I was in Toronto, Ontario, for a few days - 16-20 October 2002.
While up there, I made some time to play radio, as this was the first
opportunity for me to use my Canadian license and callsign on the air.
On the local repeaters I operated as VA7EWK/3, otherwise I used CJ7EWK/3.
CJ is one of the special prefixes authorized by
Industry
Canada, the radiocommunications regulator in Canada, for use by Canadian
amateurs in September and October 2002 commemorating the 125th anniversary of
Japanese immigration to Canada.
I had my Yaesu FT-817
HF/VHF/UHF transceiver and Alinco DJ-596 2m/70cm handheld transceiver, and an LDG
Z11 HF antenna tuner. I operated SSB and CW on HF, reacquainting myself
with HF propagation from eastern North America for only the second time in 25
years (the other time was in December 2001 from
northern Minnesota).
Why don't I just use my USA license up there?
I operated HF from Canada one other time, in April
2002 from British Columbia, but my long callsign WD9EWK/VE7 was a mouthful
to say phonetically. Before that trip last April, I decided to write the
Canadian ham exams and obtain my own license and callsign. I have a page
with some information regarding amateur licensing
in Canada.
My time on the air...
I had time to play radio in the mornings, and on a couple of evenings.
My hotel room, on the 25th floor of a hotel less than 2km (about a mile) north
of the Lake Ontario waterfront, had a balcony - but I had better luck working
with my wire antenna inside my hotel room. With my Z11 tuner I could
load up a dipole with 8m lengths of wire on each side on all bands between 10m
and 40m. Once again, I found myself making CW contacts, on 3 different
bands (10m, 12m, and 30m - my first QSO ever on 30m, from any location!).
On Thursday (17 October) morning, I started out making 2 SSB contacts on the
10m band with Emil 9A9A and Bozo 9A1KDE in Croatia. Not a bad
start! After these two contacts, I had a quick chat with Dave
VA3DZ, also in
Toronto and not too far from my hotel. After that, I moved to the 12m
band and briefly worked Gus KB0YH in Denver for my first 12m SSB contact from
Canada. I followed that up with my first 12m CW contact (and first CW
contact overall) from Canada, with Gaby
F5PSI in France
to finish up my radio operating for that morning.
On Friday night (early Saturday, 20 October, UTC time), I made my first 30m
QSO ever - a CW contact with Larry W5TZC in Arkansas. This was a quick contact, due to
changing band conditions, but I could hear him OK for an hour or so before I
finally had my chance with him. On Saturday morning, I made a 10m CW
QSO with Jeff W0XV
to round out my HF activity as CJ7EWK/3.
I chatted with a few local hams on a nearby UHF repeater, where I used
VA7EWK/3 as my call. At one point, a group in western Australia used the
IRLP system to link into
that repeater and I chatted with a group of Scouts for a few minutes - led by
Tom VK6SAF,
which was fun.
I need to do better with my antennas, and after this trip it is becoming
apparent I need to either concentrate more on CW (or PSK31, if I have a laptop
that will handle that software) or increase my power from the 5-watt level of
my FT-817 transceiver. Even with few contacts, I am having fun with the
experience of setting up a portable radio station in a new location, and making
contacts with stations all over the place.
QSL information for CJ7EWK/3...
Please send QSLs to WD9EWK, direct or through the
QSL bureau. I am a member of Radio Amateurs of Canada, and entitled to use the VE7
incoming QSL bureau, but I will be able to respond quicker if cards are
sent through the bureau to WD9EWK - or mailed directly to me (both
WD9EWK and VA7EWK show my home address in Arizona). NOTE: I
mailed QSL cards to all stations I had QSOs with on 22 October 2002, and will
also send a card through the bureau to those stations in Croatia and France I
worked as well.
Questions/Comments?
Please contact me if you have any questions or
comments regarding this activity. Hope to hear you on the air, and
73!
WD9EWK/VA7EWK - VA7EWK - QSL VIA WD9EWK
