Saturday, April 02, 2011

10m DX

Ten metres has been open this afternoon. I was alerted to this when someone on the Transmission1 radio forum mentioned that 27MHz was full of Russian taxis. I had a listen and sure enough their FM transmissions were clearly audible well up into the lower end of the amateur 10m band. This is one of the penalties of having CB radios that are easily modifiable for use outside their allowed band, I guess. And there's no chance of anything being done about it in Russia, the land where the Kalashnikov and the bribe determine the rules.


I switched to SSB and quickly worked A61AM. One of the things I love about 10m is the number of times you hear a DX station, give your call and they come right back. I was not even running full power - 80w is normally all I use. True there were a couple of pileups apparently of pirates using calls that consisted of just two letters :) but I avoided those. By the way, why is it that DX stations so rarely give their own call? Sometimes you have to listen for five minutes to hear it again and verify that you logged it correctly.

Propagation was obviously good into Russia but I also worked Mike, SV5BYR on Rhodes, Barney ZS6TQ, Burhan TA1BX and Norman 5B4AIF.  It's really great to hear 10m opening up, that's for sure!
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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousSaturday, April 02, 2011 10:16:00 pm

    Hi Julian,

    Whilst I've been using 10m for about 15 months or so now, this is the first time I'm ever came across it myself. I've heard reports on it etc, but it's the first time I've been personally affected by it.

    I was having a QSO or two on 28.550MHz when I kept hearing a heterodyne below the other station, at first I assumed someone was 'tuning up' till I listened a bit longer. Sure enough it was someone of FM, but due to the weak signal strength I couldn't make them out - a blessing, I'm sure.

    I'm sure that my QSO's must have been annoying for them (hopefully).

    73,

    Ian - 2M0ISM.

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  2. Paul Stam PAØKSaturday, April 02, 2011 10:34:00 pm

    Hi Julian, that's a nice one. 73 Paul

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  3. Paul M0PCZSaturday, April 02, 2011 11:05:00 pm

    Hi Julian, fantastic contacts on 10m, my favourite band, I have more dxcc on 10 than any other band, however ZS eludes me, so nice one there !

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  4. UnknownSaturday, April 02, 2011 11:28:00 pm

    ZS should be easy on 10m, I often hear them on JT65A around lunch time.

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  5. Steve GW7AAVSunday, April 03, 2011 9:54:00 am

    10m seemed okay yesterday but it has been much better. I only worked one a Ukrainian station. Most of what I heard were what I call the usual suspects. I see you worked one of the Norman 5B4AIF and his mate Noz always seem to be stonking signals here even on my low mounted 5/8ths vertical. Too busy chasing SOTA and WOTA, working special events stations and answering locals calling me to grab much DX on any band. There was a young Russian girl on 10m from a school station early morning shelling them like peas. She would do better in a contest than I could and she looked about 11 at most from her picture on QRZ.
    A couple of days ago Brazil was coming in here at 59 too the pile up was mad. Got to love 10 when it is open.

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  6. M0JEKMonday, April 04, 2011 1:38:00 pm

    Nice! I just re-erected my HF antenna on Saturday that allows for 10m, and I heard ZS6TQ when I was checking the installation. I am glad you worked him. I missed out, as when I was ready He had to "run downstairs" or something and I am not sure he ever came back ...

    As with Paul, M0PCZ, ZS also eludes me for some reason!

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