It's always a surprise what DX can be worked when you are at the start of the month. Most DX can be worked from about 2-3 hours before sunset till 2-3 hours after sunrise. Best propagation to the east is in the afternoon/early evening, best to the west and south at night and best to the north (pacific) around sunset. 60m isn't that much affected by sunspots it seems, everyday worldwide reliable contacts are possible if you choose the right time/moment of day. It just is a great DX band.
March started with the EX0QR DXpedition from Kyrgyztan for me. I got a message from PA4O Peter that EX0QR could be worked easily with the F/H FT8 method. At first I thought I had worked Kyrgyztan before but a quick check of my log revealed I didn't.....a few minutes later he was in my log. Worked them on 9 March.
Next was the TO7DL DXpedition from Reunion Isl. They were active on CW and I tried several times to at least receive them but the signal was too weak. I almost though I would not be able to work them for a new country. But suddenly on the evening of the 12 March they showed op on 5360 KHz FT8 and a QSO could be made. There are quite a few active stations on Reunion but not many on 60m yet.
KG4NE Guantanamo Bay was worked very early in the morning
From his QRZ page we are informed that Kelly is active on 60m since the 18th this month and wow he got a warm welcome:
"The local evening of 18 March 2020 was my first time on 60m. Once I started at about 2130Z on 18 March 2020, the pileup did not subside, I was told up to 45 stations were calling me in the beginning. The pileup started to slow down around 0100Z."
I worked Kelly very early in the morning of 22 March, well actually at night for us.
I worked FO5QB from Tahiti, French Polynesia in the morning greyline of 23 March. Actually I had been monitoring 2 days before to see when Michel would be having a good enough signal so I could pick best times to try. Opening to the Pacific are sometimes short, and this one was indeed short. But it did happen, also was a ATNO for me.
Well, regular readers did read about my contact with ZD8SC from Ascension Island. Did it happen, I still don't know...
Above QSOs were first ones for me on 60m.But I worked other DX as well.
5-March J68SS Saint Lucia
5-March VP9GE Bermuda
6-March 9X2AW Rwanda (came back on my CQ!)
6-March ZL2CC and ZL2BH, QSOs with New Zealand are possible every day!
14-March ZL4OL and ZL3RJ
23-March 9G5AR Ghana
Next was the TO7DL DXpedition from Reunion Isl. They were active on CW and I tried several times to at least receive them but the signal was too weak. I almost though I would not be able to work them for a new country. But suddenly on the evening of the 12 March they showed op on 5360 KHz FT8 and a QSO could be made. There are quite a few active stations on Reunion but not many on 60m yet.
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