• [UPDATE] – by SP5EAQ / E6AQ

I am approaching the end of my activity, and slowly reaching five thousand QSOs. I gave up working on 80 meters, where the efficiency was catastrophic. At 40 meters, signals from Europe are almost unreadable. The ground is pure coral that is millions of years old. This is not an atoll-type island, now it resembles a volcanic one, but millions of years ago it was an atoll raised by tectonic movements. So there is no possibility of “connecting” electrically with the ground because you can’t even drive a nail in. In this situation, beverage, BOG, etc. antennas are excluded. On my vertical antenna, the QRN level fluctuates between S7 and S9. I am always active during my SS and SR. I have made several hundred QSOs, but the interference level of 40 meters is catastrophic. On other bands it is OK but signals are faint. Ten meters was great for two weeks, but now the openings are very short.

  • [NOVEMBER 3]

Low band propagation is a disaster. But 10 meters is the sky’s limit, thousands of contacts logged. Surprisingly weak signals on 20 meters – as a teenager I only had 20m homemade rig and I considered it the best band in the world! 

  • [OCTOBER 31 @ 0500z] – 

Having set-up a delta-loop, Jacek is now up and running on 80m (SWR is 1.17 for the best frequency), however at the moment even 40m is quite difficult to work EU “pistols”, so 80m may be a non-starter. Recording by DX-WORLD.

  • [OCTOBER 27 / PICTURE] – 

Jacek updates to say he’s participating in the CQWW DX Contest only on 10m; the conditions are great (even at midnight!), but in his village there are five power cuts a day. This is driving him crazy and preventing Jacek from achieving a good result in the contest. E6AQ contacts in the CQWW DX will not be visible in the online log until the deadline for sending logs to the organizer has passed. In order to focus on 10m, he has given up on other bands for this weekend only.

Multiband vertical @ E6AQ (Credit: SP5EAQ)

  • [OCTOBER 24] –

Jacek informs that LoTW is approved and will be uploaded a few weeks after QRT (but online logs are uploaded smoothly every 3-5 hours).

  • [OCTOBER 22] –

Antenna for 40-10m bands installed. Log with first contacts available here. Poor propagation on the upper bands, reports Jacek. He also mentions that life on Niue flows slowly; Constitution Day is extended to a whole week, there is no possibility of taking care of even the simplest matters like buying food and finalizing a radio license. The same applies to the driving license, without a local permit Jacek would be driving illegally.

  • [QRV] –

Jacek, SP5EAQ got in touch with DX-World to say he’s planning to be active from Makefu, Niue as E6AQ during October 22 to November 9, 2024. He mentions the QTH is on the western side of the island, right by the ocean. This will be an SSB operation only on 80-10m bands. Participation in the CQWW SSB contest. QSL via SP7DQR. Website