VP9UKR - VP9/VE3DZ - Bermuda Islands

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Yuri, VE3DZ will be active as VP9UKR (Support Ukraine), 27 - 30 May 2022 and VP9/VE3DZ, 31 May - 2 June 2022, from Bermuda Islands, IOTA NA - 005.
He will operate on HF Bands, including activity in CQ WW WPX CW Contest, 28 - 29 May 2022 as VP9UKR in Single Operator All Band Category.
QSL via VE3DZ.
Ads for direct QSL:
Yuri Onipko, 1265 Creek Road, R R 2, Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON, L0S 1J0, Canada.




Bermuda Islands. Author - Barry Davis.

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VP9UKR VP9/VE3DZ Bermuda Islands. QSL Card.
Received from Yuri, VE3DZ.

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VP9/VE3DZ will be active from Bermuda Islands, 21 - 31 May 2025.
He will operate on HF Bands including activity in CQ WW WPX CW Contest, 24 - 25 May 2025 as VP9UKR.

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VP9/VE3DZ from Bermuda Islands on 28074 now FT8.

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Mr. Murphy strikes.
My CQ WPX CW Contest story.
CQWW WPX Contest, CW - 2025
Call: VP9/VE3DZ
Operator(s): VE3DZ
Station: VP9GE
Class: SOSB40 LP
Class Overlay: Unassisted Classic TB-Wires
QTH: Bermuda
Operating Time (hrs): 27
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80:
40: 1097
20:
15:
10:
------------
Total: 1097 Prefixes = 635 Total Score = 3,439,160
Club: Contest Club Ontario
Comments:
Rig: Kenwood TS570SG (100 watts)
Antenna: Low Dipole (6-7 m high)
I was usually pretty successful in getting along with Mr. Murphy throughout my 50-year long Contest career. But this time he struck pretty bad.
The intention was to operate All Bands Low Power, however upon my arrival on
Wednesday afternoon I discovered that A4S Tribander doesn’t work at all, with
flat SWR of 3+ across the whole 20 m and 15 m bands, and a bit better SWR on 10m.
By Friday morning it became obvious that the only way to find out what’s wrongis to lower the antenna. Ed VP9GE was tilting over the tower when the tilt cable broke and the tower collapsed damaging the tribander. It appeared the tilting cable while being overall in good shape, rusted at the point where it was attached to the wall structure. Luckily, no injuries and antenna might even be repaired.
But it left me with just 2 options: operate Single Op 40 or Single Op 80. I chose option 1.
It’s amazing how much stuff you can work with 100 watts and low dipole. Obviously, being in close proximity to the ocean, and to the East Coast of the
U.S. helps a lot. VP9 call, though being a bit long, helps too. 8 previous WRTC’s taught me that it’s possible to keep your run frequency at the top of
the Band with only 100 watts, if you’re persistent. For a while, at least.
While doing searching and pouncing, I could work nearly 3/4 of all stations
I’ve called, which I consider a great rate for low power. I could only imagine how many more stations I could work having 2 or 3 elements Beam…
I was even called by few JA’s on my sunrise and by BG0DXC about 2 hours before the end of the Contest.
I’ve done several CQ WPX Contests from VP9 before, but I really had no idea what to expect if operating only on 40. Overall I’m very satisfied with my
effort. And it was great practice for the next year’s WRTC in England.
Congrats to all the top scorers and record breakers. But my hat’s off to UW5Y M/2 team from unbreakable Ukraine. The guys operated under constant missile and drone bombing over entire weekend. One of the remote operators of this team even continued to operate his shift after sending his family to the bomb shelter when the air strike alarm was announced. That’s what I call a dedication!
Thanks to all for the Q’s and to Ed, VP9GE for hosting me.

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VP9/VE3DZ from Bermuda Islands on 18100 now FT8.