Ten X DX News
June 7, 2002
There are now 307 countries that have had 10-10 activity as
confirmed by QSL cards and Solar Cycle 23 begins to decline as we go
into our summer season with a change of propagation and poor skip
conditions.
I just sorted my online daily-log into country order and I see that
I have talked with sixty-six 10-10 countries over the past six months.
Most of the DX activity was in February and March, and the change to
summer here in the USA, has brought poor DX conditions to the north but
stations towards the south or southwest are still workable.
The Summer 10-10 CW QSO Party in May was like a DX contest as I
contacted more DX stations than USA. I logged seventeen countries and
only five were 10-10. Tad JA3XOG #10443 was my only Asian contact. My
friend Allen ZL3KR #6251 told me he made a hundred contacts. The lack
of Europeans was a big disappointment with only a few making it into my
log but none were 10-10. Members complained about not being able to
work their friends that weekend but that happens when the skip pattern
turns south for the summer. USA stations should try backscatter. Do
not get mad at the schedule of the four QSO Parties which are evenly
spaced out so you get each season of the year to make contacts. The
USA winter months will always be the best time to make large numbers of
contacts, so just wait.
Here are the details of the four new 10-10 countries worked plus
information on North Korea.
FO0/A Austral Islands New Country 304! I worked Leo K8PYD #44582
with his call sign FO0FRY in December 2001. Now that this 10-10
country has been confirmed it will be 10-10 country 304 for the record
books. I worked him on two bands and swapped numbers with Leo. I
received the QSL card April 10th.
VP6GEO South Georgia Island New Country 305! The DXpedition in late
Jan 2002, was a nice catch for many. Ralph K0IR #2609 was the only 10-
10 member in the group of operators. They only stayed on the island a
few days and this was a second stop after putting on South Sandwich the
previous week. Due to their location on Sandwich the signal into the
USA was very poor and many missed this one. South Sandwich has had 10-
10 activity in past years so it was not a new country.
XR0X San Felix New Country 306! Three members were active from San
Felix Island in March 2002. I talked with Joe KO4RR #46176 for an all
time new one and heard Dr. Carlos NP4IW #35512 but missed Doug N6TQS
#72301. This very rare East Pacific island is the last South America
country that had never had 10-10 activity. San Felix goes into the
record book as worked and the QSL cards from N7CQQ should arrive soon
for DXCC credit.
VP6DI Ducie Island New Country 307! Tom Christian VP6TC #73104 used
his new 10-10 number very little from Ducie in March. The other 10-10
member was Miralda VP6MW #50434 and I had to remind her what the number
was as she had not used it in a long time. This was a first time
activation of a new ARRL country, as Ducie is a separate DXCC country
about a one day sail from Pitcairn. Both San Felix and Ducie was
active at the same time so the band was crowded with people working
split frequency when both groups were active on the same band.
Tom Christian is a guest speaker at the HamCom DX luncheon at
Arlington, TX. I am at this convention as I finish my DX article and I
got to meet Tom. We talked about life on Pitcairn and his two trips to
Ducie. The second trip was in March when we worked them but the first
try was cancelled due to stormy weather. QSL card requests for VP6DI
go to VE3HO in Canada.
P5 North Korea by Ed P5/4L4FN #72722 has been approved by the ARRL
DXCC for SSB operation. My QSL card arrived mid-May for my ten meter
contact in November 2001. Ed has been operating mostly on 15 SSB (21225
listening 21235) with his new AL80A amplifier donated to him. I suspect
by November he may go back to ten when conditions improve to the USA.
No one has yet submitted a QSL for 10-10 credit. Ed will be in North
Korea until June 2003. QSL to Bruce KK5DO #65027.
Upcoming DX & New 10-10 Activity:
BQ9P Pratas Is. Located in the South China Sea, it will be put on
for the 7th time by a group of operators started June 4-12th. The only
10-10 member is Gary W5FI #11862, who talked with me and said he would
be sure that his 10-10 number gets passed out for this new 10-10
country. There has never been any reported 10-10 activity from Pratas
Is. I just worked them on 15M SSB with a very weak signal so good luck
on ten. QSL via KU9C.
ZS South Africa and 3DA Swaziland by Frosty K5LBU #51322, will be
active as ZS6FF from July 5-10th and 3DA0CF from July 11-18th. He
returns to S.Africa and will leave August 4th for his return to
Houston, TX.
ZC4 Cyprus by Steve ZC4BS #52763, reports that during June he will
be using a special prefixes from the Sovereign Bases on Cyprus as
ZC40BS.
4D70/DZ70, Philippines. Robin DU9RG #36943, advised that from now
to December 31, 2002, DU stations are authorized to use the prefixes
4D70 (for individual) and DZ70 (for club call signs).
FO, French Polynesia. Paolo IK2QPR #63455, will be active from Bora
Bora Island between August 10-14th. QSL: Paolo Fava, via Bertani 8,
46100 Mantova, Italy.
C2 Nauru. The YL mini-DXers, Elizabeth VE7YL #50488 (CW), June VK4SJ
#63451, Mio JR3MVF and Gwen VK3DYL plan to operate next from Nauru (OC-
031) from October 1-14th where they hope to use the call sign C21YL.
QSL to VK3DYL.
8R Guyana by Len 8R1Z #72707 was worked on 28440 at 1640Z by
stations in the south USA.
JW Svalbard by Tom LA7VK #72716 for a quick trip June 4th. He flies
his office back to Norway on the 5th.
9M6 East Malaysia. the Hillview Gardens resort station 9M6AAC #70718
in Sabah was activity in June. I just worked them on 18Mhz SSB. QSL to
Bob N2OO #12732.
CY9 St. Paul Island. James VE9DH #72121 will be one of seven
operators are expected to be on the air from June 29th to July 8th.
They hope to land on a west side of the island that will help put a
better signal into the USA. The west side is much more difficult to
land due to high seas.
5A1A Libya. Abubaker #69222 is at college in Germany now. QSL to A.
Aassid, Max Strasse 58, Bonn, 53111, Germany with two green stamps if
you need a card.
XE1CI Nellie #45888 was hit by a car as she walked in Mexico City.
This required a hip replacement plus a pacemaker for her heart. She
will be recovering for the next four months at home and is off the air
for a while.
Propagation: Solar Cycle 23 is now in a slow decline from the first
peak in the spring of 2000 and the second peak in the fall of 2001.
Propagation last winter was good through March but the downturn of
Cycle 23 has begun this spring. My prediction is for the Solar flux to
range from 120-190 during the last half of 2002.
Cycle 23 is now 4.5 years old. The flux continues to stay about
170-180 as this cycle grows older but expect more good propagation this
winter for the USA. E layer skip, could produce some interesting
summer propagation to the USA with F skip to S.America.
On June 3rd , the Solar flux was 170 the A index 11 and K index 2,
which is slightly below the flux numbers three months ago. Fewer Solar
flares have been observed the past few months which indicates a drop in
the average flux. In January 2003, I expect a Solar flux range of 120-
155.
Expect the best conditions on June 1-5, July 2-5 & 29-31, August 25-
28 and September 21-24. Stations in the Eastern USA, expect a 20%
chance of DX to the East-West path into Europe or Africa. Stations in
the Western USA, expect 5% chance of DX into Europe and a 20% chance
into Asia. All of the USA will get a 50% chance into S. America in the
mid afternoon. Expect a 2% 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:
Europe EU-172. Jens, OZ5MJ #64686, lives on Fyn Island and he can make
a schedule most any time as he is retired. E-mail to
moreau@post1.tele.dk . EU-007 by Declan EI9HQ #71019, sometime in June
maybe as EJ9HQ.
NA-103. VP2M Montserrat by Bill, W4WX #62600 was QRV as VP2MHX, with
lots of PSK31 and RTTY April 9-16. He planed to go to V2 Antigua like
last year but cancelled. NA-148. Tony WF1N #33959 and Lou W1DIG #40472
will be on Thacher Island July 26-28th. Operations will be before and
during the IOTA Contest. Tony: a.spino@snet.net and Lou:
megawatt@snet.net .
New Spring DX members by Carol WA8YL #29588.
March 2002 to May: 73121 JA1QS, 73121 JAS1QS, 73122 JA8JOZ, 73123
VK4LAJ, 73124 V70OD, 73360 4Z4TL, 73400 DL3TYA, 73401 VA3GRL, 73402
ON5DXL, 73403 VE7DGM, 73404 DL6NDS, 73405 JI1KAL, 73406 VA3QSL, 73407
EU6TV, 73408 VY2AS, 73409 G4XBL, 73410 VE3CNN. 72711 VE7HBS corr.
10-10 Bar Awards: Neldo LU5HE #10334 for 7400 Bar #38; Henry DL8YBM
#36109 for 5800 Bar #63; Ad PA3ABW #24351 for 3400 Bar #207; Alan
VE4ALN #69217 for 2100 Bar #499, and Tony VK6PP #38922 for 1600 Bar
#713. Congratulations to these DX members.
Countries Award: There are 584 basic certificates issued, I processed
10 new basic certificate and 22 upgrades this quarter. Email any
questions and I can send a list of your country credits by email or by
mail with an SASE.
The 28555 DX Net will not meet until this Fall when skip to Europe
returns in late October 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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