1A0C

OQRS Closed

1A0Z — Sun, 05 May 2013 21:24:14 +0000

Today the OQRS System has been finally closed. All QSL request, electronic and paper cards, will be shipped the next Tuesday, 7 May 2013.

By now the Manager, 1A0Z Francesco Cozzi, will accept QSL requests only via direct. If you are waiting your QSL via direct, already requested, for any doubt you can write to him, but please wait some week to give enough time the postal service to sort shipments. We use special postal service that gives us the opportunity to lighten the wor, but sometimes it was slow, so all email about shipment will be answered at the end of May, if you receive the QSL, please, write a message to Francesco (qsl_request@dxcoffee.com).

All OQRS QSL requests via bureau will be shipped at most in a month. Further requests via the bureau will no longer be possible. The Manager can not receive QSL via bureau, so don’t waste paper!!

1A0C: QSL Cards Status

IZ4AKS — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 22:26:43 +0000

We received a lot of request for our last activity from 1A0C, concrete sign, not only of a good activity on the air, but of the real interest of the radio amateurs about the charity project connected to 1A0C. With this PR we want just to keep you updated about the QSL status.
Unfortunately during September due to a burglary, the computer of the QSL Manager with all the labels and all the logs updated was lost. Fortunately we had backups and we were able to recover the entire job, but it took a lot of time.
Today all the sponsors and supporters have their QSL card received (or on the way to their home) with a stamp of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. We know that some of you already received this QSL.
At the beginning of the next week all the requests via OQRS system will be forwarded, and from the week later we will start to answer to the huge amount of direct cards.
Be patience, we have all the interest you will receive the QSL as soon as it will be possible.

QSL Card

IZ4AKS — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 21:29:30 +0000

As written in one of the recent PR, we finalized the QSL card layout for the operation from 1A0C. It will be 4 pages full colors, mainly sponsored by Alfio IT9EJW, of Printed.it, thanks to his generous donation.
The QSL cards will be printed in the fist week of September (August is a month of holidays in Italy and many suppliers are closed). Francesco, 1A0C is planning to start to answer at the end of the month of September 2012.

SIDE A & D

SIDE B & C

Many thanks again to Alfio IT9EJW helping us to develop and design the QSL card project. The quality of the card by Printed.it is world-famous and we are very happy to offer you a top class qsl card manufactured by a professional supplier like Alfio.
TO get the QSL card we remind you to check our QSL-policy page. The QSL Manager is Francesco, 1A0C and you can read about how to receive the QSL card on there.

Photo collection

IZ4AKS — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 15:07:18 +0000

Where my signals arrived? Where my voice sounded? In which antenna my messages were arriving? Photography helps to answer to all this questions.
Herewith enclosed a small collection of some shoots of our dxpedition at the Order of Malta.

Hexbeam #1 @ 1A0C

IZ8IYX @ 1A0C

Villa Malta – Avetine hill – 1A0C QTH

Antennas @ 1A0C – Hexbeam #2 and vertical 40mts

Spiderbeam Beaming USA @ 1A0C

From left to right: EA2RY, I2VGW, IZ7KHR, EA7AJR, IN3ZNW, IZ4AKS, EA7KW, IZ8IYX, EA5RM, F5CWU (we miss here PB2T and SP3DOI)

IZ7KHR @ 1A0C 21MHz SSB

Hexbeam #1

Hexbeam #2

Spiderbeam 3 bands offered by IZ4GWE

1A0C: F5CWU, EA5RM, EA2RY, IN3ZNR

EA5RM & EA7KW – 6mts station @1A0C

IN3ZNR @ 1A0C

PB2T @ 1A0C

EA2RY @ 1A0C (RTTY)

Sunset @ 1A0C

EA7AJR, I2VGW, IZ4AKS @ 1A0C

IZ4AKS, EA7AJR and I2VGW @1A0C

Status of the QSL cards

IZ4AKS — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 21:50:08 +0000

By this note we want to provide a quick update about the status of confirmations of QSOs done with 1A0C.
First of all, we have to congratulate the developers of OQRS system by Clublog, because the service moved a terrific step ahead in therms of user experience.
We received around 800 requests via OQRS, and we are uploading the log daily on LOTW.
At the same time, further hundreds of envelopes arrived at the postal address of Francesco, 1A0Z.
Last, but not least, we are on finalizing the QSL card layout. It will be 4 pages full colors, mainly sponsored by Alfio IT9EJW, of Printed.it, thanks to his generous donation to 1A0C.
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Alfio and Printed.it for their generous support of 1A0C. This is not just a matter of cost savings, which will result in a benefit for the charity project connected to the activation, but this assures our dxpedition a top quality QSL card.

1A0C went QRT

IZ4AKS — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:13:24 +0000

Our short but intense adventure went QRT. Operators offered to this activity a lot of effort. During last night we didn’t sleep at all and around 5 o’clock we started to disassamble the antenna farm and the shacks.

Today the team is in Rome for a rush in HV5PUL, a couple of days of relaxing dxing before come back home. Do not expect the same rhythm from the Vatican. We are not there for a real dxpedition, but it is just a cherry on the cake for the team members.

Just a simple note: be patient because the OQRS system will be opened once we are at home.

Press Release #5

1A0Z — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 22:12:58 +0000

The first day on the air from the Sovereign Military Order of Malta has passed. We worked hard yesterday and today early in the morning and now have 5 stations running. The Spiderbeam, the 2 hexbeams, the verticals, and the dipoles were erected without any problems. Only the high temperature and humidity were not very comfortable.
The team is tired, but happy for the job done. Tomorrow we will try to fix the issue of the logging system. The 6m QSO’s are not shown in the online log, because the 6m station is too far away from the HF shack to have it connected through wi-fi. We will manually upload the 6m log 3-4 times daily if we can’t fix to wireless connection.
A special thanks to Michele IZ4GWE and Sergio IK0FTA for the support for the station and to all of the donors for the donation we are receiving.

Thoughts about the magic band

CISOM — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:00:03 +0000

Roma is not precisely a remote place with scarce ham population! So we don’t see the need of a beacon. Even more, we don’t want to upset the local ham community with another broadcasting signal in the band, there is a nice beacon already (I0JX) and it will be more than enough. We will, of course, keep watching the early warning sites such as the 6m ON4KST prop pages and dxcluster.

As it was intended from the beginning this operation is primarily focused on working North America and Asia. Our plan for 6m is to steer the beam to JA in the morning. All eastern EU will be covered in 1 hop as well. And turn the beam to NA past midday, giving a chance for the eagers in West EU. Last operations by 1A0KM has provided Sovereign Military Order of Malta to most of the EU 6m population, however there are very few dxpeditions planned for this season, therefore pileups from the old Europe can be large as people are idle looking for any prey to hunt.

The 6m propagation, specially on Es skip, is unpredictable, but our experience of the last 20 years points that during the last week of June/1st of July conditions are best for Xatlantic contacts and long haul openings to the N. East. We need to be very observant for any possible multihop event, managing meanwhile the EU pileup smartly whilst looking for possible links across the Pond or Siberia. This is not easy, but we have done it successfully and recently from Algeria, Egypt, Morroco, Palestine, Andorra, etc.

At the end, we are in Europe, hence, when working EU the so called ”dx-windows” must be avoided, that is 50.100-50.130. We are thinking to stay fixed on one frq for all cw operation bellow it, between 50084-95, in order to not to disturb upwards the band to leak the pileup into the dx windows and choose a phone frq up in the band, away from the dx zone, e.g. 50180. We really hope the local operators, and even the European 6m fans, will appreciate this decision of the team.

BAND PLANS

BAND	CW	SSB	RTTY
6M	50.084	50.180
10M	28.024	28.495	28.080
12M	24.894	24.945	24.921
15M	21.024	21.295	21.080
17M	18.074	18.145	18.100
20M	14.024	14.145	14.080
30M	10.104		10.140
40M	7.004	7.065 / 7.160	7.035
80M	3.524	3.780

50 MHz information and operating tips

The 6 meter band will be included in this operation. We’ll focus for long haul openings, as most of the Europe regions have been widely covered in the recent years.
We plan to use the following frequencies: 50.084 for CW and 50.180 for SSB. Although they may be changed, depending on local noise/birdies. Split operation will be deployed when needed.
The main mode will be CW. If band conditions permit, SSB will be used to gain a higher QSO rate. Please do not ask for mode changing.
Please avoid QSO duplication, give others a chance. Logs will be uploaded twice a day to our website. If it will work, we will provide the live log online (new are not sure 100% now)
We don’t find necessary to set a beacon station this time.
Our Grid Locator is JN61FV. Please, DO NOT send your locator, it is not needed and we won’t log it anyway, it wastes precious time.

Press Release #2

IX1CKN — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 23:24:40 +0000

Following the first press release about 1A0C, we proudly announce that the website about the amateur radio activity that will be held from 1st to 4th July 2012 in Santa Maria del Priorato is now online. You can visit it at http://www.1a0c.com.

While you’ll find full details on the activation on the website, we would like to remind you the strong committment of the team to offer the elusive 1A entity to as many hams outside Europe as possible. So, since the beginning, we ask for understanding from european operators, reminding them ham radio is also about being fair.

The website contains also a “Donation” page. We ask every ham interested to work 1A to check it, as the July activation of Malta Order has a goal beyond amateur radio. Every QSO will contribute to
that goal, so it’s really important to raise awareness about our project.

Thanking in advance for cooperation and help in spreading the word, we kindly aim anyone looking for futher detail to get in touch with p.r. and media contact 1a0c@1a0c.com

Press release #1

IZ4AKS — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 21:27:50 +0000

Thirty years have passed since 1A made its way onto the DXCC list. And an activation by an International team looks to celebrate the uniqueness of this event. So, from the 1st to the 4th July, we will listen for them on the air as 1A0C from Santa Maria del Priorato, home of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

The callsign that will be used belongs to the “The Order of Malta’s Italian Relief Corps (CISOM)”, an organization specialized in bringing assistance and relief during emergencies. This underscores the dual value of this activation. On the one hand, there’s the fun side of ham radio, giving a not so easy “new one” to as many stations as possible (especially from the US and Japan). On the other hand, however, there’s the noble goal, as often seen in ham radio, where a spirit of cooperation and mutual aid are shared by operators all over the world. The team’s aim, in fact, is to raise funds – thanks to donations and contributions from QSL requests – in order to buy radio equipment which The Order of Malta’s Italian Relief Corps volunteers will be able to use in case of emergencies.

The operators list includes: 1A0X, 1A0Z, EA2RY, EA5RM, EA7AJR, EA7KW, F5CWU, IN3ZNR, IT9YVO, IZ8IYX, PB2T, SP3DOI and KH6CG as a pilot for North America and Pacific.

They will be active on HF+6m and the QSLs for contacts with 1A0C can be requested via Francesco Cozzi, 1A0Z.

A website will be online soon, stay tuned!