2019 DX
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Jan
20th Brought the 50MHz array out of hibernation today for my first 6m QSOs of the year. EME condx quite good. 5 JAs of which 4 were new, KL7HBK and VK4MA init # 

Feb
12th A few FT8 QSOs into EU to warm up the amp then V84SAA on 50MHz EME for Initial #210 and DXCC #247. (Delighted to have worked the Brunei Team on 160m & 80m CW, 80m FT8 plus of course 6m EME!)
16th New 50MHz EME initial # 211 with VK5ARG club
20th New 50MHz EME initial # 212 with Ken AC4TO

Mar
As can be seen I have not been on the radio much - antennas tied down as very strong winds for half of month.
19th A hard won 50Mhz EME contact for EME country #84 and new initial #214 with Gene KB7Q at PJ2T in Curacao:-)

Apr
12th A nice easy contact via the moon on 50MHz with the T77C San Marino DXpedition for EME DXCC # 85
17th A nice easy contact via the moon on 144MHz with the 9K2YM Kuwait  for 144MHz EME DXCC # 73
18th Finally! VP2EMB Anguila contacted via the moon on 144MHz   for 144MHz EME DXCC # 74 My switchable polarity array really paid off with Chris and Jos inaudible on the horizontal yagis and -20 on the 2 vertical LFAs
24th After a few days of short 50MHz Es openings today saw a much more widespread affair with stable multi hop. I was only on for about 3 hours early evening but collected 20 countries including S01WS in Western Sahara on 110 SSB with 4X and 9K heard.
25th Another few hours in the afternoon took my annual 50MHz total to 43 DXCC:-)

May - as the Es season kicks in I will not be reporting fully here - just highlights
6th Another few hours as the 6m Es season begins to build - today best worked Cape Verde D4 but Puerto Rico KP4 in briefly also. Now at 49 countries so far this year.
7th Lance CP1GJ worked on 50MHz EME for DXCC#248 and initial # 216 / country #85 via the moon:-) COUNTRY # 50 ON 50MHz IN 2019!
8th KH0/W2AZ Saipan worked on 144MHz EME for DXCC#76 and initial # 216 :-) Yet again the 2 Vertical 12el LFAs which I added to my 4 x 12el LFA array paid dividends. Previously a good signal on the 4 H pol yagis, KH0/W2AZ faded as I called them. I switched to th 2 Vpol and they were easy copy - I completed the contact with Vpol for both TX and RX despite 3dB less antenna gain:-)
9th 09:00z Just worked Remi FK8CP in Noumea New Caledonia on 50MHz EME for DXCC#249 and initial # 217 / country #86 via the moon:-)
10th An hour or so on 144MHz EME yielded 3 new initials including HL5OC in S Korea for DXCC #76
11th 01:00z Just worked Chris ZL7DX Chatham Islands after several months of skeds (thanks Chris)  - 50MHz EME for DXCC#250 and initial # 218 / country #87 via the moon:-) Moon below 3deg at both ends!
12th The Es season has started - "The glorious 12th"
13th My annual 50MHz DXCC countries count has jumped to 64 with A71 as my ODX on Es so far this season
14th - great multi Es including 5T5 - but I was not QRV
15th On briefly for new 144MHz EME initial # with DK0IZ
18th - 24th summary - a good week of Es. Now up to 76 countries worked on 50Mhz so far this year - much improved on recent years. The ODX (distance) chart is also looking good: (only > 4,000km shown)

26th E31A widely worked across S EU and Asia - but not yet here! Nice evening Carib opening with 9Y, J69, PV8 and KP4
27th E31A worked:-)
28th Finally an opening for Jeff TZ4AM in Mali - great sig on CW for well over an hour starting 19:00z I'm now up to 84 countries worked on 50Mhz so far this year.
29th Multi hop Es all day incl some Carib. V31 heard whilst beaming TF which was an indicator of what was to come - strong late night opening to TF followed by VO1 and VE / W1 (all on FT8).  89 DXCC 244 squares 30 grids so far this year.

Jun I will not be reporting fully for June - too much info! - just highlights
1st - A contest weekend - so of course conditions were poor!
2nd I was out all day - got on the air around 19:30z to find the band had been wide open to AF and Carib for a long time. 6W1 and a few others on CW plus the usual suspects in the Carib incl a clutch of HI8s all rounded off with a great chat on SSB with Chris 9Y4OD and 9Z4VF - video on my FB page
5th Nice long opening to West Africa with TY2AC (FT8) and 9G2HO (CW) in the log. A brief mid afternoon opening to N America didn't develop into anything significant.
7th Well focussed evening opening to 9Y, PV8, PZ4 big signals but lonely. Some backscatter via S Carib to East coast NA.
8th A busy day here but got on radio mid afternoon for Egypt SU, Burkino Faso XT2 followed by HV Vatican City for DXCC "Country" #100 for 2019:-)
9th Quite a day with VO1 from 10am PZ and Carib not much later with strong Es across EU difficult to know where to beam! Band seemed to finally close ar 2300z - or was that my eyes:-) 101 DXCC 356 squares 42 grids so far this year
11th 08:51:46 EA8DBM Alex 085100 -10 0.6 890 ~ EA8DBM T88TJ RR73 Canaries to Palau on 50MHz Nothing much here but a brief afternoon opening to NA.
12th Big morning JA opening from southern EU - nothing much this far north / west except about 5mins to Korea and China EU-NA all afternoon / evening but over my head - nothing much in IO70
13th Morning as yesterday - Korea in/out no Japan - all to south of us. Evening was a different matter - 5 Hours of NA / Carib with S9 signals at times - sadly little activity on CW / SSB. Cayman ZF1 and Haiti HH2 worked to take my Country total for 2019 to 104 and Squares to 384
14th S9 Sao Tome into S EU but not here. Repeat of evening opening to Carib / NA but I packed up at 21:00z - it got better after that;-)
15th am - 16th pm - away for the weekend:-)
17th No morning JA etc but open all day to ME with good opening to India. Long mid-day opening to TZ with 9G and TR8 along for the ride - some random spots but no sign of S9A on PSKreporter. 5T5 in for > 1hour loud but didn't manage to work.
18th An interesting morning - nothing on the northern paths but 9M2TO West Malaysia worked and in for > 1 hour. 4S spotty across EU but not here:-( 5T5PA Mauritania in for over 4 hours late afternoon on FT8 and SSB up to S9+20 Totals for 2019 to date: Countries - 112 and Squares 405
19th Well - quite a day at the office an early morning looking for the Japan northern path (nothing). Then 083245 -1 0.1 2439 ~ G8BCG DU1IST 73 Philippines. Also heard by DU1GM but no QSO:-( It gets better 095045 -2 0.0 2014 ~ G8BCG 4S7AB 73 Sri Lanka - DXCC #251 on 6m:-)
4S7AB was in for several hours and worked many EU including EI, GI, GW and I think GM. Then the Caribean started early 113900 -11 0.2 986 ~ DF4UE TO1T  with HH, HI, KP4, KP2, FG and all the usual suspects. Around 12:00z John KL7HBK in Alaska worked Mike SV9CVY Crete and a few lucky Greek sdtations - the magic trans-polar solstice path! Meanwhile the Carib path just continued to build with 154000 -9 0.0 2170 ~ CQ FS4WBS FK88 St Martin  worked and TI5/N5BEK Costa Rica worked / in for several hours (also TI2CC). Eduardo CO8LY in Cuba gets top prize - he was in continuously from around 12:30z until I switched off at 2100z well over 8 hours.
20th Another busy day at the office - still no Japan! and not so exciting to the East but W Malaysia 9M2TO still in! Pre lunch start to the Carib and the 8 hours of North America - path more northerly meaning mid-west Mexico (4) and Belize (2) worked. > 100 NA QSOs on FT8 + 1 on CW (my choice!) but many more available.
21st Not QRV
22nd QRV only evening - 5T5PA +23 on FT8 then worked 55 on SSB and confirmed within 10mins on LoTW:-)
23rd Finally got lucky with Sao Tome - S92HP just after lunch time for DXCC #252 on 6m:-)
24th Still no Japan but another amazing day to N America out to DM43
25th Did somebody say Japan? Quite an opening 52 JAs and 1 HL in the log.
27th Nice early morning opening to North East AS path. Lots of JAs plus 5 Chinese and 4 Korean - no Hong Kong here yet
28th June - 2nd July not QRV.

Jul
3rd A few JAs in the morning and a very nice opening out to US West Coast down to LA and Mexico.
4th Another good morning to Japan followed by an early evening to Carib / Mexico and out to West Coast USA. Northern paths of 25deg and 325deg in evidence.
5th Morning JAs not QRV evening but good to W Coast NA again
6th Big early morning JA / HL opening (not QRV)
7th Some Morning JAs and HLs plus VR2XYL and VR2XMT worked. Afternoon / evening NA plus usual Carib, 9Y and HK3 for DXCC 125 this year:-)
9th quiet morning - nice early afternoon opening to USA East and mid West 60+ QSO - FT8 of course - some at CW level but not SSB
10th another early afternoon opening to NA 30 FT8 qsos
13th - 27th Not QRV - holiday Norway / Iceland:-)

August
4th Many thanks to the CY9C team for 50MHz & 144MHz EME QSOs today within 15min of each other. Lee WW2DX is the SO2R EME Magician!!This was DXCC # 77 on 2m and DXCC # 88 on 6m EME
6th I had a feeling! Late night opening to Carib and NA. Copied CY9C via Es on JT65A whilst they were working EME. They eventually moved to FT8 (briefly) then SSB !! Worked them on a peak - they were in to LA G GI GM EI + Italy etc. https://www.facebook.com/peter.taylor.g8bcg/videos/10156977810709748/

50MHz Stats for the year 2019 so far compared to 2018/17:
2019 DXCC 127 (6 new*) from CW 13 SSB 26 DATA 121 EME 12 TOTAL QSOS 2011
2018 DXCC 117 (2 new) from CW 13 SSB 33 DATA 109 EME 10 TOTAL QSOS 2085
2017 DXCC 102 (5 new) from CW 17 SSB 37 DATA 81 EME 17 TOTAL QSOS 657

*terrestrial: S92HP 4S7AB  | EME: ZL7DX FK8CP CP1GJ V84SAA

13th Late afternoon opening to NA: VE, East Coast, TX, Midwest (FT8 only)
14th Late afternoon opening to NA again: VE, East Coast, TX, Midwest (FT8 only)
22nd - surprise early morning opening to JA!!
24th - morning JAs into Med -early evening opening to NA from G - late in season!
Robots Beware! ARRL Contest and DXCC Rules Now Prohibit Automated Contacts
25th Plenty of single and double hop Es in EU
26th Again plenty of single and double hop Es in EU incl TF and S01 / EA8
27th Still plenty of single and double hop Es in EU
28th Widespread day long multi Es across EU with a 3 hour afternoon opening to N America - weak and with much QSB and geographic variance so FT8 only - best QSO KA9CFD in Illinois EN40
29th Still plenty of single and double hop Es in EU - very big signals out of Iceland and Israel all morning;-) 6M EME initial #220 K5NA in the afternoon
30th Still lots of Es across Europe and a little NA again.
31st Some Es around EU

Sept
1st Some Es around EU
9th Good single and double hop Es across EU all morning and afternoon.
15th Good Tropo on 2m this morning – and I had time to play b4 brunch.
135 QSOs
76 on SSB ODX HA8MV/P 1883km
59 on FT8 ODX CU3EQ 2203km
afternoon update: ODX D41CV @ 4150km - nice duct
21st S79GJ (W7GJ) in the log via EME for 50MHz DXCC #254
22nd Just 8 hours into his Seychelles 50MHz DXpedition and with Lunar path degradation running at 6dB Lance Collister W7GJ as S79GJ is yet again showing what can be done with planning, skill, determination and a good deal of energy!

24th HB0/S59A in the log on 50MHz EME on my MR then A35JT on my MS for DXCC#255
26th New 50MHz EME initial # 224 with Susan K5DU
27th Early evening on 2m EME before winds hit 55mph!: new inits - HB0/OE6FNG, AA5C and WO7R

Oct
20th VP6R -17 off moon at 0deg on their first moonrise - wow. Unfortunately they seem to have some problems with noise so only ON4GG and 5 others in log so far - not me:-( [yet!] A21EME  in the 50MHz EME log at 23:12z for DXCC #257
21st VP6R cancelled EME for today:-( Decided to complete the construction of my S / X Band basic system and at 20:47 I called CQ and was called by PS8RF for my first Geostationary Satellite contact (I know - it's only a repeater - but I need to get some use out of my 1980 AMSAT NA Life Membership:-)
22nd A21EME on 144MHz EME for DXCC#87 Then VP6R on 50MHz for DXCC#258 - a good day:-)
23rd A21EME worked on QO-100 :-)

Nov
A quiet time on 50MHz so I have built a basic setup for the QO-100 13cm/3cm geostationary satellite - great fun - 50 countries so far in 4 weeks:-)

17th 5H3EME on 50MHz EME for DXCC#259 :-)
19th 5H3EME on 144MHz EME for DXCC#80 :-)

Dec
Campaigning to get the CON(Self)Servative liars our of Downing Street. Holiday in 9H and general hibernation.

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