Saturday, July 17, 2021

100 DXCC worked on 50MHz

It took me some years. Finally I worked 100 DXCC on the 6m band. Thanks to digital mode FT8 of course. P43A from Aruba was contacted this evening after a lot of calling. A +00dB report is unbelievable strong with FT8, yet P43A was struggling with my signal so it seems. I guess there are so many calling that it is hard for the software to pick out one signal on his end even when it is that strong. 

The fun is that P43A Jean Pierre has a background as a avid 11m DXer just like me. He even met his wife on the airwaves.

Thanks very much Jean Pierre for being my number 100 DXCC on 6m.



As a matter of fact. While busy writing this blogpost I worked DXCC 101. It seems to be my lucky evening. I actually want to write more about this ES season later on after the season but this evening is really incredible...

The fun again is.......you already guessed it. PJ4KY Bert was also involved in 11m DXing.

It was nice to meet these 2 CB buddies, 10-4 ;-)

We almost forget, this is not HF! This is VHF...





Here is my list:

DXCC, 6m, Mixed

band = 6M, modes = All.

Nr Start Station Country DXCC Band Mode Sent Recv
1 13-6-2021 13:13 OH0AZX Aland Is. 5 6m FT8 -07 -14
2 21-6-2020 09:36 ZA5G Albania 7 6m FT8 -02 +00
3 9-6-2021 17:29 7X2RF Algeria 400 6m FT8 +01 +01
4 21-6-2020 10:12 C31CT Andorra 203 6m FT8 +01 -11
5 23-5-2021 21:47 VP2EIH Anguilla 12 6m FT8 -13 -21
6 16-6-2019 06:05 EK7DX Armenia 14 6m FT8 +01 -09
7 17-7-2021 19:47 P43A Aruba 91 6m FT8 -03 +00
8 30-5-2000 18:47 OE2UKL Austria 206 6m USB 55 57
9 20-6-2021 21:42 CU6AD Azores 149 6m FT8 -02 +02
10 5-6-2021 14:57 A92GE Bahrain 304 6m FT8 +02 -14
11 18-6-2015 20:28 EA6XQ Balearic Is. 21 6m SSB 59 59
12 26-6-2018 20:03 ON7EH Belgium 209 6m FT8 -14 -08
13 17-7-2021 20:10 PJ4KY Bonaire 520 6m FT8 -12 -09
14 24-6-2018 17:58 E73DN Bosnia-Herzegovinia 501 6m FT8 -06 -01
15 2-7-2020 18:05 PV8AZ Brazil 108 6m FT8 -09 -15
16 3-6-2018 14:26 LZ6DF Bulgaria 212 6M SSB 59 59
17 1-7-2019 19:34 VE1PZ Canada 1 6m FT8 -12 +01
18 9-6-2021 19:13 EA8/DF4UE Canary Is. 29 6m FT8 -10 -04
19 14-5-2019 16:14 EA9ABC Ceuta & Melilla 32 6m SSB 59 59
20 18-6-2015 20:16 TK4LS Corsica 214 6m SSB 59 59
21 26-6-2018 19:13 SV9CVY Crete 40 6m FT8 +09 -14
22 15-6-2015 19:27 9A2TN Croatia 497 6m JT65 -03 -05
23 19-6-2019 15:34 CO8LY Cuba 70 6m FT8 -13 -17
24 28-6-2020 07:47 5B60ALX Cyprus 215 6m FT8 -18 -17
25 7-6-2017 17:20 OK5TK Czech Republic 503 6m SSB 59 59
26 18-6-2018 20:04 OZ3K Denmark 221 6m FT8 -04 -12
27 24-6-2018 19:04 SV5DKL Dodecanese 45 6m FT8 -21 -12
28 23-7-2018 12:26 HI3T Dominican Republic 72 6m FT8 -16 -12
29 26-6-2018 19:53 G4LZE England 223 6m FT8 -20 -02
30 12-6-2021 06:39 ES2SF Estonia 52 6m FT8 -10 -25
31 27-6-2017 20:37 UB7K European Russia 54 6m JT65 -21 -08
32 30-6-2019 09:06 OY1OF Faroe Is. 222 6m FT8 +05 +12
33 16-6-2018 20:38 DF8XR Fed. Rep. of Germany 230 6m FT8 -07 -12
34 14-6-2015 17:50 OH3ENL Finland 224 6m SSB 59 59
35 11-7-2021 08:38 F4AWT France 227 6m FT8 -11 -07
36 20-6-2021 18:44 TR8CA Gabon 420 6m FT8 -08 -19
37 17-6-2020 19:12 ZB2IF Gibraltar 233 6m FT8 -11 -11
38 23-6-2018 16:55 SV8KOM Greece 236 6m FT8 -14 -20
39 28-6-2021 20:16 J35X Grenada 77 6m FT8 -11 -08
40 19-6-2019 14:47 TO1T Guadeloupe 79 6m FT8 -13 +04
41 18-6-2019 13:37 HA7NB Hungary 239 6m FT8 -01 +08
42 17-6-2020 20:29 TF3JB Iceland 242 6m FT8 -20 -08
43 14-5-2000 13:05 EI7GL Ireland 245 6m USB 59 59
44 18-6-2019 12:43 GD0TEP Isle of Man 114 6m FT8 -04 -18
45 28-6-2020 07:41 4Z5LA Israel 336 6m FT8 -02 +02
46 8-6-2021 21:43 IU8KTX Italy 248 6m FT8 -20 -21
47 30-6-2012 18:31 JX9JKA Jan Mayen 118 6m SSB 59 59
48 11-7-2021 08:43 JA8ISU Japan 339 6m FT8 -10 -16
49 17-6-2001 19:10 GJ0JSY Jersey 122 6m USB 59 59
50 1-7-2002 18:05 JY9NX Jordan 342 6m USB 59 55
51 16-6-2020 19:30 UN7ZO Kazakhstan 130 6m FT8 -08 -12
52 14-5-2021 06:48 9K2NO Kuwait 348 6m FT8 -01 -02
53 12-6-2021 06:48 YL1ZF Latvia 145 6m FT8 -10 -13
54 13-5-2021 07:07 OD5ET Lebanon 354 6m FT8 +03 -19
55 26-7-2020 09:44 HB0WR Liechtenstein 251 6m FT4 +08 -08
56 18-6-2019 13:35 LY2HM Lithuania 146 6m FT8 -14 -18
57 9-8-2019 16:07 LX1JX Luxembourg 254 6m FT8 -12 -20
58 24-6-2018 18:06 Z32ZM Macedonia 502 6m FT8 -19 -11
59 11-6-2021 21:02 CT3HF Madeira Is. 256 6m FT8 -11 -01
60 22-6-2015 17:39 9H5G Malta 257 6m SSB 59 59
61 14-6-2021 20:33 OJ0C Market Reef 167 6m FT8 -10 +08
62 18-6-2019 15:35 5T5PA Mauritania 444 6m FT8 -05 -11
63 20-6-2020 10:46 ER5DX Moldavia 179 6m FT8 -11 -09
64 6-6-2021 15:50 3A2MW Monaco 260 6m FT8 -15 -17
65 24-6-2018 18:03 4O6AH Montenegro 514 6m FT8 -01 -02
66 11-6-2021 17:34 CN8LI Morocco 446 6m FT8 -14 -06
67 30-5-2020 07:30 PF75FREE Netherlands 263 6m CW 599 599
68 19-6-2019 13:33 MI0NUM Northern Ireland 265 6m FT8 +03 +07
69 11-6-2015 19:42 LA5TFA Norway 266 6m JT65 -01 -09
70 24-6-2018 08:46 A45XR Oman 370 6m FT8 -05 -12
71 28-5-2000 19:23 SP9QMP Poland 269 6m USB 59 59
72 8-6-2021 21:42 CT1DVG Portugal 272 6m FT8 +00 -01
73 2-7-2020 20:08 WP4G Puerto Rico 202 6m FT8 -05 -14
74 26-6-2021 11:06 A71AM Qatar 376 6m FT8 +00 -06
75 18-6-2019 13:39 YO7CWP Romania 275 6m FT8 -05 -16
76 28-6-2020 09:02 T77C San Marino 278 6m FT8 +01 +04
77 22-6-2015 09:34 IS0DCR Sardinia 225 6m SSB 59 59
78 7-8-2020 10:04 HZ1SK Saudi Arabia 378 6m FT8 -22 -19
79 30-5-2000 19:23 GM0HLV Scotland 279 6m USB 59 59
80 11-6-2015 19:57 YT5TOS Serbia 296 6m SSB 59 59
81 28-5-2000 20:10 OM3KFF Slovak Republic 504 6m USB 59 59
82 22-6-2015 07:45 S55DX Slovenia 499 6m SSB 59 59
83 22-7-2007 12:00 1A0KM Sov. Mil. Order of Malta 246 6m USB 59 59
84 8-6-2021 21:37 EA1GKZ Spain 281 6m FT8 -05 -21
85 9-6-2019 12:40 J69DS St. Lucia 97 6m FT8 -01 -12
86 30-6-2020 19:18 PZ5RA Suriname 140 6m FT8 -15 -17
87 9-7-2020 19:22 JW7QIA Svalbard 259 6m FT8 -10 -10
88 14-6-2020 16:56 SM2YIP Sweden 284 6m FT8 -04 +05
89 22-6-2015 17:36 HB9TRY Switzerland 287 6m SSB 59 59
90 25-5-2021 14:49 EY8MM Tajikistan 262 6m FT8 -07 -07
91 9-6-2019 17:50 9Y4D Trinidad & Tobago 90 6m FT8 -12 -17
92 15-6-2015 19:52 TA1BM Turkey 390 6m JT65 -01 -01
93 21-6-2001 10:37 ZC4FL UK Sov. Base Areas on Cyprus 283 6m USB 59 57
94 11-7-2021 07:53 UY8VO Ukraine 288 6m FT8 -09 -15
95 13-5-2021 17:53 A61ZX United Arab Emirates 391 6m FT8 -14 -16
96 8-7-2021 21:30 W1XX United States of America 291 6m SSB 59 59
97 18-6-2019 12:52 UK9AA Uzbekistan 292 6m FT8 -10 -01
98 23-5-2021 21:20 YV5NEA Venezuela 148 6m FT8 -07 -15
99 7-7-2021 18:36 KP2/K0BZ Virgin Is. 285 6m FT8 -19 -19
100 28-6-2021 19:05 MW0USK Wales 294 6m FT8 -04 -08
101 15-7-2018 20:16 S01WS Western Sahara 302 6m FT8 -13 -04

Thursday, July 15, 2021

8J1RL Antarctica

 


Normally through the week I only have time for the hobby late in the evening. The main bands in summer are 6m and 4m. Besides that a little 10m and 12m. Always looking for new DX...

However....all those 4 upper bands seem to be death last 2 days in the evening. So I went down to 17m, worked a lot of interesting DX yesterday. Today I decided to go for 30m again. After I worked Japan, Djibouti and the Philippines I suddenly saw 8J1RL from Antarctica calling. Some station I never heard/seen and worked before although I heard of it.

I managed to make a QSO.

Some info from their blog:

We received a recent report on 8J1RL from Syowa Station's Kondo member / JG3PLH, who will be overwintering for the fourth time.

This content is also sent to W3UR, The Daily DX Editor.-

QTH SYOWA station, ANTARCTICA (69.00S, 39.35E)

Callsign 8J1RL 

Operators Takumi Kondo (JG3PLH), Kazuhisa Ohshita

Dates Feb.2021-Jan.2022

Rig ICOM IC7610, IC7300

Power 50W

Antennas 4El.Yagi (20/15 / 10m), 3El.Yagi (30/17 / 12m), Wire (40m)

Bands 40-10m

Modes SSB, CW, FT8

-

So, this year I will go with ICOM.

The site has just finished the wintering change with the 61st on the 20th, and it is said that the 8J1RL operation will be a little further ahead because it is busy with observation preparations and summer closing.

I also did one QSO with 20m CW last year, so I hope I can watch it a little more seriously this year.

As a separate matter, 8J1RL is not a real-time update, but it seems to support LoTW.

de Yoshikawa / JG2MLI



Manpack bracket for the FT-817/818

 Well, some of you know that I homemade a bracket back in 2017 after I saw commercial brackets made by chameleon antenna. It functions well but lately I was thinking about constructing a manpack, or a grab-and-go amateurradio station. Ideal would be a package that includes everything: trx, psu/battery, digital wireless modem and antenna. Something like the new Icom IC-705 with that fancy bag which is just made for this rig. Anyway, many do have the FT-817 and are not willing to buy a expensive gadget. Not that the IC-705 is a bad radio but it is very expensive, at least for my wallet.

Today I came across this:


O.M.G...this is just what I'm looking for. But of course this piece of art is expensive. Besides that I prefer to make things myself. This bracket is looking very well and it allows the FT-817 stand at its back which is ideal when you want to construct a manpack. I like the detachable connectors that make it possible to access them at the front and act as feet as well. It is certainly worth to view the videos at the site that offers these brackets.

https://www.armoloq.com/

I will never be able to copy this bracket since I do not have the materials/tools needed to create this. But I have a pretty good idea of a cheaper alternative which will cost me hours of work of course. But hey, it's a hobby so why not...

Don't have time, don't want to spend a lot of money or not really handy? If you really want to buy something cheap.....check this out.

Friday, July 9, 2021

Huge 6m opening to USA @ 8 July

 


An incredible transatlantic opening on 50MHz yesterday evening till 02:00 local time in the morning. Made several QSOs to the USA and my second SSB contact to that area. Best DX heard was W6UC from California (+8800km). Both 50.313 and 50.323 were packed with signals. To make contacts you could only try picking the strongest signals which were into the + dB figures. To find a empty spot in the waterfall was not possible. Although best chance was above 3000Hz. However, there are still not many able to listen there. My advice to those that use FT8: set your filtering as wide as possible. I listen 3600Hz wide as always. To transmit there you definitely need CAT control and configure JTDX or WSJT-X using "fake split".