D4C, 15m and 20m RTTY

In late September 2007, I had the opportunity to work D4C on São Vicente, Cape Verde, not just once, but twice! These contacts were extra special because I got to use RTTY, which over the years had become  my favorite HF mode.

The first time I connected with D4C was on 20 meters around 09:40 UTC. The signal was decent, with a bit of QSB going on. I stumbled upon D4C while scanning the RTTY segment of the band, and after a short wait in the pileup, I managed to make contact. We exchanged signal reports (a solid 599) and I moved on to see who else I could get in the log before shutting down and getting on with a few chores.

The very next day, I ran into D4C again, this time on 15 meters, at around 13:40 UTC. The conditions on this band were much better, and without any pileup, I was able to reach them on my first try, exchanging simple 599 signal reports once again.

Even though both contacts were quick contest-style operations, they were still really quite satisfying. Cape Verde might not be the rarest DXCC entity from the UK, but it's always a good feeling to log any country on different bands and modes.

These QSOs really showed me how effective RTTY can be for DXing. Its ability to cut through noise and correct errors makes it a great choice for working DX stations, especially in less-than-ideal conditions.

Thanks to these QSOs, I was able to add to my RTTY DXCC totals for both the 15m and 20m bands, getting me one step closer to my goal of achieving DXCC on all modes.

Radio:  JRC JST-245

Antenna:  Random wire sloper

Power:  50w

Location:  Great Barr, Birmingham