Ho Hum - As in China Radar Hum

Sunday, 11/26/17 -- noise here, no signals except ZL1ICU who cannot hear much with his S9 noise level.
Monday, 11/27/17 -- noise & radar so went to 40m early.  Worked JA5WU (strong on 3 el. quad); VK7FRJG (foundation class 10 watts) was 4x7; VK4BR was 20 over!
Tuesday, 11/28/17 -- problems again with local power company.  I was up at midnight to start my generator and worked DF2BO  loud on his 2 el.Optibeam (owner of co.) beam and a couple more Europeans at 05:50 Z.  Radar started on-time at just after 11:00 Z but managed to work JP7FSO 57 & 57 15 minutes before the extra noise generator started. Phil, W6UC was in and very helpful as usual.  John, VY2WW showed up at 15/9 and Lubos, KP2AD was in an hour after his sunrise at 10/9.  Very good band conditions but not much DX! ----Then worked Peter, VK6APZ on 40m long path at 22:25Z (45 min. before my sunset).
11/29/17 -- Ho-hum, worked 2 US & 1 VE6.
11/30/17 --  4 US stations, yawn 
12/1/17 --  VY2WW, OK
12/2/17 -- Radar washout
12/3/17 -- Repeat of 12/2
12/4/17 -- VK3ZJ last worked on 75m in 2008. 5 x 8 with me. In 2008 he was running a KWM2 to a bobtail curtain --- China RADAR on at 11:20 or so today & very loud from 3780 to 3820 (3.8000 center)
12/5/17 -- Radar shut off early, before 11:00Z, so myself & W6UC worked Hat, JA6BJT a few minutes later.  75m was open for me to JA for the first time in several months so we could have worked many more stations in the North Pacific if they had been on the air. 
12/6/17 -- Shame & dishonor on the once great Empire of China - RADAR centered in the DX Window of 75m SSB!  Went to 40m & worked a couple of JAs & U.S.
12/7/17 -- RADAR again; DX very weak on 75m & 40m today.
12/8/17 -- Company here, no ops.
12/9/17 -- Finally worked som DX.  Dave, ZL2OK/P called in from the beach after his midnight .. he's working too hard.
12/10/17 -- RADAR Loud until about 1105Z, then less strong.  W6UC, myself & W9UCW looking...& looking...& looking for DX. 

China Radar Intentional Interference

Since the Chinese radar centers on the 75m DX window, it is quite apparent that their interference with amateur radio use of the band is intentional!  I am not going to suggest a boycott of all Chinese hams, but China is certainly a rogue nation in ham radio land.

I have no DX in the log from Nov. 9 through 12.  Yesterday was another radar day as was today.  Yesterday I worked VK9MA on 40m SSB and ZL2XC on 75m (poor prop).  Today I had a nice chat with VK3SS on 40m. 

Wednesday, 15 Nov., worked ZL1ICU on 75m ssb with difficulty...BY-radar again & signals about S7 both ways, just above the noise & in the radar.

Saturday, 18 Nov., a very low angle day as signals from all directions were much stronger on the 3 loops than on on the Waller Flag (higher angle horizontal).  BH4IGO was in very strong on 3796 at 11:27 Z. I worked him, but W9UCW (& AA9BD) believed that he was on a remote as the signal was 15/9 from the southeast in S. TX.  **Another "remote" possibility is what Barry called "spotlight" long path, but I did not check to the southeast.  I often do not check the long (reverse) path as it takes too long to rotate the Waller Flag by 180 deg.  Remember that I worked IZ8CCW at 11:11Z on 11 Jan. 2017 on 3796 SSB. Another "impossible" event.  The rule is: "Work 'em first, check later."

Sunday, 19 Nov., John, VK2WEO came back to my CQ DX at sunrise.  He was buried in my noise, very weak, but embarrassingly he gave me a 59 and likewise copied W6UC the same.  Lots of lost souls from the US calling Sweepstakes in the DX window.  DUH!  Sweepstakes is the antithesis of a DX contest!  (Jay's rent-a-brain store is now open!) 

Monday, 20 Nov., Peter, VK6APZ came through at 48 just at his sunset.  He was hearing well, as he always does.  Abe, JA1MSS was in my noise at 36 and gave me a 45.  I also worked several east coast stations & Alain, VE2ENM (strong as usual).  Lubos, KP2AD was in briefly at an hour after his sunrise.  Mike was hung over from a weekend of wild parties and was too late to join in.  Phil, W6UC (Dr. DX) was pleasantly present all morning.  😄📻📡

Tuesday & Wednesday, 21 & 22 Nov., RADAR both days. Managed to work Ron, VK3IO at my sunrise on 3796 -- weak both ways as he was 3x8 & I was 4x8. Old man Barry was on 1.5 hrs after my sunrise at 5x5 callin CQ DX at his sunrise. (No one needs TX!)

Thursday & Friday, 23 & 24 Nov., RADAR again.  Worked 3 U.S. stations & Abe, JA1MSS on Thanksgiving morning. But conditions are still very poor to JA & VK from HP as they have been for several months. Friday I worked South Carolina, then TO2SP on Saint Barthelemy on 40m.  75m DX was a washout!  Thanks China!!!  

Nothing to Report

Well, another week without much DX.  Except for VK2WEO on Tuesday, all of the DX that I worked from Panama was on JT8 on 80 & 40m.  JT8 is a "joyless" mode as no personal communication is really possible!  I got out of bed an hour early today, only to listen to the China RADAR all morning covering the 75m DX window.

The Search Continues...

Monday,10/30/17 -- Just Phil & I, but no DX
Tuesday, 10/31/17 -- Usual suspects, W6UC, W9UCW, KK5PL & HP3AK.  The 2 other real DX stations were very weak in Panama and only JA was readable in TX.  John, VK2WEO was on briefly @45 in HP and Abe, JA1MSS was only 35 in HP.  Not too much QRN here, although I could see lightning bolts to the south in the Pacific.
Wednesday, 11/1/17 -- KK5PL, Woody and W6UC were on early holding down 3796.  We all tried, and tried, and tried calling DX, but no answers.  I gave one WD8 station his first contact with Panama.  The band was poor to bad and the China dragon was active.  JA1MSS reported that the radar was S9+10.  NOTE:  I went to 40m after sunrise and made my first 2 contacts, ever, on FT8. First was KN4LOL because I double clicked on the wrong call.  My second ever contact on FT8 was...4S7AB - wow! Being a newbie to FT8, I ran a full kw on the 4S7AB contact and got a +00 report.  I am now told that I could have made the contact very well with 17 dB less signal (that's 20 watts folks).  Shame on me.  👀☺
Thursday, 11/2/17 -- 75m was quiet, but no one home.  I worked John, VK2WEO who was 47 due to weak band.
Friday, 11/3/17 -- radar & noise...a bust!
Saturday, 11/4/17 -- Very high QRN in HP.  I chatted with Mike, W9MK briefly on the Internet.  We both went off to 40m, he to CW & myself to FT8.  I worked a couple of stations on FT8, including NL8F, my friend Tim in Dutch Harbor, AK.  I could have worked dozens or hundreds of stations on FT8 if I had stayed around until the band closed.  Many were calling and many were rude, calling while I was in contact with someone else. WHY??
Sunday, 11/5/17 -- Daylight savings ended, noise was high, radar was strong in JA, no answers to my CQ DX, nor did I hear an response to W6UC. Backscatter from Phil was back up to normal.

Contest Weekend The DX window was Clogged UP.

The girl is just because I know you guys like girls and Snoopy is because I am tired after the contest.

Some DXers like contests and other do not. I have a mixed attitude about contests. I have this year been working on the CQ Magazine DX Marathon. For those who do not know that is a year long process of working countries on all of the Ham Bands in any mode. FT8 is ok too. I right now have worked 220 countries and all 40 zones. This gives me a score of 260 for the year so far. It is like a contest but more fun because you don't have to stay up all night. LOL My fellow ham got me started in the adventure. I kind of like it as a challenge but it is work and my hobbies are not suppose to be work. Are they?? Well for the record in the contest I worked 421 countries and 214 band countries and I think about 25 different Zones. A big part of the world was not in this contest for NA. There were no real openings to Asia or the South Pacific even on 20 meters. I worked Hawaii and one Australian and a couple of JAs but that is poor considering the Target Rich environment of Japan Ham Radio Operators during a contest. 73 for now. Mike W9MK

The Band must be "Under Construction"

Well, the band must be under construction after Jay's most recent blog say that there was no interest. This morning I could not even get a rise out Jay or Barry on the cluster. UGH. The cluster must be f***ed. Oh, that is another story for another day. So I have inserted a sign for 3796 in the morning. Have a good day! 73 Mike

A new week...

It's not looking good folks!  Terrible band conditions, noise, and "no one home".

I know, I know...optimists.......

Tue.-Wed.Thur.

Band conditions on 75m have been poor to very poor in Panama.  Tuesday I went to 40m to work a few stations.  Wednesday was poor with only one JA contact.  Today I had a very high static level but managed to work Ken, VK3XYC on 75m.  JA was working VK, but signals in HP were very weak.  40m was also noisy and the band was full of weak signals.
Fri.-Sat.-Sun. Bah Humbug!  Band conditions on 75m are worse than bad. Few DX stations and those are too weak to copy in Panama.

October 16

Nothing Happened!

Noise Noise Noise

Saturday Morning and the storms are rolling through Northern Illinois. I listened to the radio for just a few minutes but ended up grounding everything and working on my Tail-Twister Rotor control. It had been giving me fits for a week or so. What turned out to be a bad 47mf capacitor. All good. Success!

DX for Northern Illinois on 80 has not been good for a while. The JAs are starting to sound good. 40 Meters has been better with some really good DX with Jay on 40 earlier this week.

I did work the 3C0L on 15 meter CW. Huge pileup but got through in the end.

I have been battling a cold all week. I thought I was through with it when it came back in spades. Stay healthy my friends.

73
Mike
W9MK

Day-by-day

Thursday - I heard W6UC working JA on 3796, but Japan was too weak to copy here.  I had to leave early to pick up yard workers, but Mike mentioned that H40CG was on 40m SSB. So I went up and quickly worked Stan, who had a good signal into Panama. More here tomorrow...

Friday - I got up 1/2 hr. early to listen to noise!  W6UC worked the usual JA stations, but no joy in Panama.  I stayed until my sunrise, but no DX that I could hear. Bah humbug!  I did get on briefly (technically Saturday) at 0007 UTC and worked UV5AHZ, Igor in the Ukraine on 3795.  He was 57 in heavy static..of course I was 59 with my phased delta loops. 😈 

Wednesday or "Hump Day"

Well, today was interesting. all hands on deck to begin on 3796. W9UCW, K7FX, W6UC, and HP3AK checked it as the usual suspects. It seems  the troops were not in a good mood today. Bobby K9FX and Phil W6UC did not sound like the gentlemen that I have experienced most of the time in the window. It is my experience to not spend too much time in the fray and to change channels. So off to 40 I went, and soon to be joined by Jay. It was a great morning on 7137. Chris VK2SR was there to begin with, and he offered the Frequency to Jay HP3AK and myself. We worked a plethora of VKs and ZLs and a few JAs. Lots of gentlemen on the frequency.  However, Elvin JA3CZY called in and he attracted a crowd. I usually hear Elvin very well, but not today. I heard the JAs really well early, up until my Sunrise then it was down hill fast. Jay was loud 'till the end. He received some antenna help from K7GI this morning. Good day on the bands. CQ DX

73
Mike
W9MK