This morning 15 meters was wide open. And there not many people on. I was fortunate and made contact with TK7KA in Turkey on SSB. This was my first contact with Turkey. Wow. Low sunspot numbers. Everyone complaining about no dx and boom I make contact with Turkey.
I will admit that I had my little ALS 600 screwed up as high as I could. But, I don't have a beam. I made contact using a vertical, A BigIr by Steppir. Yes, I had the antenna in 3/4 wave mode, but.....
As I thought about this contact this afternoon it prompted me to scan my log and see what other dx I have worked in the last couple of weeks. So....... here is the list. It is not here to brag but to say that there is dx if we work it. Keep in mind I work so I don't have all day and all weekend to sit and play radio. Though I will say my wife is kind and lets me work some of the contests if I ask nicely HI HI. Sometimes the contacts are not pretty; this morning the station in Turkey was not moving the needle and there was deep QSB that would totally take him out. But we made contact and exchanged reports.
The list, all contacts by phone
date utc band dx call
9/22 0404 7 mhz French Polynesia FO8RZ
9/25 1742 21 mhz Slovak Republic OM3DX
9/25 1745 21 mhz South Africa ZS1ZY
9/25 1927 21 mhz Zimbabwe Z21BB
9/25 2025 14 mhz Poland SP5BR
9/25 1307 21 mhz Italy IZ6BVX
9/25 1355 21 mhz Qatar A71CT
9/25 1627 21 mhz Wales MW0ZZK
9/25 1637 21 mhz Costa Rica TI3/W7RI
9/26 1917 14 mhz Bulgaria LZ5R
9/26 1952 14 mhz Fed. Rep. of Germany DL7OK
9/26 2051 21 mhz Falkland Islands VP8LP
9/26 2315 14 mhz Antartica VP8DMH
10/2 0340 7 mhz South Africa ZS3D
10/2 1339 14 mhz Ukraine US0LW
10/2 1648 21 mhz Corsica TK5EP
10/2 1919 21 mhz New Zealand ZM4T
10/2 2052 14 mhz Australia VK7ZE
10/2 2123 21 mhz Australia VK4KW
10/3 1656 18 mhz Lithuania LY5A
10/3 2041 18 mhz French Guiana FY1FL
10/3 2048 21 mhz St. Helena ZD7FT
10/7 1254 14 mhz European Russia RA3QPY
10/9 1308 21 mhz Turkey TA7KA
10/9 1309 21 mhz France F8KHF
Not bad for casual operations. Part of the contacts on the 25th and 26th were made during the Texas QSO Party, so I did have some extended operating time there. There are some contacts in my log that are not in this list.
I don't have hundreds of feet of radials for my vertical, I live in a suburb with a small back yard and the antenna is installed in a garden bed next to wood privacy fence.
As stated earlier, the purpose of this list is to show that you can work dx even in less than optimum conditions. Note how many of the contacts were made on 15 meters. Supposedly the upper bands should not be providing much dx with the solar cycle as it is but as you can see it is alive and doing quite well. I would be foolish if I did not admit that much of my success is due to the other operators antenna. With my vertical there is little help for my signal. So......... to everyone who pulled me out; my heartfelt thanks
until next time
73 and good dx
Leslie AD5WB
Galveston Island, Texas
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