TenX DX News      December 1, 2023

Mike Davidson N5MT #24949           Download as PDF

Welcome to the Winter DX season of the 10-10 DX News. The Sun is still producing Sun spots that keep the Solar flux high but high absorption conditions have kept Ten meters skip questionable!    We had less DX into Europe and Asia when the absorption numbers are above A=15 and K=3.

BREAKING NEWS:    Several coronal mass ejections have been seen on the Sun the past 3 days with 10 new sunspots!    Expect disturbed conditions and Northern lights to be present the next few days.    Hopefully this will not affect the ARRL Ten meter contest on December 9-10^th , Good luck.   

With the change of season its now cooler and daytime skip been better. This season change has already helped skip for the Fall and Winter season allowing us to hear Europe and the Pacific areas.    The CQ WW DX SSB contest just finished and I found seven ten ten members in my log!    The big ARRL 10 Meter contest will start in just a few days on December 9-10^th so please be ready for DX that weekend.    This year is the 61^st anniversary for 10-10, so find a members with a 61 in their 10-10 number and log them. I have 11 members with the anniversary date so far this year.

Now to update everyone of the Countries Award program.    In my last DX report I talked about restoring the 10-10 Countries Award program on my old XP PC here.    This was an old DOS program from Jim K4HAV/SK.    My hopes of a      member to rewrite a similar OS program with features to help file for most 10-10 awards that managers process will be a great asset for 10-10.    I did not have any countries award applications this past quarter so if you have the basic 25 countries with a 10-10 number in your log, put the info on a form and send it to me for country credit.    Remember when your dues are paid all awards are free.

Update on the development of the Win1010 program replacement.    Jeff N7YG #65084, has started re-writing the program, and he should have a report in this issue of the News.    My comments are from a Beta tester viewpoint.    My 10-10 log contains 44 years of history so when I use that data to test the new program, the chances of finding something in the new program are increased.    My testing looks through 17900 members in my logs, a lots of DX countries, the 250 OM/XYL teams, the 1800 VP numbers, the 2300 counties and 1650 prefixes that I have logged.    I still have not submitted for all awards that the old Win1010 program supported but my data adds a lot Beta test.    I expect it will take three months of programming and testing to get a final version ready for release next year for the new Win1010.

     

OK its time to talk DX.    The fall months have been better for Ten meter skip. The CQWW SSB contest was a good start for the fall DX season with over 100 countries worked by two friends in Houston TX.    When you work a DXCC on Ten in 48 hours, you must say you had a good antenna and propagation that weekend for a hundred country count!

We should be talking into Europe for several hours each day this Winter. QSO Party results are posted in this issue and the 10-10 Website.    So good luck with the upcoming ARRL Ten Meter contest in 8 days!    I hope some of you will have worked a new 10-10 country in Africa this past quarter so good luck on Ten as we enter 2024 in a few weeks.    Sun spots this quarter have cause less DX but I expect the best DX of the Solar cycle in 2024!

Countries Award:    There were no Countries Award applications submitted this past quarter. 

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General 10-10 DX reported in the past quarter:

      4U United Nations.    The UN station 4U1UN #55555, in the New York UN building, was heard in Sept on CW and in October and Nov on SSB plus the beacon 28200 MHz.

      A2 Botswana.    A DXpedition group was active from November 3-6th using call A25A. The only member was Victor UA3QLC #52770 but there was little Ten xmit.   

      C6 Bahamas Island.    Joe W8GEX #41393 was again using C6ADX with mode FT4 on his 62^nd trip.    LoTW.

      CY0 Sable Island.    The DXpedition to Sable Island was from March 21-31st call CY0S.    They had cold weather and bad winds that caused problems with antennas.    http://www.CY0S.com.

      FJ St. Barthelemy.    Vincent    KB9DVC #69254 was on St. Bart in late November in the CQWW CW contest.

      H44 Solomon Isl.    A DXpedition group was on    Guadalcanal, operating all bands from November 15-29^th    with call H44WA. The only member was Tom NU7J #71381.    Website was: https://www.H44WA.com .

      HP Panama.    Harvey NK0S #34184 using call HP1/NK0S was on 10-20 Meters with some digital.

      HR Honduras.    Alex K6VHF #77458 was portable HR9/K6VHF from November 21-28^th and some digital.   

      J2    Cameroon.    A big group of DX ops went to Cameroon from November 2-15^th using callsign TJ9MD.    The only member was Tony IZ8CCW #70101 from Italy.   

      KH0 Mariana Isl.    Scott WA0TPN #71279 is on Saipan from November to December 7^th as KH0/WA0TPN.    He could on from 800-1300 UTC on low power to a long wire.

      KH2 Guam.    Vincent K2ZW #439 was on Guam for a short stay.    No info at present.   

      KH8 Swains Island.    A DXpedition to Swains was from October 4-17^th.    The only 10-10 member is Max NG7M #68542.    Callsign was W8S from two separated camps with six stations total.    Website: http://Swains2023.com.

         

      OA Peru. Ed OA4SS #10802 is back on the Air with his rig an dipole for Ten and Ed likes CW on 28028.   

      P4 Aruba.    John W2GD #14109 was back again in Aruba for the CQWW CW contest in late November.   

      V3 Belize.    Scott K5PS #52535, was active in from November 18-28th as V31CQ in Blackman Eddy.   

Uwe DL8UD #70315, on from September 7-14^th as V3O.

     

      V5 Namibia.    Mike V51MA #64688 was worked this past quarter on SSB as he is the only Daily Net Control DX op on 28380. Mike lost his 10-10 number a few years ago but I found his membership number which got him active on Ten again.    So remember your 10-10 number it’s yours for life.

      VP6 Pitcairn Island.    Miralda VP6MW #50434, is back on the air with fixes to her rig and computer.    She likes FT4 on 28180 or SSB on 28555 as I saw her active in Nov.

   

      VP8 Falkland Isl.    Bob VP8LP #8854 was on SSB around 28492 and FT4 on 28180 in Oct and November.

      YJ Vanuatu.    A DXpedition to Vanuatu by several ops was from October 26 to November 3^rd using call YJ0TT.    There were two members in the group, Osiel NG7E #77665 and Alex K6VHF #77458.    They were active in the CQWW SSB contest with a good signal.    This was rare 10-10 DX.

ZL7 Chatham Island.    My friend Holger ZL3IO #22401 was back on Chatham Island for more DX contesting.    He setup in September then came back to operate CQ WW SSB & CW in October and November.    He used solar power and batteries on Chatham, with his callsign ZL7IO.    LoTW.   

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Upcoming DX & New 10-10 Activity:

      C6 Bahamas.    John W6JTB #49445 will be in the Bahamas from January 2024 to April.    His call will be C6ABJ and remember DXCC counts for land QSO only.

      CE0Z Juan Fernandez.    A group of ten ops will be on Juan Fernandez from February 13-20, 2024 using call CB0ZA.    The only 10-10 members are Ramon NP4G #36218 and Robert N5KO #26780.    Rare 10-10 DX.

      CE0Y Easter Isl.    Jorge CE0YHF #39382, will be on Easter Isl. until December 10^th while helping at a hospital.

      CY9C St.Paul Isl.    A DXpedition for June 2024 will take place by ops that were on Sable Isl recently.    More info will be coming in the next DX news.    Good luck for a new one.

      ET Ethiopia.    Ken K4ZW #18573 will be back at the club station ET3AA helping club members operate in December.

Ken and two friends will operate in the January 12-20, 2024 time period. Ken likes CW so good luck for a new one.

      FJ St. Barthelemy.    Phil K2LIO/FJ4WEB #07746 is expected to be back on St. Bart until December 31^st .

      FO Austral Isl.    Haru JA1XGI #55571 will be using call TX5G from March 25 to April 3, 2024 on Austral Island.

      H40 Temotu.    A DX group of 8 ops will be on Temotu from February 22 to March 7, 2024 using call H40WA.    The only member is Paul N6PSE #68859.

      PJ7 St. Maarten.    Ed N2HX #25435 will be in PJ7 for fall contest like ARRL Ten using call PJ7PL.    He was on St. Kitts with his new DX call V49R recently.

      TX Clipperton Island.    A large group of ops is going to Clipperton in January 2024 using call TX5S.    Members are: Gene K5GW #15119, Paul N6PSE #68859 and Nodir EY8MM #52767, are experienced DX ops.

        V4 St. Kitts & Nevis.    Jeff K1ZN #60508 will use call V44/K1ZN from February 25 to March 4, 2024.   

      VP2M Montserrat.    Thaire W2APF #50022 will be on Montserrat from January 11, 2024 to April 11 as VP2MDX

Miscellaneous Items & Notes:

TenTen Website: http://www.Ten-Ten.org .   

Propagation forecast: http://www.solen.info/solar/ ,

www.SolarHam.net    and    http://ARRL.org/Propagation .

More propagation: http://dx.qsl.net/propagation/ .

DX Calendar: http://www.dxwatch.com/ .

DX:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4dJcK-WVRw.Https://Secure.Clublog.org/mostwanted.phphttp://ebarc.org/pdf/dx-entity-history.pdf

Ham Lookup various ways:

https://Haminfo.tetranz.com/map .

Ham LoTW users: http://www.hb9bza.net/lotw-users-list .

NEW: WM7D Solar Values:

https://www.wm7d.net/hamradio/solar/ .

FT8 Fox/Hound Video:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=GcbtTKSRkus .

Propagation:      I expect the solar flux to range from 115-175 this Winter.    The winter solstices is December 21^st it’s the day of the year that has the shortest day times in the northern hemisphere.    The Earth is tilted so South America gets their Summer but in the USA we get    the shorter daylight Winter.    Cycle 25 started on November 17, 2019 just over four years ago!    This quarter saw a lot of sunspots visible with X and M class flares increased the solar flux but produced less skip.    Sunspots are found by looking at the Sun and the flux is measured at 2.8 GHz.   

The 2023 monthly max solar flux:    January 234, February 215, March 188, April 176, May 180, June 180, July 179,    August 176, Sept 176, Oct 166, Nov 190.    Average 187.

The 2023 monthly min solar flux:    January 136, February    134, March 129, April 125, May 134, June 144, July 154,    August 139, Sept 131, Oct 119, Nov 119. Average 133.   

On December 1^st, the solar flux was 167, the A index was 5 and K index was 5.     There have been sunspots on the Sun over the past two years with increased solar flux up 20-40 points.    The USAF forecast for Dec 1^st to Jan 14^th has a range of 160-140 with average flux 150 which is down 2 points from the last quarter 45 day average forecast.

My Prediction:    Over the next four months, the best conditions on Ten could be: Dec 26-31^st; Jan 26-29^th, Feb 26-29^th & March 28-30^th.    For the USA, expect a 35%    chance of DX to Europe, Asia, S. America or Pacific.    Use the beacons 28.175-28.300 MHZ to find if the band is OK and if it’s closed for SSB, go to 28074 and FT8 for a Q.

Two new DX member joined in Sept to November 2023.    Eric F5AUI #78206 and Stephan DD2SM #78209 were the last DX calls issued. David KC8EEY #78234 was the last new member in Nov and 52 members join this quarter.

Thanks to the Daily DX by Bernie W3UR    #25731 and the ARRL DX Bulletins.    This DX News edition is my number 129^th of DXing reports for the past 32 years.    DX news to:    Mike Davidson, 26274 Whispering Pines Ave, Denham Springs LA 70726 USA    or Email: N5MT@aol.com.

DX IS!     73    Mike Davidson N5MT    #24949

      Copyright © 2023 by N5MT