The Ohio/Penn Dx PacketCluster
DX Bulletin No. 1195
BID: $OPDX.1195
December 29th 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, K1XN & GoList, NJ1Q & W1AW, K3LR, NG3K & ADXO, W3UR & The Daily DX, N4AA & QRZ DX, K5KV, K8GI, K8YSE, W8GEX & 60m News, W9ILY, W0GJ, 9A6AA, DL7UXG & The DX News Letter, DL1SBF, DO1DXX, DxCoffee.com, DXNews.com, DX-World.Net, ES1CW, F5NQL, F6AJA & Les Nouvelles DX, F8DVD, I1JQJ/IK1ADH & 425 DX News, I2MQP & DX Italia News, IZ8IYX, OZ6OM & 50 MHz DX News, Pete Rayer (ISWL), PS7DX, RSGB IOTA Web Site, Sixitalia Weekly, TA1HZ, VA3RJ & ICPO, VA3QSL and the VHF-DX-Portal (MMMonVHF) for the following DX information.

SPECIAL NOTE FROM EDITOR (Tedd, KB8NW)
My family (wife/OPDX's chief proof-reader Linda, son Teddy [TJ] and his wife Jessi, daughter Katie and her husband Kevin and son Lliam & daughter Lilly Grace), and I (KB8NW) would like to wish all DXers, Contesters and OPDX readers a very "Happy New Year". Thanks to the many individuals who have provided DX information over the past year. Without them there would not be an OPDX Bulletin. Also, thanks to the individuals who sent holiday wishes to my family and me.....
73 and Have a Great/Safe/Healthy New Year de Tedd KB8NW

DXCC COUNTRY/ENTITY REPORT
According to the AR-Cluster Network for the week of Sunday, 21st-December, through Sunday, 28th-December there were 213 countries active. Countries available: 1A, 3A, 3B8, 3B9, 3D2, 3DA, 3V, 3W, 4J, 4L, 4S, 4X, 5A, 5B, 5H, 5R, 5T, 5W, 5Z, 6W, 6Y, 7X, 8P, 9A, 9G, 9H, 9J, 9K, 9M2, 9M6, 9N, 9V, 9Y, A2, A4, A6, A7, A9, AP, BV, BY, C3, C6, C9, CE, CE0Y, CE9, CM, CN, CP, CT, CT3, CU, CX, CY0, D4, DL, DU, E4, E5/s, E7, EA, EA6, EA8, EA9, EI, EK, EL, EP, ER, ES, ET, EU, EX, EY, F, FG, FK, FM, FO, FR, FW, FY, G, GD, GI, GJ, GM, GU, GW, HA, HB, HB0, HC, HI, HK, HK0/a, HL, HP, HR, HS, HV, HZ, I, IS, J2, J5, J6, J7, J8, JA, JD/o, JT, JW, JX, JY, K, KH2, KH6, KH8, KH9, KL, KP2, KP4, LA, LU, LX, LY, LZ, OA, OD, OE, OH, OH0, OK, OM, ON, OX, OY, OZ, P2, P4, PA, PJ2, PJ4, PJ7, PY, PZ, S0, S5, SM, SP, SU, SV, SV/a, SV5, SV9, T30, T5, T7, T8, TA, TF, TG, TI, TK, TR, TT, TY, UA, UA2, UA9, UK, UN, UR, V2, V3, V5, V6, V7, V8, VE, VK, VK9N, VP2E, VP2V, VP5, VP8, VP8/h, VP9, VR, VU, XE, XU, XW, YA, YB, YL, YN, YO, YS, YU, YV, Z2, Z3, ZA, ZB, 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".

1A0, SMOM
Members of the DxFriends Team will lead a DXpedition to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) supporting the fund-raising campaign to finance Medical Assistance to the migrants in the Mediter- ranean Sea. Operators mentioned are Tony/EA5RM (Team Leader), Frank/DL8YHR, Javi/EA5KM, Manuel/EA7AJR, Eugene/EA5HPX, Fabrizio/IN3ZNR, Giorgio/IZ4AKS, Francesco/IZ7KHR, Luca/IW0DJB and Jun/JH4RHF. They will use the callsign 1A0C. Activity will take place between December 28th and January 6th (2015). Operations will be concentrated on the HF bands, 160-6 meters (including 30/17/12m bands) to provide a QSO, especially to North American West Coast and Japan stations. Modes CW, SSB and RTTY, with at least three stations on the air. Suggested frequencies are:

CW - 1824, 3524, 7004, 10104, 14024, 18074, 21024, 24894 and 28024 kHz
SSB - 1845, 3780, 7065/7160, 14195, 18145, 21295, 24945 and 28495 kHz
RTTY - 7040, 10140, 14080, 18100, 21080, 24921 and 28080 kHz

3A, MONACO (Reminder)
Jose, EA5IDQ, will be active as 3A/EA5IDQ between December 28-30th. Activity will be on 40-10 meters using SSB and RTTY. QSL via EA5IDQ. For more details and updates, see:

3Y/B, BOUVET (Update)
A team of 12 operators, lead by Alex, UN7PCZ, will be active as 3Y0F sometime between December 2015 and January 2016 (the preliminary dates are December 17th, 2015, and January 10th, 2016). The group plans to be on the island for 2 weeks with 6 stations on the air. They have begun the operators list: UN7PCZ, SM5AQD and LA7GIA. More details and a Web page are forthcoming. Watch QRZ.com.

9ANP AWARD (Rule Changes)
As of 10 years ago, the Zagreb Amateur Radio Society launched the diploma "Croatian National Parks" (9ANP) to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Zagreb Amateur Radio Society (ZARS) and the 50th anniversary of the Croatian national parks. Starting January 1st, 2015, the Zagreb Amateur Radio Society's 9ANP Award will now be managed by the Radio Club Croatian Flora Fauna. There will also be some rules changes. The (electronic) 9ANP awards are free-of-charge and will be sent as attachments (jpg format, high resolution) to applicant's E-mail address. All details are available here:

CARIBBEAN TOUR (Update)
Rob, N7QT, who was quite active this year from a few different islands, has announced/updated some of his upcoming activities for 2015 from the following locations:

March 11-25th, 2015 - Montserrat (VP2MQT); activity on 80-10 meters using CW, SSB and the Digital modes.
July 20-29th, 2015 - Saint Pierre/Miquelon (FP/N7QT); activity on 80-10 meters using CW, SSB and the Digital modes.

CTU 2015 (Dayton Hamvention)
Tim, K3LR, reports:

"I am proud to announce that student registration is now open for 2015 Dayton ConTest University ('CTU') to be held all day on Thursday May 14, 2015, at the Crowne Plaza in Dayton, Ohio.

Eight different countries have hosted CTUs over the years. USA, Australia, Russia, Germany, Italy, England, Brazil and Finland. Over 3700 students have attended these CTUs with more than 80 CTU Professors sharing their contesting experiences.

2015 will be the ninth year in a row for CTU Dayton. To give you an idea of the quality of the CTU content and activities, the 2014 CTU topics (last year) are listed on the CTU web site at: http://contestuniversity.com

The 2015 CTU Professor line up will be outstanding and is being finalized. Check the CTU website often for the 2015 Professor updates.
Registration information is on the CTU web site at:

http://contestuniversity.com

Important - as we did last year - if you want to sign up for CTU 2015 Dayton and you have given (or will give one by Dayton 2015) a talk about Amateur Radio Contesting to any club, hamfest or group since May 17, 2014 - you qualify for a $10.00 registration fee discount. Please choose the 'Registration w/Discount' option to get the $10.00 discount. Spreading the word about contesting is lots of fun and can save you money at CTU!

Also announcing CTU Caribbean next month (January 2015)! Join K3LR and the CTU team as we take CTU to another new venue at the ARRL KP4 Convention! Here is the web link for more information:

http://www.arrlpr.org/?page_id=1834

Thanks to all of the CTU sponsors including Icom America, DX Engineering, CQ Magazine and INRAD for making CTU possible. Thanks to W9PA and K1SO for all of their help with CTU. Special thanks to Scott, KA9FOX from QTH.com for hosting and constructing the CTU headquarters web site.

CU at CTU and Merry Christmas,
Tim K3LR -- Contest University Chairman"

FO, FRENCH POLYNESIA
By the time you read this, Mike, OE1SSS, will be active as FO/OE1SSS from Bora Bora (OC-067) or Tahiti (OC-046) until January 12th (2015). Activity will be holiday style (in between scuba diving) on the HF bands using a KX3 with a KXPA100 into a wire antenna. QSL via the OEVSV Bureau or direct to his home callsign.

IOTA NEWS
AS-143. Chen, BA7CK, is once again active from Woody Island (Yongxing Dao) until January 9th. Activity will be during his spare time on 15/12/10 meters using SSB and RTTY. QSL via BA4TB direct.

OC-210. Ron, YC8ROP, will be active from Sangihe Island during the RSGB IOTA Contest (July 25-26, 2015) as a Single-Op/Single- Band (10m) entry. QSL via LoTW.

ISWL CALLSIGNS (For January)
The following ISWL club callsigns will be used throughout the month of January 2015:

GX4BJC/A - Operated from Skegby, in Nottinghamshire, by Merv/G0UJD. (/A WAB Square SK56 - England, IOTA EU-005, WLOTA 1841)

MX1SWL/A - Operated from Eastbourne, in East Sussex, by Peter/G0NQZ. (/A WAB Square TQ50 - England, IOTA EU-005, WLOTA 1841).

PROPAGATION FORECAST/REPORT (December 29th-January 4th)

 Dec/29th HN      Jan/01st  HN      Jan/03rd  BN
 Dec/30th AN      Jan/02nd  HN      Jan/04th  LN
 Dec/31st HN


   SOLAR REFERENCE KEYS/INDEXES AND GEOMAGNETIC REFERENCE
   ======================================================
    NORMALITY               GEOMAG       K Values    Alpha
   -----------------        ------       --------    ------
   AN  - Above Normal       Quiet        K=0-1       0-7
   HN  - High Normal        Unsettled    K=2         8-15
   LN  - Low Normal         Active       K=3         16-29
   BN  - Below Normal       Minor Storm  K=4         30-49
   DIS - Disturbed          Major Storm  K=5         50-99
   VRY DIS - Very Disturbed Severe Storm K=6-9       100-400

QSL INFO AND NEWS

  QSL-INFO from DB0SDX (December 28th)
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------
  3Z50AYP via SP7DQR       J79MM via EI4JY         SO1TH via DF6TH
  4L8A via K1BV            K9VV/KP2 via K9VV       SV9RNG via LZ1YE
  9K2GS via EA5KB          LI3C via LA9DFA         T77LA via I4ZQS
  A6/DL3YM via DL3YM       P4/DL6RAI via DL6RAI    V31MA via M0OXO
  BA7CK via BA4TB          PA6V via PI4KGL         VA1AXC/CY0 via JE1LET
  CO2CCA via EA7TV         PA6XMAS via PI4RF       XE1/DJ4EL via DJ4EL
  DU9AQQ via EA5GL         PH44ZU via PC4DX        YP1989TM via YO2KQT
  EA8/SP3IPB via SP3IPB    R120AM via RU3AWH       ZY7NAT via PS7GL
  G1N via G3MZV            RI1ANR via RK1PWA or ZS1ANF
    (e) eQSL only  (d) direct only   (B) Bureau only  (L) LoTW only
    (O) OQRS only  (C) ClubLog only

REMINDER FROM A QSL MANAGER. "Hello everyone -- Just a reminder as a QSL manager for many stations, some QSL managers cannot accept stamps as return postage. For me QSL = $2. Without the $ I would not be able to provide a free Bureau service. In 2014 I sent out 31,000 bureau cards which taking into account of printing and carriage costs it works out as £1,600 and this would not be possible if stamps were used.

Another consideration is that from the United Kingdom although some letters can weigh 10g 97p, most will weigh 12g or more which is £1.28 (over $2).

Many UK QSL managers use a mailing contract using Postage Paid Imprints, (not stamps) and on this contract letters to USA can be as little as 60p. So for us using stamps is just throwing money away which is better invested in our bureau costs and other DXpedition costs.

Some may say that making a business out of QSLing is just not on! But we have a duty to provide the best quality of service for both you the DX chasers AND the DXpedition teams. Regrettably I have received a lot of envelopes with insufficient stamps either I have to use $ to put the extra stamps on or the QSL goes Via Bureau.

Hope this explanation helps a little? Have a great 2015 to you all, have a safe New Year! ..... Kindest Regards, Tim Beaumont M0URX"

VK9DLX AND VK9LM QSL STATUS. Press Release, dated December 24th: The first QSL cards arrived from the printer. After the Christmas holidays the first batches of cards will be sent to the QSL services of the DX clubs who supported us. Afterwards the cards applied through OQRS and direct mail will be sent. We will have our OQRS form on our homepage open until December 31st, 2014. Due to organizational reasons after this date there will be no OQRS available anymore. Then the only route to get our QSL cards is via our QSL manager Mario DJ2MX. So take the chance to apply for the QSL cards during the Christmas holidays through our OQRS on

Especially during the Christmas holidays our thoughts will be with Joerg, DL8WPX. At the age of 54 he was taken from our midst on Tuesday last week. The memories of our common DXpedition are still so fresh, and this makes the whole thing so unreal. Our thoughts are also with his wife and his four children. We lost a great buddy!

Nevertheless the Lagunaria DX Group including the VK9DLX team wishes everybody around the globe a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2015! Feel free to visit the DXpedition website on http://www.lordhowe2014.org for more information.

No idea who the Lagunaria DX Group is? Just visit http://www.lagunaria-dx-group.org and learn more about the group, the people behind it and their goals.

QSL RECEIVED VIA LoTW: 7Z1HL, G3P, G4IIY, G6AY, GM3W, GM3YOR, HK1MW, IK7XLU, IS0AFM, KH2L, KP4JFR, M0PCB, M2X, MD2C, MU0FAL, OX3XR, P3F, PJ2T, PP5AX, RK3ER, TY1AA, VA3MJR, VA3MW, VE3KI and YO3FRI

QSLS RECEIVED VIA MAIL: 5Z4/EA4ATI, 5Z4/JH0CJH, AL7GA, BX4AG, CE7/UA4WHX/p, CE8/UA4WHX, CE8/UA4WHX/p, CE9/UA4WHX/p, CE0Y/UA4WHX, CE0Z/UA4WHX, CN2AA, CP4WHX, D44KS, DK6NP, EA3CCN, ED9K, EG2INT, FR4NT, HA5WA, HB9EKH, HC8ART, HK0/UA4WHX, JA7NVF, JF2MBF, JH1OGT, JH7RTQ, OA4AI, OA7/UA4WHX, OK1GK, OL7M, PY5/UA4WHX, PY0F/UA4WHX, PZ5VB, RI44ANT, RK3DZJ/1, RM2E, RW0A, S01WS, VK2DX, VK9EC, VK9EX, VP2EIM, XR0YY, XR9H2O and YN5Z

QSLS RECEIVED VIA THE BUREAU: NONE REPORTED THIS WEEK!!!

TC7, TURKEY
To celebrate "Youngsters On The Air", watch on the HF bands for operators Furkan/TA7AOF [17 years old] and Golkem/TA7AZC [16 years old] as they will be operating as TC7YOTA as of December 23rd. QSL via GITRAD, Pk 73, Merkez Giresun 28100, TURKEY.

TM60TAAF, FRANCE (Special Event)
Look for special event station TM60TAAF to be on air in February 2015 on the following dates: 1st, 6-8th, 13-17th, 19-22nd and 27-28th. Activity is to celebrate the 60th anniversary of French Southern Antarctic Territory (FSAT/TAAF) founding in 1955. The FSAT/TAAF territory includes 8 DXCC:

- Amsterdam, Crozet and Kerguelen Islands (3)
- Adelie Land /Antarctica (1)
- Europa, Glorioso, Juan de Nova, Tromelin islands (4)

TX5, AUSTRAL ISLANDS (Update)
Wayne, KK6BT, informs OPDX that before activating Raivavae Island (IOTA OC-AN114) in the Austral Islands group (FO/A), he will first operate from the island of Bora Bora (IOTA OC-067). Bora Bora is one of the islands in the Leeward Island group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia (FO [P]). His callsign will be FO/KK6BT from Bora Bora and TX5W from Raivavae Island. Because his VDA antennas and amplifier are being delivered directly to Raivavae, Wayne will be operating "vacation style" from Bora Bora. He will be working primarily SSB on 10 and 15 meters using a Buddipole antenna mounted above a 360 degree panorama of seawater. He plans to be on the air from January 2nd through January 5th, 2015, from Bora Bora, and then January 5th through January 11th, 2015, from Raivavae Island.

Wayne's focus from Raivavae continues to be on providing a new country or island to hams located in Northern Europe, especially in Scandinavia. More details of this operation, including a band plan, can be found at the DXpedition's Web site: http://www.TX5W.com All QSL requests should be directed to the TX5W's QSL Manager, KE8G (please see the Web site for important details).

VK9N
NORFOLK ISLAND (Reminder). By the time you read this Michael, G7VJR, (author of ClubLog) will be active as VK9/G7VJR from Norfolk Island (OC-005) until January 2nd, 2015. Activity will be holiday style on the HF bands using CW with an Elecraft K3 and 100 watts. QSL via M0OXO or LoTW.

ZD8, ASCENSION ISLAND
Operators Werner/DJ9KH, Axel/DK9BDN and Christian/ DL6KAC will be active as ZD8D during February and March 2015. Activity will be focused on 160-40 meters, including the 60m, using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via DL9HO. Operations will probably include the ARRL DX SSB Contest. The ZD8D Web page

ZY, BRAZIL
Look for special event station ZY7NAT to be on the air until December 31st. Activity is to celebrate the anniversary of Natal City (WW Loc. HI24). Operations will be on 40, 20, and 15 meters. QSL via PS7GL.

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OPDX WORLD-WIDE WEB HOME (provided by John, K8YSE (k8yse@papays.com):
http://www.papays.com/opdx.html

ALSO VISIT THE NORTHERN OHIO DX ASSOCIATION'S WEB HOME PAGE:
http://www.nodxa.org
http://www.facebook.com/NorthernOhioDxAssociation