I have my callsign - M6PCZ !!
WOW, what a 24 hours it's been, logged onto the OFCOM site this time yesterday, 3 days after passing the FL exam, then went upto the shack and fired up the laptop and radio.
Went onto 20m and with my first call worked S51AY in Slovenia on PSK31, then a while later YU7MK in Serbia. After that I spoke with Adam M6RDP who is local to me and a fellow member of the Radio Club, after Adam I worked again on PSK31, OE3YMB in Austria.
I then tried the handheld (Icom IC-7e) on the local club 2m net, not very good as only 1.5W output and I was indoors.
Today however in the mobile on the way home from work I managed to contact VA2PW, Peter from Quebec, Canada, whilst actually driving, I then stopped, he was 5/9 with my report 5/5.
I continued to listen to him working stations, so when I got home I answered his call again and was delighted when he called me back first call, this time I received a 5/6-5/7 report.
I am sat here writing this quite dumbstruck that my first voice DX contacts are across the pond for a and I've done them from the mobile and home QTH.
Happy is an understatement.
Fun, isn't it! 73 Dick
ReplyDeleteUnbelieveably good results Paul. Very well done. Are you going to register with eQSL? I do the odd paper one and the bulk of them via eQSL.
ReplyDeleteDon't let the hobby give you headaches though: when it does, it's time to switch off and get on that windswept, salt-sprayed beach and forget everything else.
Seriously great first contacts. Will the VA station send you a QSL? I sometimes email a station if I really want their card and as them first. Invariably they are keen to encourage us newbies and both my transatlantic contacts returned my QSL. They have pride of place in my collection and for those rare one I definitely wouldn't want an eQSL.
Bye for now and hope that headache improves!
Really nice, hope to meet you some time. It's so different these days as when I went from 11 Mtrs to my novice license I was only allowed to be on a part of 2m and 70cm. So what was left was a little talk on the repeaters. Nowadays you can use HF and that is a lot better. 73, Bas
ReplyDelete@ Dick, er yes ! I'll probably not work a thing now !
ReplyDelete@ Adam - I went on the VA's QRZ page and he doesnt QSL..and headache gone, and meadfoot beach, lovely down there, nice walk through the woods along Ilsham Valley also.
@ Bas - Which HF bands do you work and what sort of times are you on, do you use PSK ?
Well done:
ReplyDeleteI still feel that way when I make a qso on cw - it's that "Buzz" ! And I was licensed in 82
We might cross on 40 !
Good Luck.
73 Peter
Hi Paul, Congrats with your new call. Hope to meet you soon on the band. Have fun! 73 Paul
ReplyDeleteHello Paul, I use all HF bands (including 11 Mtr ;-) ) all digital modes except ROS. If you need a sked we could arrange one. Because I do not have a lot of time actually be on the radio.
ReplyDeleteSo no usual times. You can find my e-mail adress via QRZ.COM. 73, Bas