Yes, a big box full that needs to be processed. I think that’ll be a job for next month when it’s Easter holidays. I must remember to charge my GlobalQSL account with 2000 (3000?) cards before they’ll raise the price. There are quite some OO5ZO cards that come through after more than 2 years. Those are still labeled. I limit my job to printing labels and leave the sticky part to my mom and aunt who do that job for me while having coffee.
The XYL and I went to buy a frame for my WAS award. It’s framed and on display in the shack. Yesterday I got a direct QSL from a KI4 with a kind note that I was his first European contact. It was on 20m SSB during the UBA contest. First EU… Hard to believe – not that I don’t believe what he says it just feels weird that it’s me of all hams who brings him his first EU contact. Oh well, it happened before ("First ON", "First ON on 30m" etc) and each time I wonder where everybody else is. Granted: 30m CW when it’s open for DX seems to be exclusive terrain for OQ5M (me) and OT4A who must be louder because he was plenty of gain there.
Yet another direct QSL from Japan today, also 20m phone in the UBA contest. Strange. Is there really so little DX activity from Belgium? There are a lot of guys with bigger antennas and more power. Yesterday I went to visit a ham friend to offer him my old VHF 11 el yagi. He said he wonders why I always get spotted and he doesn’t. It must be that I’m not too weak. I didn’t get spotted in my barefoot-low-wire days. I was listening to K5ZD’s CQ WW 2007 audio recordings. We had contacts on 20, 40 and 80m. I can assume that I rock on 20m. But I was surprised about how loud I sound on 80m at K5ZD’s. I shouldn’t be ashamed compared to the other signals he recorded. That cheap and simple vertical! Too bad I can’t deploy it when the wind blows. Speaking of which: yesterday and last night were bingo again. Strong winds, I’d label it a minor storm. I’m watching TV news as I type this: two towns were hit by tornadoes. One of those is Lier, home of the OT5A M/M contest site. I hope they didn’t suffer any damage! WX has been VERY bad since end December. Fingers crossed for the upcoming contests (ARRL DX CW and UBA CW).