My first intercontinental and first 40m contact all in 1

[mr_fx]

I was just about to 'close up shop' when something told me to scan 40m... I went to it and started scanning at 7.125 then it happened 7.203 usb, I could hear a voice, s8-s9, spanish accent, but not mexico.

EA5BOX, calling for DX

I fired up the tuner as fast as I could, tuned that thing faster than I ever thought possible

then I called out with my call sign... Sorry BJ not yet!!!

He answered back that he could hear me but that I was weak. I replied with my call sign in Phonetic Alphabet... 3 times and slowly, I figured english was not his first language and my signal was weak...

He copied!!! Middle of the USA to SPAIN, I mean that's over 4,500 MILES

He reported that I was giving him a signal of s5, even going as high as s8

he was running a ten tec of some sort, a 1kw amplifier, and a yagi, I was running a yaesu ft890, mfj962c and a $4 bailing wire antenna

wait how big is a yagi at 40m? it must be massive? wow

anyway wonderful way to end the night if you ask me

 

[Mudfoot]

None of it would have been possible without that antenna.

That's why I like to operate a simple ordinary station.

 

[sp5it]

7.203 is out of the band here, you worked pirate station with busted callsign.
Mike

 

[mr_fx]

7.203 is out of the band here, you worked pirate station with busted callsign.
Mike

Hope hope that's not the case, I think it's more likely that I transposed a number/letter or something along those lines, I did after all write this from memory, I will have to check it in my log when I get chance

 

[mr_fx]

I wish I had looked up the call, but the laptop was dead. Oh well, now i feel kinda bad about this. I had no idea the guy was throwing up a pirate call

I assumed this stuff did not go on in the amateur bands...

Live and learn I guess, either way still exciting

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

7.203 is out of the band here, you worked pirate station with busted callsign.
Mike

I was thinking it was out of band for region 1. The 40m band in region 1 (Basically Europe, the Middle East and Africa) is only 7.0-7.2 MHz. Also a lookup of EA5BOX on QRZ.com shows no such station nor does a Google search of that call. I don't want to burst your bubble but it does not look like a valid contact.

 

[mr_fx]

Update: I did mess up the call sign

Went down and checked the log
it was still EA5BOX

but I think since he was out of band he changed it to mask his indentity

Juan Perez Fernandez, EA5DOX

but it was still out of band for the other party, so still not valid, better next but oh well I will know better next time.

Hey, at least I know my antenna works

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

EA5DOX is a valid call but not found on QRZ but rather on hamCall.net. The freq. is still outside the Region 1 band however.

 

[mr_fx]

EA5DOX is a valid call but not found on QRZ but rather on hamCall.net. The freq. is still outside the Region 1 band however.

yeah that's where I found it, the names matches and it's only 1 character difference, my guess is he was out of band and changed the call just a little bit

 

[mr_fx]

guess I just need to be a little more careful next time

 

[wavrider]

guess I just need to be a little more careful next time

You did nothing wrong. you were operating where your license allows the privelage.

You have no control over the other ops. If they are out of band and you realize it then you stop the QSO.

Also 40 meters is usually LSB mode.

Keep it in the log but as CK said it is not valid. But YOU KNOW that wire will make it into EU.

Good contact.

 

[binrat]

Have to agree with W.R. here, you did nothing wrong. Well besides proving your antenna works real good for a few hours of labour and a few $$ in wire that is.

 

[mr_fx]

Also 40 meters is usually LSB mode.


Good contact.

you are right, not sure why I wrote USB, I was working LSB, just got caught up in the moment when I was making the post

 

[mr_fx]

Have to agree with W.R. here, you did nothing wrong. Well besides proving your antenna works real good for a few hours of labour and a few $$ in wire that is.

Makes me want to copy the antenna with the proper wire when this one dies. I figure I will get at least a couple years out of this. It is just steel 18 gauge solid core wire, AKA baling wire

I would take a few pics of it BUT I doubt the camera could see it anyways

wait it's wrong to prove my antenna works really well?

 

[binrat]

Well yes, yes it is, knowing that it works means you need to start to plan your next one. What are you going to build now??