I am now back from my one month stay in Moscow, Russia. This was my fourth trip and the best one yet! Why? I was able to get my Russian Amateur Radio License and operated as R3/WØAC! I met so many wonderful Amateur Radio operators in Russia and thank them very much for their hospitality! I made over 300 contacts in 89 countries! The majority of my operating was on 20 meters using CW and SSB.

My station as can be seen in the picture was very simple, including a Kenwood TS-50S Transceiver, Kenwood AT-50 Antenna Tuner, SEC-1223 Power Supply, Idiom Keyer and Vibroplex paddle. My antenna was a simple 20 meter dipole with balun up about 50 feet. I was operating from a 6th floor balcony of a flat about 4 miles from Red Square. Can you find the balun outside the window? My wonderful Brother-in-Law Vova Bazoev helped me put up this antenna! Vova tied a string through a hole in an apple and tossed it over the tree limb from a window! The other end of the dipole was tied to the balcony and it worked fantastic! Thank you very much Vova for all of your help! By the way, Vova?s reward? He ate the apple!

I want to thank everyone that I worked and promise to QSL 100%! I pray that I receive 100% QSL's from everyone that I worked. I will finish DXCC next trip and I look forward to that!

Another highpoint of my operating in Russia was that I celebrated my 40 year anniversary as an Amateur Radio operator on August the 10th, 2002!

I also want to thank my wife Izabella, W7AZA for putting up with me and all the nights I set the alarm clock to wake up and operate! Additionally, I want to sincerely thank my other Brother-in-Law, Sergei Bazoev for all of the leg-work he did with the Russian Government to obtain my license. I also want to give my sincere thanks to Valeriy Agabekov, N2WW/UA6HZ for giving me help, direction and making phone calls to the Russian Goverment for me. And last but not least my Mother-in-law, Aza Bazoeva who let me take over her balcony, put up my antenna and worry about me disturbing the neighbors TV's and phones!

If you ever have the opportunity to operate abroad, I encourage you to do it! I love this hobby!!!!!!

73 and God Bless,

Bob Mott R3/WØAC, WØAC