Ten X DX News
December 10, 2000

The ARRL Ten Meter Contest has just ended as I
finish up my DX article. I asked Chuck Dietz W5PR
#7412 (ex.KZ5MM) for his comments. Chuck's reply: "I
was in the high-power single band unassisted category.
This year was not as good as last year when I won my
category. We did not get any Sporadic E skip after dark.
The flux was not as high as last year and I think that
affected the number of contacts but stateside was more
active. Totals: 3195 contacts by 164 multipliers as
compared to 3500 contacts by 163 last year. We also had
no long path this year." 73 Chuck. Your DX editor
N5MT had different goals in this contest. I wanted to
maximize finding DX, so I used the search and pounce
method. My first goal was to work ALL the states, which
I did this year. Second, I wanted to find new DX and
prefixes. A few contesters will give you their number, if
they remember it. Third, was to improve my CW copy
skills. Totals: 630 contacts by 195 multipliers both modes.
Now lets crank up the tower and take a look at the DX.
4W, East Timor Dick Wolf, N6FF #24616, and Dennis
K7BV #5414 began operating October 7th for a ten-day
DXpedition. Dennis prefers CW on 28007 and Dick on
SSB. They were my first 10-10 Sprint contact in October
so thanks for another new 1010 country! East Timor, just
north of Australia, becomes a new DXCC entity
recognized by the ARRL. Presently the United Nations
has a peace keeping force on the island to prevent
problems with Indonesia and the native population. This
conflict started twenty five years ago when Indonesia took
over the island from Portugal. Web-site:
www.qth.com/k7bv/timor .
Alaska KL1V Kent #69009 was worked recently and I
picked up his new VP number #3118. Kent has been
operating around 28408 at 2000UTC on days when he is
not working as an instrumentation specialist and radio tech
on the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline. Kent is trying to work all
state's VP so please give him a call! His station is a TS690
with an amplifier and a seven-element tri-bander on a 50-
foot tower. Your QSL requests should include a 34 cent-
stamped envelope. His email: KL1V@alaska.net.
3W, Vietnam has never had any 10-10 activity
reported! Hans WA1LWS #7119, could be the first to
give us a new 10-10 country as he was active in
November. He has applied for the use of 20 - 10 meters
and operates exclusively on CW. Good Luck. Any reports
would be appreciated.
K5K Kingman Reef was big news during mid-October.
Ned Stearns, AA7A #11185 and Ann Santos WA1S
#48144, were the only members of the group on this
desolate island south of Hawaii. This was a very well
organized DXpedition and a big success.
A5, Bhutan. A new 10-10 country will soon be
achieved from Bhutan. On September 12th, the first QSO
was made by a government official with the new A51AA
callsign. Later in the week, Peter, ON6TT #51565, was
operating from A51AA. More activity will follow and I am
sure 10-10 activity has already happened. Just wait for the
QSLs.
V4, St. Christopher & Nevis. Larry, KJ4UY #16308, is
expected as V47UY from St. Christopher running a
barefoot Icom756 from December 10-18th.
FS, French St. Martin. The group began their activity
Dec. 5-12th. The two 10-10 members are Mike WA2VUN
#12733 and Ann W2AZK #70464 on all bands.
V7, Marshall Islands. Bruce, AC4G #49089, was
active as V73CW again from the Kwajalein Island club
station, from October 23-28th.
GD, Isle of Man. Mike K1EU #36388, was expected to
sign GD6IA from October 26-29th.
TT8, Chad. Christian #45817 (ex-6W1QV, D2SA,
FH/TU5AX, TT8SA, TR8SA etc. ) is now active for the
next 16 months as TT8DX from Moundou. Activity will
be SSB using a TS690 with a linear and a beam for the
upper bands. QSL via F5OGL.
TI, Costa Rica by Jose TI2JJP #45800 shows up on
28425 swapping numbers. QSL to: Jose Pastora, POBox
2048-2050, Costa Rica, Central America.
FG, Guadeloupe. Bob KR4DA #58365 and Billy
W4WX #62600 were here from Oct. 24-31st using
FG5BG. Web-site: www.geocities.com/n2wb23/ .
YB, Indonesia. Ferdy YC9MKF #70628 and Kadek
YC9BU/P #71300 went to Semeu Island in November for
a new IOTA OC241.
9M6, East Malaysia. The Hillview Gardens Resort was
active with the callsign 9M6AAC #70718 during the
winter. Web-site has photos and a log search:
www.qsl.net/k7ar. QSL to N2OO.

Upcoming DX & New 10-10 Activity:
CE0X, San Ambrosio Island. This is the very rare San
Felix Island off the west coast of Chile. There has never
been any 10-10 activity from here but starting the second
full week of February 2001, a group of nine operators will
setup several kilowatt stations. The members are Carlos
CE3AQI/NP4IW #35512 and Randy K0EU #4977. They
will use callsign CE0XT. IOTA SA-013. CE0X is ranked
#34 on the ARRL DXCC Most Needed List. QSL to
CE6TBN: Marco Quijada, POBox 1234, Temuco, Chile.
Web-site: www.qsl.net/ce0xt/.
JT, Mongolia. Naran JT1BV #63422, has been active
around 28475 at 0100-0300 UTC for the USA and at 0800-
1130 UTC for Europe. QSL direct to: Mr. Naranbaatar T,
CPO Box 820, Ulaanbaatar-13, Mongolia (via Japan).
The D68C Comoros' DXpedition will be active from
February 8-28th. About twenty operators will participate
but you will have to find Hawk SM5AQD #52781, Justin
G4TSH #42972, Nigel G4KIU #36106 or Victor UT8LL
#52760 if you want to swap 10-10 numbers. Web-site:
www.dxbands.com/comoros .
ZS, South Africa. Norby ZS/LX1NO #70622 and
Manu ZS/LX2LX #70623 are now in Africa. They started
in Capetown and up along the east coast to Swaziland.
Manu will use 3DA0AE and Norby 3DA0AD.

Propagation: As the year 2000 ends, many are
wondering if we have reached the peak of Cycle 23? Yes,
I think we are just past the peak of Cycle 23. The past
two weeks have been very stormy and conditions for the
Ten Meter contest were not as good as last year. During
the CQWW CW contest, the band went dead for DX when
a solar storm hit the earth and disrupted HF
communications for thirty minutes. So look for a Solar
flux to range from 125-225 during the first quarter of the
new year 2001.
On December 8st, the Solar flux was 138 the A index 17
and K index 3, which is below the flux numbers three
months ago. It is possible to have a double peak but rare!
If we are past the peak, it was in July-September as the
flux numbers decline. Expect a 100-point swing in the
flux during the next quarter.
Cycle 23 is now 3 years old. The flux continues to
stay high as this phase of the cycle smooths out for two
more years of the good propagation. USA gets the best
multi-hop F layer skip during the cold winter months of
November-March. As Spring time rushes in and the earth
changes seasons in March 2001, the Europeans which we
hear daily in Texas, will stop.
Expect the best conditions on Dec.23-27, Jan. 18-20,
Feb. 13-16 and March 11-14. For stations in the Eastern
USA, expect an 80% chance of DX to the East-West path
into Europe or Africa. For stations in the Western USA,
expect 50% chance of DX into Europe and an 80% chance
into Asia. All of the USA will get a 60% chance into S.
America in the mid afternoon. Expect a 3% chance of
Long Path into Asia or Europe starting at 0030 UTC for
central USA. The beacons from 28.175-28.300 will tell
you what is open, especially 28.200. Good luck.

IOTA: USA NA-079. Jan K4QD #13423 and nonmember
John AF4WM will be active from the Dry Tortugas
National Park for a few days in December. KP2, US
Virgin Islands. Dave KP2/AG8L #9626 (QSL via
NN6C), was on from St. Croix (NA-106) from Dec. 6-13th.
During the Ten Meter Contest he signed WP2Z (QSL via
KU9C). Rod, KP2/WA0QII #28258, was operating from
St. John (NA-106) from Dec. 4-11th mostly SSB.
P4, Aruba. Martin, VE3MR #40238, will be on from
the island again as P40MR from SA-036 from December
until April 2001. QSL via VE3MR. PY0/f, Fernando de
Noronha. Bill, W9VA #2706, was active again as
PY0ZFO or PY0FF from Iota SA-003 in the contest.
SV9, Crete. Bjorn SV9/DK1EAW #70807 was on SSB
on ten and used CW on the WARC bands from October
17-24th. QSL via DK1EAW. FS, French St. Martin.
Operators Mike WA2VUN 12733, and Ann W2AZK
70464 and others using FS/W2JJ in December.
New DX Members.
VQ9, Chagos. Bill VQ9NL/W4NML #71828 was in
the Ten Meter contest with a little skip to the eastern USA.
He was reported on 28520 at 1040 UTC last week.
New Winter DX members by Carol WA8YL #29588.
DX Members August: YV4FZM 71800, DJ7VX 71801, DJ5KW
71802, VE3DHB 71803, S57AT 71804, VE4TG 71805 and SM0ELV
71806. September. EI7HE 71807, TI2ERS 71809, DL9NWE 71810,
9A2GA 71811, F5CWU 71812, VK2SW 71813, DH2PG 71814,
CU3FV 71815 and G4YTB 71816. October. ZL2LDX 71808, (issued
out of order), VE9TER 71817, DJ5BWD 71818, MI5DAW 71819,
ZS6EGB 71820, DK3WW 71821, OH1BOI 71822, VE1CDA 71823,
GM0VPG 71824. November. G0BLB 72100, F8BGV 72101,
HB9AVT 72102, VA3MDB 72103 and VE7FSF 72104.
10-10 Bar Awards: Neldo LU5HE #10334 for 6800
Bar #48; Henry DL8YBM #36109 for 5000 Bar #80; Skip
VE2ERB #20112 for 4000 Bar #140.
The weekly 10-10 DX Net meets on Sunday at 1400
UTC on 28555 with N5MT as Net Control in Texas.
Unique Y2K: I want to thank the 2360 members from 102
Countries who have worked me during the first eleven
months of this year. So far I have 7100 contacts' computer
logged. Special thanks to Arthur ZL1DU #68924 for
number 2000! Thanks to the on-line DX List, QRZ-DX,
Lee KH6BZF #8888 & Ohio/Penn DX Bulletins. Send
photos to Mike Davidson, 3518 Bellefontaine, Houston,
TX 77025 USA Email: N5MT@aol.com
DX IS! 73 Mike Davidson N5MT #24949

Copyright 2000 by N5MT

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