Zimbabwe (Z21BB): The number 74

I have just received an eQSL for a QSO with Z21BB (Fernando) from Harare, Zimbabwe. This makes my 74th DXCC entity confirmed for the eDX award.
I made this QSO on 15m SSB from my car, with 100W and a 4m whip. I owe this QSO to Ernesto, EA1LQ, who told me about this opportunity when I has parking my car at the university.

My first SOTA certificate

Today I have received my first SOTA certificate, for 100 points as an activator, dated 31 December 2010.
There are also certificates waiting at 250, 500 and 100 point levels, plus the certificates based on SOTA uniques, i.e. the number of different summits activated regardless of SOTA points, starting at 100.
We will probably have to celebrate this weekend.

Italy with the Clansman PRC-320

Today I was trying my Clansman PRC-320 with a random wire antenna and I made an interesting QSO with Italian station I1ASU/P.

The contact was valid for the Italian Castles Award with reference SV133. I checked it out and it corresponds to the Castle of Ortovero, a municipality in the province of Savona, region of Liguria.

Worked All Continents (WAC) certificate

I have just received my Worked All Continents certificate in the Phone modality. I made my application though the German Amateur Radio Club (DARC).
In recognition of international two-way amateur radio communication, the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) issues Worked-All-Continents certificates to amateur radio stations of the world.
Qualification for the WAC award is based on an examination by the International Secretariat, or a member-society, of the IARU of QSL cards that the applicant has received from other amateur stations in each of the six continental areas of the world. All contacts must be made from the same country or separate territory within the same continental area of the world.

New electronic diplomas

The increased competition in the electronic QSL market is forcing providers to take innovative steps in oder to provide a better service. Eqsl.cc is now offering new diploma options for different achievement levels, bands and modes. This is the latest diploma I have got from them.
Earlier you could only get a diploma after 25 countries (which is relatively easy) and another one at 100 countries, which is really difficult. Now you can get new diplomas at 25 country steps (25, 50, 75, 100).

France: Country no. 17 confirmed with the 320 (F6FLB)

I jave just received an eQSL for a QSO I made this morning with French station F6FLB (operator Pierre) from Calais. This makes the country number 17 validly confirmed through eQSL for my eDX award (25 countries).
Calais is a town in northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras. The population of the metropolitan area at the 1999 census was 125,584.
Calais overlooks the Strait of Dover, the narrowest point in the English Channel, which is only 34 km (21 miles) wide here, and is the closest French town to England, of which Calais was a territorial possession for several centuries. The white cliffs of Dover can easily be seen on a clear day.
The old part of the town, Calais proper (or Calais-Nord), is situated on an artificial island surrounded by canals and harbours. The modern part of the town, St-Pierre, lies to the south and southeast.

Malta, no. 67 confirmed (9H5PC)

Today I have made a couple of QSOs with Malta on 15m, but I did not know that one of them would represent the country number 67 validly confirmed for my eDX100 award. I have worked this country a number of times before. This gives you an idea of how difficult it is to get new countries confirmed by eQSL.
In 1530 Charles I of Spain gave the islands to the Order of Knights of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in perpetual lease. These knights, a military religious order now known as the Knights of Malta, had been driven out of Rhodes by the Ottoman Empire in 1522. The knights withstood a full-blown siege by the Ottoman Turks in 1565, at the time the greatest naval power in the Mediterranean. The knights, fighting alongside the Maltese, were victorious and speaking of the battle Voltaire said, "Nothing is more well known than the siege of Malta".

India: The country no. 66 (VU3DJQ)

I have just received an eQSL from Indian station VU3DJQ (operator Raman) from Narela, Delhi, for a QSO on the 15m band using my Yaesu FT857D. It is a great satisfaction to receive this card not only because of its beautiful view of the Taj Mahal, but also because it means a new country for my eDX100 award (no. 66) and a new zone (no. 22) for my eZ40 award.
The Taj Mahal (English pronunciation: /ˈtɑːʒ məˈhɑːl/) is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
The Taj Mahal (also "the Taj") is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles.[1][2] In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."
While the white domed marble mausoleum is its most familiar component, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. Building began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, and employed thousands of artisans and craftsmen.[3] The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.[4][5] Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer.[6]

Looking for North America on 15m

I am looking for QSOs with North American stations on the 15m band. The reason for this is that I have realized that I only need that area in order to qualify for a 15m endorsement on my WAC (Worked All Continents) award.
Fifteem meters has always been my favourite band, for a number o reasons. In first place, it is a great band for very lond distance contacts with modest power and antennas. Secondly, the band is usually less crouded than 20m. The third reason is somewhat nostalgic, because 15m was one of the bands that I was allowed to use when I first got my amateur radio licence in 1992.
Yesterday I made a couple of QSOs on this band. The first was with Canadian station VE3SKP (Steve) from Ottawa. The second one was with W8ERN (Angelo, see the picture on the right) from Brighton, Michigan. He was using an Icom 746proIII and a 3-element stepIR beam.