My name is Bob, and my activity on Top Band goes back almost 30 years. I am now operating from Batam Island as well as Jakarta in Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. My new contracts will be for quite a long time. I was in Kuwait as 9K2/KY0C for a while early in 2007, in addition to YI9CC/5 in Basra, Iraq. Needless to say it is nice to be out of YI9 and back to Indonesia and Malaysia. I did make quite a few Top Band QSO's from YI9CC/5 and all can be QSL'd through my manager Petr - Ok1DOT. The operation from Basra was the first time that I had recceive antennas blown up by unfriendly neighbours!! From YB5AQB I am usually on 1824.8 or 1828.8 for two hours before my sunrise (about 2130Z to 2330Z) but not much has been coming through to this part of the world. The new season is under way so here's hoping for a good one!!!! I have used a set of PVC balloons and hydrogen (much cheaper than helium here in Indonesia). Using this combination I successfully tested a balloon launched vertical up 55 metres both in Jakarta and Batam. This will be the antenna used when conditions permit - weather mostly the limiting factor. The first attempt in Jakarta netted KH6 for a new one on 160m and the Batam first balloon antenna effort put three more new ones in the log so the altitude does help! After that several more new ones were worked using an 'aerial' antenna including a long path east coast USA QSO with Bill W4ZV. When the balloon can't go up, the low band transmit antenna in YB5 (Batam Island) as well as in Jakarta are both 160m inverted L's up 15 metres and out 25 metres. So far from Indonesia the 160 metre DXCC total is 90 DXCC entities and 32 zones . If you need YB on Top Band, email me for a sked. Please remember you are hearing me better than I am hearing you so be patient. The QRN is never below S5 and QSB is also a constant problem. Please use medium speed (16 to 20 wpm) CW and send your call several times. If there is a pile up, SPREAD OUT. I tune up and down from my QRG all the time after a CQ or a logged contact. In addition, CW on 80,and 40 metres still get a lot of attention as the QRN on 160m here in the tropics is hard. RTTY and PSK31 on the higher bands are also worked quite often with the WARC bands getting particular attention. Batam Island is IOTA OC-075, and is about 35 miles due south of Singapore. V8, Brunei, is not that far away and there may be trips there for contest weekends and some low band operation as well. I was living and working in Singapore from April 2003 until that project finished in March of 2005. During the first season (2003-2004) 91 DXCC entities and 30 zones were worked on Top Band. The final total on 160 metres for 9V1GO was 119 DXCC countries in the log with 36 zones . Conditions were off and on in the 2004-2005 season, but when they were on , it was GREAT! A total of 1248 discrete calls were logged on 160m from 9V1GO, out of a total of more than 2,500 QSO's on Top Band. If you think you have worked me from 9V1GO, you can check the logs at http://dx.qsl.net/logs/index.html and look under my call. There are more than 14,000 QSOs on the site for the Singapore operation since September of 2003 For all QSO's from 9V or YB, please QSL DIRECT ONLY to my manager OK1DOT - Petr. His address is available at QRZ.COM. Now, for a history little about the old G4VGO: