I worked 10m again as it was very busty with POTA and the North American QSO Party stations. It took just about 30 minutes to get 20 contacts in the log. First up was Carlos YV1GIY, and following him was OZ4MU, F8EXM, DO9SMS, DL9RP, F5NZO, and finally, GM4OIJ. I'm pleased with that performance, the KX3 worked flawlessly, and I never cease to be amazed at how well the hamsticks work.
Propagation numbers today were: SFI=222, SN=124, A Index=10, and the K Index=3. There was lots of very deep QSB as well to deal with.
Here's todays contact map:
Stay Safe Out There!!
Parrotts Bay is about half frozen over these days and I expect it will be fully frozen over by next weekend. The picture to the left looks decidedly warm.....don't be fooled, it was -21C with the wind blowing.
Over about 40 minutes I managed to put 26 contacts in my logbook. First up was Bruno ON8BM, and he was quickly followed by DK5FF/p, LW2DO, DL1SWB, PD1CW, and EA2BD. The other contacts were mainly from the Central and Western USA.
All contacts were made on 10m with my KX3 set at 10w, and as usual, Hamsticks for my antenna. It's a winning combination and I see no reason to change it right now. Besides, it's too cold to be outside, fumbling around, and trying to get a wire up a tree.
Propagation today was: SFI=162, SN=136, A Index=10, and the K Index=3. The QSB was particularly bad at times.
I was really impressed with my SSB contact with LW2DO in Pehuajo, Argentina, which is a distance of 9,027 km away, or 902.7 km per watt. Not too shabby!!
Here's todays contact map:
Stay Safe Out There!!
The bands will be hopping next weekend with a couple of big events.....
Rules for this event can be found HERE.
As you can see the two events overlap on their timings, so we can expect some very crowded band conditions.
Stay Safe Out There!
Sunday was a cold, windy and snowy day here, with the temperature hovering around -14C (7F). A perfect day to get out, do an activation, and get moving into the new year.
I decided to start on 10m as it looked fairly active. First up was Luis EA4TL, followed by IW4EOI, G0BVD, F4GYM, F5NZO, EA1CDH, EA7HW, CT2IWW, IW2MJQ, IW2BNA. Then the big surprise, SV3SFJ in Greece. He was 7728 Km from me, just an outstanding contact for 10w and a Hamstick!! I ended the activation with 29 in the log, and I was pretty pleased with that. It had become very cold, and needed a hot drink and a warm up badly.
The propagation numbers were: SFI=209, SN=191, A Index=32, and the K Index=3. Let's all hope 2025 is a good year for us propagation wise.
Here's the days contact map:
Stay Safe Out There!
As 2024 comes to an end I sit here in wonderment at how fast the past 12 months have slid by, and wonder if 2025 will slide past even faster?
I started 2024 suffering from Covid, and it took a long time for me to get over it. It certainly wasn't a walk in the park for me, it was not a good experience, and one I have no wish to repeat at all.
There were some great amateur radio adventures during 2024 including a 30 day, 11,000 km trip to the west coast and back, camping out every night, and activating POTA parks as I travelled province to province across the country. That memory will stay with me for a long time.
I have ended the year with over 3500 new QSO's in my logbook, 213 POTA activations, 34 new POTA parks activated, and 3 island activations, all successfully completed. I survived Winter Field Day, Summer Field Day, and Chillycon, and I had a blast doing it all.
My 2025 plans have not been made yet, it may just be a quiet year....I don't think I could really top 2024 for activities. However, I do have plans for both Winter and Summer Field Days, Chillycon, and a couple of week long road trips are in the planning stages to activate some new (to me) parks a bit further afield.
One plan I do have so far, is to do Summer Field Day in the Northern Ontario RAC Section, instead of Ontario East.
A big THANK YOU to all my readers and visitors here, I really appreciate you dropping in.
From My Shack to Yours....May your year be filled with endless joy, new opportunities, and unforgettable memories.
The snow finally arrived last night, and the last POTA Activation of the year of the year is done and logged. I'm still trying to figure out where the past 12 months has gone so fast; it seems like only last week I was writing Christmas wishes for 2023 while suffering through a bout of Covid. Hopefully 2025 will take a bit longer to get through!
Christmas is the perfect season to be reaching out to others when laughter and good tidings are in the air. Here's hoping that your Christmas will find you amongst friends and family, sharing the spirit of the season.
