My first QSO with Japan on 6 metres

Well it finally happened. After weeks of waiting, I managed to log two JA stations on 6 metres this morning. I got a message from Doug EI2CN saying he was decoding and working Japan. Now Doug has a much more substantial station than me, at a much higher elevation, just a few miles from here. He regularly sees and works stations that I cannot see/hear.

However, after waiting a little while I started to see decodes from Japan on FT8. I put out a CQ JA, and after a few minutes I was called by JG2BRI. He was at -15 and gave me a -18, but with heavy QSB on the band other EIs were reporting that they were having difficulty completing QSOs. 

I grabbed my smartphone and made a quick video. I hope you can forgive my excitement, but this was the moment of my first ever Japan QSO on 6m - one I have waited 11 years for. I think the "yeeehaa" was justified!

A few moments later, I was also called by JH4UYB and managed to complete with him too, with signal reports of -16 each way. After that the band closed up pretty quickly here, but I did not mind as I had finally achieved a QSO that I have been anticipating for years.

Needless to say I also worked two new squares with these JA QSOs - PM84 and PM86. Also, Japan becomes my 110th DXCC worked on 50 Mhz.

A screenshot of my first QSO with Japan on 6 metres.

A screenshot from PSKreporter.info showing some of my decodes in Japan.

A major milestone: DXCC confirmed on 6 metres

At the beginning of June, I had 95 DXCC worked on 50Mhz (6 metres), of which 89 were confirmed. I am delighted to now report that I have reached 100 confirmations on the band and therefore have achieved the much-sought-after 100 DX entites confirmed via Logbook of the World.

On 1st June, I took down my storm-damaged hexbeam and erected in its place my old three-element 6m yagi. I was able to work a rake of new ones (exclusively on FT8) using this beam, but a couple of weeks ago I upgraded to a five-element LFA with folded driven element which I was very kindly offered on loan by Declan EI9HQ.

Last night, I logged HK3PJ, my first contact into Colombia on 6 metres, and my 109th DX entity logged.

Here's a quick list of all the new ones I have worked since 1st June:

7X2RF Algeria, worked on 1st June. DXCC #96 on 6m. 

A61DD United Arab Emirates. Worked 3rd June. DXCC #97. Confirmed on LoTW.

HZ1SK Saudi Arabia. Worked 3rd June. DXCC #98. Confirmed on LoTW.

HC1BI Ecuador. Worked 3rd June. DXCC #99.

P43A Aruba. Worked 5th June. DXCC #100 worked - a landmark day!

A71AE Qatar. Worked 8th June. DXCC #101. Confirmed on LoTW.

OD5KU Lebanon. Worked 8th June. DXCC #102. Confirmed on LoTW.

5T5PA Mauritania. Worked 11th June. DXCC #103. Confirmed on LoTW.

J69DS St Lucia. Worked 14th June. DXCC #104. Confirmed on LoTW.

5el LFA yagi erected 16th June 2021.

XE1KK Mexico. Worked 18th June. DXCC #105. Confirmed via LoTW.

5Z4VJ Kenya. Worked 20th June. DXCC #106. Confirmed via LoTW.

TZ4AM Mali. Worked 20th June. DXCC #107. 

OX3LX Greenland. Worked 24th June. DXCC #108. Confirmed via LoTW.

HK3PJ Colombia. Worked 26th June. DXCC #109. Confirmed via LoTW.

HK3PJ from Colombia, my 109th DXCC worked and 100th confirmed on 6m.

I am extremely grateful to my fellow EI dxers who prompted some of these QSOs by alerting me to their presence on the band. There is a wonderful community of hams here and most are extremely helpful to other hams.

I began operating on 6 metres in the summer of 2010 using just a fixed dipole with no rotation. I was active for several summers until around 2015, with a 3el yagi, by which time I had worked around 90 DXCC. I was inactive for a while before grabbing some more new ones in 2018 with my six-band hexbeam which had two elements for 6m. After that antenna was badly damaged by a storm, I eventually removed it and re-erected the 3el beam on 1st June this year, and that's when the new ones started to roll in. 

Some of the DX stations worked above appeared only for a few minutes, while others such as 5T5PA have been seen regularly. That's the magic band!

Today, I am proud to be able to say I have worked and confirmed DXCC on NINE bands (80m through 6m), all via LoTW as I do not send out QSL cards except in reply to those sent to me.

Now for the next challenge! Is it possible to get DXCC on 160m from a postage-stamp garden, or should I aim for 100 countries on 2m using EME? :D

A century worked on 50 Mhz (6 metres)

I don't blog about ham radio nearly as often as I would like to, but that's because I'm exceptionally busy with work and other writing projects. I have published two books so far in 2021 and am currently 90% through writing a third, which will hopefully be published in the next month or so.

I haven't been neglecting radio though, and have been QRV regularly. This being the summer season (with its attendant sporadic E propagation!), I recently decided to remove the wrecked hexbeam from the pole and put my three-element 50Mhz yagi up in its place. The hexbeam was wrecked in a storm a couple of years ago and due to radio inactivity and being busy with many other projects, I did not do anything about it.

However, when some of my local DXing friends were reporting good DX openings on 6 metres, I could not resist putting the yagi up to try to capture some action.

My total reach on 6 metres on Thursday 3rd June 2021, a memorable day on the band.

At the beginning of the 2021 6m season, I had 96 DXCC worked on 50Mhz and 89 confirmed.

I am glad to report that, thanks to a couple of really great openings during the past week, I now have 100 DXCC worked and 90 confirmed.

Thursday was a big day. After a slow start in the morning time, with few signals being decoded on FT8, the band opened up to the Middle East. At 11.23am local time (10.23UTC), I logged 9K2OW. I didn't immediately realise it, but I had 9K (Kuwait) worked and confirmed on 6 metres. But this was only the beginning of what turned out to be one of the most enjoyable radio days I've had since being licenced in October 2009.

Soon, I had A61DD from the United Arab Emirates in the log for a brand new DXCC on 6m, number #97. That was followed with another A6 QSO with A65BR, both later confirming via Logbook of the World.

I logged 9K2NO, the second Kuwaiti contact on the band. At that point, around 2pm or so in the afternoon, the band closed to the Middle East but there was still lots of propagation to Europe, before eventually some trans-Atlantic propagation began to appear.

I worked PV8DX in Brazil at 5.34pm local and at that stage had only the slightest hope of some action into the Caribbean. Soon I had HI8RD (Dominican Republic) in the log, and what followed was a fantastic evening of DX on the "Magic Band".

My three-element yagi on 6m has helped me get 100 DXCC on the band.

I logged no fewer than EIGHT Dominican Republic stations - HI8RD, HI3T, HI8T, HI8DL, HI3AA, HI8S, HI8PAP and HI8GSP. I also logged CU2AP in the Azores, who later confirmed the QSO on LoTW and although I had CU worked on 6m before, I had no confirmation, so it was a new one confirmed. I also worked CU3AC on 50.152Mhz using SSB – a rare mode for me these days!

Unbelievably, there were still reports from EI and UK of openings to the Middle East, so I swung the beam back and forth between west and east, and on the latter I soon bagged HZ1SK in Saudi Arabia, another new DXCC on 6m, no. #98!

Back looking/listening west, I logged WP4G in Puerto Rico (not a new one) and soon W4AS gave me my first North American QSO on 6m in 2021.

ZF1EJ in the Cayman Islands was worked, which was a nice one to get, although I had previously logged him in 2018 and the QSO was confirmed on LoTW. Several EI friends were decoding HC Ecuador and even HK Colombia. Could it be possible, I wondered?

Soon HC1BI was in the log, my first Ecuador and DXCC no. #99 on 6 metres. I was thrilled. Shortly thereafter I logged PJ4KY in Bonaire, and while not a new one it was a nice QSO anyway.

K0BZ was working from KP2 (US Virgin Islands) and I was getting occasional decodes of him on and off all evening, but eventually, with patience and perseverance, I logged him at 11.02pm local time. It was not a new DXCC but still a nice contact.

HC1HC gave me my second Ecuadorian DX of the day at 11.23pm and, after a few more contacts into both EU and NA, the band eventually faded.

Friday was another busy day on the band, but no Middle East this time, only EU. Later in the day the band opened to the USA and Canada and I bagged a heap of DX calls from eastern USA and Canada and some new squares.

Although Saturday (yesterday) was a quiet one on the band, there was a small opening in the evening time towards the Caribbean, and that's when history was made!

A screenshot of my historic QSO with my 100th DXCC entity on 6m with P43A.

I worked WP3R in Puerto Rico on FT8 and knew that I might have a chance with P43A in Aruba, who was active on the band and worked by some fellow EI ops. At 9.03pm local, I eventually got a QSO with P43A, giving me my 100th DXCC entity worked on 6 metres!

It has taken a long time to get to 100 entities worked. But there are many reasons for this. I first began 6m activity in summer 2010. For several years I used just a fixed aluminium dipole. Eventually I got the 3el yagi on a rotator but after just one season a storm broke the rotator and stub pole, so I was back to the dipole until a few years ago I got a six-band two-element hexbeam. That was also wrecked after just a couple of seasons in use, so I am now back to the 3el yagi again. 

All things considered, it's not bad. In order to take VHF seriously, I think one needs to focus on good antennas. It would have helped a lot if I had a 5el or 7el yagi on the band, but space, time and money are all considerations.

Now that I have 100 DXCC worked on 6m, the hope is to (a) work more DXCC and (b) get from 90 confirmed to 100 confirmed. To that end, I am making inquiries about acquiring a five-element yagi. I will keep you posted!

Video - EJ7NET on 6 metres from Tory Island

This is a short video showing some CW operation on 6 metres (50 Mhz) during the EJ7NET activation of Tory Island, Co. Donegal. We managed over 350 QSOs on this band, including about ten into the United States, all using a two-element HB9CV beam.

North America on 6 metres from Tory Island

Today was a great day on the bands, particularly on 6 metres, where we managed several QSOs into the United States in the afternoon. This was achieved with a HB9CV two-element beam at about 15 feet. As of this moment, we have over 200 QSOs on 50 Mhz since yesterday, which is fantastic.

Some of the North American stations we worked on 6 metres today.

The 50 Mhz contacts into the USA were not all easy. It took some time to get K1TL into the log. In fact I'd safely say it took 10 to 15 minutes to complete the QSO. Some stations were easier to hear and work. We were ecstatic at getting one in the log, but we ended up with six or seven NA QSOs. And all the time we were beaming NA, we were still working Europeans, some from Italy, Spain and France, but some from other areas. We worked a couple of Scandinavian stations off the back of the beam.

The EJ7NET 6 metre station on Tory Island.

Elsewhere, we have been plugging away on the HF bands. We had some activity on 20m, 17m and 15m today, with occasional pile-ups and also occasional dry periods. As of this moment, we have over 2,000 QSOs in the combined logs, which is not bad at all. Conditions on 20 and 15 are interesting. A lot of UK and Netherlands stations were strong on those bands today, while everyone else was comparatively weak. Last night (Sunday), we had some nice action on 40m SSB.

Weather today has been largely overcast, with drizzle at times. Generally typical Irish weather. Rolf HB9DGV activated the lighthouse on the island as EJ/HB9DGV/QRP.

Day 2 begins and it's raining relentlessly

It's day two of our activation of Tory Island (EU-121) and it's raining relentlessly. We still have two more antennas to set up. Activity has been good (at times) so far on 30m CW and 40m CW/SSB. We have about 370 QSOs so far from two stations. The 6m station is being set up as we speak. Thankfully, the antenna was set up last night.

Declan, Liam and Bernie setting up the off-centre-fed dipole yesterday evening.

Spirits are high among the EJ7NET group. Dermot EI5IQ pitched his tent and slept out there overnight. The rest of us opted for the comfortable beds here at Teach Sabba.

As we are approaching midsummer, there is no complete darkness at night. A beautiful sunset was followed by a fantasic red sky last night, so needless to say I spent quite a bit of time out with the camera. I even managed to get a photo of the shack late last night.

Our QTH at Tory is called Teach Sabba.

The Saint Patrick's Day aurora produced some interesting effects on 6 metres (50 Mhz)

This is a video showing me making a number of QSOs into the UK on 6 metres on Saint Patrick's Day. This was my first time working an aurora opening on VHF. It was quite interesting, and quite enjoyable. I also worked a few German stations, one French station and one Swedish station.

No, I'm not off the air. Just busy with other projects!

If you were worried that I was QRT, fear no more! I've been semi-active lately, but concentrating on other projects, mostly related to my research for Mythical Ireland. But I have been switching the radio on every day, working generally a couple of contacts each day, although granted there have been some days where I was inactive.

Since my last update there are two significant things to report. The first is that I worked another ATNO (All-Time New One) a couple of weeks ago in the form of S01WS, Western Sahara. I worked them on five band slots, and am hoping beyond hope for the chance to work them on 6 metres. I manage a 40m SSB QSO which was fantastic.

I recently changed computer and, in the process, I changed logging software. I've left Hosenose LOGic8 behind, and decided to start using Logger32. I've found Logger32 to be excellent, particularly its colour-coded alert system. This has helped me nab new bands and slots, and even that all-elusive new DXCC! However - and this is a big however - I noticed upon working S01WS that my DXCC total was at 306 current (308 all-time). It should, I felt, have been at 307. A few hours of laborious checking of my log ensued, and I can say without hesitation that Logger32 has it right, and that somewhere along the line a QSO in LOGic8 had been misintepreted as a DXCC that it was not. So my total is 306 current, and that's fair enough.

Western Sahara is the second-last country on continental Africa that I needed. Now I have just one left to go - Eritrea. Maybe it will be activated some day?

Anyway, there was a tremendous opening from EI into the Caribbean a few nights ago, and I took full advantage, despite having only my hexbeam on that band (my 3-element 6m beam is down). I managed to work THREE new countries on six metres (50 Mhz) in the space of an hour. It was fantastic! They were 9y Trinidad and Tobago, FG Guadeloupe and YV Venezuela. I am thrilled.

This brings me to #83 worked on 6m, and a tantalising 17 off the century. That might not sound like a lot, but it is on six metres!! That could take years!! Last year, for instance, I think I worked seven new DXCC on the 6m band throughout the whole season. Who knows - maybe there will be more nice openings? We can only wait and see . . .

On right is an image from FG8OJ, one of the three stations I worked on 50 Mhz to give me a new DXCC. I worked several other QSOs also, including with KP4 and HI.

VHF beams taken down . . . Antron 99 back in the air!

My Antron 99 back in the air, and the 4 metre dipole.

Rooftop selfie . . .
EI4DIB and EI2KC

Today the precariously positioned VHF beams were finally taken down. Tony EI4DIB helped me to remove them from the broken stub. We decided there and then that they would not be going back up today. The rotator appears to be shot and the stub pole had broken in the storms. The XY 2m beam has not had much use, while the 3-element 6 metre beam is only used during the summer E season. I decided to put back up my Antron 99, which I find to be a fantastic antenna on the high bands, most particularly 12 metres and 10 metres. In the meantime, I can think of a plan for the VHF beams. The only VHF antenna that we did put back up was my 4 metre dipole, which you can see offset from the pole supporting the Antron in the photo.

Below you can see a video of a contact I made with J38XX in Grenada. I was using 100 watts from the Icom 746 (a lovely radio) into the Antron on 28 Mhz CW. I later worked a number of North American stations on SSB and had a bit of fun.

Just this morning (Monday 10th Feb), I worked HS0ZBS on 10m CW with the Antron. Fine business!

Amsterdam Island FT5ZM update: I now have a total of ten band slots with Amsterdam. I was delighted to get them on 40m CW last night at 00:40. I also got 17 cw today, so now have them worked on all bands from 40 through 10. Is it too much to wonder about a QSO on 80 metres at this late stage?

I finished my latest HF Happenings column today and have sent it off to the editor of Echo Ireland magazine. 

Band conditions poor today, but 6 metres is open now

Tony EI2GX caught the only bit of decent action on HF this
morning with a stint on 20 metres SSB.

Just a quick update from Inis Mór from the QTH of EJ7NET. HF bands have been poor today, and seemed to take something of a nosedive. However, we have been compensated with a great opening on 6 metres, with CW and SSB contacts into many European countries from IO53DD. We hope to be active on 80 metres SSB this evening, following several requests from EI and G stations, so keep an ear out.

With poor conditions on the bands, some of us abandoned the shack for some exercise, with several of us taking walks to different parts of the island. Myself, Gordon GM7WCO and Dermot EI5IQ took a hike down to the beach to get some photographs of the sea spray. The heavens opened while we were there. Photographic efforts produced mixed results! Gordon and I then went to see a ruined 8th century church and the weather picked up nicely, with strong sunshine but strong winds too.

Rush hour traffic on Inis Mór . . .

As I write, I have been on 6m working a pile-up and now Liam EI7DSB has taken over and is still getting plenty of contacts thanks to a good opening there. Our chef Tony EI3HA made a beautiful homemade vegetable soup for us a while ago and has now begun working on our main meal of the day.

Three new DXCC worked on 6 metres

There have been some good openings on 6 metres these past couple of days. Due to work I could not get to a radio on Monday but today I was able to catch a few QSOs at around tea time. In fact, I managed to nab a total of THREE new DXCCs on the band, one after the other, within the space of half an hour or so.

The first was CN8KD, Mohamed in Morocco, on CW with a 579 signal each way. Then I nabbed EA9IE, Juan in Ceuta, on SSB, followed by C31CT in Andorra on CW. That made it DXCC numbers 59, 60 and 61 worked on 6m. A pleasant evening!

I hope the band continues to behave well in coming weeks and months to allow more new ones to be worked. I will be doing a lot less radio for the next month or so while I get my book on Newgrange finished, but I would be happy to dip in and out of 6 metres to nab new ones!

Another good opening on 6 metres

There has been another good opening on 6 metres this evening, just two days after the first big opening of the 2012 E season. Stations worked here included those from Germany, Austria, Croatia, Italy and Slovenia, mostly in SSB with some CW contacts. The three-element beam seems to be working absolutely fine, with no trouble being heard by any station, even with QSB. The opening lasted for about an hour.

6 metre beam installed - just in time for the first opening!

On Saturday I finally upgraded my 6 metre (50 Mhz) antenna. I have been using a simple aluminium dipole since the sunmer of 2010. It has served me well, giving me 54 DXCCs over two seasons. But I have been hungry for something with a little more gain so that I might notch up some new DXCCs this year. So when I chanced upon a three-element beam for 50 Mhz I snapped it up! Tony EI4DIB and Jim EI2HJB, who have been involved in so many antenna installations at my QTH, made themselves available on Saturday afternoon and we set to work. It was cold and windy but sunny. So typical Irish weather !

Tony EI4DIB and Jim EI2HJB installing the 3-element 6 metre beam

This was not a complicated installation in that we were swapping out a 6m dipole with a beam, so we could use the same coax. We were also swapping my 4m folded dipole for a 4m dipole made from my recycled 6m dipole shortened down. Tony and Jim managed to get the SWR of the beam between 1.5-2 so that was fine. It is under the 2m XY beam on the same rotator. I am now well set up for VHF activities!

This afternoon, Sunday, the 6 metre band opened for the first real Sporadic E opening of the year. Very timely too! I put the beam through its paces. I worked a number of stations in Poland and Lithuania and Latvia. Some of the signals were very strong indeed. I was delighted. Below is a video of me working SP3OCC, Ted in Poland, on SSB. I had just worked him on CW. He was 10dB over 9 at times. Very strong.

Below are maps from DX Sherlock showing just how active the band was today. It really opened up for a while in Europe, although the openings to EI were limited along a narrow path to Poland and the Baltic area.

6 metres open in Europe, with my first QSO mapped

Activity was intense for a time on 50 Mhz

This was an unexpected opening, especially such a big one. My first QSO of the E season in 2011 was on May 1st, so we are just a few days short of that date and the band has opened properly for the first time. While 50 Mhz was active last summer there wasn't so much DX to be worked so we are hoping that this year there will be some new countries floating around. And with the three-element beam now instead of the dipole, here's one op who's chomping at the bit for some extra DXCCs! Happy DXing . . .