60m DX, use it while we can

Oh yes, we will continue using 60m in the Netherlands but there will be a change in rules. We are allowed 100 KHz bandwidth from 5350-5450Khz now with 100W since December last year. Next year our country will be complying with the WRC-15 rules, as for most countries in Europe. That means 15Khz from 5351,5-5366,5 KHz and 15W power. So, if you still want to DX on SSB/CW with QRO I guess you take your chances now while we still can. Of course there will be plenty of DX on 60m left. 15W with JT65 or JT9 is more then enough to reach the world.

I left the radio on during night time as according to the DX cluster it is the best time for DX. Early in the evening my signal was heard at VK7BO Tasmania Isl. During the evening/night VP8ALJ and TG9ANH were heard. The time for DX is not really good for us as it is really very deep into the nigh or very early in the morning. Most people here in the Netherlands sleep at that time usually. Except if you are a real DXer of course....

The 60m band is not the easiest band to DX on as it is just not as busy as the usual amateurbands. Although more and more countries permitting amateurradio on this band. I notice not many have the capability to transmit here since this band is normally not opened up for TX in the average amateurradio transmitter. However it is interesting to see what is possible on a band that is between 80m and 40m. If you decide to modify your radio and try something as experiment I suggest you take a look at JT65 (5357KHz) that's were most of the DX happens. Luckely this JT frequency still is in the band after the WRC-15 rules are valid.

After 2 days on 60m in the evening with not that good propagation I noticed the band opens earlier for stations south of me. Of course this could be a coincidence but I observed stations 100km south of me were heard in the USA a half hour before my signal was spotted at the same station. It occured to me that it could also be the antenna as I'm using the horizontal loop which is more a NVIS antenna. To prove that I should make a comparisation with neighbourstation PA4GB who has a inverted-V.