10 meters was open this evening.......

[WX2MIG]

I wouldn't have guest it, and the only way I found out was listening to a couple guys on 20 meters discussing what they were looking at on a DX cluster.
So I plugged in the Super Big Stick, got it tuned up fairly flat, and started scanning the 10 meter band from 28.300 to 28.500.
From 28.300 to 28.400 was nothing but Spanish speaking South American stations, then on 28.420 I found a Station on St. Croix Virgin Islands working a pile up. I don't normally do pile ups, but I played this one out, and with an old Big Stick in the trees, and only putting out 30 watts peak, I made the contact.

A few clicks up the dial I found a Station in the Dominican Republic working another pile up, tried to reach him, but couldn't do it with the stuff I got.

Other than a local rag chew session with a couple buddies in the next town, this is the first serious 10 meter contact I've made since my early days in amateur radio. Back in the late 80's and early 90's the band was wide open and hot, made both voice and CW contacts all over the place, earned my Ten~Ten International Certificate in Feb of 91. Since getting back into the hobby the band has been dead as a door nail, it was pretty cool catching a quick opening like the one this evening, I just hope this happens more often.....

 

[TonyV225]

Ill have to start watching that band again I got tired of finding nothing but if it openes a bit my kids can work it I been waiting for some activity there for them.

 

[EDUK8TR]

Glad you were able to catch some sporadic E. I had too many big thunder boomers going through here this PM to even think of trying to do any radio ops.:headbang

 

[bioman]

WX2MIG,,,,,,,,,i worked both of those guys from here in PA this evening.....HI3K on .405 and NP2KW on .420 along with pile of other contacts in the carribean

storms and lightning moved in here now so i pulled all the coax

hope to hear you on the band


scott

 

[TonyV225]

Yeah I had those crazy Storms here lastnight I to had to pull alot of Coaxes boy that sucked but to be expected. There I was it started lighting I wasnt home so when I did get home there I was pulling all those antennas coax from the house wrapped them in plastic and into a rubbermaid nin away from the house.

I brought them back in tonight but see that tomorrow they will have to go back outside LMAO good greif my luck.

 

[airplane1]

Yea I`ll say it was open. worked HI3K on .405 and NP2KW too and bunch more.

Was a good time.

AP

 

[doctor]

10 METERS

It was fun and a pile up, with my 70 watts. I did work the Virgin Islands, but no luck on the fm5 station.

Hope it continues to stay open, now I need a better antenna if this continues.

DOCTOR/795...

 

[WX2MIG]

WX2MIG,,,,,,,,,i worked both of those guys from here in PA this evening.....HI3K on .405 and NP2KW on .420 along with pile of other contacts in the carribean

storms and lightning moved in here now so i pulled all the coax

hope to hear you on the band


scott

Yeah Scott that HI3K in the Dominican Republic just wasn't happening for me, for some reason I can usually milk 80 watts average, and on a good day peak out at around 95 to 100 on this TS-130S, but as soon as I go to the 10 meter band I'm lucky to get 30 peak, and I have to kick my ALC way up as well.
NP2KW wasn't too hard, I did have to repeat my call sign to him twice, then he gave me a 5X9 signal report....go figure....
I usually avoid pile ups since I'm a barefoot operation with questionable antenna systems competing against a multitude of high power stations with beams, but I have managed to break through on a couple.....

Hope it continues to stay open, now I need a better antenna if this continues.

That makes two of us Doctor, I'm thinking of trying an A-99 with the radial kit to replace the very old Shakespeare Big Stick I'm using now for 17, 15, 12, and 10 meters....

Some day I hope to erect a 9 band Butternut on the garage roof and be done with the multitude of wires strung up all over the yard.....

 

[WX2MIG]

Although not as good as the other night, 10m had some sporadic openings close to grey line time here on the east coast early this evening. Got one contact on 28.405 with a newly licensed Tech in Lyles, TN named Chuck who was working from one of the RCI 10m radios putting out 130 watts. As was the case the other night, I could only squeeze 30 watts peak out of my Kenwood, but we got in a little better than 5 minutes of QSO time before the band faded on us.

Heard there was a solid opening this morning on 10m, but by the time I got to the radios it had faded. Seems what we are getting is sporadic at best, but I'll take it all the same.....