I managed to get QRP DXCC entity #93 in the books tonight! After finishing up the post about the Hoot Owl Sprint, I headed down the basement to see how 40 Meters was doing. I guess it's not a big CW contest weekend; as there wasn't wall to wall pandemonium. Down near the bottom of the band, I heard J48HW calling CQ. Again, not being familiar with the prefix, I called on Win-EQF to inform me that this was Greece. Hot dog - a new one for QRP if I could make myself heard!
A few calls later, I got Greece in the books. In my excitement, I must have screwed up my number as I had to repeat that I was W2 a couple of times and not W3. But Laci has good ears and my fumble fingers notwithstanding, I now have country number 93 in the log. Only seven more to go! I was extremely lucky tonight (being in the right place at the right time) because very shortly after our QSO, Laci went QRT for the night, or early morning in his case.
There's something deeply satisfying about having your signal heard by a station in a distant land. Whether it's QRO or QRP the feeling is just as sweet.
73 de Larry W2LJ
What speed did you work? I'm an Extra but can only manage 15 WPM these days so I don't venture below 7025.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you talk about? As an ambassador for the USA, I'd be ashamed to just do a quicky RST exchange for an award list.
I worked him at about 22 WPM. Unfortunately, Laci was not into conversation that evening. He was working stations at a very rapid pace - giving contest style exchanges. And that is indeed a pity. When I first got licensed back in 1978 it was not at all unusual to have ragchews with foreign stations. Often, QSL cards would be accompanied with brief notes and usually a photo or two of the shack and home QTH. That is now the exception rather than the rule. Hmmmm ..... I sense a new blog posting in the making. Thanks!
ReplyDelete