Snooze = Lose

 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

75m Open to JA Today

 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)

DX News from Panama

 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 This Morning

 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

Those Present, & Those Missing

 I worked Taka, JQ2SIX at 1115Z this morning on 3799.  I was calling on 3796 but there is a ? N. Korean ? numbers station near 3795.  So I moved up to 3799 (right after the loud, rude, long KP4 qso on 3800).  After a couple of calls Taka answered at 5x7, so the band was open.

Missing were: W9UCW, W6UC, and K7FX.  *I know, nothing to see (work) here!  However to maintain my insanity I must "keep trying the same thing and expecting a different result".

Happy New Year to all, and I certainly hope for a better, safer, saner year.  🌄

73 from Panama

Jay, HP3AK

You Snooze, You Lose

 Well, you never know about 75m.  Bobby, K7FX worked 3 JA stations and ZL2OK from 1050-1105Z on Firday, 8/20.  I worked 4 JA stations and 2 VK stations from 1040 - 1122Z (sunrise) on Saturday, 8/21.  Too much QRN today (Sunday), so worked a couple of W7 area stations on 160m FT8 (the no joy mode).

I'm "keeping the light on" for Barry & Linda to show up some morning.  I really doubt that Linda will be thrilled by all of the noise and few signals in the 75m DX window at sunrise.

I am looking forward to seeing the "really, really big" 6m moon-bounce station at W6UC in October. I need to check the position of the moon on the days that I will be visiting.

73, Jay, HP3AK (K1YJ/mobile 9/27 thru 10/11)

Welcome Back ... Almost

 I talked with Barry, W9UCW and met Linda, W5TRV on 20 meters a couple of days ago.  Linda is coming up to speed on HF operating.  Linda has changed her QRZ page to reflect her new last name and new location. (Map coordinates are old).

They intend to get up early to be on 3.796 MHz to sometimes enjoy the steady diet of heavy static with me and Bobby and occasionally, "the terror of 6m moon bounce", Phil.

I have been sleeping in and not on 75m much.  On the mornings that I have been on before sunrise, I have only managed ZL or VK or JA a few times.  There was a HL on 2 or 3 weeks ago, but he could only hear K7FX.

With the increase of thunderstorms in the U.S. and Central America I am wondering if we will ever hear 75m become quiet and propagation well above the noise level again.

I plan to be mobile between 28 September  and  12 October as K1YJ, my U.S. call sign. Mostly on 20 m with 20 watts.  If you are still reading this, please comment or post a new message. Thanks, Jay, HP3AK

My Turn in the Hole

Well, my turn in the black hole of propagation.  I heard K7FX work HL5FUA on 3796 this morning at 1105Z.  However, I called Choi many times and he simply could not hear me. 😒  This doesn't happen often often with a kw and 3 element phased array!

Some good news from Barry, W9UCW.  He is now married again after the loss of his wonderful wife Joyce.  His new bride Linda is also a ham, W5TRV.  Congratulations to both of them.  Now, we just need him to put some SWR grease on his antennas and get back on the air.

I am (still) in the process of rebuilding my operating console after a complete tear down and cleaning.  I am maybe 85% finished.  I am able to operate the new (for me) Anan 100D and the ALS-1306 amp with all antennas again. The Icom 756 P3 is also operational.  I still need to untangle all of the complicated wiring for the old Angelia board, outboard 50 watt amp and the many sma relays required to make it work. The 3 Drake l-4B amps are still not connected. I also need to rebuild my ground bus for all of the equipment.

73 for now, Jay, HP3AK 

Barry, W9UCW, Rare Texas DX

 A rare sighting of TX DX -- I talked briefly with Barry on 3.796 yesterday.  He is doing well but very busy still.  When you are old like us it is more difficult to get your day started before sunrise.

I hope that Barry, and the rest of the crew will be more regular on 75m in the mornings.  I talked briefly with Taka, JQ2SIX this morning at 1053Z.  Not strong but signals were 47 both ways. 

73 from Panama.  HP3AK

Different every Day

 75m DX is different every day.  The path to VK / ZL has been getting better lately.  Stu, ZL2XC was 5x9 this morning. ZL2OK was 10/9 on September 5.

We were joined by Barry, W9UCW yesterday.  He managed to workd JH4CES who is on 3796 almost every morning.  I could not copy Taki well enough to work him.  We also contacted VK6IR and VK3IO who were both S7 in Panama.

I retuned my 3 delta loops recently.  No change in operation, just lower SWR and lower return power from the 90 degree hybrid. My repair of the Ameritron ALS-1306 is holding up even though there is a small imbalance between the two amplifier boards.

73 for now, Jay, HP3AK

Bla, bla, bla, bla

75m stinks in Panama at the morning gray line.  The JA path has been very weak to completely missing for 2-3 weeks or longer.  The VK/ZL path is only a little better. 

I was on 3796 this am and KK6ZM was carrying on and on.  I moved Dave, ZL2OK up to 3799 and had a brief conversation.  He was S8 (crashes to S9) but 90% readable from the vertical at his home station.  Another ZL called and I worked him, but it was a big struggle through the noise. 

My Ameritron 1306 solid state amp has a blown final FET, so I am using one of my 60 year old Drake L-4B amps and putting out about 750 watts pep. (That's a full 1/2 S-unit below 1,500 watts you know!) *Original Eimac 3-500Z tubes are still good!

The L-4B will put out a little more power, but I only have 50 watts of drive from my SDR / Hardrock 50 combination. In other equipment news, I found water and flash-over burning inside of the fiberglass insulators in the linear loaded elements on my 2 element 40m beam.  Those have been replaced and the antenna is back to performing great.  I had a failure of a 24vdc coil on a mil surplus coaxial relay between the hardline and separate feed lines for the SteppIR and the 40m beam.  That relay has been replaced with a 4 pole relay and Bobby, K7FX is sending me a replacement relay. -- 73 for now, Jay, HP3AK --

75m is Different Every Day

Taka, JQ2SIX was 58 today and I was 59 there at 7 minutes before my sunrise.  Yesterday at 5 minutes before sunrise he was 58 but I was only 47 and Taka was reporting one-way skip.  Europe was very loud two nights ago with 10 & 15 over 9 signals on 75m.

160m FT8 has almost no signals before sunrise here.  I saw W6UC calling CQ JA this morning, but no DX. 

40m was very good a few days ago just after my sunrise.

73 & good DX, Jay, HP3AK