Thanks, Joel. I enjoy the spots and everything else on the reflector, but the stories that really take you inside someone's shack (or their head!) are the best. I have a long (LONG!) way to go to catch up with George. He is at 1500 now and that is my overall goal. Gives me an incentive, though.

I tried out the guy wire sloper this morning. 80 was about deserted but W8S was solid on FT8 but left after two CQ calls. He wasn't hearing anyone. I think it's going to work, though. The bonus is that it also seems to be effective on 30 meters. I heard TO8FH on 30M CW just awhile ago and tail-ended K5VR and got him on the first call on the 80M sloper. I was running 80 watts. SWR is better at 10.8 Mhz but the auto tuner levels it right out. I've analyzed the vertical pattern on 30M and it should have a good low-angle lobe. It wastes some power at high angles, but it might fill the bill on 30M. I'm determined to work one or more of the expeditions on 80, though.

73,

Dennis

On Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 6:27 AM <w5znjoel@gmail.com> wrote:

Dennis,

I love receiving your reports !!!!! Thanks for sharing and it is a good catalyst for others to develop a plan and then work their plan.

It appears those “footsteps” that George and John have been hearing coming behind them on the DXCC Challenge numbers has turned in to the sound of a truck barreling in !!!!!

Keep it up, Dennis. I’m rooting for you for the next 25 days!

73 Joel W5ZN

From: adxa-bounces@mailman.qth.net <adxa-bounces@mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Dennis Schaefer
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2023 12:50 PM
To: ADXA <ADXA@mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [ADXA] BIC progress at the halfway point

When I set up the BIC (Butt in Chair) challenge for myself, I made a chart for 50 days. This is the 25th day. I have worked a new band counter every day so far. Some of them are duplicates because they haven't confirmed yet, but most days, I get at least 3 to add to the list. The DXpeditions help a lot, and I think I have probably gotten at least 20 new band counters from those.

I took down the low dipole that ran over the house. I'm too old to climb on the roof, and doing anything with it caused it to get caught in the shingles. That forced me to do something for 80 and this morning, I wired up the south guy wire as a sloping vertical for 80. It has two elevated radials and I've got it matched pretty well. It will be interesting to see if I can work W8S with it, and possibly TO8FH.

30 meters is a problem, still, because I used the 80M dipole on that band and it is gone. I worked a couple on the 40M dipole, but plan to put something up for 30.

I have done well with ZD9W on digital modes, but no CW yet! 4 CW contacts with TO8FH, and 4 CW with W8S.

Can I keep this up for 25 more days? Probably, with all the DXpeditions.

As WA6AUD would say, "DX IS!" (I knew Hugh - used to talk to him quite often from Japan.)

73,
Dennis/RZ