5314027843

Yolume XXXVIII

THE S H O R T W A V E MAGAZINE

21

Mary Salamanchuk, KI.7JEF;.vee “Top Band". (Photo courtesy of WIBB)

ones on the very morning of his letter). 3.5 MHz CW yielded him contacts with IN3NHZ, F80Q, YU4EBL, F5IN, F3RM, OR5KH/OV, F9IQ, F5KQ, and G3URT — the latter gave a report of 339 and they had a twenty minutę ragchew!

A nice long letter from G4BUE (Upper Beeding) reports on the QRP front, particularly the G-QRP Club Winter Sports which seems to have been generally enjoyed. To look at Chris’s scores makes one realise just how much can be done. On QRP (defined as 5 watts or less) he worked 174 countries in 1979, and all CQ Zones, while at one watt or less there were some 111 countries; and if one talks in terms of QRP station to QRP station, then there were some 24 countries worked, and 78 members of the G-QRP Club.

Forty

Sadly neglected by many, but lots of interest under the QRM noises! G3KFE hasn’t got an upright aerial for the band — it’s lying on the lawn awaiting maintenance. So — listening on a ten-metre dipole has been about the score.

Your scribe has just been to the window to survey the “antennascape” only to observe that one end has fallen — and it’s raining. Life’s just not fair!)

It was CW all the way with G2HKU, who used the modę on 7 MHz to work Al 10 (what a cali to be stuck with!), W4FGH, DJ3KP/KP4, KI AR.

Same again with G3CED and his prototype aerial system; he swapped level reports with F8LP who had 50 watts to a dipole while George had his faithful two watts (those batteries must be external ones!).

G3PKS found the band in pretty good shape by and large, working VE3GCS on Christmas morning and lots of inter-G working at 59 in most cases.

General

There is always a risk to someone who chases off into the wide blue yonder to give us all a new country, and it will be recalled that Jan Gould, WA6YQW, in doing just this was badly hurt. The damagc was severe — broken back, broken legs, and other broken bones. She is to remain in Honolulu for some time in Ward 43,

*

u

t

Tripler Army Hospital, Honolulu HI 96859. We understand the job will be months of work and rehabilitation, and the DX Bulletin States that a fund has been set up to help in this process. The address for donations is “In Trust for Jan Gould Fund” c/o Norm Friedman, W60RD, 5400 Lindley Avenue, Apt 312, Encino, California 91316, U.S.A. It is stressed that nothing in this fund will be used for the expenses of the trip. A letter to Jan, and a donation to the fund will be a couple of good things to be done, we feel.

Various people have mentioned a station signing ZA3KL, ZA3KS, or ZA3AK. The DA"Bulletin reckons this just might be, perhaps morę likely the Tirana Phoney. If you are thirsty for a ZA QSL, try shovel!ing one towards I8KZB (thanks to G2ADZ for the latter bit of data).

If you come across a station signing just 5AC then it is probably 9U5AC, especially if he shows on 20 or 15 which appear to be his favoured places.

We have it that there is the possibility of some amateur radio activity from mainland China in the first week of March by ZL1ADI and ZL1AMO; these two will be in China at the relevant time, and have hopes. From past experience “hope” is oftcn a lying jadę! But there is someone in there trying, which is the main thing.

28 MHz

Seems to be giving in a pretty fair old way for G4ITL, as already recorded. So, let’s see what the others have to say about it all.

G3NOF (Yeovil) comments on the winter conditions; there have been some long-path openings to VK/ZL/ JA around 0900, while the short path opening ran from 1100 to 1500z and included VS6 on occasions. The North Americans were to be found at 1230 through till 1900. Thus Don madę SSB QSOs with A4XGY, DL6VY/9Q5, J7DBB, K A7DQQ (Arizona!), OK3TAB/D2A, VK3LW, VK3VIV, VK4HNU, VK6NEP, VK6NHF, VK6NLF, VK70C, VK8NNN, VS6AC», VS6EZ, VS6FI, VU2RAK, W7KZL (Arizona), W7PG (Arizona), W0YK, and W0ZV in the same State.

G4EAN (Nottingham) managed to get a łittle operating time in, but an explosion locally spattered the aerial and tower, so it will have to be grounded to check the State of the mechanism — brick-dust is death to crank-up tower cables. We might add that, in addition, it is rather surprising how spiky wire ropę can become in a short time! Anyway, on Ten łan reports contacts with K7ZFX, KA9AAB. VE3CV J, VE3IHQ, VE3LCJ, ZP5AR; and a Gotaway in the shape of JW7FD who was on 28.572 MHz, HOOz, and asked for QSLs by way of LA5NM.

Ten for G2HKU mcant CW with W0JL (Minnesota) VE2FRU, W6WU, W6VD, W60V, AG7S, VK2BPN, ZD8TC, VE5XU, and W6CG.

G2ADZ (Chessington) will be somewhat less active than of yore; his