15.-23. Dezember 2011 - E44PM

December 23, 2011
The DXCC Desk has approved the E44PM operation today.
December 22, 2011, noon
The DXpedition E44PM has ended at 08.46 UTC today. - I am very happy with the success of the operation. I thank all of you for your kind words both in e-mails and on air. It was a true pleasure both plunging headfirst into the huge piles and working the weak signal DX from W6,7/VK on calculated as well as surprising paths. A pile is a work of art, its shape, pace and rhythm build a unity of sound and communication. I have deeply enjoyed myself as E44PM. - 7415 QSOs were established, of which 5558 contacts with EU and 1039 with W/K. That's almost one W/K after every 5 EU throughout the whole operation. A difficult task, since many EU stations were terribly angry with my NA and JA calls. But that's (jammers, cops, pirates) something you have to deal with in the pile-ups (today). - I would like to thank the Minister, the Deputy Minister and the people at the Ministry of Telecom of the Palestinian National Authority for making this operation possible, and Yvonne, HB9ELF, of the Swiss DX Foundation SDXF, for her fast help. A salute goes to the Israel Amateur Radio Club IARC and its officials who showed true ham spirit and international friendship. - Again THANK YOU guys in the ether for your support and high spirits that made everything more than worth while to me!
December 21, 2011, evening
The big surprise to myself is: I've reached the 7000 Qs mark, something I could'nt ask for before the DXpedition. In fact, 7106 contacts are in the log so far. Nevertheless I was slightly annoyed by two things: the notebook caught RF again, seriously this time, and I had to use the Netbook instead (200 Qs on 15 m CW, all paddled by hand) until the next break. I could fix the RF infected notebook with system restore software, and the thing is doing its job again. No loss of data, thanks God. The other incident: there was someone pirating my call for about an hour on 20 m CW while I was on 17 m CW. Note: No 20 m CW today from E44PM. - The day began at 05.20 UTC on 40 m for roughly an hour of EU traffic (and some JA), before I started a long routine on 15 m. In the 5,5 hours I experienced the huge EU pile and a nice and long opening to JA (06.50 to 07.50 UTC; including some VK/ZL stations). My SSB duty was fulfilled today on 20 m where I stayed for a crazy hour: the pile was huge, and the discipline low. I ran the show by numbers, but it took much energy from me. I switched to 17 m CW and stayed there for three hours, serving a lot of K/W stations. The path to the West Coast opened at 15 UTC und closed around 16 UTC (6 p.m. local). Before and after that period the East Coast and Oceania came in simultaneously. I called "e44pm na vk/zl" which is nice to do. There was even an US cluster spot about this encouraging fact. In the early evening I worked the pile on 40 m CW because I saw with the help of UCXlog that there were a lot of stations calling that were looking for the first contact with me, some probably for the first Q with E4. The radio day ended with a pile of JA stations at around 21 UTC.
December 20, 2011, evening
The day began with a big surprise. I woke up really early, in order to try out 30 m condx for the US. I had a feeling that it could work out this morning - and indeed I could log the first K/W at 01.53 UTC (that's close to 04.00 local) followed by many more as the dawn came closer. A special treat was to work Bob, W9KNI, and other West Coast stations on this special path. I insisted until 04 UTC when propagation to the US failed. The log reads: 93 K/W, 4 VE and one KP4. I am sure these stations appreciate. I was happy enough to experience a similar emotion in the early afternoon when some US station requested E44PM on 10 m CW. The opening was predicted to be very short 13.30 to 14.15 UTC, but I managed to serve the guys: 46 K/W, two PY, two LU. Unfortunately, there was a 3B8 right beneath my calling QRG. There were two cluster spots indicating E44PM on the wrong 10 m CW QRG. I am sorry for the guys who thought they worked me but in fact had a QSO with the 3B8. It is hard to tell them in the e-mails that they are not in my log. But 46 are. - In the afternoon I chose 15 m because the band was wide open and also because I already had served the West Coast with 30 m in the early morning hours. The pile became huge quickly, I could easily work W/K (also West Coast) as well as JA, but after 30 minutes some EU guys decided to jam the QRG heavily. I heard the stations calling but they didn't come back to me - a clear sign that someone is messing with your tx QRG. I was forced to QSY two kHz down, but all of a sudden the propagation dropped from great to zero, anyway. A West Coast station sent me an e-mail confirming this fact. - I gave 40 m a try in the late afternoon and early evening, just to polish the QSO rate a bit after so much DXing on 30 m and 10 m today. At the end I noted 1039 Qs adding to the total of 5864 contacts. - My goal was to reach 4000. My dream was 5000. Now it seems that I will reach 6000+ in Bethlehem. Since the sheer number is worth noting, I am glad that "in spite" of the large QSO count I could help the deserving in whatever they are hunting - DXCC, Challenge or DX Marathon.
December 19, 2011, early in the evening
Today I focused on the band slots that needed some work. I began during local sunrise on 40 m with a EU pile, since all the other bands were dead. After 1,5 hours I left for 15 m where I stayed for three hours working a huge EU pile and many JA stations as well (also some VK/ZL, KH7, and a KH2). That was a very satisfying experience! After a short break I plugged in the mike connector of the ProSet to the K2 and worked 10 m SSB for 1,5 hours until propagation failed (only EU, except one ZS, one PY and one LU; 167 Qs in total). SSB is not my favourite mode ... I changed to CW again and took advantage of an open 12 m band. After almost two hours and many W/K contacts, propagation went down. But 17 m was wide open by then, I first worked some EU stations there and soon called for NA. Some EU stations got angry about that and jammed both my signal and the RX frequencies (I work split). It took a long time for some EU to understand why I was looking for the NA path: dozens of US stations made the log, many from W6/7. Some guys from the US reported on the cluster that my signal was SP into the East Coast and LP into West Coast. That was thrilling. - After a short dinner I gave 30 m a try for one hour, catching many EU but only one JA. The bands where quite dead after sunset. So I decided to switch of the rig and go to sleep early, hoping for better condx before sunrise. - Today I made 1089 Qs, totalling 4729 contacts after four days of operation. I am very happy with the 17 m vertical dipole that once again made a great low angle job. The K2 is doing its duty without any complaint - great small radio!
December 18, 2011, before midnight
In order to repeat the 15 m run to JA, I stood up early again trying 40 m first for 2 hours (good pile with occasional K/W) and then 15 m. But the condx were quite different from the day before, almost no JA on 15 m from here, EU pile instead. In the middle of the morning local time I switched to 12 m for some 2 hours of SSB (furious EU pile). Later on I QSYed to 17 m for some serious EU and K/W pile for 3 hours, including a long path opening to W6/7 (as the Califonian guys discribed the path in the Cluster). I had a proper dinner tonight before I took the advice of the PY hams to try 20 m long after dark. I stayed for 2 hours on that band and worked a bunch of PY, LU and also TI, CX, but in the same time several VK and ZL as well as East and West Coast K/W. What a strange variety of paths! After 20 m closed for good, I gave it a shot on 40 m where a big pile was generated quickly. Many JAs and also K/Ws found their way to the E44PM log.
Today no work on the antennas. Had a slight RF problem with the notebook but could fix it quickly. I logged a "record" 1304 contacts with my simple wire antennas on one and the same fibreglass mast. That's 3638 Qs so far.
December 17, 2011, evening
After a short but relaxing nap I started well before sunrise with a good run on 30 m followed by a massive JA pile on 15 m in the early morning hours. In the early afternoon I tried 12 m which brought me to a huge pile both from Europe and US including an opening to the West Coast in the middle of the afternoon local time. Later I did the first SSB QSOs (17 m) but the propagation was down, the same when I forced 40 m again in CW in the evening - (almost) no callers. - A satisfying day with huge piles from US and JA adding up to 2334 QSOs for now.
December 16, 2011, before midnight
Today in the early afternoon I improved the radial system for the vertical which is attached on the 10 m long fibre glass mast. The signal improved, I had a great run on 40 m to JA in the late evening hours local time. Earlier on, in the late afternoon local time, the pile of West Coast stations on 17 m on the grey line was also very satisfying. - I use a vertical dipol for 17 m and was again surprised by the performance of this kind of simple yet efficient DX aerial. 1027 Qs for the first 26 hours of my stay in Bethlehem. Not sure whether I can keep the pace.
December 16, 2011, before lunch time
Operation started Dec. 15th, 20.48 UTC, on 7 MHz, in CW. First Call in the Log is HB9DX, The Swiss DX Foundation, with president HB9DDO at the key. Unfortunately, terrible QRM was encountered here, caused by all kind of electrical devices in the house (Neon lights, Air condition etc.), peaking S9+10 dB on the K2 meter. Will check possibilities today for trouble shooting, including antenna relocation. Thanks for obeying my regional intructions, excellent operating by the EU ops during JA and K/W openings.
July 3, 2011
The Palestinian Authority in Ramallah has this day issued the license (which was granted May 25, 2011), signed by the Minister of Telecommunications, the callsign beeing E44PM.
May 25, 2011
License has been granted by the Ministry of Telecommunications & Internet Technology, Ramallah, for 160-10m, 100 W PEP, CW, SSB, DATA, signed by the Deputy Minister.
© HB9IQB, with kind permission of the author)

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