Amazing 6m opening to north- & central America 22-July

 

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

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.

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".