HF Contacts 10m

Just noticed your location Roger in your profile, not a million miles from my QTH so guess we had similar signals landing on us. I really struggled with the challenging propagation. Had to be quick to get in as soon as stations popped up as they disappeared, or went just under the noise level, rapidly.

SSB only, as always. Only managed one into Poland and two into Hungary. And really had to work for those, where often this year I've just keyed up the mic once and got through just as easy as using a phone. Happy to at least made some 10m contacts though.

Only heard a few DX out of Europe, and didn't manage contacts with any of them. PX2A Brazil this afternoon and two FR4s Réunion Island midmorning one of which was FR4KR, couldn't quite make out the second.

Fingers crossed the conditions are better tomorrow, though I am non-radio busy in the afternoon unfortunately.

Hi Neal, yep, not too far apart. I do like bands that aren't predictable. 28 is good in that way and 50 will be soon. It would be a good time to apply for a 40 permit. I may get around to it.

Roger
"apply for a 40 permit" ???.

Hi Alan, yes, the 40MHz band (8 metres). If you ask Ofcom nicely and give good reasons then they may just grant a NoV to use the band. I know that G3XBM has asked but is still awaiting a response. I will be putting up a dipole for this band and listening at least.

Doomed to failure due to bureaucracy, but worth a shot, maybe?

TrunkY wrote:

Hi Alan, yes, the 40MHz band (8 metres). If you ask Ofcom nicely and give good reasons then they may just grant a NoV to use the band. I know that G3XBM has asked but is still awaiting a response. I will be putting up a dipole for this band and listening at least.

Doomed to failure due to bureaucracy, but worth a shot, maybe?

Well I never (heard of that before) interesting.

Don't think an M7 will get it ????.

Alan Pilot wrote:

Don't think an M7 will get it ????.

Full only I’d imagine, although I’m guessing you’d have to butcher your radio to get it to transmit there anyway.

Depends on the radio. Some Yaesu’s will receive on 40MHz but would certainly need better filtering before trying transmit.

I’ve heard one of the Irish beacons using my opened-up FT-817 and a wire antenna.

There's always the transverter store if you need access to the band https://transverters-store.com/40mhz_assembled_with_att.htm or a rsp1 for about the same cost to receive only.

I think the M7 gives you plenty already.
If you want more then a case of more studying so to earn the extras.

Interesting the talk of 8m, but I am yet to try 6m as don't have this band in my radio. A transverter might be the way to go.

Don't know what the 10m was like this afternoon as have been busy. But this morning it was poorer than yesterday in to me. I did hear FR4KR again at 09:05 for a very short time, but they got away from me again.

Other than back of the box whispers the only other station heard, and my solitary contact for the day, was:

CT9ABO - Madeira Island

Technically just out of Europe I believe, so happy with that one  Anyone else manage anything today?

Neil
Don't think you can use the 6m band on a foundation licence.

50MHz is allowed with a foundation licence, 10W. It's a very interesting band.
Nothing heard on 28 today when I listened, was busy most of the day putting a new run of coax - all 40m of it - for a new 28 vertical.

Yep i was thinking of the 60m band derrrrr lol.

Slim pickings these last few days, only EA8AT so far today.

Solar Flux Index is up above 100 and the band is nicely open to the East this morning, mostly to Russia, Ukraine etc at around 3000Km although South Africa just worked too.

One I have been chasing for a while now worked, 5T5PA in Mauritania.

Managed one today on this band, SSB.

TA3DE - Asiatic Turkey

Lots of stations to the East this morning and now an opening westwards, just worked KO4DCR.

Busy today but did manage to catch a new one, V51DM in Namibia.

Most of the Dx was going over my head this morning, but I did manage the usual Russians plus VU2MB, YB5QZ and WP4WW for three new countries

Once again FT8 very busy with stations to the east at 3-4000km, heard a few on SSB with good signals too.

SSB, 10w
TO60CNES - French Guiana

QSO about an hour ago. The special call station still on there quite strong now 28.485

FT8 today brought me one new country - YV5JLO not great signals and lots of fading.

27/12/21 = SSB
Picked up SV5 in the am for #129 on 10m SSB for the year , later a half decent opening to North America where the pick of the bunch worked was Missouri , Tennessee and Ohio with some others from the Atlantic coast thrown in.Not much radio time of late but good to see the band/MODE still has some action .

Bean wrote:

27/12/21 = SSB
Picked up SV5 in the am for #129 on 10m SSB for the year , later a half decent opening to North America where the pick of the bunch worked was Missouri , Tennessee and Ohio with some others from the Atlantic coast thrown in.Not much radio time of late but good to see the band/MODE still has some action .

Excellent! I am happy to hear that members here managed to get some contacts on the US opening yesterday, was a little gutted to get a call to work just as it was starting so missed out. I heard Cleveland Ohio just before shutting down and would of loved to have gotten that one for two reasons; I haven't gotten OH on 10m yet, and it's also the home city of my mother's side of the family. Really pleased you managed to work. Consolation for me was I managed OH on 12m a couple of weeks ago, I know it's not quite 10m, but it's far from 20m