The Ohio/Penn DX PacketCluster
DX Bulletin No. 430
BID: $OPDX.430
October 11, 1999
Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW
Provided by BARF-80 BBS Cleveland, Ohio
Online at 440-237-8208 28.8k-1200 Baud 8/N/1

Thanks to the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society, Northern Ohio DX Association, Ohio/Penn PacketCluster Network, K1XN & The GoList, N2VW, NT2X, WB2RAJ/WB2YQH & The 59(9) DXReport, AJ3M, K3TEJ, WB3JFS, K4AVQ, W5FKX, NI6T, K8YSE, K9RZ, 9A3ZG, CE6TBN & Bolrtin de DX, CX3AL, DJ5AV & DX News Letter, F6AJA & Les Nouvelles DX, G3NOM, HA0HW, HP1AC, ON4VT, PS7AB, PS7KM, RA3AUU, UT7ND, UX0FF, VE2EH, YO3JGC and ZL4OI for the following DX information.

3F, PANAMA. Cam, HP1AC, reports that he and others in Panama will be using the special 3F prefix between Decmeber 1st and January 5, 2000, to commemorate the turnover of the Panama Canal over to the Repubic of Panama. Cam states to look for him as 3F1AC on 40-10 meters CW only and to QSL his operation via HP1AC.

4U1, ITU HQ. Masa, AJ3M, informs OPDX that after his business trip in Moscow he will be in Geneva from October 19-21st. He will be on the air from 4U1ITU during his visit. QSL via Bureau or CBA to 4U1ITU.

4X, ISRAEL. Enia, YO3JGC, informs OPDX that she is currently active as 4X/YO3JGC. QSNs reports show that she was active this past week on 10 meters (28436 kHz around 1515z). However, Enia wants everyone to know that her QSL info is not always correct in a few callbooks. QSL 4X/YO3JGC via Eugenia Radu, P.O.Box 18-56, Bucharest 71500, Romania.

9A, CROATIAN ISLANDS (IOTA AND IOCA Activity). Frane/9A5V, Matko/9A3VM and Fredi/9A5KV, who were active this past weekend from the island of Lokrum (CI-056, JN92BP), will try to activate the island of Mrkan. This will only be a one day DXpedition. According to Frane, this DXpedition to Mrkan Island (CI-072, JN92CN) will be the most adventurous one. Operations will take place October 16th or 17th. Later this year, the group could activate the island of Jakljan (CI-033, JN82VR) which is also located in the same region. All islands mentioned here are also valid for IOTA EU-016. QSLs go to home callsigns. For those interested in the basic IOCA award, island chasers must contact 10 different Croatian islands. The fee for "The Islands of Croatia Directory" is 10 USD which covers the cost for the basic IOCA award. For more details and a list of all Croatian islands, go to the Web page at: http://www.qsl.net/9a6aa/

9H, MALTA. Deryck, G3VLX, will be active as 9H3AM once again from October 21st until the early part of November. He will use a FT-757 with a vertical and dipole antennas.

ANTARCTICA. Jeff, WB3JFS, reports the following to OPDX: As the Austral Summer approaches the southern hemisphere many of the Antarctic bases are coming out of "hibernation" by preparing for another season of new crews and visiting scientists and explorers. Along with these groups are a few hams who like to operate from "the ice". Some operate from remote camps or huts with dipoles or verticals while others operate from major bases with yagis or log periodics. It is never known how many or which bases will be active, so you never know what you will hear next. There is a great website that contains a vast amount of information about Amateur radio on "the ice". Everything from old and new QSL cards, up to date QSL information, and a map of the continent. The address is: http://www.avana.net/~polar/ It is maintained by Bob, K4MZU, and it's worth checking out if you're interested in working the bases on this remote land.

CE0Z, JUAN FERNANDEZ ISLAND. Operators CE6JOE, XQ3SAI, HC5EA, LU9AY and CE6TBN will be active from IOTA SA-05 between January 6-16th in the year 2000. No callsign has been announced yet. The group plans to be active on all bands 80-6 meters plus the WARC bands, on SSB, CW, RTTY, SSTV and Satelite with 5 Stations. The team is looking for another operator, if interested contact Marco, CE6TBN at: ce6tbn@qsl.net Any donation for this operation is welcome and QSLs can be sent to: Marco A. Quijada, CE6TBN, Box 1234, Temuco, Chile. For more details, check the Web page: http://www.qsl.net/ce6tbn/

CO9, CUBA (Correction). Activity by the CO9BCC group from Boca Ciega beach during the CQWW SSB Contest (October 30-31st) should be QSLed to VE2EH not VE3EH. Please refer to OPDX.429 for more details.

EA8, CANARY ISLANDS. Steve, G0UIH will be active as EA8/G0UIH/P from October 21-28th. His operations will be SSB only on 20-10 meters. QSL via his home callsign.

ER0, MOLDOVA. Gene, UT7ND, will be active in the CQWW CONTESTS from the village of Otaci, Moldova, as ER0N. All QSLs via the Ukrainian QSL Bureau or direct to UT7ND, Gene Chumakov, P.O. Box 5235, Vinnitsa, 286018, Ukraine.

FK, NEW CALEDONIA. Danny, FK/F5CW, has received his FK callsign and is now signing FK8VHY. He was spotted this past weekend on 17 and 15 meters CW after 0300z.

FO, FRENCH POLYNESIA. "The 59(9) DXReport" reports that Yann, F1NGP, will be here October 29th through November 13th. His modes/bands of operations were not mentioned. Also, Yann will receive his callsign upon his arrival.

FY, FRENCH GUYANA. You have a few more days to work Baldur, DJ6SI, as FY/DJ6SI. He will leave October 15th. Over the past weekend he was heard on 12 and 160 meters CW. QSL via DJ6SI. Also, look for Joel, F5PAC, to be active as FY/F5PAC from November 1-14th.

HB0, LIECHTENSTEIN. A Hungarian group will be here this year again from October 30th through November 7th, to participate in two upcoming contests. The HA-QRP Contest, sponsored by "Radiotechnika" (the journal of "electronika"), will take place 0000z, November 1st through 2400z November 7th. The team members of Laci/HA0HW, Tomi/HA4DX, and Geza/HA4XG will be active on 3511 kHz (-/+ QRM) 24 hours a day with the callsign of HB0/HA5RT/p as QRP station. Their QTH will be at Triesenberg at 1400 meters ASL. However, the operators will use HB0/homecall/p on other bands, mainly on CW and RTTY with two different stations with 100 watts, GPs and dipoles. They will participate in the CQWW SSB Contest to give out new multipliers for those stations who need it. Suggested frequencies are:

• CW - 1831, 7011, 10104, 14011, 14026, 18071, 21011, 21026, 24891, 28011, 28026 kHz
• RTTY - 7040, 14086, 21086, 28086 kHz

QSL cards for confirmation with HB0/HA5RT/p QSOs should go to HA0HW, and the others should go via their home calls.

IARV IN TAIWAN. International Amateur Radio Volunteer (IARV) team leader Yoshi, JA1UT, has just returned from Taiwan, where IARV donated 35 VHF handheld transceivers to the CTARL President BV5AG for use in the Earthquake Disaster relief. He also assisted with rescue communications.

IOTA NEWS......

• AS-NEW. An excerpt from a press release by Ray, HS0/G3NOM, states that the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand (RAST) announces a special DXpedition to a new Thailand IOTA Island Group and participation in the RSGB IOTA Millenium Competition to celebrate the Year 2000. The "first-time" operation is planned for the Malay Peninsula South East Group (including Kra Maeo, Nu etc) for March 2000. Contacts qualify for "premium" (bonus) points in the RSGB IOTA Millenium Competition. The islands are uninhabited and located off the coast of the Southern Thai Provinces of Sonkhla and Nakhon Si Thammarat, in the South China Sea. They are about 1000 km South of Bangkok, and close to the Northern Malaysia border. More details will be annouced at a later date. SPECIAL NOTE: OPDX InterNet Subscribers will receive the complete press release as an additional bulletin.
• OC-033. Philippe, FK8VHT, will be FK8VHT/P from Lifou Island from October 14-21st.
• OC-114. Marcel, ON4QM, active as FO0DEH from Raivavae Island at the moment, will stay there until October 18th or 19th. From here he will go on to Tuamotu (OC-066).
• SA-020. Joel, F5PAC (as FY/F5PAC), will go with FY5FU and activate Salut Island, while in French Guyana, from November 5-7th.

KH5, PALMYRA AND/OR JARVIS ISLAND. By the time you read this, Norbert, DF6FK, and his XYL Judith, DL2ZAD, should be active from here now through October 21st as KH5/homecall. Activity will be on 80-10 meters SSB only. QSL via DF6FK direct or via the bureau.

LIGHTHOUSE ALERT. A new one will be activated for the "Brazilian Light- houses Award" (DFB). Look for St. Alberto Lighthouse (DFB RN-03) to be activated by PX7ZZ on October 23-24th. Activity will be SSB/CW on 80-10 meters. QSL via PS7ZZ, F.E P. Freitas - Av. Sao Miguel dos Caribes 31, 59086-500, Natal/RN, Brasil or via the PS7 bureau.

NOIDXC GOES QRT. From a press release by Don, W5FKX: "After several weeks of review and soul-searching, the Board of Directors of the New Orleans International DX Convention voted to dissolve the convention. Faced with a financial deficit and a flat attendance for the last several years, a majority of the Board were no longer willing or able to justify the extensive amount of work and effort that was required to maintain a quality program. It was with great sadness that this final step was taken. The Board extends its sincere thanks to all of our friends and supporters, as well as to all those who have attended over the last 8 years."

OD, LEBANON. The LNDX reports that Genevieve, F5SQM, has received a licence and is active as OD/F5SQM. She is active mostly on CW and will participate in all major contest. QSL via her husband F6FYA.

P4, ARUBA. Alan, K4AVQ (ex-W0RIC, V2-W0RIC), will be active as P40AV from December 18th through January 1st (2000) at P49V's QTH. Activity will be on all bands 160-10 meters. QSL to his home callsign K4AVQ. More information later.

PY0S, ST. PETER & ST. PAUL ARCHIPELAGO. The Natal DX Group announced this past week that the Brazilian Navy has scheduled a new departure date for St. Peter & St. Paul Archipelago. The group states that they will depart from Natal November 3rd. After a three day trip, the group will be there and the start of the operation will happen as soon as they set up the stations. The distance between Natal and the rocks is around 1100 KM. They plan to be on the air 24 hours a day, on 80-6 meters. On SSB, CW, RTTY and SSTV. They will try to set up a longwire for 160 meters band. Their callsign will be:

• ZX0SK - For SSB/RTTY/SSTV. QSL via PS7KM, via callbook.
• ZW0SP - For CW. QSL via PT7AA, via callbook.

Please note, cards with insufficient postage will be returned via bureau. The group states that the "Brazilian bureau is working very bad and slowly".

QSL INFO AND NEWS..........

• 3B9R QSL STATUS. Garry, NI6T (3B9R member), reported that Frank, AH0W/W7, has informed him that about 2/3 of the many thousands of 3B9R QSL requests have been answered, and the rest are being worked on. Frank notes that a great many second requests are coming in from DXers who seem to think their cards may have been lost. These additional cards slow the process, and, of course cause, additional expense to the senders. Again, patience is called for here. Your cards are coming.
• Excerpts from a press release by Ed Kritsky, NT2X, he states that he will collect QSLs for Mike, RW1AI, operating at R1AND and forward them to him sometime before May 2000, when he returns home from Antarctica. No cards will be issued prior to his return. Technically speaking, Ed is not a manager, but a "mail collection point". Mike has a serious mail pilfering problem in Russia. Ed will not have logs or cards, and will not issue confirmations. This will be done by Mike himself, when he returns. All replies will be mailed out of Russia. Mike has always done his own QSLing, and his wishes must be respected. Ed STRONGLY recommend sending cards DIRECT to this address: Mike Fokin, R1AND, c/o Edward Kritsky, P.O.Box 715, Brooklyn, NY 11230, USA. Please enclose SAE with either an IRC or USD (please, no SASEs with US postage). Airmail letters out of Russia cost approximately 0.75-0.80 USD. Ed also request not to QSL him and Mike via the bureau. OPDX InterNet Subscribers will receive the complete press release as an additional bulletin.
• Leo, CX3AL, informs OPDX that the mailing cost of one letter from Uruguay is around 1.50 USD. A lot of stations have been sending SASE to him with only 1.00 USD. Leo states that over the last two years he has been paying the difference out of his pocket for return direct QSLs. However, Leo has received many QSL cards, mainly because of his activity on the WARC bands, and he cannot support it any more. He requests OPDX to "Please inform the DX comunnity that in the future direct requests that not cover full postage charges will be answered through the buro."

S21, BANGLADESH. It has been reported that Yoshi/JA1UT, Shigeharu/JA1AFF and Tada/JS1QHO will visit Bangladesh and plan to operate as S21ZE (this callsign was reissued, used back in 1994). They will be assisted by Rashid, S21AR. They plan to be active from October 14-18th. Activity will be mainly CW on the WARC bands, 29Mhz FM, and 6 meters. QSL via JA1UT.

SPECIAL EVENT (Another EO55 station). Nikolay, UX0FF, reports that he is the team leader of EO55FI special event station to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the "Liberation of Ukraine" in WW2. They will be active on all bands/modes October 25-29th. QSL via UX3FW, Yuri Kucherenko, P.O. Box 60, Izmail, 68600, Ukraine. PLEASE NOTE: Nikolay reports that they are having some problems with the S.A.S.E. from USA with stations sending Ukrainian Post stamps. Stamps being sent have a price of only 1.20 Ukr. Grivna. Ukrainian postage now is about 3.00 grivna....

SPECIAL EVENT. Members of the Otago Branch of the "New Zealand Association of Transmitters" (NZART) have been granted the special event callsign of ZM75AA for the month of October. The special callsign will be used in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the first trans-world 2-way radio contact. The contact took place on October 18, 1924, between Frank Bell, Z4AA, of Shag Valley Station at Waihemo, near Dunedin, and Cecil Goyder, G2SZ, at the Mill Hill School in London. The Otago Branch members will be active mostly on the WARC bands now through October 31st. QSL either via the Bureau or direct with SASE to ZM75AA at: PO Box 5485, Dunedin, New Zealand (overseas stations enclose 2 IRC and self-addressed envelope for return card.)

SPECIAL EVENT. Look for VC7A to be activated by the Cowichan Head Contest Club in both the CW and SSB "CQWW Contests" to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of NATO.

TM5, FRANCE. The "LNDX" reports Dominique, F5SJB, will use the special callsign TM5CW from November 22nd through December 6th. He will also participate ino the CQWW CW Contest.

V26, ANTIGUA. Look for Bud, AA3B, to be active as V26K from here November 22-29th. Also, look for John, K3TEJ, to join Bud (after his Montserrat operation, see VP2 below) from November 25-30th as V26KW. Both will be active on 160-10 meters including the WARC bands. They will be in the CQWW CW Contest using the V26K callsign as a Multi/Multi entry. QSL V26KW via K3TEJ and QSL V26K via AA3B.

V31, BELIZE. Hugh/K0GHK and Roger/WA0ETE will be active from Ambergis Caye (NA-073) October 10-16th using the callsign V31KQ. Operations will probably be in the mornings and evenings, as they are planning on playing (other than hamming) during the day. Look for them on both SSB and CW, especially 10 and 15 meters. QSL via WA0ETE.

VP2, MONTSERRAT. John, K3TEJ, will be active as VP2MHJ from November 22-25th. This operation will be CW only on 160-10 meters. QSL via K3TEJ.

VP5, TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS (Update). Jack, N2VW, reports that the team of Frank/WA2VYA, Ken/K2WB and himself are on track with plans to operate from the Providenciales Island (NA-002) from October 26th through November 2nd. The team will participate during the 1999 CQ WW DX SSB Contest (October 30-31st) as VP5T and as a Multi/Multi entry. They are members of the Frankford Radio Club. Emphasis will be on CW and the WARC bands before and after contest. QSL to N2VW with SASE/SAE+return postage, or bureau via N2VW. QSL VP5/ portable calls to home call CBA.

VP8, SOUTH SHETLAND ISLAND. Oleg, R1ANF/A, has been active this past week on 20 meters CW after 0100z from the Korean Antarctic Research base King Sejong HL-001. Two weeks ago he was operating from the Chinese Antarctic Research base, Great Wall. QSL via RK1PWA.

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
"Totally devoted to Amateur Radio" - 24 Hrs a day 8/N/1 14.4k-300 baud