[SADXA] DX report.

[Wes]

Congratulations Frank!

To add to my SSB contest exploits, I also worked VP8PJ on 13 slots.  The most 
wanted, and difficult, was 160 CW.  I didn't think I would ever get them as 
their signal was mostly non-existent.  Although we shared a common sunset, they 
were never on, that I could tell.  I finally got them on Leap Day at their 
sunrise.  I did not get them on 80 but have that confirmed by a prior expedition.

While it predates the last meeting, but wasn't reported, I worked the HU1DL 
expedition to El Salvador on 18 slots.

Wes  N7WS


On 3/21/2020 1:48 PM, Frank N7FG wrote:
>   Following up on Wes' suggestion, here are my DXploits for the month.
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> After missing a few days while out of town, I picked up the VP8PJ South Orkney expedition and netted 8 slots for this ATNO.  They were FT8 on 80, 40, 30, 20, and 17, CW on 30 and 20, and RTTY on 20.  I also got a good lesson on propagation.  My years as a casual DX-er with a modest station left me with a mindset (mental block?) that little-pistol DX is done during good solar activity periods and on the higher-frequency HF bands.  For several afternoons I tracked the VP8 FT8 spots on 17 and 15m and watched them move from EU to the East Coast and Midwest, waiting for my shot.  The West Coast calls were always more sparse and at best I only heard/saw the VP8 weakly in short bursts before they faded out.  One evening I thought I'd at least listen on 40, hoping to capture a whisper with my mighty 80m end-fed half wave which runs all of 18 to 12 feet off the ground.  There they were, solid and with a good SNR.  After a few calls they were in the log.  Some nights later, near midnight, I repeated the process on 80m.  I did eventually work them on 17m, logging them just 20 minutes before they pulled the plug for good.
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> Flush with success, a week later I logged 40m FT8 Q's with ATNOs 9J2LA, Zambia, and TO7DL, Reunion Is. (like on the other side of the world).  The next evening I tuned up on 60m for the first time and worked 4 (new, of course) band-slots in NA and HI.  Who needs sunspots?
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> Frank, N7FG
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