A reminder that this next weekend 24-25th October is the date for the World-Wide SSB contest when high powered stations will swamp the HF bands and on 40m in particular will be active as far down the band as 7015 KHz.
There are many alerts posted for the usual 40m CW spot around 7032 KHz. This will be unusable for SOTA purposes for the majority of the weekend and CW activators may wish to use other bands or alert for a freq below 7015 KHz
73
Roy
G4SSH
SOTA News Editor
In reply to G4SSH: Not many weekends are free of contests, which is why I try to activate mid-week.
73, Dave, G6DTN
And the clocks go back… that’s bound to catch a few people out with either the wrong activation time or the fact it will appear to go dark earlier.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to G4SSH:
Best of luck to all activators out this weekend, HF may well be difficult, even for higher powered stations. There are of course the WARC bands, or CW for those able to use it, but I think 60m & VHF/UHF will be the easier bands to operate on this weekend.
73,
Mark G0VOF
In reply to MM0FMF:
Hehe - hopefully it wont appear to go dark earlier by radio log time! ;o)
73 Graham G4FUJ
In reply to G4SSH:
I took full advantage of the warm up period yesterday when the contest monsters actually call CQ and chat to test my FT-101ZD. On 7MHz into Belgium, twice into Bavaria, Ireland and Lithuania. 14MHz QSO into Serbia to finish. All good reports. So generally cock-a-hoop. And the 10m fishing pole with the dipole antennae is still standing this morning. I guess there’s no-one civilised to speak with on the HF bands now. I’ll try to chase the men on a mountain in S Wales instead.
73
David 2E0DAI
In reply to M6WOW:
Hi David
Have you not looked at 17 metres? No contest traffic there.
Carolyn
In reply to G6WRW:
Indeed Carolyn, 30m (CW / narrow band modes only on this band), 17m & 12m should be free of contest traffic this weekend. 12 was open yesterday as was 17m earlier this morning so well worth a listen on fro non-contest QSO’s.
73,
Mark G0VOF
In reply to G0VOF:
Hi Mark,
Ten was also up for a time yesterday, - I worked a station in Madeira
5/9 both ways. Couldn’t get back to JY4CI though.
Kind regards
Dave G0ELJ
In reply to G0ELJ:
10m wide open now here.