I operated as YI9TM from April 20th through December 7th, 2009. Thanks to all of those that I had QSOs with! Special thanks to A61SA (first contact) and ON7GB (last contact)! I applied for DXCC under YI9TM on November 26th, 2010 and was first listed as DXCC with the February 1st, 2011 listing. Unless I've missed something, this makes me the first Iraqi DXCC member!
I retired from the active Navy in June of 2010 and am now contracting for ManTech International in Afghanistan.
During my service in Iraq I was a Navy Chief Petty Officer assigned to the Counter IED Mission. Some have said I've got "Sand in my Spinach"! Although the nature of that assignment was quite gratifying, being able to work DX from Iraq (at the other end of the pile-up) was the "Icing on the Cake".
All contacts will get a card through the bureau, LotW & eQSL. Cards to the bureau will not be processed until after I return home. If you would like a direct QSL, please send a SAE and $1 US or an IPC. All US stations will get QSL direct.
If you send a card through the bureau QSL to WT4M. Do not send cards to the Iraqi bureau! Please make sure if you send via ARRL incoming US bureau, that you mark your cards "via WT4M"!
YI9TM used the world renowned and highly rated TRUE-TALK II by WA2NAN. What an incredible antenna, this ruggedly constructed masterpiece blows every wire I have ever used right out of the water! I can tune all HF bands, top to bottom with just my autotuner right out of the box! I was previously using (before October 2009) a Carolina Windom from Radio Works, and before that an EF-20 from PAR Electronics, both great wire antennas, but none can touch the TRUE-TALK!
73,
John
YI9TM
WT4M
Last modified: 2011-08-08 11:10:34, 2436 bytes cached
