Exceptional radio contacts |
LA0BY, last updated 12.10.2018 |
Having been interested in and active on the higher frequencies for many years has also brought about opportunities to step on virgin grounds. One of those is to participate in first time contacts between two countries. Such achievements are usually not planned for, but often come about as very unusual propagation is catched. Making first time contacts from countries that have a sizeable population of radio amateurs today normally requires a pioneer at the other end. So the achievement is often owed to a large extend to the adventurous fellow who operates from a rare country. In that sense I am very grateful to the expeditioners who allowed me to make such contacts!
144 MHz first time contacts from Norway (LA)
Svalbard |
17.08.1990 |
JW5WBA # |
JQ78SG |
LA0BY |
JP99LP |
MS |
Armenia |
16.03.1992 |
UG6AD |
LN20FE |
LA0BY |
JP99OO |
EME |
Greenland |
11.08.1992 |
OX3LX |
HQ90XL |
LA0BY |
JP99OO |
MS |
New Zealand |
18.10.1992 |
ZL1BVU |
RF74DG |
LA0BY |
JP99OO |
EME |
Slovenia |
13.12.1992 |
S57TW |
JN75EX |
LA0BY |
JP99OO |
EME |
Greece |
10.07.2000 |
SV3/DK7ZB |
KM06UX |
LA0BY |
JO59FW |
Es |
San Marino |
04.07.1998 |
T77WI |
JN63FW |
LA0BY |
JO59FW |
Ms |
Bosnia |
24.04.1999 |
T98CHR |
JN84AX |
LA0BY |
JO59FW |
Ms |
Turkey |
10.07.2000 |
YM0KA ¤ |
KM39AT |
LA0BY |
JO59FW |
Es |
Albania |
10.07.2000 |
ZA/N7BHC |
KN91VH |
LA0BY |
JO59FW |
Es |
# LA5WBA went to Svalbard for an RTTY contest on HF. I managed to convince him to take some 2 m equipment along and try some MS. JW5WBA was running only 70 W RF into a 15-ele yagi, while I had 1 kW into a 12-ele yagi. Additionally JW5WBA was a newcomer to MS, and his take-off of was extremely poor, with high mountains giving about 10
° elevation. In order to compensate for the unequal power a special sequence was agreed: I was transmitting for 1 minute in SSB, and JW5WBA for 4 minutes in slow speed CW. It took 2 hours to complete the QSO, but it worked!¤ YM0KA operated with a very experimental setup using one half of his yagi hanging in a tree, because "somebody advised him on 6 m to check 2 m as well". Strangely I was the only contact he made during that opening.
50 MHz first time contacts from Norway (LA)
Greenland |
29.06.1990 |
OX3LX |
GP35 |
LA0BY |
JP99LO |
Es |
Morocco |
16.02.1992 |
CN8ST * |
IM64NA |
LA0BY |
JP99LO |
F2 |
Albania |
28.05.2000 |
ZA/OK1JR |
JN91VH |
LA0BY |
JO59FW |
Es |
70 MHz first time contacts from Norway (LA)
Romania |
09.06.2010 |
YO2IS |
KN05PS |
LA0BY |
JO59FW |
Es |
Romania |
25.05.2011 |
YO4FYQ |
KN44FD |
LA0BY |
JO59FW |
Es |
There were raised doubts that YO2IS had a valid license at the date of contact, that is why the contact with YO4FYQ is also listed.
432 MHz first time contacts from Norway (LA)
Croatia |
15.02.2015 |
9A1CAL |
JN86DM |
LA0BY |
JO59IX |
TR |
Czech Republic |
12.09.1998 |
OK2BFH/p |
JN99FN |
LA0BY |
JO59IX |
TR |
Kaliningrad |
04.07.2010 |
RW2F |
JO94XV |
LA0BY |
JO59IX |
TR |
Slovakia |
01.10.2011 |
OM6A |
JN99JC |
LA0BY |
JO59IX |
TR |
1296 MHz first time contacts from Norway (LA)
Estonia |
17.09.2006 |
ES2RJ |
KO29JM |
LA0BY |
JO59IX |
TR |
Belarus |
10.10.2018 |
EU4AX |
KO13VP |
LA0BY |
JO59IX |
TR |
It seems possible to work firsts even with small equipment (my RIG on 23cm is just 15W into 23-ele-yagi). Being at the right spot at the right time is essential!
144 MHz first time contacts from Svalbard (JW)
Croatia |
13.11.1994 |
9A1CCY |
JN85OO |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Malta |
08.04.1995 |
9H1BT |
JM75EU |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Portugal |
06.05.1995 |
CT1WW |
IN61GE |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Spain |
26.11.1994 |
EA2LU * |
IN92 |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Balearic Isl. |
27.11.1994 |
EA6VQ |
JM19MP |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Ireland |
06.06.1995 |
EI4DQ |
IO51WU |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
France |
05.02.1995 |
F6IRF |
JN35AU |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
England |
16.10.1994 |
G4SWX |
JO02PB |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Scotland |
13.11.1994 |
GM4JJJ |
IO86GB |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Japan |
18.10.1994 |
JA4BLC |
PM65NM |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Jan Mayen |
13.11.1994 |
JX7DFA |
IQ50OV |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Puerto Rico |
16.02.1995 |
WP4G |
FK68MM |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Argentina |
18.01.1995 |
LU7DZ |
FF78RA |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Bulgaria |
26.11.1994 |
LZ2US * |
KN13 |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Austria |
26.11.1994 |
OE5JFL |
JN68MM |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Belgium |
17.10.1994 |
ON4ANT |
JO20AR |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Denmark |
16.02.1995 |
OZ1HNE |
JO57GH |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Netherlands |
16.10.1994 |
PE1AGJ * |
JO30 |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Slovenia |
26.11.1994 |
S51WV |
JN76SN |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Greece |
15.02.1995 |
SV1BTR |
KM17VX |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Asiatic Russia |
26.11.1994 |
UA9FAD |
LO88DA |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Ukraine |
13.11.1994 |
UT5ER |
KN78ER |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Canada |
18.10.1994 |
VE7BQH |
CN89KI |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
Australia |
17.01.1995 |
VK3AMZ * |
QF22 |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
South Africa |
18.01.1995 |
ZS6ALE |
KG46RC |
JW0BY |
JQ88AD |
EME |
From Svalbard I got the chance to be a pioneer myself... I still need QSL cards for those contact marked with asterisk (*).
A complete list of first time VHF contacts from the Norwegian territories can be found at
LA8AJA's website - VHF stuff.
Other outstanding contacts, including my best distances (ODX)
Tropo ODX |
144 MHz |
15.10.2011 |
EA1DDU ¤ |
IN73EM |
2138 km |
LA0BY |
JO59IX |
|
432 MHz |
07.11.2003 |
RW3PF |
KO93CD |
1837 km |
LA0BY |
JO59IX |
|
1296 MHz |
01.08.1999 |
ON4PS/p |
JO20KQ |
1098 km |
LA0BY |
JO59IX |
¤ Phantastic to work EA on Tropo, finally. I have monitored ducting, listened and called for about 10 years. There are 3 sea and three land areas over which inversions need to prevail simultaneously. For about one hour EA1DDU was the only station I could hear on the band!
MS ODX |
144 MHz |
11.08.1996 |
LZ1KWT * |
KN32FR |
2198 km |
LA0BY/p |
JO59IX |
The contact was made in random SSB at the beginning of my operation from JO59. The burst lasted for 2 minutes, which gave me enough time to connect the power amplifier to the car battery.
Es ODX |
144 MHz |
1.6.2010 |
UA6EC |
LN14AE |
2730 km |
LA0BY |
JO59IX |
The other contacts listed in the "firsts" were made in the same opening
Aurora-E |
144 MHz |
16.08.1991 |
GM4IPK |
IO99IW |
1811 km |
LA0BY/p |
KQ41BC |
(or Iono) |
144 MHz |
09.06.1989 |
SM2EKM |
KP05UW |
1947 km |
DF9PY/p |
JO30JF |
The second contact is from my previous QTH in DL.
QRP MS |
144 MHz |
12.08.1999 |
RV3IB |
KO87IS |
1425 km |
LA0BY/p |
JP61DB |
This contact was made on random SSB. RV3IB was using only 5 W and a 16 ele-yagi (!) ... 59 reports on both sides.