Photo above: enjoying a day as HB0 / K5XK, high in the Lichtenstein Alps, in June 2011.

K5XK was QRV from Europe for 7 weeks in May, June, and July, 2011, visiting family and friends. On 3 June, friends Leo / DJ7PR, Klaus / DK5SF, and I activated HB0 / (appending our home calls) from Leo's camper van high up in Lichtenstein's spectacular Alps. We then operated OE /(home calls) from the OE9XRV monastery club station in Bregenz, Austria, on the eastern edge of beautiful Lake Constance. Altogether, I had 600+ fantastic QSOs signing HB0 / OE / and DL /K5XK. Most of the DL QSOs were 'ragchew style' from our son's QTH near Landstuhl / Kaiserslautern. With the help of Leo, Klaus, and Fabian / DJ1YFK, I also had the thrill of operating from the amazing Bavarian contest station of Toffy / DJ6ZM (DL1A), near Munich.

It was my first time to operate from EU since my Army Signal Corps days as DA2ER (DL5AG club station), 40 years ago. We had fantastic eyeball and on-air QSOs with old and new friends. Along with visiting the Czech Republic, the former DDR, and the Baltic seaport cities of Kiel, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallin and St. Petersburg, it was truly a "trip of a lifetime."

Thanks for the enjoyable QSOs from Europe. QSL all K5XK QSOs direct or via bureau.

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3B8FQ / 3B7FQ / 3B6FQ: QSL all of Rachid's calls direct via K5XK.

5Z4 / RW1AU QSLs: For Valery's 5Z4/RW1AU card from Nairobi, please QSL via Val'sRW1AU home call. See Valery's personal info at www.QRZ.com/db/RW1AU .

Effective immediately, U.S. postage rates have increased. $1 USD is not sufficient to mail QSL cards outside of the United States, Canada and Mexico. Please include $2 or 1 IRC to cover return postage, green stamps preferred.

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K5XK Personal Info.

First licensed in 1962 at age 14 with callsigns WN5BQI / WA5BQI in Little Rock and Jonesboro, AR. Other previous calls used were DA2ER and DL5AG while in the U.S.Army Signal Corps in Germany (Goeppingen & Ansbach) during the 1970s.

QRV 50+ years. My XYL Debbie (N5WEX) and I love the beautiful foothills of the Ozark Mountains of NW Arkansas.  We are very near the AR / MO border, just south of Joplin, MO.  You may remember that Joplin sufffered a deadly F5 Tornado in May, 2011.

I operate 99.9% CW. Radio interests are ragchewing, chasing DX, & occasional contesting on CW. Former DXCC Honor Roll member. Current member ARRL, FOC, CW Ops, 1st Class Operators Club, Ozark Wireless Society, and local Bella Vista ham clubs.

The K5XK home station consists of a TenTec OMNI VI+, a small T.T. Hercules II amp, and a 2 el 5-band Quad antenna, which several friends helped build from scratch in late 2011. It is designed after the old Lightning Bolt quad. The fiberglass spreaders are very lightweight and a bit under-sized.I do hope it survives the winter WX. We get ice storms here in NW Arkansas!

Thank you for the many interesting QSOs and enduring friendships around the world.  We truly enjoy one of the most fascinating hobbies in the world!

73 / CW 4-Ever.!

- Ron, K 5 X K   (FOC# 1641 / CW Ops# 976)

It is obvious to many of us that discourteous operating has taken much of the fun out of DXing. The best operators always follow the DX CODE OF CONDUCT. Let's all work together to improve our collective operating practices.

DX CODE OF CONDUCT

1.I will listen, listen and then listen some more
2.I will only call if I can copy the DX station properly
3.I will not trust the cluster and will make sure I have copied the DX callsign
4.I will not interfere with the DX station nor anyone calling him and will never tune up on the DX stations frequency or in the QSX slot.
5.I will wait for the DX station to complete a QSO before calling him
6.I will always send my full callsign
7.I will call and then listen for a reasonable interval. I will never call continuously. I
8.I will not transmit when the DX operator calls another callsign not mine.
9.I will not transmit when the DX operator questions a callsign not like mine.
10. I will not transmit when the DX operator calls a geographic area not where I am.
11.When the DX calls me I will not repeat my callsign unless I think he has copied it incorrectly.
12.I will be thankful when I make a contact with the DX
13. I will respect my fellow hams and conduct myself so as to earn their respect.

Look at www.dx-code.org for more information.