Well, not much to report. 75m continues to be poor. Propagation has been weak for 2 or 3 years and there is no morning activity except for a small group of JA stations. JQ2SIX was on today in my noise at 4x7. Barry, W9UCW was also on.
Europeans are on in the evenings, but mostly working East Coast U.S. stations.
The past few weeks have been brutal on 80m near my sunrise, around 11:15 UTC. The lightning strike map for North & Central America has been lit up like a Christmas tree. Up to 10 strikes per second!
Bobby, K7FX has been on 3796 almost every day listening and trying. I have been on most days and Barry, W9UCW / Linda, W5TRV have appeared several times.
JQ2SIX, Taka has been a regular and very patient with us. I cannot copy him through the noise on many days ... even at the sunrise peak. JK1CBO, Jin has a stronger signal with his remote station but is not on as often. JH4CES, Takai is often on but the weakest of the three.
73 from HP3AK, "Real DX"
The quietest radio morning in recorded history and NO one around. The lightning count this morning was less than 4 per minute and the band was very quiet. Too quiet as no one was on the radio. At 12 minutes before my sunrise the Chinese radar came on, very strong, so propagation was good.
On Tuesday morning the band was very noisy here and everyone was on. W6UC, W9UCW, K7FX and others were active. On Wednesday I got up early and nothing.
Happy Birthday to "old man" Barry who is 82 today.
73 & Merry Christmas,
Jay, HP3AK
I had a late opening to JA on 3796 KHz this morning. JK1CBO and JQ2SIX came through beginning at 2 minutes before sunrise (1138Z). They were peaking at sunrise. Then JH1HDT came through at 5 minutes after my sunrise 58-59. Tad was still 59 at 14 minutes after my sunrise (1152Z).
Bobby, K7FX has been on again and his verticals are working well. W9UCW and his wife Linda, W5TRV have been on some mornings. It is very early in TX but I hope to hear them more often. We were even honored by a visit from "Dr. DX", W6UC a few mornings ago.
Happy Holidays to all.
73, Jay, HP3AK "Real DX"
If you are not on the air then you miss the DX! I was pleasantly surprised this morning when Setsu, JL1UXH returned to my CQ DX on 3796. It was about 7 minutes before my sunrise (1126Z) and he was 59 with light QRN. I talked with our old friend Taka, JQ2SIX at 1115Z.
Linda, W5TRV, is doing her best to get Barry, W9UCW up and to the radio in the early morning in Texas. So far, it is not working very well.
I have been trying to fix an old Ameritron AL-1200 amp that a friend wants to sell. After about 10 miscellaneous repairs it appears that the tube is soft. Only about 1,200 watts out for 100 watts drive on most bands. He is moving back to Canada and it is impractical to ship the amp back to the U.S. or Canada.
So I am looking for a good used 3CX1200A7 tube for a decent price. So far, no luck.
73 from Panama
Jay, HP3AK
Good conditions on 80m SSB this morning and on Tuesday as well. My 3 loop delta array has been broken for a couple of weeks. I fixed it yesterday and this morning I talked with Taka, JQ2SIX. He was 58 and gave me a 59. The band is still noisy, but signals were good. I heard VK2ZF 59 but he was busy with East Coast guys and then went QRT quickly.
Barry, W9UCW, got his receiving array fixed just in time to leave TX for a two week trip up north. He and Linda, W5TRV, should be back on the band around the first of November.
We have had more rain, earlier than usual this year and much more noise in the mornings on 80m. Much of the noise has been from storms in the Gulf and the U.S.
73 from my corner of paradise. Jay, HP3AK
I have not been on 75 / 160m every morning. However I have been on enough to know that conditions are still bad in Panama. Yesterday I heard a VK on 3793 but could not raise him. He gave one of the regular VE stations a 10/9. I did work Stu, ZL2XC yesterday just before 1100Z on 3797. He has been on a job, working all over the world the past several months.
I do hope that Linda, W5TRV can prod her OM Barry, W9UCW to get his repaired receive array relocated and rewired. I miss them on 75m in the mornings.
Two different 5K0 stations in San Andres & Providencia were active on FT8 this morning. I worked them on 160m and 30m for new "countries" on both bands.
I anyone is still reading this, drop me an email: hp3ak@jaymills.org
73, Jay, HP3AK
I got up a little late today and turned on the radio at 1105Z. I was very pleasantly surprised to hear Barry, W9UCW and Linda, W5TRV on 3796. It was great to catch up with Mr. "What broke today?" and his better half. No DX other than myself.
Mike, W9MK was on also but it was too late for us to hear each other.
The 75m band was slightly less noisy than usual. The noise has been brutal since spring time and I have worked very few DX stations for several months. Even the regular JA stations seem to have given up.
73 and good DX,
Jay, HP3AK
75m was open this morning! Worked LU5FC on 3799, VK2ON on 3796, and ZL2XC on 3793, all S9 /S9. I didn't hear any JAs but the band was open to the south.
Barry & Linda have had some antenna challenges as well as other issues. I hope that everything gets back to normal for them so that they can join me in the mornings. It's getting pretty lonely ...
I worked VK3XXY on 7143 a couple of days ago. 40m is filled with local, Central American, stations most days.
I hope that everyone is having a great summer.
73, Jay, HP3AK
You snooze, you lose. 75m was open to JA this morning. I worked JQ2SIX (R57,S48), JK1CBO (R58,S59), & JH4CES (R47,S47) all between 1100 & 1115Z.
The band was noisy as usual with my static crashes up to S8, but with spaces between.
Barry & Linda, W9UCW & W5TRV worked Chris, VK2SR & Nick, VK9DX on 40m yesterday - April 28. Chris & I were hearing each other at 20/9 with 2 el. beams at both ends.
I sent email to Bobby, K7FX, yesterday. I have not heard him in several weeks.
73 from Panama, HP3AK (Real DX)
Spring DX season has started slowly with heavy thunderstorms in the U.S. showing up almost all winter. I finally reached 100 "countries" worked on 160m FT8. I work FT8 to make 160m contacts because I do not get on CW.
LY2BAW bugged me via email until I finally stayed up late and worked him at 0342Z on 4/7. I also picked up HA8BT in Hungary as country 100 at the same time.
On the morning grey line I picked up FO/SP5EAW, Jacek in the Austral Islands on 3/21 at 1139Z on 3799. On 3/25 I worked a rare TX station, W9UCW at 1138Z. On 3/31 I snagged VK9DX on Norfolk Island on 80m FT8 at 1104Z.
The usual JA stations have been hit and miss on 3796 in the mornings. Everywhere from S9 down to below my S5 noise level. Conditions have varied a lot day by day. I worked Taka, JQ2SIX at my sunrise today and he was a solid S8...gave me an S9.
I have not been on every day for several months, but I am now making an effort to be up and at 'em in the mornings.
73 from HP3AK
Rare DX on 3796 this morning! Talked with W9UCW (with Linda, W5TRV listening). It is great to hear Barry getting back on the air. He has problems with his big vertical and with his 4 square receive array ... normal for not using things for awhile. I also worked JQ2SIX and JK1CBO today, but they are not rare DX like Barry. HC5DX was in far after his sunrise.
Maybe we can stir up some activity on the band ??
73,
Jay, HP3AK
