9H – Xgħajra, Malta

Dates: 25 October to 2 November 2016

Callsign: 9H6A and 9H3FH

9H – Xgħajra, Malta 2025-01-20T02:24:26-05:00

CQ World Wide Phone Contest

A wonderful week was had on the Island of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea.
I had the opportunity to join a fine group of operators at the shack of John, 9H1XT, where we ran the CQ World-Wide Phone Contest as 9H6A.
9H_Summary_DaveHotel
The Corinthia Hotel St. George’s Bay in St. Julian’s

The Operators

9H_Shack_DavePaul
I am in the backgroud with Paul, 9H1BT. Paul is the highly technical brains of the operation.
9H_Shack_Group2
Gangsta’s in a Parking Lot
9H_Shack_Group3
In the forground are Steve, KL7SB and Marco, 9H5SN.
9H_Shack_John
Here’s John, 9H1XT. He owns everything.
9H_Shack_PaulOrazio
Trying to Escape. Here you see Paul, 9H1BT, trying to go home but Orazio, IT9BTI, won’t let him.
9H_Station_Group
Hams in a Shack. Orazio, IT9BTI; Paul, 9H1BT; Marco, 9H5SN.
9H_Operators_Joe_9H1CG
Joe, 9H1CG
9H_Operators_Orazio_IT9BTI
Orazio, IT9BTI

The Antennas

9H_Antennas_10es15
High Bands. 5 elements on 10 with 5 more for 15 meters.
9H_Antennas_20es40
Middle Bands. 3 elements for 20 and the newly erected 2 elements for 40.
9H_Antennas_40esSea
By the Sea.Here is the 40 meter yagi pointed toward Moscow.
9H_Antennas_80es160
Low Bands. This vertical is shared for both 80 and 160 meters. I made a few 30 meter QSOs on it too.

Raising the 40 Meter Yagi

9H_40Meters_John2
Final Assembly. Getting the 40 meter yagi ready for putting in the air.
9H_40Meters_Craine
The Crane. Here comes the crane. Antenna assembly finished just in time.
9H_40Meters_TowerSection
Tower First. Putting the sections together.
9H_40Meters_TowerSection2
Rotor and Mast
9H_40Meters_Antenna
Antenna is next.
9H_40Meters_Antenna2
Looks good.

Important Ham Radio Poses

9H_Gentry
The Gentry. For my friend Paul Gentry, K9PG.
9H_Dauer
The Dauer. For my friend Carsten Dauer, DM9EE

9H6A and 9H3FH QSL Card

9H_QSL_F

Maltese Callsign

The Malta Communications Authority (MCA) is a friendly place to get your license.
You can apply for a Maltese callsign by filling out the application found here. File early, it can take a couple of months. Mine was snagged up and took more than 4 months!
9H_License

The Contest

It’s unfortunate that I made very few QSOs outside the contest.
9H_DaveSteve

Here I am using my callsign 9H3FH on 30 meters with Stephen Bloom, KL7SB, using his callsign 9H3AK on 20 CW.

Traveling to Malta

It’s unfortunate that I made very few QSOs outside the contest.
9H_TravelMap
After driving to Syracuse Hancock Airport I take a Jet Blue flight to JFK. Lufthansa will fly me to Frankfurt, Germany followed by the final leg into Malta.
9H_Travel_JFK
Overlooking JFK Airport in the morning, Queens, NY.
9H_Travel_Luftsansa
The big Lufthansa A380 jet to Frankfurt from JFK.
9H_Travel_AirMalta
Returning home Air Malta takes me to London, Heathrow. From there Air Canada will fly me to Toronto and over the Great Lake to Syracuse.