The Free Range QRP DX-erFinal KY6R 2017 Top Band DXCC Sprint!
Wow we only have 6 weeks left to 2017.
I didn’t get my 160M QSO with VK9MA, so lets move on and see what is next:
- J5T – Guinea Bissau – remarkably, I heard this superb team on Top Band, but won’t call them until later today – they were very busy with EU and the US East Coast. I do expect that when they get to the same point as they did with their recent 3X DXpedition, that I will work them. How do they always rock on Top Band? Bravo!
- YJ0JA – Vanuatu – close to VK9MA – this will be interesting
- TO2SP – St. Barts – very possible
- 9G5W – Ghana – possible
- CQ WW CW – there are about 6 that I need that should be on 160M – I should pick up a few
- XW4ZW – Laos in December – not holding my breath, but Ken has an excellent update on the Solar Cycle – https://www.qrz.com/db/xw4zw
Carl, K9LA says solar minimum – 2019. We will most likely have a long minimum before Cycle 25 – more than 2 years – probably as bad or worse than the last one – and then that cycle will be as bad or worse than Cycle 24. LOW BANDS, LOW BANDS, LOW BANDS
Top Band will be very good. This will be the saving grace DX wise – 160 will become more crowded and with low absorption we should se exceptional conditions on 2021 – 2022. 80M will also be very good. 40M could become a 24 hour DX bands – especially near the Winter Solstice. Transpolar propagation will become very weak. HOWEVER, LP on 40M to Glorioso for me at sunrise will be the trick. 20M will be dead for much of the bottom.
My predictions for 2017 – I will end up with 95 on Top Band this year. That’s less than the 60% norm for me as far as a success rate goes. Its still very possible to make DXCC on 160M and 9BDXCC by the time KH1 hits the air.
OK – now onto fixing that RFI issue …
Hi Rich,
I worked J5T on 160 last night, bringing me up to 16 new entities on 160 in 2017. Before the end of the year I hope to add 9G – Ghana, and HC8 – Galapagos, and possibly some more Europe. I worked 17 new ones in 2016. Since then I’ve added an amplifier for 160M – a used Alpha 78A. Gone are the days of 100W and a wire for me on 160, I suspect. Top Band is certainly the most challenging of all the DXCC endeavors, with the exception of #1 Honor Roll, which I am now seriously doubting I’ll ever see in my lifetime (because of P5 and BS7H).
Best wishes from Michigan. Cheers!
73, Tom
K8BKM
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Hello Tom – great going on the DXCC totals, and yeah – 160M is tricky for sure. All of a sudden I’ve developed an RFI issue even at 100 watts that turns on the HVAC blower on 160M. I just remembered what changed this summer . . . I’ll blog about it
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Reblogged this on israel345.
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