Tuesday 4 December 2012

a strange day on the radio.  conditions were very changeable, with most QSOs being lost to QSB within a minute.  strangely, as the day progressed, the background noise on 20m gradually dropped until at 5pm I could hear Canadian and US stations which weren't even twitching the needle.  definitely a first for me.


RK9DM Russia
EA1FL Spain
DJ6NH Germany
IN3XUG Italy
DJ7LWD Germany
I1OOU Italy
HB9PCH Switzerland
OH1SX Finland
HB9MTN Switzerland
LZ2LP Bulgaria
DM3KXL Germany
GI4BBE Northern Ireland
DL2GBA Germany
UA2FFD Russia
9A7DA Croatia
ON7GK Belgium

another first was a moment of madness.  I connected up the morse key and decided to call CQ on 40m.

as a back up, I installed a free program called cwget and set a mic beside the speaker of the Yaesu.

all went well.  I listened for a while to make sure no-one was already on freq. and then, with my crib sheet in front of me, I called CQ.  the software decoded my sending without any difficulty, so, miraculously, it appears that I was actually sending clearly, all be it fairly slowly.

then, horror of horrors, some one answered me!!!!!!

I went completely blank.  I could understand my call in return, but hat was it!!  the software told me the kind gent returning my call was GI4BBE, but I forgot when I was compiling my cribsheet that i'd need to resend HIS callsign!  I couldn't remember what G was.  and I hear it 20 times a day on the 2m repeater GB3NI.....

Never felt such an ejit all my life!!

I've tried o message the guy and appologise, but he's not on eQSL and he hasn't an email addy on QRZ.com.  he does have a youtube presence, si I've commented on his last vid to say sorry, and thanks......

back to the practice lessons on LCWO!!!!



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