Above the map of my contacts with the special event call PE75FREE. It includes Hawaii but till now I didn't work VK (Australia) at all. I made over 2300 QSOs and worked 81 DXCC till now. Last update I got from Lars is that over 8000 unique calls are worked with the complete team and lots of awards are issued.
Actually at the moment I write this the 10m is still open and full of signals, exceptional for late evenings. The propagation on 6m has to be good as well. I made several contacts there with my multiband vertical, but it isn't like my 5 element beam of course. Not shure I will have the 6m beam up this year, still busy with my 4m beam.
Propagation on 10m was similair with yesterday this morning. Extreme strong signals from Japan again but no one that seems to receive my signal. It is probabely covered up by other European stations I can't hear.
Notice the extreme -6dB signal from JJ1RDX. I called him several times but he suddenly vanished.
Well, it doesn't matter. I made QSOs with JA on 10m in the past, however it would be nice to make some for the PE75FREE log. From the map it looks like almost no one is receiving my signal, it is probabely a bug in PSKreporter. I made at least 100 QSOs on 10m today, so others did receive me but PSKreporter doesn't pick it up apparently...
Update 18-5: Finally got a VK in the log. VK7AC worked on 40m FT8
Amazing work Bas and I bet this has been a blast for you? What is the power output on FT8 that you are using. I ask because Bernard was booming into Canada at -1.
ReplyDelete73,
Mike
VE9KK
Hello Mike, I use around 70W on all bands except for 60m (15W allowed). Bernard does use max. legal power 400W. When propagation is good it doesn't matter how much power is used. But I can see a difference now. Bernard has made about twice the amount of QSOs compared to me. He also use a SteppIR 2 element beam. 73, Bas
DeleteOh! That makes me feel a bit better. I never go above 25W, usually much less, except in the case of 2m. But it is impressive work, Bas!
ReplyDeleteI used 25W before FT8 was born. It was enough to work even the most difficult DX. Besides that the IC-706 was running hot when using much more power. The IC-7300 can run 100W 24/7 with FT8. It has much better cooling. Btw, the above contacts map is not only FT8. I run a good amount of SSB and CW as well. 73, Bas
DeleteVery interesting 10m report. Strange how it is all to the east, I had the same here.
ReplyDeletePSKReporter doesn't seem to like long calls. I can see stations using the / in their call ... say /MM ... and my reception reports never appear on the PSKReporter website.
Maybe it's the length of the PE75FREE call is the reason there are so few reception reports for it up on the site?
Hello John, the long call is indeed the problem. I guess it is also one of the problems I couldn't make the contact with Japan. 73, Bas
DeleteGood evening Bas, it's the magic of radio just does not do what we expect it to do and that keeps our interest peaked and has us hang on to the next possible contact. Propagation is a strange thing and as you said just because we can hear them means nothing.
ReplyDeleteVery much enjoying your reports on the operation.
73,
Mike
VE9KK
Hello Mike, absolutely right about the core of radio magic. You never know what to expect. I hope to work you with this special call one of these days. Checking PSK reporter but unsuccessful till now. 73, Bas
Delete