Ten X DX News
March 7, 2002

The ARRL SSB DX contest finished last weekend and
conditions on ten were great! I logged 112 countries and
twenty were 10-10. I talked to Victor UA9OS #55518 for
my last zone (18) needed for 10-10 WAZ. Missed ten
zones of the forty while logging forty 10-10 members and
eight were from Japan. The most unusual propagation
occurred Saturday night about 4 hours after sunset, the
band was open world wide! My friend Chuck W5PR
#7412, was working stations with his 200ft high antenna
that I could not hear with my yagi antenna at 75ft. I turned
the radio off at 700Z and Chuck was still working stations.
3W Vietnam New Country 304! Two members have
been active from Vietnam during the past four months. I
worked 3W2DC, in October 2001, the operator was Bob
N4CD #20902 on CW where I worked him about 200Z.
Bob recently operating from Guadeloupe as FG/N4CD for
a month. The other 3W station I worked was 3W2LWS
operated by Hans WA1LWS #7119 on SSB. Received
cards for both contacts so this new 10-10 country has come
off my needed list. We continue to hear other Far East
stations as well as a new member from Singapore.
9V Singapore by Selva 9V1UV #73109 has a brand new
10-10 number. I heard Selva trying to collect numbers
during the Winter QSO Party. We talked by email and got
together in mid February at 125Z a few days after he
received his new 10-10 number and we exchanged
information on 28.508 where he likes to operate. It has
been about twenty years since there has been any 10-10
activity from Singapore, so Selva 9V1UV is a welcome site.
A new 10-10 country from the Austral Islands was
recently operated by Leo K8PYD #44582 with the call sign
FO0FRY in December 2001. This should be 10-10 country
number 305 for the record books. I worked him on several
bands and swapped numbers with Leo for a new one. I am
waiting on a QSL card at this time.
9Q Dem. Rep. Of Congo. This country has had many
political problems and now the Mount Nyiragongo volcano
has erupted killing people. Two members have been active
with aiding the D.R.Congo people after this tragedy. They
are Pat 9Q1A #66013 and Nicole 9Q1YL #66012. My
friend Paul F2YT told me about their new licenses and I
was able to make a contact with Pat & Nicole. You might
remember that 9Q was named Zaire before 1998 and is just
south of the country named Congo which has a TN prefix.
TI9 The Cocos Island 2002 DXpedition was a nice well
planned trip from February 17th to March 2nd. The team of
15 operators went to Cocos Island on a 90-foot
fishing/diving vessel which served as their home while the
team operated radio from shore. Since Cocos is a nature
preserve, the visitors had to sleep on board the ship as there
is no overnight camping allowed on the island. They did
have a landing permit to operate the TI9M station so DXing
was allowed. Although Cocos Island is territorially part of
Costa Rica, the island is located 350 miles offshore, and a
separate DXCC country with the prefix TI9. Cocos is a
popular scuba diving location and is the world's largest
uninhabited island. The island receives a lot of rain, one
inch per day, so they must setup shelter for the equipment
from the elements. The 10-10 members were: Alan
KI7WO #63747, Bob N4CD #20902, Bill AK0A #13996
and Flo F5CWU #71812. (Ed note: They had a great
signal on ten, it was an easy contact with Flo to get his
number on March 1st.) QSL to AK0A.

Upcoming DX & New 10-10 Activity:
Ducie Island VP6D is scheduled to be active for the first
time as a new DXCC country in mid-March 2002. Ducie
Island is about 300 miles north of VP6 Pitcairn Island. As
a result of Pitcairn joining the IARU, Ducie now qualifies
as country #335 for ARRL DXCC. In February, I helped
Tom Christian VP6TC #73104 get his 10-10 membership
so there would be someone on the DXpedition with a 10-10
number. You need to work Tom operating as VP6Ducie
to get a brand new 10-10 country for the first time!
XZ, Myanmar. Dan Brown NA7DB #21616, and two
YL's (Sarah and Jessica), will be on the air from Myanmar
during the week of March 29th to April 4th as XZ1SB,
XZ1JB, and XZ1DB.
YA Afghanistan. YA5T club station can be operated by
Peter ON6TT #51565 and Mark ON4WW #49103. They
work for the UN World Food Program and they will be on
the air as their work schedules allow. The Web site address
is: http://www.qsl.net/ya5t/. Carl K4YT #37347, has
gotten the call YA0USA issued to the US Embassy in
Kabul. Look for operation on 10 and 15 SSB.
8Q Maldive Isl. by Bernard F5INJ #71317 was on 28460
with his friend Paul F2YT #22871. Bernard was there the
first week of February. Paul F2YT is also QSL manager
for a new member Camille TK5XN #73101 who is on
Corsica Island. Camille and Paul recently were on the
28555 DX net in February just after Camille got his new
membership. Thanks to Camille for a new 10-10 country
for many that were on the DX net! Ever wonder where
Larry TZ6VV #28997 has gone? He lives on Corsica near
Camille but Larry has no station as yet in his apartment.
4T Peru by Rene DL2JRM #69623 operated as 4T4X
with priority on CW from January 3 - 11th.
EW Belarus. Vic EW6OO #72108 and his son Yuri
EU6CQ #72400, are often on the 28555 DX net at 1400Z
on Sundays. Also on the DX net was the rare Zone 18 by
Victor UA9OS #55518, who gave me my last 10-10 zone.
HP Panama by Dirk de Jong, HP3XBS (ex VP2VF) #
63440. His new address is: Apartado 4017, Boquete,
Chiriqui, Panama. Dirk make a lot of contacts during the
Winter QSO Party to give us a new one from Panama.
KG4 Guantanamo Bay. Vance N5VL #63352 was
active as KG4VL from March 1 - 6th. Bill W4WX #62600
used the call sign KG4DX from January 11 - 19th.
Remember there is no bureau at KG4 so QSL to W4WX.
P5 North Korea by Ed P5/4L4FN #72722 now has a
new multi-band vertical with a better signal, but he like to
stay on 15 meters most of his time. QSL KK5DO #65027.

Propagation: Solar Cycle 23 has now produced a second
peak in the fall of 2001 which was bigger than the first peak
in spring 2000. A twin peak has occurred in previous
cycles but the reason is not known why they occur.
Propagation sure has been good from April 2000 through
March 2002! The downturn of Solar Cycle 23 will begin
this spring and we will have another good winter next year,
maybe two winters. My prediction is for the Solar flux to
range from 135-210 during the first quarter of 2002.
Cycle 23 is now 4.3 years old. The flux continues to
stay above 180 as this cycle turns downwards but expect
more good propagation during the winter months for the
USA. Multi-hop F layer skip, has peaked this winter as
the change of season brings less propagation to the USA.
On March 5th , the Solar flux was 183 the A index 12
and K index 4, which is slightly below the flux numbers six
months ago. Solar flares have pushed the flux up the past
few months but I still foresee a drop in the average flux. In
December 2002, I expect a Solar flux range of 130-160.
Expect the best conditions on March 3-4 & 30-31,
April 26-28, May 23-25 and June 19-21. Stations in the
Eastern USA, expect a 70% chance of DX to the East-West
path into Europe or Africa. Stations in the Western USA,
expect 40% chance of DX into Europe and a 70% chance
into Asia. All of the USA will get a 50% chance into S.
America in the mid afternoon. Expect a 5% chance of Long
Path into Asia or Europe starting at 100Z for central USA.
The beacons from 28.175-28.300 will tell you what is open,
especially 28.200. Good luck.

IOTA: 3V Tunisia. AF-083. Carsten DL6LAU #58930
operated with the call 3V8SM from Djerba Island, until
February 18. QSL via DL1BDF. C6 Bahamas NA-080.
John WZ8D #48825, was active as C6AIE from Abaco
from January 1-10th. DU6 Philippines OC-129. Gerard
F2JD #63443, was active from Boracay Island as
DU6/G0SHN. KH0 Mariana Isl. OC-086. Hobert
JA6HJP (KF4LX/AH0) #39717, was active from Saipan,
Northern Mariana Islands in February. J3 Grenada NA-
024 Bill K4LTA #14696 and Ruby K4UPS, were active as
J37BO and J37RO between Jan 31 and Feb 25th. Bill
prefers CW. QSLs direct to: Bill O'Kain, 101 Baylor Drive,
Oak Ridge, TN 37830. J3. William VE3EBN #24663,
will be active as J37LR until March 31st. JA Japan AS-
041. Shin JI3ACL/4 #50449 will be active from Oki
Islands on March 16-18th. OZ Laeso Isl. EU-088 Uwe
OZ/DL3BQA #42017, was active from Feb 5-11th. PJ2
Netherlands Antilles. SA-006. W8AV #25365, and
N8LGP #52852 were active as PJ2/home calls from
Curacao, until February 19th. USA NA-079. Jan K4QD
#13423 was active from Garden Key (Ft Jefferson) in the
Dry Tortugas for a few days about March 2nd.

New Winter DX members by Carol WA8YL #29588.
Dec. 2001 to Feb 2002: 3D2AG 72719, DK4RL 72720,VE4AG
72721,4L4FN 72722, VE6TG 72723, G0NQZ 72724, YL3BZ 73100,
TK5XN 73101, M0MRW 73102, DS3BGI 73103, VP6TC 73104,
DL2HWO 73105, DL2AYJ 73106, VE3LLL 73107, VD9RWG 73108,
9V1UV 73109, VE7EQV 73111, VE2MY 73112, MI5TCC 73113,
VE4HUM 73114, LA8PDA 73115, 4X6KJ 73116, VE9BRU 73117,
VA3JPS 73118, MI5RJS 73119, VE4RCJ 73120.

10-10 Bar Awards: Wolf DK3KD #58990 for 8100 Bar
#32; Neldo LU5HE #10334 for 7200 Bar #42; Carl
PY2DBU #8264 for 4800 Bar #97; Fred VA7TEN
#24752 for 2500 Bar #414; and Evillo KH6DRT #33751
for 2700 Bar #338.

Countries Award: There are 574 basic certificates issued,
I processed one new basic certificate and fifteen upgrades
this quarter. Email any questions and I can send a list of
your country credits by email or SASE by mail.
The 28555 DX Net begins at 1400Z Sunday and will
continue until we loose skip to Europe in late April 2002.
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 2002 by N5MT

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