Next adventure – Bhutan

My stay on Sint Eustatius is coming to an end. Thank you for all your contacts. Unfortunately, only nearly 30,000 on SSB and a thousand on RTTY. I do not count FT8/FT4.

Despite requests, approximately 6% are duplicates. The record holder made 28 contacts using the same mode on the same band.

As a low power station (100W), I took part in the ARRL SSB Contest – 4198 QSOs and WPX SSB Contest- 2398 QSOs. Now we face a new challenge from Bhutan in second part of April.

After ARRL SSB Contest

I made 4198 QSOs on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10m bands. Conditions to North America were good and I hope many “small pistols” could work me.

What I don’t like is that many US stations do not keep a log and call for a second or even third time to make duplicate QSOs. I guess their memory is too short to remember that they already had a QSO with the PJ5/SP9FIH station, or maybe it’s just some kind of fun?

Unfortunately, playing this way prevents others from connecting!

SSB operation

After 4 weeks of operation I have over 13 000 SSB contacts in the log. However it should be more… I call 10-15 minutes CQ and I know there is good propagation and nobody answers.

If someone spots me, there are 2-3 stations coming and silence again. I appeal for HAMs to listen more on the bands and not depend only on internet spots (which are disappearing quickly).

Wrong decoding

I do not know why this bug still exists. I am 3rd time on St Eustatius and every time here my PJ5/SP9FIH callsign is decoded wrong. This time it is as DP1POL.

Please do not call DP1POL because nobody will answer you! Felix DP1POL is not active now on FT8.

Lost luggage

I am in PJ5 but only with hand luggage. Two bags with equipment did not arrive. Maybe tommorow or later, who knows….

Bags arrived but they have to be checked by customs and Police and then I have to pay deposit. Person responsible to sign documents is not on office. When he arrives …maybe tommorow….