Print Your DXCC Award Credit Matrix from LoTW

Have you noticed that ARRL no longer supplies a printed "Credit Matrix" of your DXCC Entities when you made a recent DXCC Submission? That happens when your submission contains LoTW credits, because they know you can access the Credit Matrix online at any time. However, there are times when you might like to have a "hard copy" on hand (like when checking through a stack of QSL's to see if you need to submit any of them.)

If you would like a printed copy of your DXCC Credit Matrix, you can get one from ARRL for $3.00 or you can print it yourself. Simply follow these steps and you can print your own right at home:

Sign into your LoTW Account and click on the yellow "Awards" tab.
Click "Select DXCC Award Account" and you will see your "Totals" chart.
Underneath that chart, click on "View Award Credit Matrix"
Now pull down "File" from your browser menu bar and choose Print. That's it.

Prior to selecting "Print" you can choose "Page Setup" and select either Landscape or Protrait mode if you want. You can also choose "Print Preview" to see what the report will look like before you print it. I found that Portrait mode took 13 pages to print and Landscape took 14 pages. It's your own personal preference as to which you choose.

Also, a neat thing you can do with this report is once you click on "View Award Credit Matrix", you can click on the blue "Sort By" link at the top of the Entity column and the list will now be arranged alphabetically by "Entity Name" instead of Prefix. I find this to be extremely helpful when I'm looking for an entity but can't remember the Prefix. BIG HELP! (See Graphic Below.)

Having the Credit Matrix in this form can also be very helpful in searching out those entities you have missed on rather easy bands. For example, you may find you have no QSL for the USA on 12-M. That's pretty easy to correct. In the Graphic below you can quickly see I need Crozet on CW and Cuba on RTTY (and pretty much everyone on the WARC bands!) This can help focus your "hunt" for that elusive DX.

Palestine, E4X, May 28 to June 6

A major DX'pedition to Palestine, E4X, is scheduled for May 28 to June 6. 10 operators, mostly from Spain and France, will put this needed country on the air for about 10 days. According to their web site HERE, they plan to operate 160 thru 6-M, SSB, CW & RTTY. The 6-M antenna is a 28-foot boom yagi and they will have two Acom 1010 amps so it is conceivable we might be able to work them on the Magic Band.

In addition to the two Acom amps, they plan to have two more SPE Expert 1K-FA amps. Also, 4 HF transceivers will allow them to have at least three stations operating at the same time on different bands and modes. Antennas for HF are not that extensive but include a Spider beam, a Hex beam, verticals for 30 & 40-M, Inverted-L for 80-M and a sloping dipole for 160-M.

Palestine ranks 51st on the 100 Most Needed Countries List so I'm sure a lot of WVDXA members will be looking to either pick this one up as an All-Time New One or to at least fill in some needed band slots. QSL info lists only Direct via EA5RM.

JD1/o Ogasawara Island - 28 March to 12 April

A group of 5 operators (4 from the USA) will be putting Ogasawara Island on the DX bands for two weeks. They have plans to operate 160 to 6-M with CW, SSB & RTTY. Ogasawara stands at No. 94 on the Most Needed Country List however I'll bet a lot of WVDXA members have many bands they would still like to fill in with this one. This operation will basically be a low-power one from what I read on their Web Page. They will have two Kenwood TS-480's and a Yaesu FT-1021 which is a 200-watt radio. 80 and 160-M they will use verticals, 40 & 30-M will be "half-squaes" and 10-20-M will be a Sigma V five-band vertical dipole and an HB9CV five-band yagi. Working them on the low-bands will present a bit of a challenge due to the lack of high power. But with five operators and three rigs, they should be on the air a good deal. The 7,100 mile, near polar path from WV will also make your QSO's a little difficult but I have high hopes that I can add some more Band/Entities for JD1 beginning next week. There will apparently be an on-line log search as well. GL to all WVDXA members who need JD1.

If you miss out on some JD1 contacts with the above group, JG7PSJ will be operating as JD1BMH from 02 May to 14 May. He WILL have a Yaesu VL-1000 amplifier but has not indicated any plans to operate on 160 or 80-M. He has operated several times from JD1 in recent years and his Web Site indicates he will have an online log search as well.

Pacific Odyssey - May/June 2010

The Ukrainian DXpeditioners Team (UDXT) has plans to operate from three Pacific DX Entities in June, 2010. They are taking two Elecraft K-3's and two Acom 1010 amps. They plan to be on 160-10-M with CW, SSB & Digital. See their web site HERE. T31 Central Kiribati, Kanton Island, Phoenix Islands Group, is 29th on the Most Needed Country List.

Here are the planned stops on this Odyssey along with Zone and IOTA numbers and proposed dates:

• 5WØOX, Samoa (CQ – 32; ITU – 62; IOTA OC – 097) 18 May – 19 May 2010
• T31X, Central Kiribati (CQ – 31; ITU – 62; IOTA OC – 043) 22 May – 1 June 2010
• ZK3X, Tokelau (CQ – 31; ITU – 62; IOTA OC – 048) 2 June – 6 June 2010

Obviously the 5WØ and ZK3 stops will be short so stay on your toes.

Equatorial Guinea, 3CØC, Delayed

The DX'pedition to Annobon Island, 3CØC, which had originally been scheduled for 15 days in April has been delayed for possibly several months. See their web site HERE. BTW there is a great photo of the island with their proposed location on that web page. Here is the statement describing the delay:

Today we received a statement from Equatorial Guinea where we are told that the coming days, they will start some repairs on the runway on Annobón and therefore can not enter or leave on any flights from the island.

It seems that there is hope that the work will last two to three months. Although we are prepared to leave for Africa at any time, we are forced to delay our stay at Annobón until work on the runway is completed.

They had plans to operate three transceivers with two amplifiers and to be active on 160-10-M. If they delay 2-3 months, it may be very difficult to work them on 160-M.

TNX to Alan, W8OP for this update.

YI9PSE - Iraq, April 2 - 12

I just voted for what bands/modes I need Iraq on (RTTY plus all bands except 20-M) and I noticed many WVDXA members had also voted. To vote, click on the "Survey" link on their website - YI9PSE. This should be a great DX'pedition to pick up many needed band/mode counters. They are planning to use FIVE complete stations complete with IC-7600 transceivers and Acom amps. Antennas include a 3-L SteppIR, 2-L SteppIR, Force 12 C3S, SteppIR Vertical, 1/4 wave verticals for 30, 40, 80 and 160-M, and a 300-foot Beverage. That's some very workable stations. With Iraq being some 6400 miles from us, it's a little difficult to work but the class of operators and the quality of equipment on this DX'pedition makes it look very good. The website will have an online log and QSL's will be uploaded to LoTW in late 2010. With FIVE complete stations operating all bands from 160 to 10-M (CW, SSB, & RTTY) this should satisfy the demand for Iraq for many folks. GL to all WVDXA members in the pileups.

Watch the Band Edges!

The following is a portion of a post in the January 01, 2010, column "It Seems to Us" by David Sumner, K1ZZ, the ARRL CEO, which appeared in the January 2010 issue of QST. It bears repeating here as many of us get involved in the heat of the chase for the DX and forget that just clicking on a spot may place us outside our band or sub-band privileges. Also, the comments about how close an SSB signal can get and still be within the band is something we all need to keep aware of, lest we stray out of the band.

It's a good idea to post your allowed operating frequencies in a conspicuous place near your operating position so you will be constantly reminded and be able to check whenever you think you "may" be out-of-band.

========== Excerpt of "It Seems to Us" ==========

Watch the Band Edges!

Following the relocation of most broadcasting stations from the 7100-7200 kHz band there has been a significant increase in DX activity by US amateurs on 40 meter phone. Judging from what we're hearing and what others are reporting from around the country, a reminder about band edges is in order.

When in SSB mode, most transceivers display the frequency of the suppressed carrier. This can be a bit confusing, because ideally your station isn't emitting any energy at all on that frequency. All of your transmitter power is going into the voice passband that extends roughly from 300 to 3000 Hz on one side or the other of that frequency.

The bottom edge of the US phone band for Amateur Extra and Advanced licensees is 7125 kHz. Without getting into hair-splitting debates about how wide your SSB signal might be compared to others, if you're operating on lower sideband (LSB) with a carrier frequency below 7128 kHz you're out of the band because some of your transmitter power is below 7125 kHz. For General licensees the band edge is 7175 kHz, so the lowest carrier frequency a General can use on LSB is 7178 kHz. At the top edge, as long as you're on LSB the situation is different; if you're confident that your opposite sideband and carrier suppression are up to snuff you can snuggle up to the band edge of 7300 kHz.

Two other bands where "falling off the edge" is too common an occurrence are 20 and 17 meters, and here -- because upper sideband (USB) is the norm on these bands -- the problem occurs at the top end. Carrier frequencies above 14,347 kHz and 18,165 kHz respectively are verboten. On these bands the lower band edge is not generally a problem because on USB, the carrier and lower sideband are suppressed.

As station licensees and control operators we are responsible for the proper operation of our stations. If a DX Cluster spot lures us out of the US phone band that's our fault, not the spotter's. If a DX station is on 18,160 kHz and is listening "5 to 10 up" it's our fault, not his, if we go up more than 5. And as long as we're talking about 17 meters -- a great band, by the way -- US amateurs must remember that RTTY and data modes are not allowed above 18,110 kHz, even if a RTTY DX pileup extends above that frequency. And remember, too, that if you're generating a RTTY or data signal by injecting audio into an SSB transmitter your actual operating frequency is different from what's shown on your display. How much different? Only you and your software know for sure!

========== "Reprinted with the permission of the ARRL. Copyright ARRL." ==========

You can view the entire "It Seems to Us" column by clicking HERE.

New QSL for W8GG

Greg, W8GG, has been working so much DX, he ran out of QSL's and had to get some new ones. Below you can see what he chose this time. Quite an impressive front to the card and even a nice photo of Greg on the back. (Click on any photo to view it larger.)

You should also note that he put the WVDXA logo on the back of his card. Way to go, Greg. The WVDXA logo brings a lot of status to your QSL and should insure a quick return of the QSL's you need. Nice job, Greg!

KC8UHE Shoots and SCORES!

Back in April a DX'pedition to Western Sahara, SØ4R, hit the airwaves. Standing at No. 86 on the Most Needed Countries List, there was a good deal of interest in working this one. Tim, KC8UHE, displayed a LOT of interest as this would be another all-time New One for him. However, as it sometimes happens, Tim's work schedule got in the way of his working this DX'pedition. On April 14th he posted to the WVDXA Reflector:

Congrats to everyone who has had success with SØ4R...I have yet to be in
front of the radio. Only 3 days left. I do not have them logged on any band.

As Post after Post to the reflector showed various WVDXA members knocking off SØ4R on many bands and modes, the frustration began to build in Tim. As you may recall, at that time Tim was using a Kenwood TS-480S as his radio. This is essentially just a mobile radio. His did not even have a CW filter in it! Then early on the 15th of April Tim posted this:

     Workable copy here tonight from SØ4R but no contact. I tried for over
1.5 hrs but could not make the Q. Greg I heard the DX come back to your call.
It should be in his log...
  I have stayed up way too late. It is now 12:07 am eastern. My work
alarm will be going off @ 3:30 eastern for a 12hr day-shift Wednesday.
  Call me crazy. Congrats to all that worked the SØ4R today. I have 3 days
left to make a contact with SØ4R. Work may get in the way on making the contact.
  Everyone have a good night sleep.

But, he did NOT go to bed. At 12:42 a.m. he Posted a message with the following subject:

I couldn't go to bed yet - I was able to work the SØ4R on 80 SSB 3780 up 3802.

So, he finally made a QSO with a New One! Outstanding! But, still not wanting to let it go with just one QSO, Tim kept chasing the DX when the 12-hour work days allowed him to be at the radio. He desperately wanted a 160-M QSO and now put all his effort into that. Just before midnight on the 15th Tim Posted:

Did anyone Copy my qso with SØ4R?

He had managed a WA8VPN "possum" contact with SØ4R on 160-M. But, because of the massive QRM to his "mobile" radio, he was not certain the DX copied his full call. He felt the call might not have been correct and he sent his call again with his report only to get a "TU" from the DX. Then, when the online log was updated, his 80-M QSO was there but NOT the 160-M one.

Still not willing to give up Tim asked me for some help. I lent him 500 feet of No. 14 for a Beverage On Ground (BOG) and I lent him my brand-new Elecraft K-3. Tim was ecstatic! He just knew he would get that 160-M QSO now. So, under cover of darkness he ran the BOG out through a neighbor's pasture. I went home and at 12:38 a.m. on the 16th, I copied both sides of Tim's QSO with SØ4R. WONDERFUL! We both were on Cloud 9.

However, the next log update STILL did not have a QSO for KC8UHE on Top Band. RATS! Now the DX'pedition was over. So after a couple of weeks I emailed the QSL manager and told him that I had copied Tim's QSO (both sides) and I had discovered that there was a 160-M QSO in the online log for K8UHE which was not a valid FCC call! I politely suggested that the SØ4R operator may have failed to properly record Tim's call. The manager promptly replied that at the time I reported the QSO, they were NOT on 160-M and the QSO time for K8UHE also did not agree with the same time. He suggested that Tim had worked a Pirate!

Tim was obviously deflated as we both had been certain he had a good QSO. But, following my philosophy of "Never Give Up, Never Surrender" I recently helped Tim send a QSL with all three times he felt he had worked SØ4R on 160-M (along with his 80-M QSO) and we included a brief letter in English and Spanish explaining that K8UHE was not a valid call with the FCC.

Today I received a telephone call from someone who was screaming incoherently into the phone. I first thought it was a prank call but eventually I made out the fact that it was Tim. He had just come in from his mailbox and he had received the QSL you see here. (Click on the photo to see a larger image.)

It took a few minutes for me to fully understand what he was screaming into the phone and when I did I asked him to run the QSL by my house on his way to another 12-hour night shift. I am pretty certain that tonight Tim will be wearing a silly grin throughout his entire shift.

BTW, he refers to this as a "Trophy" QSL because of all the effort he went through to get the contact including getting nipped in the rear by a mother horse as he rolled up the BOG at 2 a.m.! So even when it looks the darkest, you need to persevere as sometimes, dreams DO come true!

WA8VPN Shoots Another Possum!

The following is copied from an email by N8RR on the WVDXA Email Reflector. It details WA8VPN's 40-M QSO with FT5GA on the last night of the DX'pedition. This is how the Big Boys do it, so take notes!

Papa November asked me to summarize the event sequence for his Glorioso CW QSO.

It was known that 7 October was the last day for the FT5GA Dxpedition. WA8VPN was still seeking a CW QSO. Earlier in the day, FT5GA was on 15 and 30 meters CW with a good signal. Papa November and others in WVDXA were trying for a QSO on 15, but Bob was unsuccessful. The band folded and Bob was still without a CW QSO with FT5GA. They were nowhere to be found.

Messages were posted saying some of the antennas were dismounted, but that some stations remained operational. However, late afternoon passed into evening, then late evening, and no FT5GA was heard or seen spotted on DX Cluster. I thought we had seen the end of the FT5GA operation.

Somewhere around 9PM local WA8VPN called me on the phone, and asked if I thought there were any chance FT5GA might make a last minute appearance on 40M CW. I had no idea, but thought the chance was slim. I have been hearing FT5GA on 40M CW previous nights somewhere around the 03z hour, if they have been on. On the previous night October 6 I thought they had a workable signal here. Bob asked if he could come over to my QTH, in case the FT5 showed up for one last hurrah on 40. He wanted to use my station because I have been hearing FT5GA. I invited Bob over.

Around 0200z Bob arrived. I had been listening on all bands and monitoring the cluster, and not a peep was heard from FT5GA. I showed Bob the station, demonstrated the beverages. WA8VPN operated on 80 and 40M working some DX, including TO7RJ and 3B8CF on 40 CW; he knew we had good propagation to the Indian Ocean, and were putting out a good signal into that area.

After about an hour of monitoring the bands, with nothing heard on the radio or Cluster from FT5GA, Bob was just about to pack it in as a lost cause. We both figured the equipment was dismantled and operations ceased with FT5GA. At the last minute, as he was walking out the door, a Cluster spot came up for FT5GA on 7002, sent by some DX outside of North America. Quickly the FT-2000 receiver was tuned to 7002 and zilch was heard. No FT5GA and no pileup.

Some very careful tuning over a 2 minute period revealed a whisp of a signal down deep in the noise on 7002. Yes, it was calling CQ. The call FT5GA was deciphered one time, and then the signal stood by. Bob was in the operating chair, and I thought he might have the big one.

I reached over and set the XIT control for +2 khz and said to Bob: "Call him. You may never hear him again, and this could be the last shot" Bob didn't even wait and listen to see if anyone else heard FT5GA and was calling. He just blind called up 2 khz and sent WA8VPN twice.

The ghost signal on 7002 came back to someone. Bob deciphered a W and an A but that was it. I said: " I think he has come back to you, call him again" Once again, Bob sent WA8VPN twice on 7004. This time, FT5GA came back to a call and sent a report. The signal was so weak and the noise was so high he just could not be 100% sure if the report was for WA8VPN. However, the timing sequence was right throughout, and the response from FT5GA was as expected. Once again, I suggested to Bob that this was probably as good a shot as he would have. I said "send him a report". Bob sent him a 599 three times, then repeated WA8VPN twice.

The ghost signal came back sending something that could not be deciphered because the signal was so weak, but both of us could hear UP. I looked at Bob and he looked at me. I said: "You probably just worked FT5GA, if it was really him"
We listened to the QSX frequency, and there were a couple of callers, but we believe they were attracted by the Cluster spot and zeroed in on WA8VPN's signal. We did not hear FT5GA work anyone else. I don't think he worked anyone prior to Bob's calling him.

Both of us felt pretty good about the sequence of events but we were both skeptical. It was Bob's last shot for this Dxpedition, and he took it. The online log would tell if it were zero or 3 points!

At 0630 local I got up and checked the FT5GA log. WA8VPN was in there on 40M. Yes!!!!!! This had to be nearly the last, if not the last, USA QSO by FT5GA on 40 or perhaps any band. Condition were horrible, worse than I had heard FT5GA's signal on 40M any night they were on.

I would trade all of my FT5GA QSO's, with the possible exception of 80M, so that Bob could make this one. Fortunately, that was not necessary. This entire sequence and the unlikely unfolding of it is unique in my 47 years of experience. WA8VPN sure must be living right!

That's the story, and we are sticking to it.

73 Charlie N8RR

FT5GA, Glorioso Island

The Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin reports that the 2009 DX'pedition to Glorioso Island now have their airline tickets to Reunion Island in hand. They are scheduled to leave Paris on September 11 and return on October 8. They will fly from Reunion to Glorioso via French Armed Forces aircraft. The exact dates for the operation are not known yet but they expect to stay on Glorioso for about 3 weeks. 8 French operators will man 4 complete stations each with KW amps. Glorioso is ranked as the FOURTH most needed country in the World! Click HERE to visit the FT5GA web site. Good luck to all WVDXA members who need this rare country.

Conway Reef, 3D2ØCR, October 1st to 10th

Tim, KC8UHE, sent a link to the web page for the upcoming 3D2ØCR DX'pedition to Conway Reef. Click HERE for the DX'pedition web page. From October 1 to 10 a team of 8 operators will activate this rare entity. Most recently it was ranked as the 19th most needed entity. Conway Reef is just 800 feet long by 500 feet wide and located some 280 miles southwest of the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific.

The team expects to operate three stations simultaneously 24/7. They will have three Elecraft K-3's and two K-2's plus a large selection of various antennas. In the first days of the operation one station will be dedicated to RTTY. They plan operations on all bands from 160-M through 6-M.

Donations are being requested on the web site. Click on the "How you can help" link on the web site. The first 200 individual contributors will receive a hand written QSL mailed from 3D2 or FK immediately after the DX'pedition.

CQ Zone, ITU Zone, Grid Square Maps, etc.

Have you even wondered what ITU Zone you were in? Or, what countries were in CQ Zone 34? Maybe you need to know what Continent for W.A.C. purposes a particular country is in? Or, do you need to know where a particular grid is in the world? Well, CLICK HERE for a great resource to fulfill those needs. All these maps and more are on this one page (be sure you scroll down the page to see all the maps.) And, the maps have "sub pages" so you can click on a Zone and the map will expand and add more data. Click on the CQ Zone map and then click on a Zone and the map will expand to show that Zone and the countries found in that Zone will be listed underneath the map along with the Continent and ITU Zone for that country.  Use your "Back" button to return to the previous page.

In addition to the above map resource (which also has a world-wide Maidenhead Grid Map), CLICK HERE for an interactive Google Map to show Maidenhead Grids around the world. If you know the 4 or 6 digit Grid Square you want (or something close to what you want), just enter it in the "Grid square:" box at the top of the map. If you don't know the Grid Square, just navigate the map by double-clicking again and again on the area of interest and/or dragging the map around. The "Scroll Wheel" on your mouse will also activate the Zoom function. You can then find any location on the surface of the Earth and click on it to see what the Grid Square is.

Finally, if you need to compute the beam heading and distance between two locations on the Earth, go to THIS SITE and download "wingrid.exe" by clicking on the heading "New Improved" WinGrid4.0 (wingrid.exe) This will download a small program to your computer which you need to run by clicking on the "wingrid.exe" file. Then, enter the latitude and longitude of your home QTH and press the "Calc.Grid" button to determine your Home Grid. Once you do, pull down "Main" from the Menu Bar and chose "Save Home." Then, everytime you open the program, it will start with your own QTH as the "Home" location. Just enter the other station's grid in the "Destination Grid" box and press Calc. Lat/Lon or "Calc. Dist./Heading" and you will be presented with the beam heading (both direct and reverse) and the distance between you and the other station. Also, double-clicking anywhere inside the borders of WinGrid will change the input fields from "Degrees-Minutes-Seconds" to "Degrees" and decimal portions of a degree.

WinGrid does not install itself as a "Program" on your computer. It is just an "excutable file" that you have to start by clicking (or double-clicking) on the WinGrid.exe file wherever you downloaded it. You can easily place a "Shortcut" on your desktop to the WinGrid executable file so that you can find it easily to start the program as you will use it often.

W8HIC Radio/Antenna Project Complete!

Today the Rig/Antenna donation project which was begun by Bob, W8QHG, was brought to fruition. Braving the heat and humidity, 6 WVDXA members converged on Jerry, W8HIC's, QTH and in short order installed a Hy-Gain DX-88 vertical with 15 radials. On the right you can see the Antenna Crew - left to right, Tim, KC8UHE, Pete, K4OM, Bob, W8QHG, Charlie, N8RR, Jerry, W8HIC, Garry, W8OI, and Clark, W8TN. You can click on the photo to see a larger image.

The operation was nearly scratched due to an anto accident which took out power to Jerry's QTH. But, in the usual WVDXA manner, we pressed on and by the time the antenna was installed, the power had been restored. After the antenna (donated by Phil, W8UV) was erected, Charlie, N8RR, pronounced it to be nearly perfect according to the MFJ-259B.

At that point we moved to the front of Jerry's QTH and The Elder Statesman of the WVDXA, Bob, W8QHG, presented Jerry with the Yaesu FT-450-AT which was acquired through the generous donations of many members of the WVDXA. The radio was purchased from Al, K9XR, who, upon hearing what we planned to do with the radio, graciously donated the shipping costs and included 100-feet of RG-8X with connectors (which was used to connect the vertical to the Yaesu.) That is a true indication of "Ham Spirit." And Rick, W8ZT, donated the Kenwood PS-40 power supply to the project and others added various and sundry items needed for the installation.

At this point we moved inside and thankfully the power had been restored and Jerry's air conditioning was functioning. The heat and humidity outside had taken a toll on some of the more robust members of the WVDXA (W8TN) even though ice water and Gatorade was available! Once in Jerry's shack it was a simple matter to connect the coax and the power supply. On the right you can see Charlie, N8RR, peering through the glare to adjust the radio. We quickly made a couple of contacts to confirm the system was fully functional and upon leaving, found the raindrops just starting! As they say, timing is everything.

This project was suggested to the WVDXA by Bob, W8QHG, back in February. It took some time to gather the donations both of cash and materials, locate a suitable rig, and schedule this antenna party. However, through it all, the members of the WVDXA have stood firm and pulled together to complete something that is seldom seen today. This out-pouring of generosity is a hallmark of those who belong to the WVDXA and something which all of us can be proud. I sincerely thank all who helped in whatever way, no matter how small or large your contribution. You can be proud that you helped us set up a new DX'er with a great first station.

Jerry will surely need more help in learning the ropes as time goes on. I have encouraged him to join the WVDXA Reflector and present any questions he may have to the group or to any indivitual member. I am certain he will be welcomed into the WVDXA with gusto! Jerry's photo has been added to the WVDXA Members Photo Gallery on this blog and it should show up soon. Congratulations Jerry and we all hope you work lots of DX with your new station.

FT5GA

FT/G, GLORIOSO ISLAND (Update). Didier, F5OGL, Glorioso 2009 team leader,
announced this past week that the Glorioso 2009 team gathered at Frank's,
F4AJQ, QTH last weekend (June 6-7th), with some F6KOP team members. During
these two days the whole time was spent tuning the antennas, teaching
DXpeditioners about their settings, and to coordinating all of the packages.
The final setup was 4 complete stations (each with at least a 800 watts PA)
that will be shipped to Glorioso's main island. They plan to be active
as much as possible during the 24 hour day. Their antenna system will
consist of 2 Spiderbeams for 20/15/10m and another for 30/17/12m. They
will also have an Inverted L for 160m, one V10, one V80 and one HF2V
for 80-40m. Some other vertical elements were packed as well as a K9AY
array receiving system. A 6 meters station will monitor the Magic band
but only into a G5RV antenna. The complete crew (and they hope it will
not change) consists of: Freddy/F5IRO, Yves/F5PRU, Jean-Marc/F5RQQ,
Sylvain/F5TLN, Philippe/F4EGS and three SIRPA agents: Florence (YL)
journalist, Yann (director and cameraman) and Didier (cameraman and
sound engineer). They would like to thank Jeff/F6AOJ, Floyd/N5FG, Toshi/
JA1ELY, Mike/UA0ME and Lee/ZL2AL for being their pilot stations. It was
mentioned that they would also like to thank Floyd/N5FG and Jeff/F6AOJ
for their big efforts in the back office. For the first time the callsign
to be used for the Glorioso operation will be under the new French
Antarctic and Austral Territories (TAAF) regulation and is expected to
be FT5GA."
ADDED NOTE: As of 2005, the "Iles Eparses", Gloriosos, Tromelin, Juan da
Nova and Europa Islands are now put under the new TAAF authority. All
future callsigns, for these areas, will be issued with the following
prefixes:
FR/G becomes FT#G Gloriosos FR/T becomes FT#T, Tromelin
FR/E becomes Ft#E, Europa FR/J becomes FT#J, Juan da Nova