T32C, is the call-sign of a DXpedition station to Kiritimati (Christmas Island) and counts as Eastern Kiribati for the DXCC. Kiribati or more correctly, the Republic of Kiribati, is in the Pacific Ocean and should not be confused with Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, an overseas territory of Australia. This was a 24 day event held late in 2011, that is, 15 years ago. I was delighted to receive the card on the last day of the year, and its arrival was totally unexpected. The QSL card is four-sided and contains quite a bit of information about the DXpedition.

The LOTW entry matches the card and records four contacts: two on 28 MHz (10 metre band) and one each on 21 MHz (15 metres) and 14 Mhz (20 metre band).

Side two shows that the DXpedition made 213,116 contacts over 24 days and details of the station and antennas together with radio operators are also shown. It is an impressive and detailed QSL card, Sides three and four show further information about the DXpedition and lists the major sponsors and supporters. It would have been an expensive exercise and amateurs around the world took up the challenge of a contact (or more) to get the call T32C in their logs. Thanks to all concerned.

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Here is (above) an extract from my Log Book of the World (LOTW) of my four contacts as listed in the QSL card. I was given credit for Eastern Kiribati for my ARRL DXCC.

I received a small parcel of QSL cards from the VK5 inwards bureau. I enjoy receiving QSL cards and I usually have a quick scan to see what riches have arrived. T32C ‘takes the cake’ this time and I have written a separate post on this card.

Here I want to acknowledge the work of the inwards bureau. This service for VK5 (South Australia) is provided by one of the SA radio clubs: AREG or the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group Inc. The person behind all the work is VK5GR, Grant. I know from past practice that Grant has a small team to assist him in this task. Grant told the members a few days ago that he had mailed about 30 kilograms of cards through Australia Post to other SA Clubs and their members as well as AREG members. Thank you Grant. And I am pleased to be a member of AREG.

This card took 14 years to arrive at my QTH. I earned my credit for KIRITIMATI when the contact was confirmed as shown in the extract from my LOTW below! So the card is a bonus: four sides (the front shown below) sides two and three show information about the station and my four contacts and the last page has a number of photos of the Dxpedition members.

New Query

4 Records Shown (1-4)
Sorted by QSO Date (0.008312 seconds elapsed)

Most recent QSO record received 2024-04-20 01:54:02Z

The QSL card featured confirms a radio-teletype contact I had with a Taiwanese station on 26th February 2017. This is my one and only teletype contact. I use the Ham Radio Deluxe software package for log-keeping. The package also includes various communications programs for computer sending and receiving of morse-code, rtty and use of amateur satellites.

I typed in a CQ call, repeated three times, wound back the power of my transmitter (rtty is a key down methodology and I treated my radio as I was was transmitting FT8 or even AM), Imagine my surprise when my first call was answered by James, BX2AAA – the 15 metrre band was quiet, or so I thought! Signals were 599 both ways.

My reservation about rtty and FT4 is that they both require the operator to have reasonable typing skills, including accuracy. I don’t qualify. I have been around the sun 84 times and I have a health condition that is not working in my best interests. I will stick with radio telephony and radio telegraphy, that is, voice and morse code (cw) using a paddle.

Thanks Grant (VK5GR) for the encouragement.

New Query from LOTW

2 Records Shown (1-2)
Sorted by QSO Date (0.011680 seconds elapsed)

Here is an extract from my log in the ARRL Logbook of the World. It shows I have had two contacts with this station, the second more recently, in 2022, using FT8. All good fun!

Hunter Award 1300 contacts

Chasing activators has become more challenging in 2026 as a result of changing band conditions. The sun has become active. This activity, including flares and storms, affects users of the high frequency radio spectrum and can lead to radio blackouts where signals are not heard or heard only intermittently with increased noise.

Noise generated by human activity (QRM) increases the noise floor, that is, the background noise heard before a wanted signal is found. The background noise makes ‘copying’ the wanted signal harder to hear whilst competing with the noise. The QRP and weak signals heard and copied during daylight hours was common place, now it is very difficult or impossible and I spend more time on the higher bands where I have more success.

I am very pleased to advise that I am on the air from our suburban home in Marion, South Australia. This was made possible by assistance from Grant (VK5GR) and Paul (VK5PH), two of my very long term amateur radio friends. My vertical is end fed wire, (51 feet long, yes US measurement), fed through a 9:1 balun and is supported from the very top of a large gum tree in our small back yard. The vertical was erected in April 2024 and I used it ‘back-yard’ portable on a few occasions. My shack is a combined music/radio room and I only have one HF transceiver on the desk (an Icom 7300). I have a VHF/UHF amateur transceiver as well and I am aiming for a dual band vertical antenna just above roof height – this will make my signal more authoritative (louder and stronger).

Hunter Award 175 CW contacts as VK5PF

I have successfully chased a few weak signal stations participating in the WWFF program and have recently obtained two awards for CW (morse code, hand keyed) contacts. I do have a higher level of background noise at this location compared to when we were located at Scott Creek, but it is manageable. I am tempted to try a headset and boom microphone. Any suggestions about suitable gear for the Icom 7300 will be appreciated.

Hunter Award 10 Murray River Parks CW mode, VK5PF

My VK5PF log for 40m CW

I have enjoyed chasing the activators shown in the log for the Murray River Parks and thanks to them and all the other activators, who visit our parks, set up their stations and call CQ. The last year has been tough with the move, fighting Parkinson’s Disease and too many medical appointments. My next milestone is December 2026 which is the 50th anniversary of becoming an amateur radio operator. I describe my CW sending as hand keyed – but strictly speaking I do not use a hand key. I use a Bencher dual paddle and a Begali single paddle key. I can manage this style of sending as compared with using a traditional hand key (with up and down movements).

At Scott Creek I had a reasonable station: not a ‘big gun’ but not a ‘little pistol’ either! We generated our power from the sun and storage, particularly in winter, could be challenging after two or three heavily overcast days. I did operate with 400 watts pep, when necessary, especially on 80 metres, when conditions were tough, as well as on the higher bands when chasing DX using ssb.

Over the 21 years we lived at Scott Creek I operated on all bands from 80 metres to 23 centimeters and had lots of fun.

My writing in this post focuses on the present, which has been nearly all consuming, but not quite as ideas about the future break through from time to time.

If you look at the photograph of me with the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group (AREG) in my November post you will see I look tired, almost ‘zombie-like’ and ‘worn out’. On the day before dismantling day I was told by a specialist physician that I have Parkinson’s disease. I have thought deeply about making this revelation public and was encouraged (indirectly) by two amateurs I know, the first, the President of AHARS, who shared his experiences with cancer with the club and second, an amateur friend of mine from the Riverland, remembering and commemorating his son’s life. Making such revelations in the past, even the recent past, was thought to be inappropriate behavior for males but common for women.

The diagnosis followed an awareness by me of some symptoms: a noticeable tremor in my right arm; loss of appetite and energy and some falls (even while in a park operating portable – see my post for January 2021 at Scott Creek Conservation Park). Attending a strength and balance class at Pilates was great but challenging.

A neurologist made the diagnosis after watching me walk, undertaking some motor skills tests which are highly indicative and an MRI scan. A second MRI scan is booked for October.

So I now join a world-wide group of people with this condition; Sir Billy Connolly, the Polish Pope, Pope John Paul II, people of status and ordinary folk. I was surprised how many well known people showed in the list I created from the internet. Parkinson’s Disease is a degenerative condition of the brain and nervous system. Muscles are affected. Speech can also be affected. I have started a medical regime and some of my symptoms have been dampened down. I am thankful my condition is late onset. I was 81 when the diagnosis was made. Many of the people on the list discussed their symptoms and factors leading to a diagnosis, and for Billy Connolly, a mate, a medical doctor, noticed his gait and suggested he get it checked out.