Z60A - Kosovo

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Z60A News 5 February 2018.FROM FREEZING KOSOVO WITH SMILE, FEB.05, 2018 NEW WEEK COMING UP IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO
The 3rd week is starting and many delegates in Kosovo will be heading back home.
This week has offered variety of low-bands and odd bands on CW by VE7NY and DL3DXX who will depart soon.
Now the new week will concentrate on giving out some RTTY QSOs.
The group of DJ5IW, DM5TI, DD2ML and S57AW will keep the RTTY fire on, including the CQ WPX RTTY contest while the next weekend would bring-in the local showcase by the most active locals; Z61DX, Z61VB, Z62FB and Z63DBB.
They will be a fresh air from the Pristina HQ Station at the Pristina Technical University.
The 4th and last week will bring back a small international tag- team, adding the number of country delegates to eleven (11).
They will take the party machine to the actual 10TH Independency Anniversary on Feb.18, which activity would include sporadic showing in the ARRL DX (CW) Contest.

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Z60A News 4 February 2018. CLARIFICATION OF THE Z60A LOTW UPLOAD TIMING
The complete Z60A log will be uploaded approximately four weeks after the current activation.
The current activation will end immediately following Kosovo's 10th independence anniversary celebrations on Sunday, February, 18 2018.
The additional four-week window will allow for corrections and checking for potentially busted calls.
-N7NG

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Z60A News 2 February 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LATEST ON REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO
Currently three (3) stations are up and running with DL3DXX, DL5CW, DJ5IW, IK0FVC and VE7NY at the helm. The activation is now up to 50.000 QSOs logged; https://secure.clublog.org/charts/?c=Z60A#r
The first Z60A activation will culminate with the actual day of Kosovo’s 10th Independence anniversary, Sunday Feb.18, 2018, with extended festivities, which will include the international amateur radio delegation. On same weekend the ARRL DX Contest (CW) is running, and the visitors will team up with the locals to wrap up the project and salute the ARRL and U.S contesting community with Z6 now being accepted for all ARRL awards and contest programs.
As the Kosovar amateurs have suffered for the past ten-years with limited opportunities and sometimes with the pirate label, it is now noted that with the new DXCC status, DXers the world over have taken a positive step forward to close the 10-year gap and welcome the Kosovar hams with open arms to our great community. Kosovar hams are much taken by this gesture, and the project group has organized to move forward on turning potential help to the best of Amateur Radio in the Republic of Kosovo. The weekend of February 10/11 will be a showcase of locals as they will now take the microphone and put the Z60A on the air accordingly: Z61DX, Z61VB, Z63DBB and Z62FB will be at the controls for a 20M showing, both CW and SSB.
Kan Mizoguchi, JA1BK has stepped forward first and shipped a brand new Yaesu FT450 to Dona, Z63DBB (YL) so that she will be able to carry-on with her home-based activity. With Z61DX and Z62FB suffering with the Pristina high noise level, RemoteRig (SM2OAN) has donated two pairs of the remote control units so that a clean receiving site can be established outside of the capital Pristina. The European DX Foundation (EUDXF) has stepped forward, and their monetary support was presented to SHRAK, the Kosovo IARU member society. The Yasme Foundation has released an extensive series of ARRL publications to the SHRAK HQ library at the Technical University of Pristina.
If any of the U.S persons and/or clubs would like to extend their help to Kosovo, please contact Wayne, N7NG at n7ng@arrl.net

ENHANCED QSL SERVICE FOR Z60A OPERATION NOW UNDERWAY.
The ClubLog OQRS system is set to cover the cost of direct QSL postage – USD 3.00, while also allowing voluntarily, private contributions. All donations small or large are most welcome to support SHRAK, the Kosovo Amateur Radio Association to aid in recruiting additional Kosovar youth and to activate the existing Amateur Radio operators and support their activities.
As many have requested confirmations during the ongoing activation, it has been decided to do an immediate LoTW and fast direct QSL service for those who contribute USD 20.00 or more. This option would not delay any of the traditional QSL options, but just put a priority on those who are willing to help Kosovo Amateur Radio finally move beyond the past ten difficult years.
If you wish to upgrade your earlier QSL request to this enhanced service you can send your donation through the ClugLog https://secure.clublog.org/make_donation.php?call=Z60A
On behalf of the Project Goodwill Kosovo,
Martti Laine, OH2BH

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PRISTINA KOSOVO JAN.30.2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PROJECT GOODWILL KOSOVO IS MOVING INTO ITS 2ND WEEK – ONLY TWO WEEKS UNTIL THE ACTUAL 10TH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND
A new team of G3TXF, IK0FVC, K9JF, VE7NY, DL3DXX, DL5CW and DJ5IW will be at work soon with three radios again as they lost one that had to be replaced. In total, hams from 10 countries will participate in the project’s current phase.
Last Sunday marked a wonderful and memorable reception honoring the recent DXCC status of the Republic of Kosovo. Speeches were made by the SHARK president Vjollca, Z61VB, Kosovo’s regulator (ARKEP) Chairman, Kreshnik Gashi as well as ARRL Honorary VP Jim, K9JF and IARU’s R1 Secretary Hans, PB2T. Their remarks were complemented by words from Project Goodwill’s Kosovo coordinator, Martti, OH2BH. All were emotionally touched by this long march of 10-years, further enhancing the original U.S State Department recognition in February, 2008, while now saluting Kosovo’s official entry into the DXCC world on an equal basis.
On the radio front, the 40.000 QSO mark has been passed as the team is concentrating on maximizing its Asia and North America numbers. They are well on their way by penetrating those selective openings. Be patient, as their best effort is given at all times in spite of the high noise level. As the locations are fixed, the only improvement opportunity is to see whether low-laid receiving antennas would help with this mission. The second week team will try to accomplish that task as they move toward the upcoming weekend.
Many are asking about an immediate LoTW upload during the operation, and these options are being taken under consideration. An LoTW upload and early QSL card may be considered as an additional service, while its modest compensation would be exclusively directed to further support for evolving Amateur Radio in Kosovo.
The project members are thankful for the local Z6-team and the OH, OZ and S5 guys, who did a great job in building up the sites and handing out the many new counter contacts. Happy DXCC week was passed with best of amateur radio.

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LATEST FROM THE GROUP IN KOSOVO AT Z60A

It is surprisingly cold in Kosovo as temperatures are running record low for this week today it was minus 13 C (8F). The group is in good spirits and keeping Z60A activated as much as they can with their other duties. Another challenging issue is a noise that arise at dark when hundreds of lights come on increasing in number are those noisy LED lights now penetrating the market. Nothing we can do about those other than suffering with up to S8 noise.

But as our U.S and Canadian reps; Jim, K9JF and Sandro, VE7NY, arrive they will hopefully be able to pull out their familiar call signs out the noise. Patience is needed as we are not able to move the party-location and the SHRAK HQ to more suitable noise free place.

More bands will be added for the weekend and among them 160M and 17M. The team will be enhanced by K9JF, PB2T, VE7NY, IK0FVC, G3TXF and DL3DXX and others so the firepower will be added after the weekends Independence ceremonies, added to the DXCC happiness.

The Internet is very sporadic thus the Club Log uploads can be delayed up to 24-hours.

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Amendment to ARRL DXCC Rules Will Expand DXCC List
Kosovo New DXCC Country.

http://www.arrl.org/news/amendment-t...pand-dxcc-list

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REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO ACTIVE TODAY -- Z60A TEAM ALREADY ON THE GROUND

Kosovo’s IARU Society SHARK, and its president Vjollca Caka, Z61VB are hosting a tenth anniversary activation celebrating Kosovo’s independence, February, 2008.

The activation has already started, with Z60A being found on several bands.
Adding to their HQ location is a semi-permanent low-band site. Both sites have beam antennas plus four K3s and SPE 1.3KW amps. Olli, OH0XX has been testing the propagation over the past two days with good -- but narrow -- U.S openings.

An international team has been invited to Kosovo and is partially on the ground at this time. The team consists of DL3DXX, OH0XX, OH1MA, OH2BH, OH3JR, OZ1IKY, S50A and S51F, along with locals Z61DX, Z61FF, Z61VB, Z62FB and Z63DBB. Additional locals are behind this activity as well, and a new 2nd week team will be announced soon.

Jim, K9JF, ARRL Hon. Vice-President and Hans, PB2T, IARU R1 secretary will add to the party.

The ARRL Rocky Mountain Division director, Dwayne Allen, WY7FD has informed the team that the LoTW and the other ARRL structures are being put into place to receive this new DXCC country contacts. Already, “Republic of Kosovo” is listed in the DXCC Challenge pages.

ClubLog will be used for this activation, while
QSLs will go via OH2BH.