DX News March 2024

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Jeff Steinkamp

TenX DX News March 1, 2024

Mike Davidson N5MT #24949 Download as PDF

Welcome to the Spring season of the DX News. The Sun is still producing Sun spots that keep the Solar flux high and maybe a maximum high for Cycle 25 may occur in 2024 or 2025! DX Propagation into Europe and Asia this past quarter has been better which may have given us a record Winter QSO Party event the first weekend of February. I counted 100+ logs received by Dan KZ3T #41015 who has posted the results on the 10-10 website where I came in 9^th place.

I write about DX’ers that have helped us over the years to put 10-10 into our logs. Here is a recent member who is now SK. He was an outstanding DX op, a first class DX organizer and a big help to our hobby for 65 years as a ham:

He was Bob Allphin K4UEE #75256.

Bob and his DXpedition members have given out several new 10-10 countries. He has organized rare DXpeditions that have gone to the most wanted places on our planet.

Bob passed on February 10, 2024 at the age of 79.

Bob grew up in a military family with his father going to foreign assignments and he got his ham license at the age of 14. Teenagers have a way of being good CW ops and that was his preferred mode. He retired early in life and his passion for DXpedition became his new hobby. He has visited 131 DXCC entities and operated from 85, plus a few world records and WRTC events to his credit. RIP Bob.

http://hamgallery.com/W1JR/The big ARRL 10 Meter contest last December had a good showing with several big contest stations making over 3000 contacts! My station only had a few hundred with my vertical but I did log several 10-10 friends that weekend.

Update on the replacement of the Win1010 program.

Jeff N7YG #65084, started re-writing the program several months ago and there are a few Beta testers helping. I was a Beta tester for Jim K4HAV/SK. So I am helping with Beta testing on the replacement program. My 10-10 log contains 44 years of history so I am using that data to help debug the new program. My log has over 17000 members, a lot of DX countries, OM/XYL teams, VP numbers, counties and prefixes. I still have a few awards that I did not apply for in the old program so I am hoping to make progress with a few new awards. I expect testing will take several more weeks to get the final version ready for release in 2024.

OK its time now to talk DX, the winter months have been better for Ten meter skip and I have listed two rare 10-10 sites below. The CQWW SSB contest had a good start to the fall DX season with over 100 countries worked on Ten by friends in Texas. When you work a DXCC in the Ten Meter contest in 48 hours, you have good antennas and skip was open for you to log over one hundred countries!

Many USA east coast stations have been talking into Europe for several hours each day this past Winter. The

Winter QSO Party results are posted in this issue and the 10-10 Website. The ARRL Ten Meter contest gave me over 200 contacts with a dozen new 10-10 members in my log!

I hope some of you worked a new 10-10 country in Africa this past winter as Mike V51MA #64688 has been active many times this past winter on the 10-10 Daily net.

One of our members Joe W1JR #17912 has been writing a general summary of yearly DX activity for the past 21 years. His DX reports at: http://hamgallery.com/W1JR/ .

This year is the 62^nd anniversary for 10-10, so try to find a members with a 62 in their 10-10 number and log them. Last year 2023, I found 11 members with the anniversary date.

Countries Award: There were no Countries Award applications submitted this past quarter. So I worked on my 10-10 log data and found more OM/XYL teams for another award for 275 Teams #1. Thanks Marcus KM5EH.

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General 10-10 DX reported in the past quarter:

4L Georgia. Alex K6VHF #77458 was in Georgia in February as 4L/K6VHG for a week. Alex was there in November 2022 for a longer stay and operated on Ten.

4U United Nations. The UN station 4U1UN #55555, in the New York, was heard in Dec/Jan/Feb on CW and in Oct/Nov 2023 on SSB. The beacon is on 28200 MHZ.

5A Libya. Abubaker 5A1A #69222 is using a new call 5A1AL in Libya, this callsign is not a 10-10 member and does not use LoTW! He was on CW in February.

6Y Jamaica. Rob VE4GV #8852 was using VE4GV/6Y from February 10-24^th.

A3 Tonga. Al K7AR #2736 was on Tonga for a CW contest with a friend. He used call A31DL until Feb 27^th.

CE0Z Juan Fernandez Isl. A DXpedition to the island was from February 10-23^rd using CB0ZA by seven ops. Members: Ramon NP4G #36218 and Hal W8HC #12502. JuanF Island is a rare 10-10 DX location!

DU Philippines. Tim N4GN has a new DX call 4G1G and he may build a new station in DU later this year.

ET Ethiopia. Ken K4ZW #18573 was back at the club station ET3AA no 10-10, helping club members operate in December. Ken and two friends operated from January 11- 20^th. Ken likes CW so good luck for a new one.

FJ St. Barthelemy. Phil K2LIO #7746 now lives on St. Bart using call FJ4WEB. He returns to New York for visits when he is not on St. Barthelemy. Good luck.

H40 Temotu. A DX group of 8 ops were on Temotu from February 22 to March 7, 2024 using call H40WA. The only member was Paul N6PSE #68859.

https://Swains2023.com..K US. The Battleship Iowa NI6BB #77115 was on in February when I worked the ship berthed in San Pedro CA.

OA Peru. Ed OA4SS #10802 was back on Ten on CW with his rig an dipole on 28017 Mhz in February.

P4 Aruba. John W2GD #14109 was back in Aruba for another visit operating as P44W in February.

PJ7 St. Maarten. Ed N2HX #25435 was on for the ARRL Ten meter contest using call PJ7PL. He was on St. Kitts with a new DX call V49R last October.

Gary KC9EE #16977 started operating on February 21^st and will leave on March 6^th. Gary likes CW & SSB contest.

TF Iceland. Chuck KC4KQE #64759 was in Iceland from February 17-26^th on SSB and FT8. Call TF/KC4KQE.

TX Clipperton Island. A big DXpedition to Clipperton in January used call TX5S. Members: Gene K5GW #15119, Paul N6PSE #68859 and Nodir EY8MM #52767.

V2 Antigua. Chuck KG9N #17038 used call V26CV from Antigua mostly CW mode until February 20^th..

V3 Belize. Uwe DL8UD #70315, was expected to be active until March 6^th as V31KO and V3O in contest.

V4 St. Kitts & Nevis. Jeff K1ZN #60508 used call V44/K1ZN from February 25 to March 4^th.

V5 Namibia. Mike V51MA #64688, we have talked several times this year on SSB and he is the only DX net control operator that helps the 10-10 daily net on 28380 MHZ at 1800 UTC except Sundays when there is no net.

VP2M Montserrat. Thaire W2APF #50022 was on Montserrat from January 11^th to April 11^th as VP2MDX.

VP6 Pitcairn Island. Miralda VP6MW #50434, is back on the air after fixing a problem at her station. She likes FT4 on 28180 or SSB 28555 Mhz recently.

VP9 Bermuda. Darrell AB2E #9753 was mostly on CW and FT8 as AB2E/VP9 and VP9I for contest in February.

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Upcoming DX & New 10-10 Activity:

7P Lesotho. A big group of DX ops are going to Lesotho Africa from March 20-29^th. The only 10-10 members are Thos EI2JD #73610 and Declan EI9HQ #71019 using callsign 7P8EI. They hope to setup eight stations for CW, SSB & Digi. Don’t miss this rare 10-10 location!

CE0Y Easter Isl. Jorge CE0YHF #39382, maybe on Easter Island while helping at a hospital.

CY9C St.Paul Isl. A DXpedition for August 26^th to Sept 25^th may take place by ops that were on Sable Isl recently. More info will be coming soon. Good luck for a new one.

FO Austral Isl. Haru JA1XGI #55571 will be using call TX5G from March 25 to April 3, 2024 on Austral Island.

PJ2 Curacao. Andreas DK5ON #54260 will be on the island from March 11-27^th as PJ2/DK5ON on all bands CW, SSB and Digi. LoTW.

VP9 Bermuda. Les N1SV #71546 will be on Bermuda for the ARRL DX SSB contest the first weekend of March using call VP9I and VP9/N1SV outside the contest.

YJ Vanuatu. A group of four ops will activate YJ0VK from March 29^th to April 11. The only 10-10 member is Matt K0BBC #76064. The DX ops are from Australia.

ZF Cayman Isl. Scott K7ZO #55678 and two friends, will use call ZF1A during the DX SSB contest March 2-3^rd.

Miscellaneous Items & Notes:

TenTen Website: http://www.Ten-Ten.org .

Propagation forecast: http://www.solen.info/solar/ ,

www.SolarHam.net and http://ARRL.org/Propagation .

More propagation: http://dx.qsl.net/propagation/ .

DX Calendar: http://www.dxwatch.com/ .

DX: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4dJcK-WVRw.Https://Secure.Clublog.org/mostwanted.phphttp://ebarc.org/pdf/dx-entity-history.pdf

Ham Lookup various ways:

https://Haminfo.tetranz.com/map .

Ham LoTW users: http://www.hb9bza.net/lotw-users-list .

NEW: WM7D Solar Values: https://www.wm7d.net/hamradio/solar/ .

FT8 Fox/Hound Video: https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=GcbtTKSRkus .

Propagation: I expect the solar flux to range from 132-212 this Spring. The spring equinox is March 21^st it’s the day of the year that has the equal day/night times in both hemispheres. The Sun is over the equator giving an equal amounts of sunshine to both hemispheres. Remember,

Cycle 25 started on November 17, 2019 almost five years ago but six more to go! This quarter saw a lot of sunspots visible with M and X class flares that increased the solar flux. Sunspots are found by looking at the Sun and the flux is measured at 2.8 GHz.

The 2023 monthly max solar flux: Jan 234, Feb 215, Mar 188, April 176, May 180, June 180, July 179, Aug 176, Sept 176, Oct 166, Nov 194 and Dec 195. Average 188.

The 2023 monthly min solar flux: Jan 136, Feb 134, Mar 129, April 125, May 134, June 144, July 154, Aug 139, Sept 131, Oct 119, Nov 118 and Dec 126. Average 132.

On March 1^st, the solar flux was 164, the A index was 4 and K index was 2. There have been more sunspots on the Sun over the past three years with increased solar flux up 25-60 points. This cycle 25 hit a high value of 208 on February 12^th. The average flux for the past 6 months was 154.8. The previous solar peaks were in 2014, 2001, 1989 and 1979. The USAF forecast for March 1^st to April 14^th has a range of 155-180 with avg flux 169, which is up 19 points from the Dec 2023 quarter forecast.

My Prediction: Over the next four months, the best conditions on Ten could be: March 29-April 5^th; April 29-31^st, May 23-26^th & June 19-23^rd. For the USA, expect a 50% chance of DX to Europe, Asia, S. America or Pacific. Use the beacons 28.175-28.300 MHZ to find if the band is open and if it’s closed for SSB, use FT8 on 28074 for a Q.

New DX member that in December to February 2024: Lawrence VA7LTX #78237, Henry VE3GRX #78251, Jim M0HDX #78263 & Denise VE7QYR #78294 was the last calls issued. Rick KG5CYA #78305 was the last member in February and about 125 members joined this past quarter.

Thanks to the Daily DX by Bernie W3UR #25731 and the ARRL DX Bulletins. This 10-10 DX News edition is my number 130^th of DXing reports for the past 32 years.

DX news to: Mike Davidson, 26274 Whispering Pines Ave, Denham Springs LA 70726 USA Email: N5MT@aol.com.

DX IS! 73 Mike Davidson N5MT #24949

2023 Scholarship Winners

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Jeff Steinkamp

2023 Scholarship Winners

Hope Lea, ND2L

I am Hope Lea, ND2L from Palm Coast, Florida. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your sponsorship! I was overwhelmed these past several days with getting ahead in my coursework before I leave for the missions described below. Knowing that someone has taken the effort to support my goals has given me the motivation I needed to succeed. You have lifted a burden and have encouraged me to keep the missions going. For that, I thank you far more than these words express.

There are several missions. Of course, my education is one of these long missions. I began my bachelors program taking classes in-person at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Today, I am one step closer to earning my electrical engineering degree with a minor in physics from ERAU. Eventually I plan to continue my studies at medical school and become a doctor.

One of the shorter missions, Project PoSSUM, begins in late September. PoSSUM stands for Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere, and it is by the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences. I am enrolled in their Fundamentals of Astronautics program, which will train me how to work in zero-g and high-g, how to perform remote sensing research, how to work in a spacesuit, and more skills required to become an astronaut. I am very excited about this, as it will train me the basic skills required to be an astronaut one day and will give me the chance to prove my capabilities to the space community.

Another mission is a “return to Mars.” Last year I was chosen to be on a team of seven international students to live for a week at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah. There, we lived in a sealed habitat and went outside only in EVA suits, simulating a mission to the surface of Mars. This year, we are returning to MDRS in October to perform individual Mars-related research, which may be published. I built the first amateur radio station “on Mars” and left it on site last year, so I will be continuing to utilize it. Additionally, as Crew Researcher/Communications Officer, my research naturally relates to radio. I am building a remote weather station with a mesh network, which will bring the data to a log at the lab. “Watched the sunset from the Martian surface…” One day, when I achieve my dream of becoming an astronaut, this may be one of my mission logs. While the journey to Mars may take only a few months in a rocket, my journey as a student has already begun.

A great deal of studying is in my future, but I love to learn and love science! This was of course encouraged by my involvement in amateur radio. I live in Palm Coast, Florida, with my family, who are all hams. The six of us have had fun in ham radio since I got my license at eight years old! From the first day I had my license and made my first contact over a satellite, I fell in love with space! I became highly involved in satellites and continue to enjoy them today. I also love contesting; building antennas and go boxes; and DXing, including becoming the DX! I went on to earn my Extra class at nine years old, and I continue to engage in operating events with the ERAU Amateur Radio Club on campus. With the ERAU ARC, I have a mission to bring an ARISS contact to local middle schoolers and to encourage the next generation of hams and STEM students. There are so many missions – so many steps left to take, and I am so excited to see where my journey will lead!

Gary Pike, KA4KBX

My name is Gary Pike, KA4KBX and I currently reside in Roanoke, AL. I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for being selected as a recipient of the scholarship from the 10-10 Scholarship Foundation. As a non-traditional student at Auburn University, I am pursuing a degree in Electronics and Cybersecurity Engineering with a particular focus on researching methods to prevent infrastructure attacks, primarily by utilizing electronic and radio frequency side channel attacks and their countermeasures.

My journey into the world of amateur radio began during my pre-teen years when I was mentored by a neighbor. Since then, I have been an active amateur radio operator, Throughout my life, I have dedicated my time to volunteer work, particularly in public service events, alongside my local radio club. My volunteer roles have included supporting bike rides, participating in search and rescue missions, contributing to Skywarn activities, and engaging with organizations such as ARES, MRC, CERT, and more recently, facilitating online testing for ham radio license exams.

My commitment to the amateur radio community extends to my family as well. I am proud to share that my wife and three sons are all Extra Class operators, and together, we find joy in volunteering as a family. We also eagerly attend several Hamfests each year, including the Dayton Hamvention, where we actively participate as volunteers. Additionally, we are active members of multiple area clubs and engage in various club activities, contests, and field days as a united team.

One of my most significant contributions to the amateur radio community has been through proctoring exams for amateur radio licenses. I have proctored over twenty thousand exams. This includes proctoring exams not only in person but also online. My involvement in this capacity has allowed me to interact with well over twenty thousand applicants throughout the years. I have had the privilege of working with various organizations, including Laurel VEC, W5YI, Anchorage, CaVec, and others, to facilitate these exams.

In addition to my commitment to licensing exams, I have a deep passion for contesting, Field Days, and any opportunity to connect with fellow hams worldwide over the airwaves. However, what resonates with me most is the act of giving back to the ham radio community, whether through volunteering or mentoring. I derive immense satisfaction from contributing to this vibrant and welcoming community.

Once again, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the 10-10 Scholarship Foundation for this scholarship opportunity. It will undoubtedly provide valuable support as I continue my educational journey and research endeavors in the field of Electronics and Cybersecurity engineering.

Patrick Pike, KJ4AXD

My name is Patrick Pike, KJ4AXD from Roanoke, Alabama and I would like to start by thanking you for the 10-10 scholarship award that you gave me. I wish I could tell you how happy I was when I found out that I won the scholarship; let’s just say I was excited. I was also fortunate to be a recipient of a 10-10 Scholarship in 2018.

I am embarking on my junior year at Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business as I pursue a degree in Business Management. My educational journey commenced at Southern Union State Community College, a decision I’m genuinely grateful for. This initial path has provided me with a strong foundation, enhancing my readiness for Auburn. I also completed a Bachelor Degree in Ecological Engineering at Auburn. I am considering continuing with my education toward a Masters and Doctorate.

During my time at Auburn University, I’ve been excited to continue my exploration of ham radio, which has been a significant part of my life. Auburn boasts a vibrant radio club, and I am concurrently pursuing a minor in electronics, which I believe will complement my academic pursuits. I have been the President of the American Society of Agriculture and Business Engineers and participated in the Engineers Council.

I am also working at Mohawk Industries as a Tie In Operator to get a feel of the company and hope to move up in the company in the business side or engineering side

My journey in ham radio began at the young age of ten when I earned my technician license, swiftly advancing to achieve Extra class within a year. I find great enjoyment in activities such as Field Day, HF, and 6 meters. I come from a big ham family. My dad is Gary, KA4KBX, mom is Anna KD4PCU and my brother Collin is KJ4AXB.

Additionally, I have a strong commitment to volunteer work, including contributing to the success of events like Dayton Hamvention, collaborating with individuals like Mike Buehler, and actively engaging in local initiatives with the Rotary Club, my church, SGA, and the local ham radio club. I am also proud to be an Eagle Scout.

I am eagerly looking forward to the academic and radio-related adventures that lie ahead during the remainder of my college years and beyond. Thank you again for the generous funding.