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Grizzly bears!

Added CO, WY and ID to my "FAS" this week! Now exactly half way with 25 states. Saw grizzly bears, bison, elk etc in Yellowstone Park, stunning! VFB hospitality from W7's. P.S.: check out the JetBlue special offer Sep/Oct multi-city tickets. 73 de Roger/G3SXW.

Tahiti TX4T operation : Feb 2010

Nigel G3TXF joined Jacques F6BEE, Phil FO8RZ and Gilles VE2TZT for the TX4T DX-pedition from Tahiti in French Polynesia in Feb 10. The biggest surprise was the sheer size of "French Polynesia". From the Marquesas in the North, to the Australes in the South this hugely dispersed group of islands covers an area similar to the whole of Europe. Tahiti was tantalisingly close to both FO/a and FO/m (relatively speaking!), but these two remote DXCC counters will have to wait for another DXFC adventure!

Interesting way to see a new one!

My most recent addition is Antigua, V2. It more-or-less fell in my lap when I had to help move a Gulfstream III from Texas to Johannesburg, and we needed a stop just before crossing the Atlantic. Antigua turned out to be the best choice. The layover was fun, with an evening spent listening to a metal band (not heavy!) and the early morning spent swimming in the Caribbean for the first time. The other two stops (D4 and 9G) unfortunately were dupes.

YL/IZ4AKS, YL/IZ0BTV, YL/IZ4DPV

Grate days in Riga for the CCF Conferance! Arounf 350 QSOs made in the spare time.
And other points collected! DXFC 4EVER!
If you want to see some photos: http://bit.ly/bfnZIk

GM4AFF - 2009 in brief!

2009 gave me 7 new DXFC points, and a few exciting experiences too. I made a side trip to Lebanon from Abu Dhabi early in the year on Emirates air miles and had a quiet 24 hours in Beirut. Quite surprised at how many 'shot up' buildings I saw. A quick refuel stop-over between Amsterdam and Abu Dhabi gave me a quick foot-print in Bahrain thanks to the generosity of the KLM aircrew. A day trip to Kuwait in May gave me the opportunity to meet Hamad 9K2HN and see his fantastic shack and downtown antenna farm. In July I was fortunate to be able to do the IOTA Contest from Alex GD6IA's shack on the Isle of Man. Rafiq JY4CI was a most excellent host when I made an overnight stop in Amman and I even managed to run a short pile-up at the JY6ZZ club station. Some business in Damascus meant that I spent a week there in November. No radio, but I managed to get to Busra, an archeological site with ruins going back through thousands of years. In December I took the Sofia - Moscow express from Bucharest to Kiev, which took 27 hours (not bad for 54 Euros including couchette), and I spent the day with the well known QSL printer Gennady UX5UO. Gennady gave me a first class lunch, a tour of Kiev and dropped me off at the airport, for which I am grateful. Sadly I got my money stolen at the railway station, but I won't let this taint my view of Ukraine!
As far as 2010 is concerned I have a plan to do SP, LY, YL, UA2 and EW by train and plane to WRTC at Moscow in July. Who knows where my work will take me, but I'll ensure that I can engineer some new ones en route!
Finally let me wish seasons greetings to all DXFCers and best wishes for 2010 to you all.

F, BY, VR2, PA and finally at home

Another business trip to Asia. Ten days of trade show and meetings with customers but two new point obtained in the very short free time and thanks to the flight transit: visited VR2 - Hong Kong and QRV from BY-China as IZ4AKS/BY1RX. Unfortunatly I miss a quick visit to Macau but was really not possible.
In any case: DXFC 4EVER!!!

HB9 and HB0

I drove over scenic areas from DL and OE to HB0 and HB9. Very short stop in Vaduz for pictures and souvenirs and than further to HB9. Area is beatirful but not too much Ham antennas visible. Few more DXFC new ones are planned this stay in EU (ON, PA). Good travel to DXFCers!

Half way to the 100 DXCC QRV

Thanks to Charlie, VR2XMT, I was able to be QRV from country nr 50- Hong Kong.
While I was passing through, Charlie invited me to participate in All Asia SSB Contest using a special call VR2009EGA (multi op, single tx).

It will take a lot of effort to be QRV from next 50... but who knows....it may happen one day :-)

73 and till next one.

OE/OM/UR/HA/9A/S5 Car trip in East Europe

Great experience! 6 country in 5 days is not bad! Unfortunately only QRV from OE (4U1VIC) and OM because in Ukraine i had a radio failure.
In any case, evryting was fine except the custm clearence from Slovakia to Ukraine. Nobody speak English and the procedures are slow and complicated.
DXFC 4EVER!!!!

Weekend in UA

I spent the weekend in UA3, near Moscow, to observe RRTC contest, as preparation for next year's WRTC. If I do attend WRTC-2010 then the visa also covers UA2 and Belarus! Ha!
73 de Roger/G3SXW.