Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 348
March 16, 1998

The Ohio/Penn Dx PacketCluster
DX Bulletin No. 348
BID: $OPDX.348
March 16, 1998
Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW
Provided by BARF-80 BBS Cleveland, Ohio
Online at 440-237-8208 28.8k-1200 Baud 8/N/1 (New Area Code!)

Thanks to the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society, Northern Ohio DX Association, Ohio/Penn PacketCluster Network, WA2MOE, WB2RAJ/WB2YQH & The 59(9) DXReport, W3UR & The Daily DX, N4GN, K4VUD, W5AJ, K7BV, KH7U, KL7JR, N0AH, Guam Contest Club, DL3JSW, F6AJA & LNDX, G4BUE & DX News Sheet, IK1WVQ, LA7EHA, OM3JW, UN7FZ and VE3NQK following DX information.

3A, MONACO. Tony, IK1QBT and Mauro, IK1CJO, will be active again from the Principality of Monaco in April. They will sign 3A/IK1QBT only on CW and 3A/IK1CJO only on RTTY. No word about SSB was mentioned. QSL via the bureau or direct to homecall. Meanwhile, look for Luc, I1YRL, and John, IK1SLP, to be active March 28-29th, as 3A/I1YRL and 3A/IK1SLP. Activity will be on CW/SSB all bands including the WARC bands. QSL via I1YRL.

3W, VIETNAM. Coly, 3W5FM, was heard begging (yes begging) on 20 meters CW. Check around 14007 kHz beginning 1330z. Also check around 2300-0000z. Also, he can be heard daily on 160 meters (1826 kHz) around his sunrise. QSL via UA0FM, P.O. Box 66, Vladimir City 630011, Russia.

9N, NEPAL (160 meters activity coming!). Charlie, K4VUD (recently active as 9N1UD), reports visiting native Nepal ham Satish, 9N1AA, who is nearly done with his newly built home in Kathmandu. Once completed, he will have the capacity to be active on all bands and all modes by the end of the summer (July/August). His station will consist of a Force 12 tribander donated by the Northern Califorina DX group and other donated rigs, coax and fittings. He has permission to go over his neighbor's property with a 160m wire antenna.

9U, BURUNDI. The "DX News Sheet" reports that Andy, 9X0A, is active every Tuesday until the beginning of April as 9U5/9X0A on 20m SSB QRP. Check 14195 and 14292 kHz. QSL via home call RW3AH.

AH2, GUAM. Members of Guam Contest Club report that they will be active in the upcoming 1998 CQ WPX Contest to become the Oceanic leader as a Multi-Single entry. Operators JG3RPL/N1BJ, JI3ERV/NH2C, JK3GAD/AL7NC and JH7QXJ will use the call sign AH2R. Guam Island is in Zone 27 and has an IOTA of OC-26. The GCC state their Sunset/Sunrise is 0832/2019z. QSL via JI3ERV. Any questions or comments are welcomed and can be sent to GCC's E-mail address: gcc@seo.amagasaki.hyogo.jp

C9, MOZAMBIQUE. "The 59(9) DXReport" has reported that Franco, I4LCK, who recently signed C91LCK, made 10,895 QSOs in 13 days of activity. He was unable to activate Chiloane Island (AF-???). QSL via I4LCK.

CHANGE OF PLANS BY THE OKDX GROUP. The members of OKDX who were supposed to be active this past week from Tonga (A35) had to cancelled because the operators didn't get a visa. Instead, the group changed their plans and they became active from Western Samoa as 5W0VV and 5W0SZ. They will be active from 5W land until March 23rd. It is reported that during their stay, they will try to operate a couple of days from American Samoa (KH8). Their next stop will be Fiji (3D2) from March 24th to April 1st. There is more bad news! The OKDX group has reportedly cancelled their operations from Rotuma Island because a plane is not available for them to fly to Rotuma.

CT3, MADEIRA ISLANDS. Bert, PA3GIO, states he will be active March 26th to April 2nd, from IOTA AF-014 as CT3/PA3GIO/M. Check around the usual IOTA or DX frequenices on 20, 17, 15, 12, 10 meters. QSL via the bureau or callbook address. Bert states that there is a small chance of some 40/80 meters and 6 meters activity.

EI, IRELAND. EA3BOX announces he will be active March 25th through April 1st as EJ/EA3BOX. He will also be an entry in the CQ WPX SSB Contest.

FM, MARTINIQUE. Bruno, F5JYD, will be signing FM5JY beginning March 25th for 4 months. He will be active from 160-10 meters and especially on 12 and 17 meters. QSL via his home call.

H40, TEMOTU ISLANDS (A New DXCC Country!). In a press release by Tim Totten, N4GN, the South China Sea DX Team (SCSDXT) announces that they have extensively studied the new DXCC criteria which will become effective on March 31, 1998, and have found/researched/discovered several potential new DXCC entities. The Temotu Islands, located in the South Pacific, collectively form the easternmost province of the Solomon Islands, an independent country since 1978. Because Temotu is separated by more than 350 km from the rest of the Solomon Islands, it should easily qualify as a new DXCC entity. The SCSDXT has teamed with the Solomon Islands' IARU member organization, SIRS (Solomon Islands Radio Society), in organizing a full-scale DXpedition to Temotu, as well as preparing the application for new DXCC status. The team for this operation includes members from four continents: H44GP, H44GR, JA5DQH, N4GN, N7NG, OH0XX, OH1RY, OH2BC, OH2BE, OH2BH, OH2TA, W6OSP and 9V1YC. In recognition of its new status, the Solomon telecommunications authorities have agreed to assign the previously unused H40 prefix to Temotu for all future amateur operations. This first Temotu DXpedition has been issued the special call sign H40AA. The team will begin arriving on March 21st and may be found on the air using their individual H44 call signs while making final preparations for the main event. These early operations--including all-band activity in the CQ WPX SSB Contest, will count for DXCC credit as the Solomon Islands under the current rules. At 2359Z on March 31st, the H40AA call sign will be debuted on the air, at which point QSOs will count for Temotu DXCC credit, presuming the application for new DXCC status is eventually approved. The H40AA operation will continue for approximately two weeks. Suggested H40AA operating frequencies will be:

• CW: 1824, 3504, 7004, 10104, 14024, 18074, 21024, 24894, 28024 and 50104 kHz
• SSB: 1824, 3775, 7045, 14195, 18135, 21295, 24945, 28495 and 50104 kHz
• RTTY: 14083 and 21083 kHz

JW, SVALBARD. Raymond, LA7EHA, and Trond, LA8NHA, will be active from Longyearbyen as JW7EHA and JW8NHA, March 23-25th. Activity will be on 80-10 meters. QSL to home calls.

KH3, JOHNSTON ISLAND. By the time you read this, a very short operation may be on its way. There is a possibility that part of the KH1 team, Chuck Brady, N4BQW; "Mac" McIntyre, WA4FFW; Pat Guerin, NH6UY; Harold Manasco, K4AU; and Joe Young, N4DAZ, will be able to activate the club station at Johnston Island. Activity will depend on whatever time they have between arrival on Johnston and when their plane leaves. It is suggested to look for them on 20/15 meters (possibly other bands) and also check for packet cluster spots. An accurate arrival time is not really known, but they are guessing the afteroon of March 15th or probably the 16th during the early morning. Their plane leaves around midnight (local time) that night.

KL7, ALASKA (USI and IOTA Islands). The U.S. Islands Awards Program club station KL7USI will be active from IOTA NA-041 islands (also several "new ones" for USI program) in Alaska, June 6-13th. Check 14260 kHz for phone activity. Also, look for maritime mobile and RTTY operations. QSL direct or e-QSL at: http://www.eng.mu.edu/~usi/

OH0, ALAND ISLAND. A German group consisting of DK6QW, DL3QQ, DF8QJ, DG1YHV and DL6YFB will be active from March 23-31st. The group will activate two stations signing OH0/homecall/P. Activity will be on 160-10 meters. QSL via home calls via bureau.

P3, CYPRUS. The Russian Contest Team consisting of RA9JX, RA9JR, UA9MA, UA9YAB, RA0AM, RV0AR, UA3TT, RZ3TX, RZ9UA, UN7FZ, etc., will be on the air in CQ WPX at the end of March as P3A in Multi/Multi category. The team will be active before and after the contest. QSL via W3HNK.

PJ8, SABA ISLAND. Don, KF4KRZ, has been on Saba signing PJ8DM since February 24th, and will stay through late March. He has made some schedules with Western PA hams on 80 and 40 meters, but is currently suffering from a local QRN problem on those bands. He preference is 20 meters. QSL via home call.

QSL INFO AND NEWS.....

• Dennis, K7BV, operated as KP3/K7BV for one day before the 1998 ARRL DX Phone Contest. He used the station and callsign of KP3P for the contest. Please send QSLs for both calls for this period of time ONLY to K7BV.
• Ralf, DL3JSW, reports that it is very difficult to get a QSL from Zone 18/19. He has offered to help in retrieving QSLs from Vlad, UA0ACG (Zone 18), and Vlado, UA0LCZ (Zone 19). Ralf reports that both stations are very active, mostly on CW and the low bands. QSL cards can be sent to Ralf via the bureau or CBA. He will then forward them to the two operators in UA0 land. Also, if anybody sends direct with green stamps more than needed for postage, he welcomes the help to fray the costs.
• QSLs for the recent 8P9P operation should go via WJ5DX.
• T48RAC UPDATE. If anybody wishes to check to see if they are in the T48RAC's log, please check the following WEB site at: http://www.kwarc.org Click on DXpedition, and follow the instructions that will direct you to the contest logs. Please send QSL cards to VE3ESE, Don Fisher, at his CBA, with 1 IRC, or GREEN STAMP, with a SAE, or SASE in CANADIAN POSTAGE. All cards sent by bureau will be returned by the bureau.
• QSL Manager Ron, AC7DX, reports many cards are arriving for Mark's (KA4IST) KA4IST/KH5 operation. He suggests the following guidelines to help him and you receive a QSL card. Also, he wants to remind everyone that the other KH5K, NH1 and WH1 operations go to other managers, not him. QSLing direct: Cards that are sent direct, but with no return funding or return envelope will be QSLed via the bureau. All direct cards received will be sent back direct if they included the following:
  1. A self addressed envelope (SAE) that should be provided.
  2. Applications from the USA should have at least a First class stamp affixed or include one IRC.
  3. Applications from non-USA countries should include at least one U.S. green stamp or 1 IRC or a U.S. airmail stamp.
  4. Only 1 callsign per envelope.
  5. Please, NO Foreign currency.
  QSL direct to: Ron Lago AC7DX, POB 25426, Eugene, Oregon 97402

ST0, SOUTHERN SUDAN (Future activity, but now DELETED!). The ARRL Membership Services Committee announced on March 13th that both the ARRL DXAC and Awards Committee have voted to delete Southern Sudan, ST0. While the status in Southern Sudan changed in 1983, QSOs made before January 1, 1995, will count for the deleted entity. There are two reasons for that. First, there have been accredited operations since 1983, and that raises a "fairness" issue. Second, the DXCC Desk has processed cards from those operations-many of them onto paper records. Because each ST0 credit would have to be individually checked, it would be very costly for the League in terms of time and money to search and remove post 1983 ST0 QSOs from the records. In fact, it might not be possible to do the job completely and accurately. The DXCC Countries List will now drop to 328. Also, this will probably be the last country to be added to the DXCC "Deleted Countries" list raising the total to 58. Once the new DXCCC2000 rules go into effect on March 31st, no more countries (or entites) will be added (Deletions will simply be removed). By the way, at the same time as the ST0 vote, both committees agreed to make no change in the status of Fernando de Noronha, PY0F, and Kure Island, KH7K. WHY WAS SOUTHERN SUDAN DELETED? The deletion happend because ST0 no longer meets the Point 1 DXCC Countries List Criteria. There has been a significant political change in ST0. The basis for country status of ST0 where the "Addis Ababa Accords" (which no longer exist), gave ST0 a "distinctively separate administration". The "distinctively separate administration" was dissolved by the government of the Sudan in June, 1983. Even though civil war continues in the Sudan, there is no government in the Southern Sudan. All of the region is under the administration of the Sudanese government. Lastly, it has been reported that Claus, ST1AP, will be active from the Southern Sudan area as ST0AP between April and September. He is going there on a humanitarian mission. Activity time will be limited and will only be on SSB. Check 20 meters on 14332 at/around 0730z. Depending on where and who issued the license, it should count as the Sudan. QSL via DJ6SI.

TM, FRANCE. The French Bulletin "LNDX" reports to look for some French operators using TM4CQ during the CQ WPX SSB Contest.

VK9L, LORD HOWE ISLAND. Paul, N0AH, informs OPDX that he will be operating from here April 25-30th, as VK9LZ. Pauls states he will be focusing on the WARC bands. Paul admits he is very excited to be going, and he will be using his Yeasu FT-900 barefoot into an R-7000. He is currently awaiting local authority approval to use the R-7000 antenna. Paul will be staying at the Ebbtide Flats which has housed previous DXpeditions. Activity will be on CW/SSB, and he will try to split the time between the two modes. QSL to his home call, N0AH.

VP9, BERMUDA. Next weekend (March 21-22th) look for VP9ANV to be active in Bermuda Contest by celebrating the contest's 40th Anniversary. QSL via WB2YQH.

SPECIAL NOTE FROM THE EDITOR. Please send all DX announcements/information "ONLY" to the addresses below and "NOT" to the distribution InterNet address of: dxinfo@barf80.nshore.org

OPDX INTERNET SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE REQUEST: opdx-request@nshore.org
OPDX WORLD-WIDE WEB HOME (provided by John, K8YSE):
http://www.en.com/users/k8yse/opdx.html
OPDX SPANISH WEB SITE. (provide by "QTC Magazine" and Tony Pernas, EA1CSI):
http://www.intercom.es/qtc/qtcopdx.htm

Excerpts and distribution of The OPDX Bulletin are granted as long as KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80 receive credit. To contribute DX info, call BARF-80 BBS online at 440-237-8208 14400/9600/2400/1200/300 and leave a message with the Sysop or send InterNet Mail to one of the two following addresses: kb8nw@barf80.nshore.org -or- aq474@cleveland.freenet.edu - OR - Send a message via packet to KB8NW @ WA8BXN.OH.USA.NA - OR - Use the VOICE or FAX answering machine at 440-237-8208 which shares the same phone line as BARF-80 BBS using a data/fax/phone switch. To access: 1) Dial Number. 2) Wait for first ring (the second ring should be a false ring from the fax/data switch box) and then dial four quick ones ("1111"). (NOTE: Some FAX machines that send single "BEEPS" every second will not have to do this step.) 3) The phone will pick up and after the "BEEP" leave your voice message or FAX.

Tedd Mirgliotta KB8NW
InterNet: kb8nw@barf80.nshore.org
Basic Amateur Radio Frequency BBS (BARF-80) +1 440/237-8208
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