[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] 17M

[Jason Palma]

Good morning,

For those that run FT8/FT4/JS8, a couple of nights ago, 17M had very few operators, but was amazing. Made contacts on FT8 in Mauritania, Fiji, and two in Australia using my not-so-random end fed and 50 watts. The moral of the story is don’t forget the WARC bands. Using PSK reporter, I was able to see my signal in Japan and Mongolia. There was a guy up in Mongolia, but couldn’t make it happen. This is a fun way to DX when SSB isn’t up to snuff. 

Using WSPR mode on WSJT-X, you can also get an idea of your propagation paths/success using other modes, such as CW and SSB. You will need a WSPRnet.org <http://wsprnet.org/> account to view who heard you. To check your FT8/FT4 propagation, use PSK reporter. Go to pskreporter.info <http://pskreporter.info/>,  pick your band, enter your callsign, pick a time frame, and hit GO. You will get a map showing where you were heard.

The other option is to learn CW and then you can be heard on Mars using 5 watts and a coat hanger. :) 

73,

Jason
WA6MPR