Ten X DX News
June 2, 1996
Skip on Ten for the past 16 DAYS IN A ROW! The
most interesting thing that has happened since last time we
talked has been the return of short skip on Ten. The
openings started Saturday May 18 and have continued at
least until June 2 when I finished this article. Everyday
during that time, I worked or heard stateside or DX from:
Malta, Portugal, Hawaii, Canada, Bermuda, and South
America, plus ten over nine signals stateside here in Texas!
I have gone through two Solar Cycles now and remember
eleven years ago at the bottom of cycle 21 when I was in
a DX contest on Ten. I heard a weak Japanese station
calling CQ but could not work him until I turned the beam
to the southeast and worked three JA's...LONG PATH!
Long path on Ten is rare for Texas and to find it during the
bottom of a cycle is the RAREST of conditions. So you
tend to remember contacts like that and I had another one
of those moments on Tuesday May 28!
Lets see May 28? That day, I turned on the radio about
one hour early to get ready for the Houston SHOT Net on
28488. I tuned to 28480 and heard CT1EHI Marcos
#62280 in Portugal saying that he had been on frequency
all day, it was then about 1 am, he must QRT and go to
bed. OH, well, I just missed the first 10-10 DX from
Europe since the Ten Meter contest last December!
Marcos worked KB9N Cliff as his last contact and then I
talked with Cliff to get some info on Marcos, as they are
friends. Marcos signal was 52 and easily workable had I
been a few minutes earlier. I know several of you worked
him over the next few days as he has had a good signal
into the USA. See Jeremy's KB1AWE story later.
This DX opening was a GOOD sign and thirty minutes
later I talked with my friend WD4NGB Bruce out of
Tennessee who has 308 countries worked on Ten, great
count for a Technician class. Bruce stayed home to work
DX, with his 7 element yagi at 90 feet, he racked up 15
European countries, 2 Africans and missed Libya 5A1A,
no 10-10, for what would have been country 309. Bruce
had a weaker signal than the closer Europeans and the US
East coast stations that were stronger before 5A1A went
QRT. When I looked over the DX packet cluster reports
for May 28, you see a lot of DX from all over the world,
many Europeans working into Africa. We see these DX
reports through a gateway that comes into Houston, so I
know when the band is open in Europe. I think that May
28 should be classified as the RAREST day of the bottom
of cycle 22, and now we could be just beginning cycle 23.
In my mind May 28 starts cycle 23, but the rocket scientist
will disagree since they use numerical figures and graphs,
which have not been published yet, to tell us when Solar
Cycle 23 actually starts. I like to think, DX IS!
Jeremy KB1AWE #63947 in MA sent this out by Email.
"What a surprise I got tonight! About 23:28 UTC
Wednesday May 29 on 28.480 I worked CT1EHI in
Portugal! He had a 10-10 and a Springbok. Couldn't
believe it. With a 57 signal who would of thought it was
in Europe! I hope it is just the beginning of LOTS of
Europe to come!! 73's et good DX 2 all -Jeremy " (Ed: I
heard Marcos go QRT at 0010Z on May 29 and he had
been on the frequency for hours!)
Upcoming DXpeditions & New 10-10 Country Activity:
(Editor: I need to verify the following operations
worked on ten and swapped numbers with someone!)
LIBYA 5A. Reports indicate LZ1WR Ted #51524 may
have been in Libya in March. Ted hoped to use the call
5A1A, (get Ted's 10-10 as 5A1A has no number). 3V8BB
Tunisia Club Station by DL8OBC Felix #55519 QSL
direct to DL2OBF. RWANDA 9X4WW Mark, ON4WW
# 49103, has a new callsign and is mostly CW.
The Cocos-Keeling Island DXpedition team headed up by
Bill VK4FW #34297 (ex-VK4CRR) using the call VK9CT
made a poor showing here in Texas! They began May 18-
30 mostly 20 & 40M. I saw a DX spot for them on 28495
at 0440 on the 25th but I heard nothing to that frequency.
That night we did have short skip stateside.
VU7, ANDAMAN ISLANDS. Well known DXer Jim
Smith, VK9NS #47404, who at the Dayton HamVention
and DX Dinner Banquet, announced he has received his
Indian license which is valid for 5 years. The license
authorities were kind enough to issue him VU2JBS which
contains his initials. He also mentioned that he believes
the permit to import the equipment being donated by the
Heard Island DX Association (HIDXA) to Mani, VU2JPS,
has now been mailed to Norfolk Island. Jim stated that he
plans to return to the Andamans in July or August of this
year subject to various factors. (Ed: this is very good news
as VU7 is a much needed country! Good luck to Jim.)
New 10-10 Country pending all of these calls.
ZL8 Kermadec Isl. DXpedition May 4-13. Ken ZL2HU
#37889 was the organizer and QSL manager of a six man
team that went to Raoul Isl. in the ZL8 group. I worked
them on all bands 10-80. I have a 10-10 from ZL8 so I
did not ask for a number when we worked on 10M.
ZK1, SOUTH COOK ISLAND. By Stan K8MJZ
#06204, non-members Bruce AA8U & Marilyn AG8W,
will be active July 11-21. This time frame will include the
IARU Contest. They will operate from Rarotonga Island
as ZK1AAU in the contest and ZK1MJZ and ZK1AGW
outside the contest and expect all bands 10-160. Cushcraft
is sponsoring the operation with antennas and equipment.
They will not join nets or lists and requests full calls only.
QSL to AA8U.
Malta 9H by Matthias 9H3UF (DL4OCL #61570) and
Felix 9H3UD (DL8OBC/AA0NV #55519), are returning
to Gozo EU-023, the second largest of the Maltese islands
in the Mediterranean, July 22 to August 9. Internet
http://home.pages.de/~dl8obc/. QSL Matthias Deutscher,
POBox 100412, D-30942 Ronnenberg, Germany. Felix
Riess, POBox 1253, D-30984 Gehrden, Germany.
C6, BAHAMAS. By Bill AA4R #03430 and non members
Robert K4MQG and Ted WA4VCC will be going to the
Grand Bahama Isl. from June 7-14. The station will be
very active during the ARRL June VHF Contest, 8-10.
Grid Square FL06 has not been on VHF for quite
sometime. Their antennas will be atop a 3-story condo
building located right on the ocean. QSL homecalls.
VP5/K8JP Turks & Caicos by Joe #22977 operated
mostly CW in Feb. & May 9-13. Please note his old
Indiana address is no longer valid. His new address: Joe
Pontek, POBox 59573, Schaumburg, IL 60159-0573.
VK Australia - Steve Salmon, AA6LF #50995 may have
been active in May for 3 days as VK4ALF from the Low
Islets. The IOTA status of the islands, which should be
located in the Queensland State (North Coast) Centre
group (OC-172), is still to be confirmed. Steve is on a 7
year around the world sailing cruse. QSL via AA6BB.
MALAWI, 7Q. Karl, WF5A, #39163 was active until
around May 18, as 7Q7KH. He operated with 100 watts
and a G5RV and was found on CW and SSB on most
bands. QSL via his home call.
Propagation: Solar flux will range from 66-80 in the
Summer/Fall of 1996, as I write this, the Solar flux is 68,
the A index 5 and K index 1, about the same as last
quarter. The flux never got below 66 during May, but dips
to 65, high A indexes greater than 20 and the K index
greater than 4, will occur 10% of the time. For stations in
the US, expect a 6% chance of DX propagation to be East-
West paths into Europe, Asia and Africa. For stations in
S.America, expect a 15% chance of DX skip into Europe
and Asia. Expect heavy Sporadic E Layer conditions
during the summer to be 1-3 hop skip that will travel 400
to 1600 miles with fading. Remember to listen for the
beacons (28.2-28.3) to check conditions.
Letters, Cards and Faxes Received:
Malta 9H3TY by Holger DL7IO #22401, Birgit DL7IQ
#62276 with 5 month old Saskia and eight German hams
operated May 17-31 from Gozo Isl. I heard them on Ten
but the signal was too weak for a QSO. QSL to DL7VRO.
ZS8, MARION ISL. Reports indicate that Chris, ZS8IR,
has been active on 75 and 20 SSB. He will be there until
June 1997. ZS8MI #64647 is the same location.
South Africa by Don ZS6AQS #61510 Chapter Head
Springbok Chapter sent me the following: "I would let
you know what we are hearing and working from ZS. I am
afraid not much is coming through but we do get the odd
opening between Europe and JA, have heard nothing from
the US or from VK and ZL. However we have been
having very good conditions on 40M between the US work
KD6WI his TX frequency 7.178 KHZ or 7.224 KHz my
TX 7.085 to 7.095 KHz depending which one is QRM
free. I have been able to get through each afternoon at
1430Z. And have been working ZL on 7.094 KHz most
days at 0500Z till 0530Z one can work most of Southern
Africa as one has V5,Z2,9J,C9,ZS8IR some days as well
as ZS6 to ZS1 stations. We have also been working VK6
on 80M on 3.798 KHz at 1530Z. ZS8 still does not have
a frequency that he can call his own but he does have an
E-mail address. I have tried to get it from Chris ZS6EZ
but no go. Works on the SAT Phone, what times he is on
the Internet I do not know, will try to find out. Thanks for
the news if I get anything I'll pass it on to you. 73 Don."
Mike G4BLH #18446 had these comments from England
on May 29: "As, in the past, there have been a large
number of messages about openings on 10M over there in
North America (when there has been absolutely
NOTHING doing over on this side of the pond), I thought
it might be of interest to report, that, over the last couple of
weeks, there have been quite a few openings over here
(thank god). Over the last couple of weeks, I have worked
a bucket load of stations, on ten meters including
DJ,OZ,LA, SM,HA,HB, OK,CT,EA, I,F,9A,PA ,5B4,
and even LU. Admittedly, it was hard work trawling for
10-10 numbers, but during these openings I have managed
to pick up several new 10-10 numbers ( I had to work what
seemed to be 'thousands' of stations to find them HI...it is
getting increasingly difficult to find European stations with
10-10 numbers). It appears that you have to work about
300 EA or I stations to find just one with a 10-10 number
(or so it seems). One station heard was Z32KV Macedonia
...but the prefix is new to me." (Ed: You heard Macedonia,
look for Z32JA Venco #23427 ex. 4N5JA/YU5JA.)
Thanks to: Russ Gauthier #1525 (N5EJS@linknet.net) for
his assistance; To everyone for the letters and photos that
you have been sending; To the on-line DX Reflector,
QRZ-DX & Ohio/Penn DX Bulletins. Send photos to
Mike Davidson, 3518 Bellefontaine, Houston, TX 77025
USA or Email to Mdavidson@infosvcs.tmh.tmc.edu or
KC5CP@aol.com.
Good DX & 73. ... Mike Davidson KC5CP #24949
Charlie KA5EAV/KA2CC #45835 (KA2CC is Japan) sent
this: "QSL via USBURO - AA1MF, John, has established
a QSL bureau for stateside swapping. For more
information, his Email is: 102452.2315@compuserve.com.
I will send all unsolicited QSL's to this bureau, if you have
an SASE on file, you will receive my QSL. SASE's sent
direct to me will of course be answered. When you have a
club/net meeting, this info could be of interest to other
hams, why not pass it along. Check KF7VY's homepage
( http://www.accessone.com/~vbook/hronline.htm ) for a
good description of this service. 73 Charlie "
Last issue I talked about Scarborough Reef, BS7H by
KJ4VH Tim #41856, and Pratas Island BV9P, being the
next new DXCC countries. QSL cards for both countries
will be received by the DXCC Desk starting April 1, 1996.
QSLs for BV9P to Steve Wheatley (KU9S #31988),
POBox 5953, Parsippany NJ 07054. The QSL cards for
Scarborough Reef BS7H goes to JA1BK.
_______________________________________________
The Sunday 555DX net had no activity for the past month
and I have closed the net until next winter. I hear skip
south into Central & S.America but signals are weak. I
expect the number of sun spots to increase in late 1996
when the winter DX season opens for the US. The
Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) will go up as we
move from Cycle 22 to 23. Conditions will improve so
keep working the short skip looking for 10-10 numbers.
Congratulations to DL7IO Holger #22401 and DL7IQ
Birgit #62276 who delivered a 7 lb. 6oz. girl Saskia
Moana on December 26,1995! Holger was DL7VTM and
Birgit was DL7VTZ. Corrected address: Holger
Hannemann, Rudolf-Seiffert-Str. 58, 10369 Berlin,
Germany.
On-line DX information:
3Y, BOUVET. Luis, XE1L #18056, reported at the
Dayton HamVention that the South Sandwich Island DX
Group will be going to BOUVET Isl. sometime in
December 1997/January 1998. Naturally, this will be a full
scale operation. Details will be forthcoming.
Since 1 April 1996, all new UK prefixes have changed to:
Scotland is MM0; England M0; Wales MW0; N. Ireland
MI0 and so on. So all these prefixes are valid. SHORT
calls will soon be issued to UK Hams for contesting, calls
like GM1A and such will be allowed too, probably in time
for the IOTA Test in July. Tnx Tom GM4FDM #31864.
3A/I1YRL Monaco by Luc #58966 was due back in
Monaco in March. As of June 1, no activity reported.
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