DX notes 02 July – The Radio Amateur Society of Australia Inc.

Here is the fortnightly bulletin of DX information for Australian DXers. Solar and ionospheric news, DX observations, announcements of DX activations, operating tips, and anything else that may be of interest to DXers in our part of the world may be found here. Reader’s observations and suggestions for content are welcome.

Propagation notes

Around the winter solstice, the solar indices picked up considerably. On the 20^th June the solar flux reached 82.1 and the sunspot number reached 54, the highest it’s been since September last year. After a few days, the sun was again spotless. Conditions may have improved slightly during the brief elevation in indices, but it wasn’t remarkable.

Around the bands

The main activity on air over the past week has been the Baker Island DXpedition. They have been active on 160 – 10 m, but with little activity on 12 or 10 m. Every evening they have been on 160 m, with good signals here. Also heard have been North American and Asian stations calling them along with VK and ZL. Eighty metres has been similar, along with massive pileups on 40, 30, 20 and 15 m. Stations around the world have been heard in the pileups. On 12 m, the DXpedition has worked some Asian stations along with a few VK. On 10 m, good signals were reported in VK4 in the early afternoon a few days ago.

DX Heard or Worked

The aforementioned KH1/KH7Z Baker Island DXpedition has been very active.

Craig VK5CE/6 was on air from OC-220.

Soccer World Cup stations have been very active on all bands.

Upcoming Activations of Interest

Eric KV1J will be operating from St Pierre and Miquelon as FP/KV1J until 17 July. This is a tough entity to work, but check the DX Cluster spots for him, and you may get lucky. QSL via LotW, KV1J direct, or Club Log.

XW4XR Laos, 11 – 22 July in Laos. The operator is Bruce 3W3B, on 40 – 6 m. QSL via LotW or Via E21EIC.

A25A Botswana, 13 – 20 July. The operator is Andre NJ0F who plans operation 80 – 10 m. QSL via LotW or NJ0F or Club Log.

YJ0GA, 18 – 25 July. Geoff ZL3GA returns to Efate Island (OC-035) Vanuatu, and plans operation from 80 – 6 m. QSL via LotW, or via ZL3GA, bureau or direct, and Club Log.

PJ2 Curacao, 19 – 24 July. Mason KM4SII will be operating from the PJ2T contest station part of a four member youth-operator team – Youth DX Adventure. Mason is fifteen years old and already a very active DXer. They plan operations on all bands, all modes, with a focus on digital for AS/VK/ZL. Callsign used will be PJ2/KM4SII or possibly PJ2Y. QSL via LotW. For more information about Youth DX Adventure see: http://www.qsl.net/n6jrl/2018_Team/2018_team.html

V6J Micronesia, 19 – 31 July. A Japanese team will be operating from Ta Island (OC-253). They will be using 40 – 6 m; SSB, CW, FT8 and RTTY, with a focus on EU and NA. QSL via JP3AYQ, or eQSL.

Luke VK3HJ