10m DXCC Summer Challenge contacts 2024

14/7/24

LY4A   Lithuania   1 point   (47)

OZ1HQ Denmark 1 point    (48)

And at 12.00z at the  end of the contest complete silence on the band.

I wonder how often it is open for  phone operating with no one except little old G0DNV bravely calling CQ on 28456…

                               SSB, USE IT OR LOSE IT !!

14/07/2024
YR8D - Romania 1pt (65)
YR0HQ - Romania

Well done on working a couple more John.

Didn't catch the last couple of hours of the contest as at a garden centre, but have witnessed the instant "closing of the band" on previous occasions.

If a CW beacon or digi signal is at +20dB on my S meter then a path is surely open enough for a phone signal. You might not hear me John, but I do call out too, so don't feel so alone Rarely have responses to CQs, but occasionally happens. Even when completely dead with no signal of any type to be found on the band I have still tried. Once had Gary UK mega-station G0FWX come back to me because he felt sorry for me lol, but it made a touch of activity on an otherwise 1.7MHz wide segment of static hiss.

The IOTA contest yesterday didn't bring the band to life as much as I really hoped it would, to my QTH anyways. Did anyone else have any joy? Mostly Italy and Brazil plus a few large EU contest stations for me, but no new entities worked for our challenge.

The contest runs to midday 12:00 UTC today. I am out doing non-radioing activities so good luck to the rest of you, I hope the band plays ball for you.

28/7/24

 EJ3Z,  Rep. of Ireland   1point   (49)

Neal, all I heard yesterday on the odd occasions that I listened was S America.

One more now for my half-century, but conditions need to improve considerably for me to get there.

Off to Switzerland on Wednesday for a few days, I can’t make up my mind whether to take a radio, if I do it’ll probably be the Albrecht 2990, which will give me 10, 11 & 12M, but only 2 watts!

And at 12.00z complete silence even though the band is still open from here in Devon to GM and 5B4 on SSB with +20 signals.
 
How I wish I was back in the 80s when the bands were being used for real radio communication by phone or CW rather than the glorified texting that passes for amateur radio nowadays …

Very well done on getting at least 1 point out of the IOTA contest John. It's great to be able to update the league table as it hasn't been at all for over 2 weeks for any of us.

If I was heading to Switzerland I would take the Albrecht and attempt doing a SOTA activation. Even with just 2 watts that should help secure some contacts. But that's me.. my better half would most certainly half a different opinion about me doing so.

With the conditions not as great as we'd like plus people spread out using different modes, this challenge of ours is a real challenge. Personally I like a challenge and if I found making contacts on 10m as easy as I do on 20m, I wouldn't be so interested in doing it.

There are a lot of people using the newer weak signal digi modes, even when conditions are awesome for phone contacts. That maybe because of personal circumstances like high noise levels to contend with, or many other reasons like they just love to use... using FT4/8 can be as addictive as a legal drug or sugar.. wanting to try for another, then another, and another (I know I have done it). I saw HB9HSJ had topped the Station Master social media logging boards recently with 679 contacts in one day on a non-contest day! Not sure if that is dedication or addiction. I think if we want to show new operators how exciting phone modes can be, and get long time licence holders using phone modes again a bit more (and a high proportion of digi users in my log are long time ham radio operators not new users), then us as individuals who like to use phone modes need to do something about that.. to show them how special and magic it is. What and how exactly, I don't know, and might be worth a topic posting on the forum to discuss.

We have just a touch over a month left of this challenge. Good look to all!

SangueG wrote:

Very well done on getting at least 1 point out of the IOTA contest John. It's great to be able to update the league table as it hasn't been at all for over 2 weeks for any of us.

If I was heading to Switzerland I would take the Albrecht and attempt doing a SOTA activation. Even with just 2 watts that should help secure some contacts. But that's me.. my better half would most certainly half a different opinion about me doing so.

With the conditions not as great as we'd like plus people spread out using different modes, this challenge of ours is a real challenge. Personally I like a challenge and if I found making contacts on 10m as easy as I do on 20m, I wouldn't be so interested in doing it.

There are a lot of people using the newer weak signal digi modes, even when conditions are awesome for phone contacts. That maybe because of personal circumstances like high noise levels to contend with, or many other reasons like they just love to use... using FT4/8 can be as addictive as a legal drug or sugar.. wanting to try for another, then another, and another (I know I have done it). I saw HB9HSJ had topped the Station Master social media logging boards recently with 679 contacts in one day on a non-contest day! Not sure if that is dedication or addiction. I think if we want to show new operators how exciting phone modes can be, and get long time licence holders using phone modes again a bit more (and a high proportion of digi users in my log are long time ham radio operators not new users), then us as individuals who like to use phone modes need to do something about that.. to show them how special and magic it is. What and how exactly, I don't know, and might be worth a topic posting on the forum to discuss.

We have just a touch over a month left of this challenge. Good look to all!

 
Thanks Neal.
Sadly I certainly won’t be allowed any time for POTA or SOTA!
Sheila will go nuts anyway if just have my bag searched at security, let alone me disappearing to a park for hours on end!
I occasionally have a little success with the 2990, working around Europe. And have got across the pond once with it, but that was using the EFLW antenna here at home.
Each man to his own, but digital modes don’t appeal to me in the slightest, and of course because it’s the easy option to work DX they drag operators away from phone or CW which does annoy me!
Another thing is that in my opinion they belittle awards like DXCC, as you  well know working 100 countries on SSB is so much harder than having a computer doing it for you!

This evening, I finally got a decent 10m antenna up, although it needs a bit of fettling. Tested it with the G90. Heard lots of stations including S/America.

Worked just one tonight.

DK3EE TOM GERMANY 1pt (12)

Deb

My first contact on 10m with the new President Washington and the coaxial half wave vertical. 

OH6RM TOUKO FINLAND 1PT (13)

Nearly didn't call because he was having difficulty in hearing low powered stations in the UK. But I did and was rewarded with a 5/7. When I told him I was using the new rig and home brew dipole, he said it was working fine with good audio.

I'm more than chuffed!

Deb

Surprised and delighted this morning to find 10m open to VK short path.

Several UK stations made contact, but I couldn't break through the pile up. 

It does tell me that my vertical coaxial dipole is performing better than I expected.

Deb

2 tonight...

PY5MM MAURICE BRAZIL 1pt (14)

LU2DD DANIEL ARGENTINA 1pt (15)

Deb

3 today...

LY4A LITHUANIA 1pt (16)

YL2LW LATVIA 1pt (17)

RW1A RUSSIA 1pt (18)

Catching up 

Deb

Well done Deb. No new 10m ones for me this weekend.

I have family here on holiday until next Wednesday, but managed a couple of hours this afternoon.

3 today...

OL88YL - CZECK REPUBLIC - 1pt (19)

EA8AMT - CANARY ISLANDS - 1pt (20)

OM80SNP - SLOVAK REPUBLIC - 1pt (21)

Deb

Tried for ages tonight for a faint CE, but gave up when he could only repeat my callsign suffix.

Can I claim half a point? 

Just kidding. 

Deb

That's more than I've managed recently Deb, well done. There were a couple of stations from Hungary and Israel on last night, but I had spoken to them all a few times before so left them for others to work.

You can have half a point if I can have half a point for my FM contact into Wales

SangueG wrote:

That's more than I've managed recently Deb, well done. There were a couple of stations from Hungary and Israel on last night, but I had spoken to them all a few times before so left them for others to work.

You can have half a point if I can have half a point for my FM contact into Wales

CE5DSQ coming through 5/9 tonight on 28.452, but still couldn't get through due to pile up.

I'll try again tomorrow. It's becoming an obsession!

Deb

Two tonight, still didn't get that CE

HA5JI HUNGARY 1pt (22)

CV6LHE URUGUAY 1PT (23)

Deb

Nice one Deb.

Just a couple of weeks left. Can anyone squeeze any more points. It's definitely not been hard going this year that the previous couple of years.

SangueG wrote:

Nice one Deb.

Just a couple of weeks left. Can anyone squeeze any more points. It's definitely not been hard going this year that the previous couple of years.

It was difficult working from the van until end of July when I got the new shack operational and 10m antenna up, but great fun nevertheless. My personal goal now is 30 by end of August.

You've done a fantastic job Neal.  

Deb

Feeling very pleased to at last get this one, and it was the first contact with my new callsign, too. 

Also super pleased with the way the coaxial dipole is performing in difficult conditions.

CA3VAK - CHILE - 1pt (24)

Deb

One tonight...

FY5KE - FRENCH GUIANA - 1pt (25)

Deb

VanRougeT4 wrote:

One tonight...

FY5KE - FRENCH GUIANA - 1pt (25)

Deb

Snap, had that one in the log again tonight, but no point for me. Many south American countries coming through on FT8, but that was the only one I heard on SSB.

SangueG wrote:

VanRougeT4 wrote:

One tonight...

FY5KE - FRENCH GUIANA - 1pt (25)

Deb

Snap, had that one in the log again tonight, but no point for me. Many south American countries coming through on FT8, but that was the only one I heard on SSB.

I was trying to get a station in Lebanon, but gave up because of extreme behaviour of some European stations constantly calling over each other. When I dialled away, FY5KE was 5/9 + only a few kc away and I got in on my first call with a 5/7.

Also been chasing VK short path mid mornings on 10m for a couple of days. Don't know if my vertical dipole and 80 watts will make it, but worth a try.

Deb

Yes, a vertical dipole and 80 watts can make it. 10 watts and a vertical can make it, might not be (definitely not for me) an everyday happening, but it can make it. Just a few mW on SSB into a vertical can make it if you're Peter VK3YE.

Would love for you to get VK in the log for this, I don't have one in the log for 2024 at all.

Wish everyone all the best for the remaining days of this challenge. I do hope Craig and Al are both doing ok, been quiet on here from you both for a while.

This coming weekend there's a few contests including a Brazilian one, a good chance for those who are looking for that country for the log. The following weekend is the UK/EI DX contest, which the first half of on Saturday will round off this challenge of ours, for members in the UK we become the DX, for those of you out of the UK it is a possible chance for you to get Wales or one of the other UK entities you might be after.

Good luck all!