ARRL International DX Contest, SSB

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IcomIcR20

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I don't have my ticket yet, but I listened quite a bit this weekend to the contest.

I heard quite a few JAs (Japan) stations Saturday afternoon.

Lots of good DX on the bands!

How did you all do?

IcomIcR20
 

AC2OY

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I don't have my ticket yet, but I listened quite a bit this weekend to the contest.

I heard quite a few JAs (Japan) stations Saturday afternoon.

Lots of good DX on the bands!

How did you all do?

IcomIcR20

Really nice what band,frequency....my QTH is New Jersey and I have yet to hear Japan. Maybe I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time.�� Curious Icom what type of radio do you have and antenna? I'm thinking my vertical maybe isn't enough for that distance.
 

IcomIcR20

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Antenna was just some copper wire in the attic and the radio was an older Icom that someone let me borrow.

This was on 21mhz around 5-6pm est.

Again, this was just listening only.

IcomIcR20
 
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n3ouc

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I worked the contest for the first time ever over the weekend and had a great time. The JA (Japan) VK's (Australia) and ZL's ( New Zealand) rolled in around 4am on both mornings on the 40 & 80 meter bands. I was able to work a half dozen of each with just 100 watts and a ZL6BKW antenna. During the late afternoons eastern time, those same stations were on the upper bands 10-20 meters. I remember working a VK7XX (Tasmania) at around 5pm on 20 meters.
All and all with a very modest station, I racked up 142 Countries. I have been a ham since 1977 and this was the first time I worked this contest. I didn't think I had a good enough station to compete, so I just went into this seeking DXCC and sure enough I did. Learned a ton about where and when to work different countries. I highly recommend trying it at least. If nothing else, learning when the best operating conditions to other countries will be huge when understanding the best times to work that DX station you wish you had or DXpeditions.
 

IcomIcR20

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Yep.... I learned a lot about when propagation is best to where.... I had a great time listening over the weekend!

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902

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I never had much luck with the Pacific nations on lower bands when I lived in NJ. I had a Moseley tribander on the roof for a while. The best I ever did was on 10 meters. I had a 4 element monobander on the chimney. I got Japan and Australia on 10. I also had a Cushcraft 10 meter vertical Ringo (a short CB antenna) for 29.60 FM and managed to work a JA with 10 Watts on a Comtronix FM-80 -- but that was 36 years ago. It was a one-shot thing and never happened again since (I always had 29.60 FM on in the background when I lived in NJ).

Seems the guys who have the best "luck" are the ones who have mega stations with legal-limit power and high directive antennas.

I did have some luck receiving in the Midwest, but I don't recall hearing any JAs from "down south" since I've been here.
 

IcomIcR20

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Most were of the JAs were fairly weak, but 1 or 2 were fairly strong.... I was able to HEAR, not work because I am not licensed yet, 26 JAs in the space of about an hour and a half, plus one earlier that day.

Hopefully you will have better luck in the future!

IcomIcR20
 

Thunderknight

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Really nice what band,frequency....my QTH is New Jersey and I have yet to hear Japan. Maybe I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time.�� Curious Icom what type of radio do you have and antenna? I'm thinking my vertical maybe isn't enough for that distance.

I've worked JA and KH6 (Hawaii) on 40m SSB from New York. The KH6 was on a vertical, and the JA was either the vertical or a dipole.

I've heard Australian SW broadcast stations, but never any hams. My big problem is local QRM noise so I'm sure they are out there, but I can't hear them.
 

IcomIcR20

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I used dxmaps.com to see when 21mhz opened up to Japan.... then I filtered only Asian stations on Dxsummit.fi so I could find them....

Good luck everyone!

IcomIcR20
 

IcomIcR20

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JA7QVI just heard at 22:40 UTC on 21.280 MHz today.... signal was weak but still mostly readable here.

IcomIcR20
 

IcomIcR20

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JA3BOA heard at 23:48 UTC.... about as strong as the station in my above post, but maybe just a tad stronger.... still fairly weak though.

IcomIcR20
 

AC2OY

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I've worked JA and KH6 (Hawaii) on 40m SSB from New York. The KH6 was on a vertical, and the JA was either the vertical or a dipole.

I've heard Australian SW broadcast stations, but never any hams. My big problem is local QRM noise so I'm sure they are out there, but I can't hear them.

Thanks Thunder I'm about 13 miles west of you straight shot. I have heard Alaska and Hawaii faintly. I'm glad you mentioned the use of a vertical. So far I'm happy what I worked. I think my best once was Indonesia but he didn't comfirm. I will keep trying when I see somebody in the DX spotter I will try. Guys at my club meeting they have worked Japan and other stations. They told to keep trying and stay up all night if I have to.
 

AC2OY

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There was a station on tonight from Heard Island I heard very well. I tried but he had to get off the air probably to get some sleep. Tomorrow I will try to work him hopefully propagation will be good again as it was tonight.
 
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