Tony Dixon G4CJC

Tony's 10 Metre Band Report
17 December, 2009

What a weird week. Scratching around for 2 or more contacts early in the week, then just up to 3 or more mid-week, and then 15 or more during the ARRL 10m contest!

A special mention must go to K6III who spotted over 200 stations on Sunday! There were over 5300 contacts on Saturday and whopping 6250 on Sunday. The maps show stacks of contacts with VK and ZL and everywhere else, except the UK.

Most popular DX (Two or more contacts, any mode)

Monday: XE2YHR, LW4EU, W4UH, W4LT, N4DPU, LW3EX.

Tuesday: VP8LP, XE1FZE, LW4EU, YY5TAV, SV8FMY, PS8HF, LU9HQS, LU7DXZ, LU6EVD, KH6RC, EA1ATH, LW3EX, KE4WBO, PU1YPJ, PU2UAT, YV6BXN, VK7XX, PU1KTZ, LU1EXR, K4SME, F6EWB.

(Three or more contacts, any mode)

Wednesday: KC4TVZ, PY2XC, K5RQ, W1YL/4, PU2UAT, KK4HAM/B, KC2VLC/6Y5, K5AB/B, WA2HMM, K9MU, WB7BBI, N0AC, LW3EX, KI4TZU, 9W2RZL, NA2NY, KE4WBO, 9M2IDJ, VA2WDQ, KC9PYV, AA5EY.

Thursday: LU6EDC, K9MU, LW3EX, KC3OL, 9W2VVH, SV8FMY, N7BRB, N3CR, KB7TGR, VP8LP.

Friday: PY0FF, ZL2IFB, PY2XC, LU1EXR, KH7Y, VP8LP, KH6ZM, K7AEH, K1LZ, E51CG, CT2IOV, YV5JF, PY2EL, P43JB, LW9EOC, LU7YS, LU4VEW, 9M2IDJ, PY2AAZ, YV4BCD, PY3KN, PQ5B, PP5JN, LU4EJS, LU1DZ, E51USA.

ARRL 10m Contest
(Fifteen or more contacts, any mode)

Saturday: W6YX, WE3C, W4MYA, 4O3A, DL6FBL, W0SD, W0AIH, SZ1A, LU1HF, 9A5W, K1LZ, N6WM, KF6T, 5B4AIF, K4FJ, YU1ZZ, KG6D, DR800GRZ, IO5O, CX5BW, IZ4DPV, CW5W, ZM4G, S51DX, N3UM, K8GP, HC8GR, AA3B, OE3DWC, K9YC, K1TO, NX5M, LT1A, AY5F, NR5M, N6OJ, AA1JD, RU6CQ, W7XU, S56P, PY2LSM, KD0S, K3VOA, IZ4AMS, AY4D, A61BK, WX3B, PY0FF, NY3A, N8II, N7AT, KF6A, K4EA, N8RA, LU5WW, LQ0F, K3WW, EA5DFV, DD5FZ, AD4ES, ZL1BYZ, WJ9B, W5PR, W4UH, PY5KD, PU9OSB, N4BP, K5TR, K5NA, IT9YVO, EA8AH, DH8BQA, CT1IUA, ZV2C, W3LL, N2KW, LS2D, K6RB, HD2A, CV5K, K6III, NG7Z, K4PB, ZL4PW, K8NZ, N6ML, K5KG, KT1B, E77DX, W6OAT, DO4DXA, W4EE, VK7SM, N6PN, K0TI, DF0TEC, 9A5X, N2KPB, N4NN, EA5FID, IK4VET, N0XR, K3DI, DL6RAI, EA4SV, WT4Q, L73D, KN5H, WO4O, AJ3G, WB7BBI, AC6DX, K4GMH, KB6NAN, W2YC, NM5H, N4FX, KM6I, ON5QRP, K6EU, W8FJ, N2QT, K4TD, K1ZZI, EA7ELY, PA5WT, WT8C, W4QN, W0RLI, PY1ZV, N4GG, KO1U, KE1HA, JS1OYN.

Saturday's map

Sunday: ZX5J, W0AIH, S51DX, CX5BW, AA1JD, NR5M, ZM4G, W0SD, CW5W, HC8GR, DR800GRZ, 5B4AIF, 4O3A, W5PR, KD0S, EA8AH, WB9Z, PQ5B, K1LZ, SZ1A, PY1MK, LT1A, 9A5W, PY2LSM, N2KW, K5NA, CR5T, NY3A, LU1HF, K3OO, W4MYA, RU6CQ, KA6BIM, K4FJ, W7XU, IO5O, AY5F, S57S, N6WM, K4EA, EC1KR, DL6FBL, K5TR, IZ4DPV, EA5GS, DL5L, WE3C, W4HZ, PT3T, K3WW, K1KI, K0RF, HI3CCP, VK7ZE, NX5M, LU7HN, LS2D, CO8ZZ, 9H6A, W0BH, N3UM, N0QO, KF6T, K8CC, 5C5W, ZL2BR, W6OAT, W5ZZ, PY2SEX, N0KE, KH7Y, K1TO, EA5DFV, W0PR, OE3DWC, K5CM, AY4D, ZV2C, WO4O, W3EP, P43JB, NQ4I, N0NI, K9YC, HD2A, DD5FZ, CE4CT, AY8A, 9A2VR, WX3B, K6III, W6YX, DH8BQA, K5AR, DL6RAI, KG0AQ, W4UH, WT4Q, N1EU, W4EE, W8FJ, DO4DXA, K4PB, N6ML, VE1DX, KI4TZU, N2KPB, K0TV, W2YC, AJ3G, K4GMH, AD1C, KO1U, N4VN, K3CB, PA5WT, KD4GID, K8NZ, PY1KM, N2QT, EA2TO, WI4USA, NN4F, K3DI, PY2IQ, W9YK, KC2PCR, K5AUP, WB5MEX, AE5BR, WN4VCH, VK2IM, F8BNU, WB4IUY, WB0WQS, N0XR, K4YYL, W2NO, VE2TH, N4GG, KM6I, K5WW, ZL4PW, WB2KSI, W0AD, VK3FZ, OH6CT, WK5X, WA2UAH, S56A, N4JOW, N3EEI, N1CC, K4LRA, K3TN, EA3KU, AC6DX, XE2MVS, WZ8P, KM9M, KB0QBT, K4NAU, WT8C, W6KY, UA4ALI, YU1YV, WV1M, W9RC, N2NS, KX8XX, KB6NAN, W4RK, W3KB, W2GD, VE3UTT, PY1SX, N6QQ, EA1OD, AE1P.

Sunday's map

VK5MRD is back.
“Here is my 10m band report for Friday 11/12/2009. Stations heard were: JA2IGY/b, ZL3TEN/b, ZL2MHF/b, VK2RSY/b, VK3RMH/b, VK3RHF/repeater,VK3VBC on scatter, VK4RTL/b, VK4QR, VK6RWA/b, VK6RBP/b, VK7RSC/b and VK8VF/b. Stations worked were: KH6QR, ZL4DX, VK2GJC, VK6HDM and VK6TY. Conditions were good again today. I worked Greg VK2GJC on 10m SSB and 10m FM and also on 15m too. When working VK6TY conditions were so strong that we turned the power down to one watt and could still make a very readable contact.”

“Saturday 12/12/2009. Stations heard were: JA2IGY/b, JS1OYN, E51CG, KH6RC, ZL3TEN/b, ZL2MHF/b, VK2RSY/b, VK2FAD, VK2SF, VK3RMH/b, VK3RHF/repeater, VK4RTL/b, VK4FJ, VK4EJ, VK6RWA/b, VK6RBP/b, VK7RSC/b and VK8VF/b. Stations worked were:- ZL4CZ, ZL1MGM, ZL2US, ZL2OK, JA2BNN, JA7OWD, JA1NVF, JR7WAB, JN1WWE, JN1NDY, VK3VAM, VK6IR, VK7GN, VK7EM, VK7FWWF, VK7HAY, VK7BBB, VK7FWAY, VK7XX, VK7HDX, VK7FGGT and VK8PDX at Alice Springs.”

“Sunday 13/12/2009. Stations heard were: ZL3TEN/b, ZL2MHF/b, VK2RSY/b, VK3RMH/b, VK3RHF/repeater, VK4RTL/b, VK6RWA/b, VK6RBP/b, VK7RSC/b and VK8VF/b. Stations worked were:- VK7ZE, VK7FGGT and VK7FKEK. Only had 10mins tonight on the radio and I missed all the big opening to Europe! Never mind it will open up again, lets hope I am near my radio when it happens again!”

Same here but into the UK very rarely happens from VK or ZL (or anywhere most weekends).

And a double shot from Carlos PY2XC.

1st shot:
Saturday, Mode: CW:Incredible condx !!! Finally made it to ZL land. See the e-mail below:
"Thanks Carlos - we made it at last! Condx have been good again this morning. So far have worked much of SA and some Southern Europe. Am waiting for the band to open to the US shortly to get a good run going, I hope. Thanks very much for the QSO after all this time trying. What luck to find condx up and a contest running at the same time!! Gary ZL2iFB / ZM4G"

And 2nd shot:
“Sunday Mode: CW: Conditions were even better at our side. Worked US, JA, ZL (tried for more than ten years to get there), BY, and almost all Europe, including HA, OE, DL, F, EA, CT, PA, OH, G, GW, GJ. You must see if the your gov is actually putting something in the water.... 73! Carlos. PS: In the last bulletin you mistyped my callsign as PY2CX.”

Oops, sorry about that, and the editor never spotted it (don’t know what he does all day). I shall treble check your reports from now.

David CE2WZ also had a crack at the DX in the contest. He says it was a struggle but 111 contacts sounds pretty good to me.

“Just taken part in the ARRL 10 Metre contest. Propagation here was very variable. I could hear PYs and LUs working US and EU but could not hear the DX stations. The band opened briefly on Sunday to both US and EU but the contest was a bit of a struggle. I made 111 QSOs most to PY and LU but some interesting DX:

12 December , HI3CCP, VK4SY/KP2 Larry near Brisbane via a repeater in US.Virgin Islands, W7CRL, N6SS, W6YX, TI5N, HP2ECP, FM5WE, YS1/HB9KNA, HC8GR, VP8NO, TO4D, TG9ANF

Contests:

Upcoming activity (though not guaranteed to be on 10m). Information from DXwatch.com and 425DXnews

Sun: New sunspot 1035 is growing quickly, and it is a member of new Solar Cycle 24!

On Dec. 13th, Earth passed through a stream of debris from extinct comet 3200 Phaethon. The encounter produced a surge of more than 160 Geminid meteors per hour. The timing of the peak favoured observers in Europe and the Middle East, many of whom said it was the finest display of Geminids they had ever seen.

This strong showing continues a recent trend of intensifying Geminids that could lead to a regular "super-shower" in the years ahead. Reasons for the trend are discussed in a recent Science@NASA article. Check it out.

For pictures check out the Gallery. (Spaceweather.com)

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