10m DXCC Summer Challenge contacts 2024

Glad you got one you wanted today John. I spent nearly 2 hours this evening spinning the dial and calling CQ too, hoping for a French station as 11m was full of them right up through the UK FM channels up to 28MHz, but not one French station heard on 10m. Had a couple of Italian contacts including the one you had, but no new points for me today.

Yes Neal, unfortunately the Es opening this summer seem to be very short lived so far, the station I worked in Pisa was the only station I could hear on the band at the time.
I heard a solitary French station yesterday, but he went QRT as I was about to call him.
Before that I was calling CQ for about 10 minutes on 28500 before the German station came back to me, then a weak Spanish station called and we had a couple of overs before I lost him, after the aforementioned French guy went QRT the band dropped out completely.
Very disappointing  

15/5/24

8P9CB   Barbados     1 point    (23)

18/5/24

S51JQ   Slovenia  1 point  (24)

18/5/24

F6DRW  France   1 point  (25)

18/5/24

  C37ITU  Andorra   1 point   (25)

Glad you got Andorra too John. Hearing a few French stations, I was hopeful to get France ITL, which did, but then this one too which made me very happy, making number 40 for me.

I've put you at 26 on the leader board as I think you have typo-short changed yourself by 1.

Great to see a bit of shortish E skip, even if 10m was not as lively as 11m was at the same time.

Thanks Neal, no idea why I can’t add 25+1 to make 26!

Yes, don’t hear Andorra too often, so pleased to log him.
The only other new ones I heard today were Switzerland and Czech Republic, unfortunately they were calling in to other stations not calling CQ.
You’re doing brilliantly with your total so far this summer mate, well done!

19/5/24

OE8ANK   Austria  1 point   (27)

Thank you John.

I see you got OE8ANK ITL. I had a good chat with him today. He came in like 51 to begin with, but then switched to an antenna that was facing our way and he jumped up to a 59.

Just got EA9KB Ceuta and Melilla for another point. He is on 28.467 if you are about, or anyone else that matter, wants to give him a try.

19/5/24

4X6HU  Israel   1 point   (28)

SangueG wrote:

Thank you John.

I see you got OE8ANK ITL. I had a good chat with him today. He came in like 51 to begin with, but then switched to an antenna that was facing our way and he jumped up to a 59.

Just got EA9KB Ceuta and Melilla for another point. He is on 28.467 if you are about, or anyone else that matter, wants to give him a try.

Yes, Neal, Ray was a nice guy to talk to, I always enjoy a QSO with more than just an exchange of reports, to me that’s the main beauty of SSB.
Unfortunately I had to go QRT after talking to him, so missed whatever activity there was during the afternoon.
Had a pleasant QSO with Rami, 4X6HU at 19.49, but couldn’t hear any Europeans, so I missed most of the Es opening.

I am sure I missed some too John.. Had to wash the car and do some bits in the garden.

The best radio bit I caught later this afternoon was about 45 minutes of strong inter-G E's. I had 2 into Scotland, MM7FXF & 2M1EUB, the first giving me another point, then had a bit of fun on 11m UK FM. It's been a while since I have seen some good 10/11m inter-G skip. Sill no Wales for me yet though.

SangueG wrote:

I am sure I missed some too John.. Had to wash the car and do some bits in the garden.

The best radio bit I caught later this afternoon was about 45 minutes of strong inter-G E's. I had 2 into Scotland, MM7FXF & 2M1EUB, the first giving me another point, then had a bit of fun on 11m UK FM. It's been a while since I have seen some good 10/11m inter-G skip. Sill no Wales for me yet though.

Gutted I missed an inter-G opening, they don’t happen very often.
Wales is very difficult for me, I’m on the south side of a 350’ hill and about a third of the way up, so ground wave is nearly impossible, short skip wise I’ve heard the north of Wales a couple of times, but my best chance is usually via backscatter.

21/5/24


CR3GPDX   Madeira   1 point   (29)

22/5/24

IS0GGA    Sardinia   1 point.  (30)

John H wrote:

22/5/24

IS0GGA    Sardinia   1 point.  (30)

Thanks for spotting him. I saw your spot on DX maps just after getting in the door, so put the radio on before starting dinner and he was still on there, rapidly heading down into the noise, but I made the contact for a point as well  Would of started cutting veg up if you hadn't of posted.

DC8TM - Germany 1

Simon467 wrote:

DC8TM - Germany 1

Great to see you of the starting blocks. Well done Simon.

27/5/24

HB9DEN   Switzerland   1point   (31)

CS2GPDX  Portugal.      1point   (32)

Just caught a bit of short skip..

GI0CWV - Northern Ireland 1pt (46)
MI7BRV - Northern Ireland

Gutted to just hear an LX station going QRT, wish I put the radio on a few minutes earlier.

27/5/24

PF1ACT  Netherlands   1 point   (33)

MM3IBM  Scotland       1 point   (34)

27/5/24

MI7BRV  N. Ireland   1 point.   (35)

What a wonderful band 10m is, Scotland, Argentina & N. Ireland in less than 20 minutes!

29/5/24

E71A  Bosnia-Herzegovina   1 point  (36)

OR90AL   Belgium     1 point   (37)

29/5/24

G4CQM  England  1 point   (38)

My first G station on 10 Metres since last July!

We’re off to Malta for six days on Friday so decent Es are guaranteed in the UK!!

Only taking my trusty UV5R, as too much hassle with the gestapo security staff at Bristol Airport if I take  more radio gear than a Baofeng…