Here is the 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
Solar activity lifted a little for the first couple of weeks in April, but dropped back again to very quiet levels again. Storm static affecting the Low Bands is at last subsiding somewhat.
Around the bands
Activity on the Low Bands was good through into early autumn, with lots of Asian, North American, Central and South American and Caribbean stations through our evenings, and Europe and even some Africans available in the mornings. The 40, 30 and 20 m bands remained fairly reliable. Higher bands 17 and 15 m were busy at times mainly with FT8 activity, and there was even a bit of Asia, Pacific and North America from time to time on 12 and 10 m.
DX Heard or Worked
March was a busy month for DX, with a number of DXpeditions active, including HD8M Galapagos, A52IC and A52ZB Bhutan, FO/OK2ZI French Polynesia, 7P8LB Lesotho, 3B8XF Mauritius, and 5X3C Uganda. Club station S01WS in Western Sahara has been quite active too. Back in our region were E6AF Niue, VI9NI Norfolk Island, P29LL Papua New Guinea, also XR0ZRC Juan Fernandez and C5DL The Gambia.
Other News
3Y0I Bouvet Island
The Atlantic Tuna finally departed in late March, and was only 70 nautical miles from Bouvet when it was damaged in a storm. As some critical navigation aids were damaged, the captain decided to return to Cape Town for repairs. The team is determined to get to Bouvet, but it will likely be next summer.
For more information visit their website: https://www.rebeldxgroup.com/tag/3y0i/
J20DX Djibouti
Unfortunately this IOTA DXpedition struck a snag. MM0NDX and MM0OKG had all their radio gear impounded on arrival at Djibouti Ambouli International Airport! Due to time constraints, they had to cancel activation of AF-059. Their equipment was still not forthcoming, so they had to cancel the rest of their activity and return home.
Macedonia now North Macedonia
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, recently known as “Macedonia” is now known as “North Macedonia”. There is no change in DXCC Status.
Upcoming Activations of Interest
Details of upcoming activations will be brief , and not include every announced operations. For more details of any activation listed below, and others, visit NG3K’s excellent “Announced DX Operations” calendar https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html
DXpedition activity scheduled for May includes the following:
TO19A Reunion (AF-016), 27 April – 8 May. A group of Croatian operators will be focusing on Low Bands.
JD1BMH Ogasawara (AS-031). Harry JG7PSJ will be operating from Chichijima on 40 – 10 m CW, SSB and RTTY.
V31D Belize, 1 May. Operators from the Medical Amateur Radio Council will be operating 20 and 17 m, CW, SSB and FT8 from 16 – 21 z. QSL via LotW or AA4FL.
HQ9D Honduras, 2 May. Medical Amateur Radio Council, as above.
ZF2D Cayman Islands, 3 May. Medical Amateur Radio Council, as above.
3D2AS Fiji (OC-16), 2 – 5 and 20 – 22 May. Nobby G0VJG, 40 – 6 m, SSB and FT8.
J79U, J79TA Dominica, 7 – 15 May. Thomas SM6CXU and Tore SM0T will be operating 160 – 10 m, with a focus on Low Bands, mainly CW. QSL via M0OXO.
FW/G0VJG Wallis & Futuna (OC-054), 8 – 22 May. Nobby G0VJG is planning activation of Wallis Island, with a possible side trip to Futuna Island (OC-118). He will be on SSB and FT8, 40 – 6 m. Nobby also plans to operate from Fiji as 3D2AS for a few days before and after Wallis. QSL via M0OXO.
XV9BO Vietnam, 13 – 19 May. Tom DL7BO will be operating from Mui Ne, 160 – 10 m, CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. QSL via LotW or DL7BO.
9M6NA East Malaysia, 23 – 28 May. Saty JE1JKL plans operation from Labuan Island (OC-133), with a focus on 6 m FT8 on 50.313 and 50.323 MHz, and in Fox/Hound mode on 50. 318 MHz. He will be active in the CQ WPX CW Contest. QSL via LotW, or Club Log. For more information see website: https://jsfc.org/je1jkl/9m6na.html
CQ WPX CW Contest, 25 – 26 May. For rules see website: http://www.cqwpx.com/rules.htm
Next IDT DXpedition Announced
The Italian DXpedition Team has announced their next DXpedition, to Liberia in September/October this year. They will have two callsigns: A82X for CW and SSB, and A82Z for Digital modes.
For more information visit their website: http://www.i2ysb.com/idt/
South Orkney DXpedition Announced
The Perseverance DX Group has announced their next venture will be to South Orkney. This entity was last activated in 2011, and has moved up in the Most Wanted list to No. 13 globally, and No. 8 for VK/ZL. Planning has begun for a DXpedition for up to 15 days in February/March 2020 on Signy Island AN-008. Callsign TBA. The team will sail from Punta Arenas, Chile aboard the RV Braveheart. They plan seven stations, operating 160 – 10 m, SSB, CW and Digital modes.
For more information visit their website: https://sorkney.com/
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