If conditions are good, I may enter the contest QRP (5 W), since I am not able to take part seriously due to health reasons.

The rules are written in a manner which favors low power stations and more points are given for each QSO for both parties.

Today, I received my plaque for last year´s event, where I qualified for three plaques:

1: Aurora Borealis Award - Top Score, > 60 Deg N Geomagnetic Latitude

2: Top Score, Europe

3: Longest QSO, High Power

The rules state :   Only one plaque can be won by any station for a specific contest. BARC will make decisions about which plaque you will win in cases where you qualify for more than one.

As a former sports competitor, I think that a station should be able to collect more than one award, personally – receiving an award for first place in any event, knowing that I was in second place would not give me much satisfaction.

I am of course very pleased that I won the plaque for Longest QSO ( even though I had to sponsor the award myself…) – the most prestigious award in the contest in my humble view – this event is all about distance.

TF4M and ZL4AS worked a 17,774 km path for the longest QSO.   Cliff, ZL4AS lives in the very south east of the South Island of New Zealand, looking at a Great Circle Map, his location appears to be the furthest possible on the planet from TF4M – an amazing DX Contact.

The other plaques were therefore given to the runners up as decided by the BARC committee.

I look forward to taking part in the best event in Amateur Radio with my thundering 5 W signal emanating from the Arctic King!

YOU WILL HEAR ME !

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Despite numerous attempts, I was not able to raise him to give him a quick report, – we have worked twice before on Top Band.

Listen to his contact with SP3DOI 

BU2AQ QSO SP3DOI 160 METERS

Upon checking my records, I found that I have never received a QSL card from BU2AQ, although I have worked and confirmed another station from Taiwan – BU2AI.

My cards for both contacts with BU2AQ will be posted on Monday.

This bodes well for the winter DX season, I am still missing several Asian countries – including China…

TF3CW operating TF4M with the Arctic King

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV_w38ldZaE

Here are the instructions to assemble the DrawDio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc7HxZ3l6A4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpMqSWeViQo

The antenna wires are #8 CopperWeld – copper covered steel wires with a breaking strength of 2500lbs / 1100kg.

My good neighbor, Finnbjörn from Litlaeyri, Airport Manager, came to assist me on the ground and he took these photos on my camera.

I began by pulling up the right hand side insulator and antenna wires while still on the ground.   I then attached a climbing rope to my harness and the other end to the left hand insulator and antenna wires already assembled on the platform.

Attaching the right hand side insulator went well, but the climbing rope attached to the other insulator managed to wind itself around the feedpoint box at the bottom of the pole.

Finnbjörn came to the rescue and untangled the rope, saving me a trip to the platform and back up again.

It  was extremely difficult to attach the second insulator until I discovered that one of the antenna wires had snagged on the platform.  Finnbjörn also saved me a trip back down by untangling the wire.

This was the most difficult part of constructing this antenna and I am glad it is behind me.  I must be getting old

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