TenX DX News      March 1, 2023

Mike Davidson N5MT #24949      Download as PDF

Welcome to the Spring DX season of the 10-10 DX News.

We had a nice Winter QSO Party in February with good signals from all over Europe and Asia.    I had almost 300 Q’s in my log but a Texas friend with a better antenna, talked with all 50 states, 68 countries and logged 1600 QSO’s, came in first place again. The solar flux during the QSO party was 140 giving us excellent DX propagation on Ten.

The DXpedition to Bouvet Island was a big disappointment for many DX chasers in February with the bad weather around Bouvet!    High seas caused dangerous boat landing conditions on the island.    A few made it ashore with limited stuff and they put up two of the planned five stations.    The resulting setup caused the QSO counts to be only    9% of what was expected to log with five stations.    I did not hear any activity from Bouvet on Ten but they logged 675 QSO on Ten.    Most of the Ten meter Q’s were into Europe and Asia and only 2 Q’s to North America.    You will find some Bouvet videos on YouTube.    This bad-luck DXpedition will be remembered and blame it on a lot of bad weather.

The Winter QSO party allowed my station to find 17 old DX members and 28 members that were a first time in my log!    I got one three digit old member from the west coast for a new one.    I worked a lot of non-members looking for numbers so they could get qualified to join 10-10.    I think I talked with about 90 stations that were looking for numbers.    I worked a total of 110 members and 185 non-members all weekend.    I looked at our 10-10 database after the party and over 104 new member numbers had been added to the database!    So thanks to all the new members and I have talked with two new members that joined from the QSO party in my log.

All members are having a good time with the rise in the solar flux due to more sunspots!    The Sun gave us a solar flux high last year in September of 154 but a new high of 234 was recorded in January 2023.    On Feb 17^th a mistake was posted for a flux of 343 so please ignore that posting. We had many sun spots this past quarter on the Sun to cause the record solar flux.    And more are expected this year!

Over 165 logs were submitted for the a Winter QSO Party which was great news for 10-10.    Award forms and membership renewal info are at the website.    Please swap your 10-10 number over the air on Ten to qualify for awards!    When you collect 10-10 numbers, DX, Counties, Bars or you want your score to count in a QSO party, you must exchange your callsign, name, state and 10-10 number on Ten over the air.    So save your QSO info in a logging program.    Then when you are ready to fill out an award application, move your 10-10 info from your saved place to your award form. The honor system applies for all contacts on awards.    I keep DX records for award validation as the DX Countries award manager.    After filling out an award form, submit it to the email address on the form.    There are 340 

ARRL DXCC countries available but only 318 10-10 countries have been worked for country credit so far.

Countries Award:    There were no Countries Award applications submitted this past quarter.

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General 10-10 DX reported in the past quarter:

      3B9 Rodriguez Island.    Robert 3B9FR #61550 was active in January on Ten with FT8 from 1545 to 1715 UTC.   

      3D2 Figi.    Wayne N0UN #11317 is now using 3D2UN from Figi.      He is good on LoTW.

      3Y Bouvet Island.    A rare DXpedition to Bouvet started on February 6-13^th.      The only member was Bill KO7SS #8631 and there was no report of any Ten meter QSO’s by Bill.    They made very few QSO’s on other bands due to bad weather and bad landing conditions with high waves.    In 1990, Bouvet was a first time country for 10-10.

      5W Samoa.    Paul W7IV #27182 and friends were on Savai Island from February until the 28^th.    The usual bands and modes plus FT8 were used.    Call was 5W0DX.

      9M2 West Malaysia.    Rich PA0RRS #24343, was back in West Malaysia from January to March 27^th using call 9M2MRS.    West & East Malaysia are rare 10-10!    No SSB, some CW but mostly FT8 around 28074 or 28180.    LoTW.

      9U Burundi.    Elvira IV3FSG #54292 was in Burundi, Africa from February 4-27^th as 9U5R along with a friend Vlad OK4WX/9U4WX.    All modes all bands.    A lot of FT8 from Elvira on Ten in February.    The last 10-10 member to operate from 9U was Iris Colvin W6QL/9U5QL in February 1991.    So this is a rare 10-10 country!

      4U United Nations.    The UN club station 4U1UN #55555, in the New York UN building, was heard this past quarter.    The remote HF station was on Ten along with the beacon on CW.

      4U UN Switzerland.    4U1ITU #11111.    There was radio from the club station on 20 & 30 Mtrs and some on FT8 but nothing on Ten in February.

      ET Ethiopia.    Ken K4ZW #18573 and Nodir EY8MM #52767 were using the club station ET3AA during January.    I saw the station active on Ten using FT8 in January from 1230 to 1430 UTC.    I do not have individual info on each.    Remember this is a rare DX location.

      EY Tajikistan.    Nodir EY8MM #52767 was active on FT8 in early January.    He then went to Ethiopia but is now back in Tajikistan from February 17^th.

      FJ St. Barthelemy.    Phil K2LIO #7746 left the island at the first of the year 2023 and has not returned. His new call FJ4WEB.    His radio is an IC-7300 with a better antenna for Ten.    Phil is the first 10-10 member to stay on the island for long periods.

      HR Honduras.    Gerard F2JD #63443 was on Ten using FT8 in mid January as HR5/F2JD from 1500-1600 UTC.

      Alex K6VHF #77458 was on Roatan Island using call K6VHF/HR9 from February 12-15^th using FT8 and CW.

    KH0 Mariana Islands.    Gerard W5TZX #49308, was on the Mariana Islands in February.    His radio was QRP 10 watts using FT8 on 20-15 Meters, no Ten.    LoTW.

      J7 Dominica.    Laurent F5MUX #42039 used callsign J79BH on Dominica in late February.    He has had eight callsigns over several years, so be careful.   

      PJ7 Sint Maarten.    Gary KC9EE #16977 will be on the island from March 1-8^th.    His new call will be PJ7EE using a QRP radio on CW and FT8.    LoTW.

      V3 Belize.    Walt W0CP #14291 is using call V31DJ until March 11^th from Belize.    CW, SSB and FT8. LoTW.

      V5 Namibia.    Mike V51MA #64688 has been showing up on 28450 on Saturday mornings at 1610 UTC with the LA Pelican Net. I just missed him on FT8 at 1945 UTC on Ten.

      VP2M Montserrat.    Thaire W2APF #50022 was using call VP2MDX from January 2 to March 30^th . He operated CW & SSB into a hexbeam with a small amp.

      VP8 Falkland Isl.    Bob VP8LP #8854 was on Ten operating SSB from December to February.    No LoTW.

      YJ Vanuatu.    Al K7AR #2736 and friend Bob W7YAQ were in Vanuatu in February for two contests.   

      ZF Cayman Islands.    Jim WB2REM #48365 was on the big island using ZF2OO callsign until January.    He was on Ten SSB and FT8.    LoTW.

Upcoming DX & New 10-10 Activity:

      9G Ghana.    A DXpedition of nine ops are going to Ghana from March 22- 30^th.    Look for George N4GRN #73941, and Hal W8HC #12502.    Special callsign is 9G4X for a contest.

      CY0 Sable Island.    The big DXpedition to Sable Island is scheduled for March 20-30, 2023.    Look for Dan W4DKS #5395 and John W2GD #14109 the 10-10 members.   

Website: www.CY0S.com.    Sable island is now a remote WX weather station for Canada and does not keep anyone on the island for station keeping.    The ham operators are going to rent Sable facilities where they can stay and operate.    The only permanent residents on Sable are 500 horses and seals that have to be protected from visitors.

      FP St. Pierre & Miquelon Isl.    Eric KV1J #31247 

is planning on a June-July 2023 trip to operate as FP/KV1J.

      HC8 Galapagos Island.    James WB2REM #48365 and friends are planning a March 1-11^th trip.    All bands, modes and digital FT8.    Unknown callsign.    LoTW.

      J6 St. Lucia.    Dan W0CN #27026 and Bill K9HZ #2618 will be back in St. Lucia from February 28^th to March 7^th and the ARRL DX SSB contest using J68HZ.    Outside contest Dan may be using J68CN.

      PJ2 Curacao.    Andreas DK5ON #54260, will be on Curacao Island from March 4-22^nd.    All modes,    LoTW.

      V2 Antigua.    Eleven operators will be using V26EI from Antigua from March 24 to April 2^nd.    The 10-10 members are Declan EI9HQ #71019 and Thos EI2JD #73610.

      V3 Belize.    Uwe DL8UD #70315, will be in Belize from September 6-14^th.    His new call will be V31KO or maybe V3O if they authorize his special request.   

Miscellaneous Items & Notes:

TenTen Website: http://www.Ten-Ten.org .   

Propagation forecast: http://www.solen.info/solar/ , www.SolarHam.net    and    http://ARRL.org/Propagation .

More propagation: http://dx.qsl.net/propagation/ .

DX Calendar: http://www.dxwatch.com/ .

DX:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4dJcK-WVRw.

DXCC Most Wanted at: https://Secure.Clublog.org/mostwanted.php .

ARRL DXCC : http://ebarc.org/pdf/dx-entity-history.pdf .

Ham Lookup various ways: https://Haminfo.tetranz.com/map .

Ham LoTW users: http://www.hb9bza.net/lotw-users-list .

NEW: WM7D Solar Values: https://www.wm7d.net/hamradio/solar/

FT8 Fox/Hound Video: https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=GcbtTKSRkus

Download the DX’ers Handbook by Bryce Anderson K7UA/SK, at: www.K7UA.com.

Propagation:      I expect the solar flux to range from 125-185 during the Spring, with a rise of flux.    The 2023 Spring Equinox is Monday March 20^th, and Spring starts for us in the northern hemisphere.    The Earth is equally over the equator, giving us equal daylight/night time days.    Cycle 25 started on November 17, 2019.    There are 5 sunspots visible on the sun today with one near X class flare and 2 M class flares last week!    Sunspots are seen by looking at the Sun and the flux is measured at 2.8 GHz.

The 2022/23 monthly max solar flux:    Jan was 130, Feb 130, Mar 151, Apr 166, May 180, Jun 149, Jul 176, Aug 128, Sep 154, Oct 163 Nov 142, Dec 166, 2023 Jan 234 and Feb 215.    Average 163.

The 2022/23 monthly min solar flux:    Jan was 84, Feb 93, Mar 94, Apr 96, May 98, Jun 96, Jul 91, Aug 95, 

Sep 116, Oct 105, Nov 108, Dec 119, 2023 Jan 136 and Feb 134.    Average 105.   

On March 1^st, the solar flux was 161, the A index was 24 and K index was 4.     There have been many sunspots on the Sun and the past nine months with increased solar flux up 20-30+ points.    The USAF solar flux forecast for March 1^st to April 14^th is from a high of 180 to a low of 140 with average flux at 162 which is a record high average.

My Prediction:    Over the next three months, the best conditions on Ten could be: March 16-20^th ; April 12-17^th ; May 9-13^th; and June 5-10^th.    For the USA, expect a 85%    chance of DX to Europe, Asia, S. America or Pacific.    Use the beacons 28.175-28.300 MHZ to find if the band is open.    If Ten is closed for SSB, go to 28074 and use FT8 for another Q.

Three new DX member joined in Dec 22 to Feb 2023.   

Dec: none; Jan 2023: none; and Feb: Gilbert VA3NQ #78103, John VE3TG #78116 and Dan VE7VU #78121.    The highest 10-10 issued is to Rick KX4PP #78154.

Thanks to the Daily DX by Bernie W3UR    #25731 and the ARRL DX Bulletins.    This DX News edition is my number 129^th of DXing reports for the past 32 years.    DX news to:    Mike Davidson, 26274 Whispering Pines Ave, Denham Springs LA 70726    USA and Email: N5MT@aol.com .

    DX IS!     73    Mike Davidson N5MT    #24949

      Copyright © 2023 by N5MT