Days 41 and 42 – A QSO on a new band

Day #41 saw just one QSO, that was with Andre, HB9HLM in Switzerland on 80m.

On day #42 though I started off quite early and had a nice conversation with Rainer, DJ8CL on 40m.  We spoke for about fifteen minutes and he advised me that my audio wasn’t too great so I made a few adjustments to the radio settings and improved things.  A quick internet search around showed me that the fist mic I use isn’t the best in the world for audio quality.  I do have a half decent headset here which I picked up a few years ago and have been meaning to knock up an adaptor for so that I can use it with my radio.  I got a foot switch this week for it so I’m getting there!

I also had a tune around on the 12m (24MHz) band.  I’ve never used this band before for no reason apart from the fact that I’ve just never bothered to put the radio on it!   I had a listen and heard 5B4AIF calling and working quite a few UK stations.  I called once but he went QRT as someone was just arriving to deliver an 18 metre tower.  I’d quite like an 18 metre tower but that’s besides the point.  As he went he said that he’d be back in ten minutes or so.  I waited.  Nothing.  Then the school called and I had to go and collect my daughter who was unwell so I assumed that I’d miss him as he’d have returned and gone by the time I got back.

Once I was back, I put the wireless on again and left it on the same frequency.  After a while I heard him work someone slightly off frequency from where I was and realised that he was now tuning the band.  I’d had a tune around and not heard anyone else so I started tuning again.  Bingo!  There he was on 24.950MHz making a long CQ call.  I replied and we had a nice chat for a few minutes.  Norman is in Cyprus and isn’t far from the sea, when I heard him calling CQ he was beaming towards Africa so wasn’t too strong but he turned his beam to the UK and came up nice and loud.

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