The Ohio/Penn Dx PacketCluster
DX Bulletin No. 937
BID: $OPDX.937
December 7, 2009
Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW
Provided by BARF80.ORG (Cleveland, Ohio)

Thanks to the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society, Northern Ohio DX Association, Ohio/Penn PacketCluster Network, AB5K & the AR TelNet Clusters Network, AA1MI, K1XN & GoList, NJ1Q, K3GV, NG3K & ADXO, K4UEE, N4AA & QRZ DX, KH6BZF, N6RV, KL7JR, K8YSE, K9EL, A35A, AT International, BA1DU, DL4MDO, DL7MAE & The DX News Letter, DX World of Ham Radio Web Site, I1JQJ/IK1ADH & 425 DX News, ON5NT, Pete's-DX-Newsdesk, RSGB IOTA Web Site, VA3RJ & ICPO, VHF-DX-Portal (MMMonVHF) and YV5KAJ for the following DX information.

DXCC COUNTRY/ENTITY REPORT
According to the AR-Cluster Network for the week of Sunday, 29th-November, through Sunday, 6th-December there were 233 countries active. Countries available: 3A, 3B8, 3D2, 3DA, 3V, 3W, 4J, 4L, 4O, 4S, 4U1I, 4X, 5B, 5H, 5N, 5R, 5T, 5U, 5W, 5X, 5Z, 6W, 6Y, 7P, 7Q, 7X, 8P, 9A, 9G, 9H, 9J, 9K, 9L, 9M2, 9M6, 9N, 9Q, 9V, 9Y, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A9, AP, BV, BY, C2, C3, C6, C9, CE, CE0Y, CE9, CM, CN, CP, CT, CT3, CU, CX, D2, D4, D6, DL, DU, E5/s, E7, EA, EA6, EA8, EA9, EI, EK, EL, EP, ER, ES, ET, EU, EX, EY, EZ, F, FG, FH, FK, FK/c, FM, FO, FR, FW, FY, G, GD, GI, GJ, GM, GU, GW, H4, HA, HB, HB0, HC, HC8, HH, HI, HK, HL, HP, HR, HS, HV, HZ, I, IS, J2, J3, J6, J7, JA, JD/m, JD/o, JT, JW, JY, K, KG4, KH0, KH2, KH6, KL, KP2, KP4, LA, LU, LX, LY, LZ, OA, OD, OE, OH, OH0, OK, OM, ON, OX, OY, OZ, P2, P4, PA, PJ2, PJ7, PY, PZ, R1FJ, S2, S5, S9, SM, SP, ST, SU, SV, SV5, SV9, T32, T7, T8, TA, TF, TG, TI, TJ, TK, TL, TN, TT, TU, TY, UA, UA2, UA9, UK, UN, UR, V2, V3, V4, V5, V7, V8, VE, VK, VK9X, VP2E, VP2M, VP2V, VP5, VP6, VP8, VP9, VQ9, VR, VU, XE, XU, YA, YB, YI, YK, YL, YN, YO, YS, YU, YV, Z2, Z3, ZA, ZB, ZC4, ZD7, ZD8, ZF, ZL, ZP, ZS

* PLEASE NOTE: The report "could" contain "Pirate/SLIM" operations or more likely a "BUSTED CALLSIGN". As always, you never know - "Work First Worry Later" (WFWL).

2009 CQ DX MARATHON (Less than a month to go!)
John, K9EL, Program Manager for the CQ DX Marathon, wants to remind everyone that there is less than a month left in the 2009 version of CQ Magazine's annual DX Marathon! Each year from January 1st to December 31st, CQ Magazine sponsors a challenge to work as many countries and zones as possible in the calendar year. This year's edition ends soon, but there is still time to fill in some missing countries and zones. Last year's winner was determined by a QSO made on December 21st, so keep working DX! For complete rules and submission information, please see their Web site at:

3W, VIETNAM (Update/Operator Needed!! [VERY RARE IOTA - #2])
\ An inter- national group of operators will be active as 3W6C from Con Co Island (AS-185), Vietnam, in April 10-18th, 2010 (See OPDX.926 for more details). Paul, AA1MI/HB9DST, EUCW Communications Manager for the "Helvetia Tele- graphy Club", reports that the 3W6C DXpedition has an opening for one additional experienced CW operator. He states, "This DXpedition is being headed up by several members of the Helvetia Telegraphy Club, but we also have members from other countries including Vietnam. German language is NOT required to participate. Full details about the DXpedition are available at:

3V10, TUNISIA (Special Event)
The Radio Club Station of Tunisian Scouts (3V8ST) in the CAST will commemorate their 10th anniversary by activating special event station 3V10A from the headquarters of Tunisian Scouts in Tunis Mahrajens (Tunisia's capital city). Activity will last until December 31st. QSL via: AMATEUR RADIO CLUB STATION TUNIS, P.O. Box 339, 1082, Tunisia.

5I, TANZANIA
Igor, UA3DJY, is currently in Dar Es Salaam, and plans to operate from the DIT Communications Club station, 5I3A, until December 15th. Over the past weekend, Igor has been very active on 17 meters CW between 0730-1400z. QSL via RK3AOL.

61ST IDXC
The 61st Annual International DX Convention sponsored by the Southern California DX Club will be held at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center, Visalia, CA, April 16th, 17th, 18th, 2010. Pre- registration begins December 1st, 2009. The International DX Convention is the world's foremost DX convention. If you are a DXer or interested in any aspect of ham radio, you need to be at Visalia. Top DX operators from around the world will be there. Meet the big guns from the US, Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania. Meet the people on the other side of the mic or key. Shake hands with the person you have had that sked with for the past 10 years. Renew friendships. Don't forget your YL! We will have something special for them as well. Top DXpeditioners from every continent tell you how they did it. Learn the secrets for big signals on the top band, how to have fun and adventures chasing IOTA, contest forum, antenna forum, DX forum, seminars for everyone from the seasoned pro to the beginning DXer.

Attend the traditional Saturday night banquet where great friends and good food are met with lively presentations. The Sunday breakfast buffet has a terrific selection and variety. Enjoy more present- ations and the parody, "Are You Smarter Than a DXer. This year there is a twist! Visit the manufacturers' midway where you can talk to the people who design and use the latest and best equipment. Don't forget the raffle prizes which top even the famed Dayton Hamvention! For the early arrivers NCCC will be hosting the Contest Academy on Friday! Stop by their Web site for more details at:

8Q, MALDIVES
Thomas, OE2ATN, is planning to be active as 8Q7AT from the Island of Velidhu (AS-013) next year between May 23rd and June 4th (2010). Activity will be mainly SSB on 80/40/20 meters using a Yaesu FT-897D (w/LDG Auto-Tuner and 100 watts) into possibly a G5RV antenna. QSL via OE2ATN (QSL cards will go out via GlobalQSL.com).

A3, TONGA (Island News/Update)
Paul, A35A, informs OPDX on December 2nd, that Dave/W6ZL (A35KL) was leaving Ha'apai on December 3rd. Dave should be in New Zealand by the time you read this. Paul states, "Dave probably won't be QRV again from Tonga until perhaps April 2010. He may be able to get on the air from ZL, when he visits some of his radio buddies down there. I'll let him fill you in if/when that happens." He also mentions, "All antenna work here at A35A is 99% complete. The SteppIR yagi (w/6m add-on) is up and working fine; the 4 element 6m beam has been cleaned up and is working fine; the SteppIR BigIR vertical (w/80M add-on) is up, but I still have some tweaking to do on the elevated radials to get a good impedance match. I intend to be more active from now on, especially on 80m. I want to finish up on 5BDXCC before my QSL manager (W7TSQ) gets tired of waiting! HI... The 6m Es season is fast approaching down here, so that should provide some excitement....especially since both North and South Cook Islands (E51CG and E51WL) are now QRV. Incidentally, our announced move to Vava'u (OC-064) has been postponed indefinitely, and perhaps cancelled altogether. A35A remains QRV from Lifuka Island, Ha'apai (OC-169) until further notice. QSL via W7TSQ or LoTW."

AFRICAN TOUR (Western)
Peter, HA3AUI, is once again heading to Africa in early 2010. Look for him to be active as 6W2SC from Senegal and J5UAP from Guinea-Bissau between January 15th and March 31st. Peter used these callsigns once before. His stays in Senegal (6W) will be very near to the border of Guinea-Bissau (J5), and he plans to make regular trips to J5-land for the beautiful beaches there (plans to also operate from there). Using his Elecraft K3 with 500w into a 5-Band Spiderbeam and verticals, Peter's activity will be on 160-10 meters, mainly on the digital modes, but he will use the other modes on request. QSL direct via HA3AUI. Visit his Web site at:

BT3, CHINA (Special Event)
Look for special event station BT3WX to be active until possibly mid-December. Activity is to celebrate the launch of XW-1, China's first amateur satellite, as well as inspire radio amateurs and young people to learn about amateur satellite communication technology, space knowledge, and the popular amateur satellite activities in China. AMSAT-China will set up special event station in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province of China. Activity will be on all of HF amateur bands from 160-10 meters and on VHF/UHF amateur satellite bands, including FM, SSB, CW, RTTY and PACSAT modes. The BT3WX activities have already started (but QSNs have been reported) and will last until the end of the launch (expected December 20th).

QSL Manager is BA1DU: Alan Kung, P.O.Box 8091, Beijing, CHINA 100088. Operators mentioned are: BA4RB, BA4RN, BA4RS, BA4RX, BA4TA, BA4TB, BD4IBW, BD4REB, BD4RPJ, BD4XX, BH4REQ, BA6AA, BD6BW, BA7CK, BA7JG and BD7PZL. There are "BT3WX Communications Awards available" (HF Award and Satellite Award). For details, see AMSAT's Web site at:

CE0Z, JUAN FERNANDEZ ISLAND
Toshi, JA8BMK, will be active as CE0Z/JA8BMK between January 19th and February 2nd. Marco, CE6TBN, will be joining him, but for only 5 days (dates were not provided). Activity will be on 160-10 meters, with a focus on the lower band, and they are expected to be using CW, SSB and the Digital modes. They will use an amp, and antennas will be a yagi and vertical. QSL direct to JA8BMK at: Toshi Fukuta, 2115-3 Nobori, Yoichi, Hokkaido 046-0002 Japan.

CO7, CUBA (IOTA Op)
Edor, CO7PH, will activate the following Cuban IOTAs as CO7PH/P in the coming weeks in Cuba's 7th District:
NA-086 - Cayo Coco Island between December 17-31st
NA-201 - Cayo Anclitas Island between January 2-5th.
Bands and modes of activity as well as QSL route was not provided.

D2, ANGOLA (Update)
Paulo, CT1ITZ, active as D2CQ, will be in Porto Amboim until December 27th. Activity will be on 80-10 meters SSB only. Most of his activity this past week has been on 20/17 meters between 0830-1730z. He is using an Icom 706 and a Windom antenna. QSL via CT1IUA. Direct QSL, please send 2 USDs or one new IRC (ending 2013). QSLs without enough postage will go via Bureau.

DR09, GERMANY (WAP Op)
German radio amateurs in the district Upper Bavaria (Southern Germany) will activate the special callsign DR09ANT (DOK "IPY" and WAP-Nr. 156) for the "Worldwide Antarctic Program" (WAP) for the last time between December 14-31st. Activity will be on all bands and modes. QSL via Bureau.

DU, PHILIPPINES
Lee, HL1IWD, will be active as DU1/HL1IWD from Manila between December 31st and January 3rd. Activity will probably be on 80-10 meters using mainly CW. QSL via his home callsign.

DVD AVAILABLE FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
he "KP1-5 Project" announced today that the long anticipated Desecheo K5D DVD entitled "so rare, so near, yet so far" is now available for sale. The DVD was 5 months in production and is receiving rave reviews. It was written, produced and narrated by Bob Allphin/K4UEE, and edited by Ed Boutwell/W4ZSB. This is their seventh DXpedition DVD. To purchase your personal copy or for a great Holiday gift, go to

IOTA NEWS
AS-133. Operators Peter/XU7ACY (ex-NO2R) and Wim/XU7TZG (ex-ON6TZ) will be active as XU7KOH from Koh Russei (aka Bamboo Island) between December 11-14th. Activity will be on all bands, 80-10 meters on the regular IOTA and PSK frequencies. Modes will be PSK31, SSB and CW. Peter will do the CW and Wim will be on SSB and PSK31. QSL ONLY DIRECT with 2 USDs and a SAE to the QSL Manager ON7PP.

NA-153. (OPERATION POSTPONED!) Operators Zalo/XE3N, Jose/XE3PP, Benigno/ XE2WK and Juan/XE3RR, who were expected to be active as XF3RR from Isla Cerrito this week, have postponed their operation (due to logistics) until possibly early 2010. Activity was planned for 80-15 meters using SSB and RTTY. QSL via EB7DX. This operation is organized by the Radio Club Cancun, and was expected to be a low scale operation as the island is a protected area of the government of Mexico. To avoid the tranquillity of the thousands of birds and species that inhabit the island, this island is subjected to many restrictions including the amount of equipment and individuals on the island. For updates, please visit the following Web page at:

SA-044. Pasquale, YV5KAJ, informs OPDX that he is celebrating his 25th year in amateur radio by going on a DXpedition to the Island of Tortuga and honoring Anacleto, IW5EID, for introducing the hobby to him. He will also be using the special callsign, YW5EID, during his operation between December 26-29th. Activity will be on 40/30/20/17/15/12 meters using SSB and the Digital modes (RTTY/BPSK/Olivia). QSL via EA5KB or see info on (QRZ.com).

KH6BZF PROPAGATION FORECAST/REPORT (For December 7-13th)

 Dec   7    AN         SOLAR REFERENCE
 Dec   8    AN         ---------------
 Dec   9    AN          AN - Above Normal/Geomagnetic Level is QUIET
 Dec  10    AN          HN - High Normal/Geomagnetic Level is UNSETTLED
 Dec  11    AN          LN - Low Normal
 Dec  12    AN
 Dec  13    AN         GEOMAGNETIC REFERENCE
                       ---------------------
                        QUIET - The "A" index is expected to be between
                                0-7 and the "K" index will be 2 or less
                    UNSETTLED - The "A" index is expected to be between
                                7-16 and "K" index will be 3 or less

NEW OFFICERS FOR 2010
Members of the National Capitol DX Association (NCDXA) elected the following officers to serve in 2010 at their October 2009 annual meeting:

    Dick Mayott/W2YE    - President
    John Kanode/N4MM    - Vice President
    George Vincent/K3GV - Secretary
    Brian Bayus/N1KC    - Treasurer

QSLS VIA LoTW: F9IE, FR5MV, K4M and TX3A

QSLS RECEIVED VIA MAIL: 3D2GM, 4W6AL, 5B4KH, BA4DW, CU3EJ, E7/KX7M, EA3BOX, ES1WN, ET3JA, ES3AX, FK/JA1NLX, FP/G3ZAY, FR5ZL, HK3JJH, JT1CO, K9RR/4, KH7C, KH0/JR4GPA, LX1NO, LY2ZZ, OH1AA, OX3XR, R1ANC, R1ANY, RW6HS, T2G, T30GM, T68G, TF3CW, TG9NX, TI7DBS, TX5SPA, TX5SPM, UA2FFW, UN8GV, VY0O, W3HNK, WP4U, YW5F and ZK2NX

QSLS RECEIVED VIA THE BUREAU: 3V8SS, 4K9W, 4O/EA1DR, 5W0UK, 6V7O, 8J1RL, 9J2FM, 9K2/SP4R, 9M2TO, 9M6/N1UR, A52RY, C91YI, CE8A, CE0Y/SM6CUK, D68WL, DP1POL, DU7/PA0HIP, DX1J, E51CUK, H40FN, J3/DL7CM, J6/W0SA, KG4SS, KH6OO, KL7HBK, T88IW, UK/JI2MED, V5/DL2SL, VP6PR, XR7A, YS1G, ZD7X and ZK3MW

SOUTH AMERICAN TOUR (Update)
As we mentioned last week, Ghis, ON5NT, will once again be on a South American trip through Brazil and Uruguay in December. He informs OPDX that there will not be any activity from Brazil as there is no reciprocal license between ON and PY (He states, "I can't get a PY license. Operating with my CEPT license/PY does not seem to be fully legal."). However, Ghis will be active from Uruguay between December 12-17th. His callsign will be CX5DNT (not CX5NT as first announced). He states, "The rule says the first letter after the number in the callsign indicates the region. The Montevideo region is A, B, C or D." As this is a holiday trip, he plans to be active mostly during the local evening/night hours. So check 30m (10107 being his preferred frequency) and 40m (CW in general); they will be the best options to catch him. QSL via ON5NT.

T6, AFGHANISTAN
Jack, W4JJ, currently in Gardez (Paktia Province, Eastern Afghanistan), is working with the Afghan National Army, and has been issued the callsign T6LC from the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. There have been a couple of QSNs reported on 40m SSB and 20m CW. Jack expects to operate between 1430-1800z, as time permits. QSL via K4MJN. Visit his Web page at:

VK9W, WILLIS ISLAND
Reports indicate that David Burton (home callsign not provided) has been assigned to the "Bureau of Meteorology" station on Willis Island for the next 6 months and will be operating as VK9WBM. The last activation of Willis Island was by the Bavarian Contest Club in October 2008 as VK9DWX, and the team made +95k QSOs. David is currently on the island, but no QSNs have been reported. His activities will be limited to his free time, but he plans to be active as much as possible on the HF bands and 6 meters using an IC-718 and an Alinco DX70. Details of the station's setup are expected to be on (QRZ.com). His QSL Manager is VK4DMC.

VR2, HONG KONG (Special Event)
Members of the Hong Kong Amateur Radio Communications Association (VR2HAM) will activate special event station VR2EAG to celebrate 5th East Asian Games 2009 being hosted in Hong Kong. Activity will last until December 13th. QSL via: HK Amateur Radio Communi- cations Association, GPO Box 7191 Hong Kong. Visit their Web page at:

VY1, CANADA (Need the Yukon!)
"Yukon John", KL7JR, informs OPDX this week that he will be active as VY1RST from Destruction Bay, Yukon, between December 17-22nd. Activity will be on 80-10 meters SSB using various homebrew antennas. E-mail skeds are available at: KL7JR@Yahoo.com John mentions that he will attempt to activate Jacquot Island on Kluane Lake for a "new one" (for the CISA) provided the ice is thick enough to drive on. QSL via the address on (QRZ.com) or the CBA.

YI, IRAQ
A group of operators called the "YI9PSE DXpedition team" are planning to visit Kurdistan and be active in the spring of 2010. Activity will be on 160-10 meters including 30/17/12 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. They will have at least 3 stations on the air. Suggested frequencies are:
CW - 1824, 3504, 7004, 10104, 14024, 18074, 21024, 24894 and 28024
SSB - 1845, 3780, 7065/7180, 14195, 18145, 21295, 24945 and 28495
RTTY - 7035, 14080, 18100, 21080, 24920 and 28080 kHz

The current YI9PSE Team consists of the following operators: Paul/N6PSE (Team Leader), Andreas/N6NU, Bob/N6OX, Bruce/W8HW, Garry/NI6T, David/AH6HY and Jun/JH4RHF. Pilot station will be Chuck/AA6G. QSL via N6NKT. Online logs will be available during and after the DXpedition. For more details and updates, visit:

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