2020 DX
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Click for previous years 1999 - 2019

Jan
27th Jan - All my 50MHz antennas are still in hibernation for the winter. Just active on QO-100 and LF bands for the moment;-)

Feb
6th 6m Antennas still on the ground and 80mph winds forecast for this weekend. But always something to work: C21MB on 144MHz EME this morning followed by BG0AUB and 9V1HV on QO-100

Mar
Still being restricted by strong winds and now of course Covid-19.
8th Checked out the EME array and worked 4O6AH and UT7UV.
Several days with quite good Es across EU - 2020 countries worked rising rapidly.

Apr
Good Es across EU continues.
2nd EME time - worked JA7QVI and HB9Q (new init on 6m)
3rd more EME - Nodir EY8MM for DXCC #91 off the moon. Nodir is running single 7el with elev and 1k from his rural contest location and has a good signal. Also worked two new inits: K8CX and YL2GD - both new to 6m EME:-)
4th two more 50MHz EME Initials - I4YRW and JM1OAX plus another attempt with Bint YB2MDU - fingers crossed for the 5th:-)
5th three more 50MHz EME Initials YL2AO, S50A and DL8YR
6th YES! YB2MDU 50MHz EME for DXCC # 92 off the moon:-)
12th Serious Es across EU and down to EA8 and CT3
13th VERY early in the season opening to TZ4AM and TT8SN
25th - first day of serious multi-hop Es across EU
28th - first opening to NA nothing worked but spots from W7JW and VA3MW around 15:45z
30th - Mid-afternoon narrow opening to NA - WU1ITU worked. Lots of flags on the map down to D4 and then the official opening of the season: OY, EA8 CT3, CU, PZ5, FG (x2!), KP4 and J69. Missed PY and 9Y. Carib and SA being worked in GM and GI - My 2020 50MHz country total raised to 51:-)

May - as the Es season kicks in I will not be reporting fully here - just highlights
1st My 2020 50MHz country total raised to 58:-)
3rd New 50MHz EME initial with Mitsuru san JA9SJI in Toyama Japan. He sent me an email and reminded me that it was exactly 40 years since I worked him as H44PT when I was living in Solomon Islands - how time flies!
11th The start of the multi-hop Es season with long openings to mid-east from EU and from there to JA. TT8, TR8 and evening HK all of Carib. HERE? very little even though other F ON PAs Gs and EIs had good openings to all of these. Thus confirming that if the Force isn't with you then....
12th Day starting well with UR5LAK into VK4 0515 - 0530!! Good morning opening to TT8 and TR8 but the day did not develop into a general opening to the west.
13th Big evening opening Med - Carib but dead here.
14th our turn for the Carib - 8P, 9Y, FG, VP2E, KP4, KP2, YV, and HK - around 5 hours until I gave up at 21:30z
18th Middle East in pretty much all day with multi hop BV worked in Eastern England and briefly heard here. 6W called me with my beam to East - but that was the sole signal from Africa here. Brief evening opening to NA and Carib - much larger south of here. My 2020 50MHz country total raised to 85:-)
19th Not QRV in the morning but a busy afternoon / evening mainly to the East. Only a light evening opening to the Carib. G to PZ briefly.
20th Not QRV early morning but a busy late morning / afternoon / evening mainly to the East. Only a light evening opening to the Carib and NA.
21st As above + stronger late morning opening to TT8. (Worked E2STAYHOME in Bangkok on QO-100 for a new DXCC)
23rd High wind so ants locked down - but good openings to JA then NA early evening and PY late evening.
24th Quite a day! a few JAs, VR2 and BV Taiwan heard plus XV1X ! 9M2TO, 4S7 and several BYs worked. Opened to NA whilst still open to China. The evening was disapointing here with weak Carib / S America (loud elsewhere in UK  My 2020 50MHz country total reached 100 !! :-)
25th Es everywhere - nothing new - still waiting for BV and XV1 (heard briefly).
26th Es everywhere - still waiting for BV and XV1 (heard briefly) strong focus on PV8 in the evening.
27th Es everywhere - except in IO70 - we were on the edge
28th The first decent evening NA opening of the season - 60 FT8 QSOs - no signs on CW/SSB:-( Geographically very limited FN FM EL EM. 4U1UN was around (100w vertical) in FN30 but on wrong period.
29th Great 50Mhz Es and Spectacular 144MHz Es + Tropo making it the best day in decades for some - D4VHF load all day! Generator issues kept me off air in the evening:-(  My monitor vertical at home was spill hearing FG KP4 etc after midnight and was hearing EU all night!!!.
30th
31st A walk, a swim, then VR2 Hong Kong and a whole load of stuff to the East. USA in before mid day on a real northern path and stayed that way until around 21:00z 100+ NA contacts including dozens of mid-west / west coast CM, CN, CO and from VE7 to XE. AND Bo finally got his reward with a good opening to EU Greenland OX3LX in the log for many including me:-) [Oh, and the Carib was there also and out to Nicaragua]

June - I will not be reporting fully for June - too much info! - just highlights
1st June started as May ended! A couple of BV, JR6s, VR2 and many BYs. An early start to the west on a somewhat northern path again. Many West Coast and a few new squares - faded by 9pm so an early night.
2nd A very different day. Intense Es across EU but IO70 was not the place to be for NA. Very little here as EU worked over our heads. A clutch of strange ++ G8BCG reception reports from NE USA around 18:45z as I was beaming to the Baltic. Switched to BigWheel and was astill being copied. Turned array (2mins) to a completely dead band. Reflection off intense Es to NE???
3rd A quiet day for doing jobs!!!
4th A few JAs in the morning - otherwise a relatively quiet day in IO70
5th
6th Not QRV
7th Only caught the end of a big JA opening after our morning walk. Es through the day incl. VP9, Carib and NA, Then an intense 2 part evening opening to Carib and NA with 100+ NA in the log and a nice SSB QSO with K2ZD 59+. Tried FT4 for the first time - worked Joe Taylor K1JT +24:-)
8th Quieter to JA but a crazy opening to N America starting at 07:30z when, calling to JA, I was spotted in the USA. Several QSOs resulted and the band stayed open all day. The focus moved to the Carib in the evening and out to HK. I closed at 21:00z but the band didn't. Nice "SWL" report: Just heard you calling CQ on 50.110, about 2028z. Not strong, about S2 but I only have a 2-ele HB9CV. Will be listening and calling CQ myself over the next hour or so. Hope we can make it, 73 Steve, PJ4DX (also G4JVG)
9th No JA but another early start to NA and open all day! Brief extra hop to V31 Belize.
10th A quiet day in IO70
11th A few early JAs then a quiet day.
12th Open to Carib and east coast NA pretty much constantly from mid-day. Excellent late night opening to YV, HC and HK. 2020 DXCC tally lifted to 114:-)

13th Well, Saturday on 50MHz was a blast! Two new countries 3W Vietnam for DXCC 259 and RD9D Asiatic Russia for DXCC 260, ODX 11565km - Philippines (8 hours walking coast path) 195 USA incl 101 on SSB (video) and 15 DX DXCCs. then zzzzzzzz!
14th A string of early JAs but then faded here. Better in the north and VK8 into Nordic! A relatively quiet day with some NA and an almost silent evening.
15th A quiet day. Light afternoon opening to USA + evening to Carib incl J3
16th Again a very quiet day here - DX elsewhere.
17th A trend is developing - the East and West openings have moved to northern UK / EU- we are no longer in the zone!
G8BCG 50|MHz QSOs 2020-06-1818th Trend reversed 95 JAs + HL and BY. Open simultaneously to USA from 09:00 and remained open all day and into the evening.
19th Open East and West and to somewhere all day - but quieter than recently in IO70
20th Out walking all day - not QRV at all.
21st Open all day - morning JA HL BY and VK (1 decode), mid day KL7 (1 decode) and NA all afternoon / evening
22nd  IO70 was not the "best" location but open all day - morning JA HL BY, afternoon US West Coast with a real cluster: DM 03,04,05,06,07 DM 12 13 14 15 DM 22 42 + several CM and of course Mexicans. Was not QRV 16:00 - 19:00 so probably missed the best.
23rd Again morning JA, afternoon US West Coast but less intense. A nice northern path burst around 16:00 - worked VE7DAY in CO70 for IOTA NA-036 Vancouver Island and new Field CO #131 :-)
24th Another full day of East / West Es with Z81 South Sudan very loud mid morning and a host of YV HK HC and Carib in the evening:-)
25th A quiet day but still East / West DX to be had. I was only QRV for 1 hour mid evening with several QSOs to DM square.
26th Only QRV in the early evening. Good opening to W Coast CM CN DM DN. Also XE and the usual Carib stns.
27th JA morning Carib evening.
28th weak JA morning some Carib evening.
29th Nothing much to the east but a good afternoon opening to W Coast USA
30th Some JA morning. NA incl West Coast afternoon and then Carib and very loud PZ5RA +17 on FT4 evening

50MHz Stats for the year 2020 compared to 2019 and 2018 to end June :
2020 DXCC 126 from CW 1 SSB 19 DATA 123 EME 13 TOTAL QSOS 2123
2019 DXCC  122 from CW 9 SSB 20 DATA 116  EME 16 TOTAL QSOS 1671
2018 DXCC 100 from CW 4  SSB 28  DATA 95 EME 4 TOTAL QSOS 1079

July
1st My Birthday. Good JA opening but I was only QRV for about 40mins. VK worked up te road by G3TXF whilst I was having breakfast. Nice Carib / HK / PY8 / PZ opening early evening. Early night!
2nd An early start with lots of JA but very focussed - no other SE Asia seen. Open all day. Big W Coast and Carib + HK and HC. PV8s in a pack for many hours. Still wide open when I gave up at 23:00z.
3rd I had a late start but wide open to JA and worked KG6DX for my ODX so for this year of 12318km:-) Open all day. Evening solid to Carib with just a few NA - some side scatter some direct.
4th A quiet start to the day T6AA around but not worked. USA before lunch but nothing new. D44TD worked on QO-100 by pure chance as I was listening whilst working in the workshop:-) Some NA and Carib
5th Not QRV - a quiet day not much multi hop but JW7QIA had long openings to USA and JA
6th Not QRV much - a quiet day - no JA 9M2TO in for a long time - some NA
7th Some NA but basically a quiet day
8th A few JAs and a few NA incl CM, CN, etc but VERY sporadic. Also OX3LX very loud!
9th 10th Not QRV Walking the Cornwall Coast Path - much more interesting;-) Look at what I (you?) missed here.

11th Tightly focussed NA opening all afternoon evening.
12th A rare overnight JA to Carib / PY8 opening overnight!!
13th A big overnight opening to JA from UK/EU (I was in Bed) - Good to JA / HL / DS until about 09:00z here. Good to NA out to DN DM and then late night JA opening!! (I was in bed)
14th Some JAs until 01:00 but then nothing from 03:00 to 07:00 (I was QRV!). A "normal" day of Es to JA and NA / Carib - no magic - at least in IO70. BUT EL2DT Liberia worked on QO-100 for a new DXCC:-)
15th Some JA and BY but IO70 not in the zone. A quiet day to the west.
16th 17th Not QRV Walking the Cornwall Coast Path - much more interesting;-) Look at what I (you?) missed here.
18th A few JAs then a quiet day
19th quiet!
20th Quiet - but sneaked in an EME QSO with ZL7DX on my moon-set:-)
21st 22nd 23rd Not QRV Walking the Cornwall Coast Path
23rd got home just at the end of a good W Coast opening. Big sigs from HC and HK in the evening.
24th quiet day but good late night auroral Es for northern stations - I was in bed:-)
25th Good late evening to HK HC YV again.
26th Good afternoon opening to US East coast and mid west - flag in VE7 but no qso
27th Afternoon and evening East Coast again but nothing new or exceptional. OX3LX loud around 22:00z
28th Afternoon and evening East Coast again but nothing new or exceptional. Waiting for the season finale!
29th - 31st Not QRV. Walking the Cornwall Coast Path.

August
1st Not QRV. Walking the Cornwall Coast Path.
2nd. END of MARATHON SUMMARY: Well the UKSMG 50MHz Summer Marathon is over for another year - but of course the Sporadic E Season continues! I've not been so active and my DX tally for 2nd May to 2nd Aug is a bit down on previous years: 2273 QSOs, 702 Squares, ODX 19068km (EME) and average QSO QRB 4213km. DXCC count so far for the year 129 (3 new). Hope the season brought some good surprises to you!
4th Brief and patchy early evening opening to East Coast NA
5th Another brief and patchy early afternoon opening to East Coast NA
6th - 10th daily patches to NA and patchy Es across EU and out to OD / 4X
11th brief afternoon patches to NA
12th EU, some NA and D4 in / out late afternoon early evening
13th random Es all day and a nice surprise in the Activity Contest on SSB when D4VHF called me with my beam to the North:-)
14th still patchy openings to NA and EU wide bursts.
15th more significant late afternoon opening to NA and then KP4 also.
16th Another day of EU wide Es plus USA out to mid-west and also KP4 and D4 - no fat lady yet;-)
17th Brief NA E coast and another day of D4VHF!
18th-23rd not qrv but some good Es around EU
24th After lunch I switched from 18MHz to 50MHz and my workshop 30w to a vertical started hearing (and working!) NA. 5 QSOs later and it was time to QSY to the "real" shack. another 50 or so NA QSOs before returning to the paint brush at around 15:40z - band still open.

Sept
1st - all gone very quiet;-)

End of season summary:

DXCC 260 from CW 177, SSB 191, DATA 196, TERRESTRIAL 226, EME 96
and from a total of 23429 6m QSOs in 38 Zones, 132 Fields and 1273 Squares since 1997!.

 

Oct
7th Europe wide afternoon Es
24th Nice surprise afternoon opening to NA East Coast - I was not QRV but hearing stuff on my vertical - amazing!
25th Another afternoon opening to NA East Coast - some CW and even SSB noted!
29th Another decent NA opening - amazing!

Nov
5th Nice to see some TEP from EA8 to SA!
Not much on 50MHz so I have been playing on HF and also on the QO-100 Geostationary satellite. Why not give it a try?
Here is a recording of my 27th Nov SSB QSO with HS0AJ/P in Northern Thailand

Dec
1st The Arecibo Radio Telescope Observatory is gone. Its 900-ton instrument platform, suspended above a dish in the karst hills of Puerto Rico, collapsed this morning, at about 8 a.m. local time, ending its 57 contribution to science.  On 19 November, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) decided to decommission the observatory following two cable breaks that put the platform on the brink of collapse. But in the end, it couldn’t survive long enough for a controlled demolition.:-(


Oman Grids Award for QO-100 QSOs3rd Just received a wonderful email surprise from Khalid A41ZZ. The Oman Grids Award Certificate: (click image)

 

 

ANNUAL REVIEW

Total QSOs (all bands)
SSB 744
CW 89
DATA 18786
Total 19619
50MHz QSOs
SSB 254
CW 1
DATA 2362
Total 2627
50MHz 2020:
DXCC 130
SQUARES 713
FIELDS 70

 

 

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