
Where? -- Our expedition will start in South Africa, from where we will
sail to the Bouvet Island. We will cover over 2,800 nautical
miles in the far South Atlantic. It's over ... 5200 km! After
landing on Bouvet Island, we will install a camp and shortwave
radio on the glacier plateau (it covers 93% of the island's
surface. In good weather, we will get Olavtoppen - the highest
peak of the island rising 760m above sea level.
When? -- Our expedition will take place during the sub-antarctic summer
in the Southern Hemisphere. A sea journey in stormy conditions
? will take about 12 days one way. If the weather is favorable
for us, we will spend about two weeks on the island. With
successful winds, the expedition plan will close in about a
month and a half.

Stay tuned for further details........

3Y0Z BOUVET DXPEDITION NEWS (From 3Y0Z Web page). On February 5th, the
captain of the MV Betanzos decided that it was the best interest of
safety and expediency to proceed directly to Capetown, South Africa,
rather than Punta Arenas, Chile. They also headed north to avoid the
possibility of encountering ice and then headed easterly toward Capetown.
The entire team was reported safe resting in their bunks and in good
spirits.
It was reported on Thursday, February 8th, at 2045 UTC:
49.32 degrees South, 6.73 degrees East. 1,058 nautical miles from Capetown.
We are continuing our slow voyage to Capetown, currently making 6 knots,
with one of our two engines out. The team is healthy, with plenty of
food and water, and working to keep our spirits up. We cannot, however,
escape the cloud of disappointment hovering over us and the DX community.
We traveled 2700 nautical miles to Bouvet, but the last mile proved to
be the most difficult.
As we type this, a tugboat is on its way to assist our vessel to the
port of Capetown. We will continue to keep everyone informed, as this
saga plays out. We would like to thank all of our friends and families
who have been with us every mile of the way. Your good wishes, thoughts
and prayers have sustained us over the last three weeks.
Ralph, K0IR
Bob, K4UEE
Erling, LA6VM

ADDED NOTES: Remember to visit the team's media pages (Twitter, Facebook)
as well as their Web page to read updates, see pictures and videos of
their trip:
3Y0Z Web page: http://www.bouvetdx.org/news-and-updates
3Y0Z FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/639362206232014
3Y0Z Twitter : https://twitter.com/Bouvet_3Y0Z
Also remember to follow their voyage by watching the following URL links:
https://share.garmin.com/bouvet
http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:777230/mmsi:725000291/imo:7310923/vessel:BETANZOS#IrjZAqtjXemvHHQW.99

60 METERS NEWS. Four new countries are now active on 60 meters:
* Czech amateurs can access both the new WRC-15 60m amateur secondary
allocation of 5351.5-5366.5 kHz and their existing 12 60m channels.
The WRC-15 allocation is available on an individual permit basis, with
a maximum power of 15W EIRP.

* The New Zealand national society has negotiated a license to allow
limited operation by ZL amateurs on 60m on a trial secondary basis
with no interference to primary users. Operation centers on 5353 kHz
and 5362-5364 kHz, with a maximum output of 10dBW EIRP.

* The Icelandic telecoms regulator will now permit access to the new
WRC-15 60m allocation from 5351.5-5366.5 kHz on a secondary basis
with a maximum power of 15W EIRP, but has ended the previous experi-
mental license privileges. Argentinean amateurs may now use the new
WRC-15 amateur 60m secondary allocation of 5351.5-5366.5 kHz, with
a regional maximum power limit of 25W EIRP.

6Y5, JAMAICA. By the time you read this, Edmondo, VA3ITA, will be active
as VA3ITA/6Y5, from Montego Bay, Jamaica (NA-097), until February 13th.
Activity will be on 40-2 meters using CW, SSB and the Digital modes. QSL
via VA3ITA.

9X, RWANDA (Unusual Callsign). By the time you read this, Christian,
M0UPL, will be active using the unusual callsigns 9XSDA from Kigali,
Rwanda, until February 18th. The suffix "SDA" stands for "Seventh Day
Adventist Church". Activity will be on 40 and 20 meters using mainly
SSB. QSL via M0UPL direct to: Cristian Panaitescu, 131 Stafford Road,
CR0 4NN, Croydon, United Kingdom.

AH2, GUAM. Operators Toshinobu/JI3ERV and Mikawa/JR7OMD will once again
be active as AH2R during the ARRL International DX CW Contest (February
17-18th) as a Multi-? entry. QSL via LoTW.

C6, BAHAMAS. Joel, NF3R, will be active as NF3R/C6A from Andros Island
(NA-001) between March 6-13th. Activity will be holiday style on 40-6
meters using SSB, RTTY, FT8 and MSK144. He will be using an IC-7300 with
100 watts into a dipole and operating from a houseboat 100 feet from
shore. QSL using LoTW or eQSL.

DXCC NEWS (ARRL Announces Mobile DXCC Operating Award). The ARRL posted
the following on February 9th, on their Web page:
ARRL this week announced a Mobile DXCC Operating Award available to
radio amateurs who have contacted at least 100 DXCC entities from a
working vehicle with antennas and power source capable of operating
while in motion. ARRL Radiosport Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, advised
those pursuing the award to put safety first.
"Distracted driving is a serious concern, so we hope all mobile operators
exercise care when operating from a moving vehicle," he said.
Full, official details are on the Mobile DXCC Operating Award page:
http://www.arrl.org/mobile-DXCC
Read the complete announcement at:
http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-announces-mobile-dxcc-operating-award

DXCC'S MOST WANTED (ClubLog). The "DXCC Most Wanted" entities list has
been updated on ClubLog as of February 7th. The list contain 340 entities
and the top 10 entities seems to have changed with the addition of Kosovo:
1. P5 DPRK (North Korea) 6. KH1 Baker Howland Islands
2. 3Y/B Bouvet Island 7. BS7H Scarborough Reef
3. FT5/W Crozet Island 8. BV9P Pratas Island
4. Z6 Republic of Kosovo 9. KH7K Kure Island
5. CE0X San Felix Islands 10. KH3 Johnston Island

The complete "DXCC Most Wanted" entities list is available at:
https://secure.clublog.org/mostwanted.php

FK, NEW CALEDONIA. Operator Arnaud, JG1XMV, will once again be active as
FK/JG1XMV from Grande Terre (OC-032) between February 17th and March 3rd.
During this time he will be joined by Yves/FK4RD and the two operators
will active two other islands [Lifou (OC-033) and Mare (OC-033)] as
FK/JG1XMV. Exact schedule for Lifou and Mare will be provided later on
QRZ.com under FK/JG1XMV. He intends to stay 3-4 days on each island, but
the exact timing has not been decided as it is typhoon season and they
will be weather-dependent. Operating conditions will most likely be a
vertical with 100w or less. Arnaud will be working SSB mostly between
40-15 meters. Given what the HF conditions are at the moment, they will
do their best but are not expecting fabulous conditions. Hopefully,
they will get some interested stations throughout Asia and Asia Pacific.
Maybe they will get lucky via LP towards Europe as well. NA tends to be
a bit touch-and-go depending on where they operate from, but fingers
crossed, they hope for a few QSOs in the log. Arnaud may try to activate
a few SOTAs, but since his time on Grande Terre will be limited and since
he will be traveling with his family, he thinks that at this stage the
probability is fairly low. QSL via JG1XMV, direct, by the Bureau or by
FK/JG1XMV via LoTW or eQSL.

IOTA NEWS..............
EU-064. Operator Geoffrey/F4FVI, Suly/F4FGV, Chris/F4GTB, Maurice/F5NQL,
Patrice/F6GCP and Fab/F4GYM will be active with a special
callsign, TM6N, from Noirmoutier Island during the RSGB IOTA
Contest (July 28-29th) as a Multi-Single/Low-Power entry.
QSL via F4GYM, by the Bureau, eQSL or LoTW.

EU-064. A group of YL operators from four different countries will
be active as TM64YL from the Island of Noirmoutier between
August 25-31st. Operators mentioned are Rosel/DL3KWR, Evelyn/
F5RPB, Siggi/DK2YL, Dora/HB9EPE, Joana/DJ5YL, Mado/F1EOY,
Anna/TF3VB, Chantal/HB9FRC, Michaela/DL1TM, Claudine/F5JER,
Vala/TF3VD, Gabriella/HB9GNP, Marie-Jo/F4***, Eva/HB9FPM and
Christine/F4GDI. Activity will be on various HF bands. QSL
direct to F4GHS. More details will be forthcoming.

NA-038. Mikhail, VE7ACN, will be active as VA7XW/VE2 from Havre Aubert
Island between April 2-9th. Activity will be on various HF
bands. QSL via VE7ACN, direct, by the Bureau, ClubLog's OQRS
or LoTW. Visit his Web page at: https://www.ve7acn.com

NA-075. By the time you read this, Mikhail, VE7ACN, will be active
as VE7ACN/7 from South Pender Island until February 14th.
Activity will be on various HF bands. However, he was active
during this past weekend's CQWW WPX RTTY Contest. QSL via
VE7ACN, direct, by the Bureau, ClubLog's OQRS or LoTW. Visit
his Web page at: https://www.ve7acn.com

NA-084. Mikhail, VE7ACN, will be active as VE7ACN/VE2 from Harrington
Island between April 10-17th. Activity will be on various HF
bands. QSL via VE7ACN, direct, by the Bureau, ClubLog's OQRS
or LoTW. Visit his Web page at: https://www.ve7acn.com

NA-091. Mikhail, VE7ACN, will be active as VE7ACN/7 from Quadra Island
between March 13-19th. Activity will be on various HF bands.
QSL via VE7ACN, direct, by the Bureau, ClubLog's OQRS or LoTW.
Visit his Web page at: https://www.ve7acn.com

OC-265. (Update) Andy, VK5MAV, will be active as VK5MAV/9 from Cato
Reef between April 9-16th. Activity will be on various HF
bands. QSL via ClubLog's OQRS or via RN3RQ.

PLEASE NOTE: Since the Webmasters of the new have
decided NOT to post or dedicate a Web page to announce upcoming IOTA
operations, PLEASE send your IOTA operations information to the OPDX
and we will post it here in an upcoming bulletin......

JD1, OGASAWARA. Nobuaki, JA0JHQ, will once again (7th time) be active as
JD1BOW from Chichijima Island (AS-031) between February 21-24th. Activity
will be on 160-15 meters using CW and the Digital modes. His main purpose
is to operate 160m CW and Digital Modes (FT8, RTTY, PSK31) on 20m. Equip-
ment will be a a TS-480HX (200w on HF, 100w on 6m) into a Micro-vertical,
Single Delta loop and End Feed antennas. QSL via his home callsign, direct
or by the Bureau. Visit his Blog page at: http://pandasan.jimdo.com

KH6, HAWAII. David, OK6DJ, will be active as KH6/OK6DJ from Oahu Island
(OC-019) between February 14-21st. Activity will be on 40/30/20 meters
using CW and the Digital modes. He will also be on during the ARRL Inter-
national DX CW Contest (February 17-18th). QSL via home call, LoTW,
ClubLog's OQRS or eQSL. QSL direct to: David Beran, Dolni Kamenice 55,
Holysov 34562, Czech Republic. Please do not send QSLs to OK6DJ via the
Bureau. Use the OQRS to request your "one-way" Bureau QSL. Bureau QSLs
are so much faster "one-way" with OQRS. All QSOs will be uploaded to LoTW
and eQSL 6 months after the DXpedition.

LY100, LITHUANIA (Special Event). As of February 1st, special event
stations with different LY100 callsigns (LY100A-LY100Z), have been active
and will be active until February 28th, to celebrate the 100th anniversary
of Lithuania's independence. The LY100V station was active this past week-
end during the CQWW WPX RTTY Contest. QSL LY100V via the Bureau or direct,
eQSL and LoTW. Special PDF diplomas will be issued for amateur radio
operators who will work at least 10 commemorative special callsigns from
the range of LY100A-LY100Z. To collect the electronic diploma, please send
a free-form e-mail to with the callsign which is eligible for
the award. Printed diplomas might be available upon request. Additionally,
special commemorative souvenirs from the Seimas of Lithuania will be
available for the most active stations for the highest number of QSOs
with different LY100 callsigns in different bands and modes. Five different
stations from LY, Europe and world will be eligible for this award. For
more details, see QRZ.com.

NEW OFFICERS FOR 2018. The following have been elected for the 2018 South
Jersey DX Association Officers:
President -- Bob Schenck, N2OO
V. President -- Stephen Sullivan, KZ2I
Secretary -- Stephen Molo, KI4KWR
Treasurer -- Bob Pantazes, W2ARP
Visit the SJDXA Web site at: http://www.sjdxa.org

P4, ARUBA. Operators Bruce/AA5B, Steven/AA7V, Ray/K9RS and Art/N3DXX
will be active as P40E from Aruba Island (SA-036) during the ARRL Inter-
national DX CW Contest (February 17-18th) as a Multi-Single entry. QSL
via K9QVB or LoTW. ADDED NOTE: P40E is a re-issued callsign. It was used
by Jos� Nunes, CT1BOH, in 2002. QSL via W3HNK or LoTW.

PACIFIC TOUR. Gerhard, OE3GEA, has started a two month Pacific tour
on February 4th, and has already visited Viti Levu Island (OC-016), Fiji
(3D2GE), and Tonga (A31GE) this past week. He is expected to be active
as ZL/OE3GEA in New Zealand between February 14-20th. The rest of his
schedule is as follows:
February 21-24th -- Rarotonga, South Cook Islands; signing as E51GEA
February 25th-March 10th -- Society Islands, French Polynesia; signing
as FO/OE3GEA
March 11-20th -- Hilo and Honolulu, Hawaii; signing as KH6/OE3GEA
Activity will be holiday style on 30-10 meters (possibly 40/6m). QSL
via OE3GEA, direct or by the Bureau.

PJ2, CURACAO. Thilo, DL9NBJ, will once again be active as PJ2/DL9NBJ from
Westpunt, Curacao (SA-099), between February 13-28th. Using an Elecraft
KX3 with a KXPA100 100 watt PA into vertical wire dipole, 12m fiberglass
pole and a ZS6BKW. Look for him on the HF bands operating CW and SSB.
QSL only via ClubLog's OQRS. He states, "Please no SASE and no cards
via Bureau. I don't need your cards, I will put it into trash can."

PJ2, CURACAO. Arno, PB1HF, will be active as PJ2/PB1HF from Curacao
(SA-099) between March 7-21st. Activity will be on various HF bands.
QSL via PB1HF, LoTW, eQSL, QRZ.com, direct QSL on request.

PROPAGATION FORECAST/REPORT (February 12-18th).......
Feb/12th AN Feb/15th AN Feb/17th AN
Feb/13th AN Feb/16th AN Feb/18th HN
Feb/14th AN

SOLAR REFERENCE KEYS/INDEXES AND GEOMAGNETIC REFERENCE
======================================================
NORMALITY GEOMAG K Values Alpha
----------------- ------ -------- ------
AN - Above Normal Quiet K=0-1 0-7
HN - High Normal Unsettled K=2 8-15
LN - Low Normal Active K=3 16-29
BN - Below Normal Minor Storm K=4 30-49
DIS - Disturbed Major Storm K=5 50-99
VRY DIS - Very Disturbed Severe Storm K=6-9 100-400

REALTIME BAND CONDITIONS WEB SITE :
The purpose of this experimental Web site is to provide 24-7-365 actual
(REALTIME) band condition information to CW QRPp, QRPe and CW/SSB for
Contesters interested in increasing their scores. It can also be of
benefit to other Radio Amateurs to determine band conditions for Nets
and casual QSO's. This information is NOT based on any software pre-
dictions or any kind of satellite based readings. It is based on a
new Ionospheric sounding method called "HF Ionospheric Interferometry"
which operates very similarly to the PolSAR system used by NASA.

Also, check out the VOACAP predication Web page at:
http://www.voacap.com/prediction.html
A daily HF radio wave propagation forecast can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/thomasfranklingiellaw4hm
Also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/@GiellaW4hm

QSL INFO AND NEWS...................
QSL-INFO from DB0SDX by Lothar, DL1SBF (February 11th)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
5B4ALX via IZ4AMS HH2AA via NR6M & (L) SF6F via SA6FOL (L)
9K57NLD via 9K57NLD (O) II4HRZ via IQ4FE SK0EN via SM0DFP
CT7/DJ7PR via DJ7PR J52EC via IZ3BUR (d) TO7D via F6ITD (d/L)
DA0WRTC via DJ9MH K5C via W5NAC & (L) UE95AE via UE95AE (O)
DL/OE5RTP/P via OE5RTP LY100CY via LY9Y UE95GA via RZ5D
DL100BY via DK2PZ OZ0JX via OZ0JX (L/e) UE95ME via UE95ME (O)
DR18WRD via M0SDV (O/L) OZ30EU via OZ8IE W7A via KW7Y (L)
EA8/ON4FI/P via ON4FI PA/DL8ECA/M via DL8ECA YU70EXY via YU1EXY
EF5FMC via EA5BX PF2018SNK via PA0MBD & (L) ZF2LC via W2SM (L)
EF9R via EA5KB (d/L) PG55G via PD7YY ZF9CW via K5GO and LoTW
EI50AOM via EI2KA PG6G via PA3GVI ZS1/R1CC via DJ1ND

(e) eQSL only (d) direct only (B) Bureau only (*-B) DX's- Bureau
(O) OQRS only (C) ClubLog only (L) LoTW only (N) No QSL needed
(I) No IRC (P) PayPal

LOGS ONLINE AT CLUBLOG.ORG THIS WEEK......
https://secure.clublog.org/logsearch/C81G **
https://secure.clublog.org/logsearch/P29VXG
https://secure.clublog.org/logsearch/T88RF
https://secure.clublog.org/logsearch/XU7YTT

** Gerben, PG5M, informs OPDX [edited}, "I had the OQRS on ClubLog not
correctly activated, hence people could not request direct cards for
C81G. This in now corrected and directs requests can be made now."

QSLS RECEIVED VIA LoTW: 2E0OXF, 3C0L, 3C1L, 9Z4Y, DL1CLM, DL1SMA,
DL4WQ, DL9CG, ES100A...Z, F4ESV, F5PAL, F6GLF, GM0NRT, HB9ACA, HK4FZ,
OH8AA, OM3JW, R0CAF, R2AAR, RV3YR, S52D, S57YX, SP3QDM, SP9KR, SQ7OWZ,
T40HQ, T88RF, VA2LGT, VE2YNI, VK9AA, Z60A, ZA1WW, ZC4A and ZS1XG

QSLS RECEIVED VIA MAIL: 3C0L (AF-039), 3C1L (AF-010), 3XY3D/P (AF-096),
5K0T, 9U4M, CE0Y/LU9VEA, HC8LUT, RI1F (EU-190), TO2SP, TS8TI (AS-083),
VK9MA and YS/HR2DMR

QSLS RECEIVED VIA THE BUREAU: 6K3GII, 6K5BFZ, 6K5UQN, 6M0NU, D90HE,
DR1517LU, DS1TDS, DS2BJW, DS3EXX, DS4NPL, DS5TOS, DT0IT, ES17EU, HL1IWD,
HL2WA, HL3EFM, HL4CBI, HL5BLF, HL72V, HS0ZLT, SC40VIC, SC90SSA, SE90IARU,
SV5/DK7TX, TX3D, WP4JLU, XR1T (SA-069) and ZS6GRL

T2, TUVALU. Tony, 3D2AG, will once again be active as T2AR from Funafuti
Atoll (OC-015) between March 6-13th. Activity will be limited (due to
work; 0430-1300z, 1730-2000z) on various HF bands as well as 2 and 6
meters using CW, SSB, RTTY, JT65 and FT8. QSL via 3D2AG or PayPal.

T48, CUBA. Members of the Las Tunas Contest Crew, T48K, will be active
during the ARRL International DX CW Contest (February 17-18th) as a Multi-2
entry. Look for some early operations starting February 13th. Operators
mentioned are Carlos/CX7CO/SM0KCO, Goran/SM0DRD/Goran/SM5SIC, Alex/CO8KA
and Ra�l/CO8ZZ. QSL via DK1WI.

T8, PALAU. Will, AA4NC, will be active as T8NC from Palau during the
ARRL International DX CW Contest as a Single-Op/All-Band/Low-Power entry.
QSL via AA4NC.

V3, BELIZE. Operators Robert/K5PI (V31AT), Leigh/WC0T, John/WC0W (V31TP)
Stephen/WW0G & XYL Nancie/NM0C, and Karl/AD0KH will compete in the ARRL
International DX CW Contest (February 17-18th) as a Multi-Single entry
from Cahal Pech Village in Western Belize. They will use V3T for the
contest callsign. QSL via WC0W or LoTW (no ClubLog). Look for operations
before and after the contest by the operators. They will mostly focus on
CW and on the 30/17/12 meter bands. QSL to their home callsigns or possibly
LoTW.

V3, BELIZE. Operators Torsten/DG7RO and Alexandra/DO5ALX are once again
active as V31TF and V31RU, respectively, until February 25th. Activity
will be on various HF bands using SSB, RTTY, and some FT8. They were
active this past weekend during the CQWW WPX RTTY Contest but will also
be in the ARRL International DX CW (February 17-18th) and CQ WW 160m
SSB (February 23-25th) contests. QSL for both callsign via their home
callsigns, direct, by the Bureau, ClubLog or LoTW.

VP6D DUCIE ISLAND DXPEDITION NEWS (Press Release #2, dated February 8th).
[edited] VP6D Ducie Island 2018 DX-pedition (OC-182)-- Joining the team
is Vadym, UT6UD. An active DX-peditioner, he has operated as H44UD, A35UD,
S21XV, FO/UT6UD from Austral and Marquesas Islands, FG/UT6UD. He was a
member of the 2016 VK0EK DX-pedition to Heard Island. Many will recognize
Vadym from his 160 activity.
We're happy to announce that 6 meter EME was added to the project. With
planning support from Lance, W7GJ, and the 6 meter community, we hope to
make the first ever 6m EME QSOs from Ducie Island.
We're working with several amateur radio equipment manufacturers and
suppliers who indicated interest in supporting VP6D. Onboard already are
Arlan Communications for RadioSport headsets, DX-Engineering for antenna
and other supplies and GM0OBX Custom Cables offered their support. We're
in the process of formalizing agreements with other manufacturers.
The logistics plan is coming together. Our equipment will be consolidated
in Fremont, California, for testing, packaging and shipment to the Brave-
heart in New Zealand. The team has a group reservation for our flight
transportation from Papeete to Mangareva and back. Braveheart will pick
us up in Mangareva and return us there at the end of the expedition
Detailed antenna plans are coming together nicely with 2-element vertical
dipole arrays on the high bands backed up by a couple of horizontal beams,
4-squares on 30 / 40 meters and verticals on 80 / 160 meters. The 160
receiving antenna plans are under development.
With the cost of DX-peditions to remote islands increasing each year,
we kicked off our fund-raising campaign with a generous grant from the
Northern California DX Foundation, quickly followed by other DX clubs
and foundations. We appreciate the individuals who are supporting the
project with their donations. A current list of all donors is available
at: vp6d.com
VP6/D continues to be ranked in the top 25 Most Wanted, now at #21.
73, Team Ducie � 2018
Website: vp6d.com, Twitter and Facebook
Please direct questions to: info@vp6d.com

WWII PACIFIC ISLANDS TOUR. Operators Will/AA4NC and Ron/AA4VK will be make
stops at six islands that were significant in America's battles in the
Pacific in World War II between February 13th and March 7th. Stops include,
Oahu, Palau, Peleliu, Saipan, Tinian, and Guam and include visits to
battle fields and war memorials, in addition to Radio operations from
T8, KH0, KH2, and KH6. Their tentative schedule is as follows:
February 14-19th -- Palau Island (T8); Will/AA4NC will sign T8NC and
Ron/AA4VK will sign T8VK; activity will be holiday
style using SSB, CW and RTTY; on 160-10 meters;
AA4NC will also operate in the ARRL International
DX CW Contest as T8NC
February 20-25th -- Saipan (KH0); signing KH0/AA4NC and KH0/AA4VK;
activity will be holiday style using SSB, CW and
RTTY; on 160-10 meters
February 25-28th -- Guam (KH2); signing KH2/AA4NC and KH2/AA4VK; activity
will be holiday style using SSB, CW and RTTY; on
160-10 meters
March 1-8th -- Hawaii (KH6); Randy, N0TG, will join AA4NC and AA4VK
in KH6 for a radio reunion (for past operations KP1,
KP5, CY9, and CY0); activity will be holiday style
using SSB, CW and RTTY; on 160-10 meters; Also, AA4NC
will operate in the ARRL International DX SSB Contest
at KH6LC
QSLs for all operations are by each operator's home callsigns.....

XU7, CAMBODIA. Andrea "Andy", IK7YTT, will be active as XU7YTT from
Cambodia between February 9-14th. Activity will be on various HF bands.
QSL via IW7EGQ.

XX9B MACAO DXPEDITION NEWS (dated February 10th). [edited] Claudio,
PY2MC, informs that Sarath, VU3RSB, has joined the team that will operate
XX9B Macau in March 2018. For more details, refer to OPDX.1349/1350 or
visit the XX9B Web page at: http://xx9b.py2sex.com

Z6, KOSOVO. DXCC newest entity continues to be very active on the bands
to celebrate its entry on the DXCC list and celebrating Kosovo's 10th
anniversary of independence (February, 2008). Look for Z60A to be in the
ARRL International DX CW Contest (February 17-18th). As this was being
written, ClubLog shows (as of 1549z, February 10th) that Z60A has made
a total of 64795 QSOs with 22525 unique callsigns: 38119/CW, 21107/SSB
and 5569/RTTY. The breakdown by continent is: 477/AF, 6537/AS, 43950/EU,
12975/NA, 278/OC and 578/SA. QSL via OH2BH.
ENHANCED QSL SERVICE FOR Z60A OPERATION NOW UNDERWAY.
The ClubLog OQRS system is set to cover the cost of direct QSL postage
� USDs 3.00, while also allowing voluntarily, private contributions. All
donations small or large are most welcome to support SHRAK, the Kosovo
Amateur Radio Association to aid in recruiting additional Kosovar youth
and to activate the existing Amateur Radio operators and support their
activities.
As many have requested confirmations during the ongoing activation, it
has been decided to do an immediate LoTW and fast direct QSL service for
those who contribute USDs 20.00 or more. This option would not delay any
of the traditional QSL options, but just put a priority on those who are
willing to help Kosovo Amateur Radio finally move beyond the past ten
difficult years.
If you wish to upgrade your earlier QSL request to this enhanced service
you can send your donation through the ClugLog:
https://secure.clublog.org/make_donation.php?call=Z60A
On behalf of the Project Goodwill Kosovo,
Martti Laine, OH2BH

(Reminder by N7NG) CLARIFICATION OF THE Z60A LOTW UPLOAD TIMING:
The complete Z60A log will be uploaded approximately four weeks after
the current activation. The current activation will end immediately
following Kosovo's 10th independence anniversary celebrations on Sunday,
February, 18 2018. The additional four-week window will allow for cor-
rections and checking for potentially busted calls.

ZF2, CAYMAN ISLAND (Satellites, Grids, HF). Adrian, AA5UK, will once
again be operating as ZF2AE from Grand Cayman (between March 1-4th)
and ZF2AE/ZF8 from Little Cayman (between March 5-10). Activity will
be holiday style (usually) on 40-10 meters using a IC-7300 and vertical
antenna. Operations will be focused on the Digital modes (FT8, RTTY,
PSK and other digital modes upon request)with possibly some SSB, and the
satellites using 2x FT-817s and Arrow Antenna for satellite. Most of his
activity will be in the afternoons and evenings. For the latest oper-
ational updates, watch his Twitter links <@AA5UK and @ ZF2AE>. QSL direct
to AA5UK with a SAE/SASE, LoTW or eQSL.

TO BE ADDED TO THE OPDX MAILING LIST -- Click or send requests to:
Help: opdx-request@barf80.org?subject=help
Subscribe: opdx-request@barf80.org?subject=subscribe
Unsubscribe: opdx-request@barf80.org?subject=unsubscribe

OPDX WORLD-WIDE WEB HOME PAGE (provided by John, K8YSE):

http://www.papays.com/opdx.html

NOW ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/kb8nw_opdx

ALSO VISIT THE NORTHERN OHIO DX ASSOCIATION'S WEB PAGES AT:

http://www.nodxa.org/ http://www.facebook.com/NorthernOhioDxAssociation

Excerpts and distribution of The OPDX Bulletin are granted as long as KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80 receive credit. To contribute DX info, please send via InterNet Mail to: kb8nw@barf80.nshore.org - OR - kb8nw@hotmail.com - OR - kb8nw@arrl.net

Information can now be faxed to the following phone line at: 1-419-828-7791 (F A X only!)

Back to the OPDX Index

Back to the NODXA

Back to the EIDX Network