Category Archives: Propagation

DH8BQA SO(A)SB10 HP – CQ WWDX CW ’22

Posted on November 28, 2022 by dh8bqa

I can only partially understand the many comments about how great 10 m was. I was rather disappointed. Geomagnetics were severely disturbed at times, which is certainly more noticeable in the north of DL than in the south, not to … Continue reading →

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Golden October … in November ;-)

Posted on November 14, 2022 by dh8bqa

Seems we got a golden October again, just a few weeks delayed. 😀 I was a bit late to the “tropo party” on Saturday. Heiko, DG1BHA, had already worked half a dozen stations from Belarus but when I switched on … Continue reading →

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CQ WWDX SSB ’22

Posted on October 31, 2022 by dh8bqa

This one was tricky! When last onsite at the station in September I recognized my N1MMLogger+ installation on the local Windows machine wouldn’t start anymore. Getting really strange error messages. So I had planned some time on Friday to do … Continue reading →

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Good Aurora Opening

Posted on September 4, 2022 by dh8bqa

One day too late! 😀 Good ol’ sun was quite active lately so we were regularly checking the Aurora predictions and Space Weather websites during the contest. Unfortunately nothing during the competition but the band finally opened late this afternoon … Continue reading →

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Just a little Perseids activity

Posted on August 14, 2022 by dh8bqa

Only a few QSOs during the Perseids Meteor shower this year, but at least over five times more than last year. 😀 Kidding aside, just too much QRL again so only QRV every now and then for short time periods. … Continue reading →

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US West Coast Opening on 6 m

Posted on August 6, 2022 by dh8bqa

It’s been a very long time since I last caught a 6 m opening to the US West coast. Actually this opening tonight was just my second West Coast opening at all! And as it happens during all multi hop … Continue reading →

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MM/DH8BQA: 6 m opening from IO75kk

Posted on July 31, 2022 by dh8bqa

Marc, DO4DXA from JN58, asked during the contest if I could come to 6 m as it was open to Scotland. Did so after the contest was finished and easily worked him on CW with the KX3 matching the ZS6BKW … Continue reading →

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Double-hop on 4 m & the Balkans on 2m

Posted on July 11, 2022 by dh8bqa

Caught another Sporadic-E opening to the Balkans on 2 m early afternoon: —————————————————————— TIME CALLSIGN LOCATOR TX RX BAND MODE PROP. QRB —————————————————————— 11:55 LZ1AG KN22ID +02 -06 2 m. FT8 ES 1454 11:58 LZ2CM KN13OJ +01 -06 2 m. … Continue reading →

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Some Tropo for a change!

Posted on July 8, 2022 by dh8bqa

Sporadic-E, Aurora, now some Tropo for a change! Love the summer month’ as there are so many different possibilities to catch different propagation modes on VHF, it’s just amazing! Certainly one of the reasons why I fell in love with … Continue reading →

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Sporadic-E on 4 m & Aurora on 2 m

Posted on July 7, 2022 by dh8bqa

Interesting day today! Four was open this morning via ES to the UK & Ireland as well as EA & EA6. It closed at 12z and never opened again, MUF down. Thus nothing to expect on 2 m either, right? … Continue reading →

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More ES, even on SSB ;-)

Posted on June 11, 2022 by dh8bqa

Following yesterday’s openings 2 m was hot again all day long. At times we had two or three different path’ open (Greece, Italy, Spain) in parallel. And there was some good SSB activity, too! Not to miss anything I went … Continue reading →

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Plenty of Sporadic-E again

Posted on June 10, 2022 by dh8bqa

More Sporadic-E today with very high MUF, contacts around 1.000 km on 2 m! —————————————————————— TIME CALLSIGN LOCATOR TX RX BAND MODE PROP. QRB —————————————————————— 10:40 F6DBI IN88IJ -07 -11 2 m. FT8 ES 1336 10:46 F6CIS IN94WL -09 -09 … Continue reading →

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Bands hot again

Posted on June 9, 2022 by dh8bqa

Another great day! Started with a JA opening on 6 m although only 3 stations wkd (all JA8 from QN03/23). Once again I had the feeling being much too weak although running 400 watts into an 8 ele longyagi. 🙁 … Continue reading →

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Nice openings on 6, 4 & 2 m with new ones

Posted on June 7, 2022 by dh8bqa

Early start this morning with the first QSO on 4 m at 7:30z into the Balkans. Beaming East 6 m provided interesting QSOs and new squares with UN7DAT/NO00 and RD6AK/KN85. I doubt that the latter is legal but as always: … Continue reading →

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First 2 m ES for me this year

Posted on June 2, 2022 by dh8bqa

Four was open all afternoon. Two opened just briefly over here, good enough to work EA5BY (whom I had just worked on 4 m, too,  half an hour ago): —————————————————————— TIME CALLSIGN LOCATOR TX RX BAND MODE PROP. QRB —————————————————————— … Continue reading →

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3D2R – Rotuma as ATNO & a good 6 m opening

Posted on May 24, 2022 by dh8bqa

Worked DPØGVN, the German Antarctica base station, on 10 m today. Also caught the Rotuma expedition 3D2RRR as an All Time New One on a few HF slots. 6 m opened via multi-hop ES this afternoon, too, providing several stations … Continue reading →

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First 4 m ES opening this year

Posted on May 22, 2022 by dh8bqa

Seems like a late start on 4 m this year, at least for me. While I usually work the first 4 m Sporadic-E opening early May, sometimes even at the end of April already, it’s been the end of May … Continue reading →

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Midnight Longpath on 10 m

Posted on May 20, 2022 by dh8bqa

Upper band HF condx have been quite good recently. I was able to catch DPØPOL/mm off the coast of South America on 10 m CW late this afternoon. But the real surprise was seeing a late night long path opening … Continue reading →

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ARRL 10m Contest ’21

Posted on December 12, 2021 by dh8bqa

Not much DX. A bit of Sporadic-E on Saturday, else an all Meteor Scatter weekend (although most people probably don’t even know their signals were bounced off meteor trails, hi). Hoping for better condx next year! ARRL 10-Meter Contest – … Continue reading →

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CQ WWDX CW ’21

Posted on November 28, 2021 by dh8bqa

Another WWDX-CW is in the books. Checked the 10 m condx on Thursday morning: a few reasonably loud VKs, but nothing from Asia. Hmm. Next check Friday afternoon: a few South Americans, no USA. 15 m also looked pretty meager, … Continue reading →

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