Solar activity has dropped back a bit, although the Solar Flux hasn't dipped below 70 for nearly a month. Consequently HF has continued to be pretty good, with great condx to the Far East and Pacific early in the mornings (0700-1000z).

Highlights....as usual, all with the Vertical:
40m - P29NI (Papua New Guinea)
17m - BD5BAJ (China), VK4BX (Australia), DS1REE (S.Korea), 8Q9LM (Maldive Isl), JT1AS (Mongolia)
15m - VU2XO (India), DU3MEL (Philippines), BX2AAL (Taiwan), Z21BB (Zimbabwe), ZD7FT (St.Helena)
12m - VR2PX (Hong Kong), 5N0OCH (Nigeria), ZS2EZ (S.Africa), VQ9LA (Chagos Isl)

26 Oct 2009

CQWW SSB Contest - decided to do a single-band high power entry on 80m (319 QSOs), but condx so good on 15m and 10m that I made a few "checklog" QSOs on these bands too....over 150, including a few new DXCCs on 15m.

Highlights:
80m - VP5T (Turks and Caicos Isl), 8P5A (Barbados), 4U1UN (UN HQ New York)
15m - B1Z (China), VR2YYW (Hong Kong), HT2V (Nicaragua), AA4V/VP9 (Bermuda)
10m - 9K2HN (Kuwait), ZS9X (S.Africa)

Excellent higher band condx are a result of increased solar activity, solar flux peaked at 76 in the past few days, even this modest improvement allowed 15m to open extensively, and even 10m to open up too. Again, it finally looks like the new solar cycle is starting to increase after such a long wait, although seasonal effects certainly have a part to play, Oct is always one of the DX months (fantastic F2 to Pacific on 6m many years ago).

18 Oct 2009

Amazing what difference a few sunspots can make, the solar flux only dipped into the 60s for 4 days this time and has been in the 70s most of the time, feels like the new solar cycle is on the increase. HF feels like the best it's been since 2005.

Great condx to the Pacific on a number of bands in the last few weeks, 17m has been busy, and even 15m has been open to JA and VK.

New ones:
40m - TX5SPA (Austral Isl), FK8CP (New Caledonia)
20m - V8JQM (Brunei), TO7RJ (Mayotte)
17m - 9K/K6PAU, ZL4IV, lots of JAs
15m - HS0ZIN, TY1MS, 3B8CF, 3 x JAs in the JARTS RTTY contest

28 Sept 2009

CQWW RTTY Contest - decided to have a relatively serious go at it this year with my lower power (100W) setup.

Set a target of 500 QSOs and got 737, 15m much busier than expected and quadruple the usual QSOs on 80m thanks to the loan of a vert, rather than the usual low dipole. Hard work on 15m due to low power - heard but missed JA, E21, VU, V5, and several YBs.

Thanks to Simon G4SGI for loan of his Cushcraft 40/80m vertical, it really made a difference, even though I only had time to lay out 8 radials.

13 Aug 2009

Perseids meteor shower - my 4th major meteor shower since starting out with FSK441 on 2m.

Condx not quite as good as predicted, but still bagged a few good QSOs with some nice strong reflections, the best being LY2WR in KO24.

Really could do with a pre-amp on 2m, location here is decent enough and aerial high, but 150ft coax run is not helping, even if most of it is LDF5-50.

14 Dec 2008

Geminids meteor shower - 2m FSK441. Reflections better than expected, nice defined peak and some new grids on 2m.

F1DVP (JN12), EA1CKL (IN82), IZ5ILX (JN54), TK5EP (JN41), S54T (JN75), F1NSR (JN33), I3VWK (JN55).

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