20m was wide open this morning

[ai8o]

Around 1:45 EDT (0545 UTC) it was early morning in North Carolina; I heard what I thought was BC (Canada)(VA) working some Italians on 20m.

All of a sudden, I relized that I was hearing VK (VEE KAY) not VA (VEE A)!

14.183 was alive with an Australian net on 20m !

I had 4 solid QSO with VK land, and heard several more.
VK1TX, VK7VZ, VK7XX, VK3JG.

Half an hour later I worked IC8HRG in Italy.

Not bad for 95 watts with a fan dipole.

The next solar cycle is starting perk up!

 

[kg6nlw]

Did you get the Russian (I know I know) station on 14.225? He was in there later in the day around 0832 (1532 UTC) and again 12 hours later at 2000 (0300 UTC). He heard and worked several stations across the nation from NC/SC to NY and back here to CA and up into VA land.

Regards,

-Frank C.

 

[jwt873]

Lots of Russians on 20 CW today. They're taking part in the Yuri Gagarin International DX contest. I'm hearing R5AJ near Moscow at 599 right now on 14.0199 MHz.. (15:33 UTC)

He's calling CQ TEST over and over.. I know ham radio should transcend politics.. But I can't bring myself to make a contact...

 

[kg6nlw]

Lots of Russians on 20 CW today. They're taking part in the Yuri Gagarin International DX contest. I'm hearing R5AJ near Moscow at 599 right now on 14.0199 MHz.. (15:33 UTC)

He's calling CQ TEST over and over.. I know ham radio should transcend politics.. But I can't bring myself to make a contact...

Oh yes, that contest! I hear it's fun. R5AJ is a pretty neat guy from the sounds of it. Nice THICK accent so some of it is hard to understand...I've heard him the last few nights and he's just booming into NorCal, even with the antenna pointed towards Europe instead of the Pacific. 1KW will do that...

Regards,

-Frank C.