Category - Blog

ZL7STU Chatham Islands

4th August 2020
ZL7STU Chatham islands
 
I have just added Stu ZL7STU/ZL3STU to the list of the Stations that I am QSL Manager for. Stu has recently moved to the Chatham islands where he is permanently located for work. The Chatham Islands (ZL7) now has three Amateur Radio operators.
 
QSL Cards are currently being printed by UX5UO and will be available in a few weeks time. Logs are now available for QSL Card requests and can be found on M0OXO OQRS on the links below;
 

VK5KI Kangaroo Island, Australia

1st August 2020

The Qsl Card for the recent DXpedition to Kangaroo Island has now been designed and is currently in Print at the UX5UO QSL Print Shop.

There will be a full colour 4-sided (folded) card for the first 1000 Direct Requests and a Colour/Black & White single sided card for the remainder and for future Bureau requests.

Qsl Cards can be requests on M0OXO OQRS (click here) or by Direct Post Mail to M0OXO’s home address.

M0OXO Bureau Service

1st August 2020

After a delay during the Covid-19 Pandemic of my bureau mailing service, I’m currently working on the next mailing estimated for mailing in 3 to 4 weeks.

This will be a big one with several Dxpedition’s included such as 5V7EI, 7P8LB, FW5JG, 9G2DX, DU1UD/8  & A35JT plus more.

Already I am seeing big numbers in cards for the JARL (Japan), DARC (Germany) and RA bureau (Moscow) so hopefully we can bring some pleasure to friends as we continue to navigate over this years unprecedented hurdles.

I can’t give any estimate on when this mailing will arrive but it does appear that Postal Services are recovering well from the Pandemic Security delays. Please keep an eye on my Facebook and Website pages for updates when the cards are mailed and if you have any concerns about your requests please drop me an email.

Thank you….keep safe…

IOTA Contest 2020

17th July 2020

The RSGB IOTA Contest will take place over 25/26 July. Entrants intending to enter as DXpedition stations should note this year’s rules at  https://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2020/riota.shtml. The RSGB Contest Committee posted a notice on 25 April 2020 saying that in line with “Stay at Home” guidance, to minimise the impact of Covid-19, the IOTA Contest in 2020 is exclusively for Single Operators using their home stations. Single Operator Fixed “Island” or “World” Stations are eligible to enter but the RSGB will not be awarding trophies in 2020; downloadable certificates will be available to winners. IOTA Ltd confirms that island contacts made over the weekend will count for its IOTA Programme in the normal way.

G3KMA, 16 July 2020

ORARI 52nd Anniversary

15th July 2020

It was very interesting last weekend to be invited to join the 52nd Anniversary of ORARI (Organisation of Amateur Radio in Indonesia), this year presented as a Webinar due to the Pandemic situation.

Interesting presentations by several people not least Adrian Ciuperca KO8SCA who discussed the 4U1UN United Nations HQ Operation and also his participation in the A50BOC Dxpedition. Also discussed were Awards, Qsl Managing and IOTA by Djoko YB1TJ/Emir YB0LBT.

Thanks to Dani YB2TJV for the preparation and success of the event.

FK1TS & 3D2TS

1st July 2020

Commencing forthwith, all Qsl Cards for Phillip 3D2TS & FK1TS can be now requested via M0OXO OQRS or by Direct Post Mail to M0OXO.

Phillip will no longer have the facility to answer any card requests so please use M0OXO OQRS whenever possible. Please do not send cards to the bureau, they simply will not arrive. New cards are currently being printed by UX5UO QSL Print and will be issued upon receipt. Cards already requested by the old route on Clublog will also be processed and sent out by M0OXO when cards arrive from the Print Shop.

Direct links for the OQRS Service can be found here:
 

Alda Niemeyer  (PP5ASN)  celebrates her 100th Birthday

7th June 2020
PP5ASN Alda Schlemm Niemeyer, or Vovo Alda, (grandma Alda) as she is affectionately known in the Brasilian radio amateur world, celebrated her 100th birthday on 18 May 2020.

She was born in Joinville on May 18, 1920 and grew up in Curitiba, Brasil.
In  1939, age 19,  Alda, her sister and mother went to  Germany on a  cultural exchange. With the outbreak of  World War II what should have been be a journey of a few months, turned into a stay of  9 years,  They were unable to  return to Brasil as there were no more ships because of  the war.

As  foreigners, they were required  to provide  civilian services. Alda  took a  nursing  course and worked for  the Red Cross. from a dental office, Alda married in Germany and had three children. She survived  the worst bombing of the Second War, in February 1945 in the German  city of  Dresden where she lived.  Despite her house being destroyed in the blaze, and being hit in the head by a piece of brick – which blinded her for three weeks – Alda survived, along with her sister and a small child.
She managed to  return to Brazil in 1947, two years after  the end  of the war.  In 1950 she  separated from  Günter Hermann Schierz and in 1956, became a widow. She married doctor Érico Niemeyer and they  moved to Blumenau in 1956. She had 3 other children with him. She shared  55 years of marriage with Dr. Niemeye until his death  on October 4, 2003, age 77.  She is the grandmother  of 13 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.
She became interested in amateur radio in 1976 (age 56), obtaining a Class C license and the callsign  PY5WGG. In 1978 she up-graded to a Class B license, receiving the callsign PP5ASN. In 1980 ahe obtained a Class A license, keeping the  same callsign,  which she continues to hold today. She has been an active member of the Amateur Radio Club of Blumenau since 1976.Alda participated in the first  women’s radio amateurs expedition held in Brasil to Ilha Comprida-SP,  near the city of Iguape, during the period  October 29 to November 2, 1998 (age 78), with the PS2S call ign in CW and PR2YL in SSB, together with colleagues Elza Cobra de Moraes PY2DHP, Afonsina Teixeira Salema PY2ATL, Adriana Gabardo PY5NT, Therezinha MA Félix Cardoso (Teresa) PT2TF, Alexandra Blumtritt PY2KTT and Arilda Gabardo PY5OA.
At age  84, she  received an  invitation  to travel to  Norway  as a  member the  dx-expedition team that operated in “Morokulien” for 14 days, from July 27 to August 09, 2004. Morokulien is a radio amateur station on the border between Norway and Sweden. The special callsign for the Norwegian side is LG5LG, and the special callsign for the Swedish side is SJ9W.

 
However, Alda considers that her most important work as a radio amateur to be during the years 1983 and 1984, when Blumenau was almost destroyed by two tragic floods. Her courage as a woman and radio amateur can be seen in the pages of “SOS Enchente – A Vale Pede Socorro” (SOS Flood: A Valley Asks for Help), a book published in 1995, which she co-authored.  Currently out of print, the book is a documentary  and photographic account of  radio amateur activities  during the 1983 and 1984 floods.
The flood of 1983 which flooded her own house, encouraged  her commitment to Civil Defense. Grandma Alda (as she is known on the radio) installed her antennas on the building of the then EMBRATEL (Brasilian telecommunications company). From there she was able to mobilize  vital support  for the  city of Blumenau. Vaccines were flown in by the  Air Force, donations of thousands of  liters of drinking water received, medical supplies,  clothing and food obtained;  including many tons of donations from  amateur friends from Germany.  She helped establish communication not only between official bodies, but also arranged for aid to be received from individuals.
Imagine a time before the existence of digital cameras, cell phones and computers; when  fixed phones (land-lines) barely  worked.  Dona Alda (age 63) was however equal to the task and as relentless as the floods in her activities on the radio.
 
Roberto Landell de Moura (1861-1928) was a Brasilian priest and a scientist. At the end of the 19th century he carried out experiments to transmit the human voice over long distances without the aid of wires or cables.  Father Landell de Moura was a radio broadcasting pioneer.
As a radio amateur, Alda Niemeyer (PP5ASN) has excelled in publicizing the life and work of the Catholic priest and scientist Roberto Landell de Moura, nationally and in Europe. She translated into German, the book –  The Other Side of Telecommunications – The Saga of Father Landell by B. Hamilton Almeida. The book was released in Dortmund, Germany  May 1995.  As a result, radio amateurs in Germany and Austria learned about the life and work  of radio amateurs in Brazil. For her  work  around the work and  life of Padre Moura, Alda received the  commendation of “The Order of Radioamadores Father Roberto Landell de Moura”.
 
She has written various articles about Ham radio, in Portuguese and German. Participated in many Jamborees on the Air, and since its inception.has been active in the local contest ENCARA. She has  received numerous Special Event QSL cards from across the world, although some were lost during the floods. She lovingly guards the many national and international diplomas and trophies awarded to her through the years.
She took part in the World Radiosport Team Championships 2006  in Florianópolis, SC. (age 86).
She received the Commendation of the Order of Radio Amateurs Padre Landell de Moura, and a Commendation from the Legislative Assembly of Santa Catarina. In November 2012. she received ‘Gentleman of the Civil Defense Medal’ from the Minister of National Integration. In September 2013 she received the title of “Honorary Citizen” from the City Council of Blumenau.
Her enthusiasm is contagious and she always has a ready word of encouragement.  Charismatic and communicative, “Vovo Alda” lives in the hearts of many people in Blumenau, across Brasil and the world.
At age 95 she was  preparing Stollern (German Christmas sweet bread)  for when the family, including grandchildren and great-granchildren gather in her home  to celebrate Christmas. The writer (link below) even included the recipe!
 
(This article kindly reproduced with kind permission of Heather Holland [YL Beam]).

9J2LA QSL Card update

5th June 2020

After a substantial delay due to Customs and the Global Pandemic, 9J2LA QSL Cards have just arrived from UX5UO print Shop in the Ukraine.

Cards will be mailed early next week commencing the 8th June 2020. I would also like to remind you that as in line with the Team Policy, a full LOTW upload will take place on the 18th of June.

My apologies for any inconvenience caused.

 

IOTA/LOTW Log matching introduction

19th May 2020

Posted on IOTA website this morning;

”Islands On The Air (IOTA) Ltd is delighted to announce the implementation of the ARRL application which allows the use of QSO matching via LoTW. 

 
We wish to thank ARRL for having made their application available. This will allow IOTA chasers to obtain credits by matching their logs with those at LoTW in addition to those at Club Log. We have a lot of work ahead of us to identify the time windows of past IOTA operations and this will be phased in over the next few months. An initial list of operations arising from the link-up with LoTW has been added to the database and these will become available for QSO matching from Thursday 21 May. 
 
Further additions will be made on an ongoing basis. We are sure that the IOTA community will welcome this development for which they have long been pressing for.”

AT2SH Covid-19 Awareness

15th May 2020

AT2SH is the latest station to appear on the bands to create awareness about Covid-19, Stay Safe, Stay Home across the world through Amateur Radio.

The small Team in India started their activity today and first logs should be in in the next 24 hours. You can find logs on both links below, the latter at M0OXO OQRS for QSL Card requests.

OQRS Direct Link (Request QSL Card)

https://www.m0oxo.com/oqrs/logsearch.php?dxcallsign=AT2SH

Clublog Logsearch

https://clublog.org/logsearch/AT2SH