Worked Indonesia - YB8RW

Before I changed my callsign, I had tried several times to work Indonesia.  I do not often hear them or decode them on a digital mode.  When I did, I didn't get a reply.  While just making a general CQ call on 20m FT8, I got a reply from YB8RW.  I worked the QSO all the way through and logged it.  I had not even realized it was Indonesia until later when I looked at my recent contacts on QRZ.com.  How about that?  I chased Indonesia a few times, and this time they replied to my CQ!

Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is the world's largest island country, with more than seventeen thousand islands,and at 1,904,569 square kilometres (735,358 square miles), the 14th largest by land area and the 7th largest in combined sea and land area. With over 261 million people, it is the world's 4th most populous country as well as the most populous Muslim-majority country. Java, the world's most populous island, is home to more than half of the country's population.

73 AND GOOD DX DE W4LSG

New Callsign - W4LSG

As a young man, I remember hearing the local hams proudly giving their callsign on the air.  I remember being very excited to get a callsign of my own.  Back then (2001), the FCC processed the CSCE by mail, issued the callsign, and then mailed your license to you.  When I passed my Technician class test,  I waited forever to finally get my callsign in the mail.  When I opened the envelope and read my call, KG4LST, I thought "really?!"  I thought it was the most random and hardest to memorize callsign I had ever heard.  It was nothing like the other well established hams.

None the less, it was mine.  I created an email address and began using my callsign for all sorts of things. My friends and family learned it.  I created usernames online, made logbooks, got awards, purchased personalized callsign stuff for the shack, got a vanity tag for car, and even a couple years ago I started this blog.  I always felt like it was a basic call that presented as a Technician even though I was an Amateur Extra.  I had a few incidents where people mistook me as being in Guantanamo Bay because they issued KG4XX callsigns there.

One day I decided that after 18 years as KG4LST, it was time to change it.  Perhaps a W call...  I did alot of research to see what was available.  I thought my initials would be nice, but nope my initials aren't great and it wasn't available anyway.  W4LST would have been nice, but it was not available (in fact I've made contact with W4LST and have a QSL card on the wall).  I thought I wouldn't mind K4LST or N4LST...but no they weren't available.  Somehow after almost giving up, I thought up W4LSG.  The suffix contain letters that were all in my original call.  It sounded a bit like my original call, and it started with a W.  My wife even seemed to like it.  So I researched a bit more.

I found that W4LSG previously belonged to Nicholas Karangelen, JR (SK) from Norfolk, VA.  He seemed like a great guy with similar interests as myself.  He had gotten the callsign because it previously belong to his father.  Nick worked for NASA for 30 years and was active in his local club.  He passed away in 2013 and W4LSG expired in 2016...on my birthday.

I just felt good about it. So I put in my application and waited for a couple weeks.  I woke up this morning to fine the ULS showing KG4LST expired and W4LSG active.  Now I just have to get a new tag, callsign gear, log books, email address, logins, badges, DMR ID, Winlink setup, etc...what a long list of thigs to do!  Maybe I'll hang on to this one.

Here is a bit of information about Nick to remember his legacy:

Nicholas Karangelen Jr, of Little Bay Ave, Norfolk, VA, passed away on April 24, 2013. Born in Norfolk, VA to Nicholas and Vida Karangelen.

Nicholas was a United States Army veteran. He served three tours in Vietnam, and was awarded an Army Commendation Medal and the Bronze Star. Like his father, he was a high-speed CW (Morse code) operator, earning his Novice Amateur Radio license WN4HVE when he was 15 years old. He quickly upgraded to WA4OAE, and later changed to his father's callsign W4LSG.

Nick earned his single-engine and multi-engine pilot's licenses soon after leaving the Army, and he worked as a test engineering contractor to NASA Langley for 30 years. Nick enjoyed flying; radio and electronics; boating; swimming; hiking, camping; photography; gardening; cooking; literature; theater; and music. He loved to travel, exploring the beach, desert, and mountains.

73 OM I'LL TAKE IT FROM HERE DE W4LSG SK

Worked Conway Reef - 3D2CR

I worked the 3D2CR Conway Reef Rebel DX group activity on 17m phone!  Glad to get them in the log considering it was almost 10PM here in Georgia when I made the contact on my OCF dipole!

Conway Reef is a coral reef of atoll type 450 km southwest of the Fiji Islands and part of the Republic of Fiji. It is at 21°44′18″S 174°38′24″E. It is 2.5 km long in an east-west direction. On the middle of the reef is a small sand cay, 1.8 meters high and about 320 meters long and 73 meters wide, with a land area of two hectares. A stranded wreck of a coaster lies 240 meters south of the center of the cay, and the wreck of a fishing vessel (Sang Sheng No. 168) lies on the northeast end of the reef.  The reef is uninhabited apart from birds which appear to have almost no fear of humans. Administratively, the reef is part of the Western Division, Fiji and of the Nadroga-Navosa province.

UPDATE 6/4/2019:
I worked 3D2CR on 20m FT8 too!

73 AND GOOD DX DE KG4LST SK

Worked Eritrea - E31A

I worked The FGC Radio Team while they were QRV from Eritrea on 20m FT8.

Eritrea is a country in the Horn of Africa, with its capital at Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast. The northeastern and eastern parts of Eritrea have an extensive coastline along the Red Sea. The nation has a total area of approximately 117,600 km2 (45,406 sq mi), and includes the Dahlak Archipelago and several of the Hanish Islands.

73 AND GOOD DX DE KG4LST SK