Category: FT8

Band Update

Propagation this evening was nothing spectacular, but there were FT8 contacts to be made. DX worked included Portugal, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Cuba, Netherlands, Canada, and England. Many more were seen … W. Sahara, Ireland, N. Ireland, Wales, Europeans of all flavors … but not worked. Forty, thirty, and eighty meters were crowded … twenty and sixty not so much, but I did make contacts on all of those bands. Looks like the digital modes and lower bands are where it’s at. And remember, I’m using about forty watts and a wire … no big guns here!

73 de Dick N4BC

Saturday Morning

I got an early session on the radio as the sun was rising this morning. The solar conditions were shown as “Poor” and “Unsettled”, but there was some good stuff out there. New Caledonia, Australia, and Japan were all seen on FT8 and were making contacts with US stations. The Mayotte DXPedition (TO6OK) was really strong here on the East Coast on FT8, but there were lots of callers worldwide, and I didn’t luck out, though I really tried. I did work a new one (Belize) on forty meters, so my morning efforts were a success as far as I was concerned.

I’m not lacking stations to work, and my best success seems to be on the lower bands (80, 60, 40, 30). I’m not running anything special here … 30 to 40 watts on digital modes through a LDG tuner to a 31-ft vertical wire, through a 100-ft RG-8X feedline, with a 4-to-1 unun at the base of the antenna, and one 31-ft counterpoise laid on the ground. I get acceptable SWR on all the HF bands except 160. The fiberglass antenna support is fastened to a clothesline support with several pieces of stiff twisted wire. Can’t get much more kludgy than that!

73 de Dick N4BC and good hunting!

Long Distance Call

Last night was not as productive on FT8 as the night before, but I did contact this guy on 17 meters, about 2030z:

Eight thousand, five hundred seventy-six miles … twenty-five watts … not bad. They’re out there, guys …

p.s. Hey, This is a new country for me for this newest vanity callsign! Already confirmed! Ain’t LOTW grand?!?!

73 de Dick N4BC

Propagation Report

The bands suck … right? If you look at the solar conditions, they’re no good, right? Can’t hear anybody, right? Behold …

Those flags represent the stations I heard on FT8, 80 through 17 meters, this evening. Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, loads of Europeans, Australia, Oman … what more do you want? Could I work them all? Unfortunately, no. But I worked a bunch … twenty-one of them. With a better antenna … you never know. But they’re THERE … and they’re WORKABLE … by SOMEONE! Might be you! The right time and the right place!

Turn the radio on … don’t sit and complain. They’re there! They’re waiting!

73 de Dick N4BC