A happy customer in Florida writes:
**"XR0ZRC ... one-called him. Not bad for a 20’ OCD and 100 watts."
Meet Bill in Florida. "Interestingly, one of the big DX deals going on right now is Juan Fernandez Is. (Robinson Crusoe), XR0ZRC. The pile-ups have been enormous. I caught him on 20 CW the other morning at 13:11Z just as 20 was opening up here. He evidently had just moved to 20 as the pile was small, I caught the previous station working split and one-called him. Not bad for a 20’ OCD and 100 watts."
Bill, sent us an enviable video-image of his Old Glory proudly providing him a passport to the short waves! You can imagine the palm fronds and flag flowing in the wind... notice the pole doesn't move! Bill is probably working DX right now...
Bill in Florida works 80-6M
In addition to the splendor and beauty, he states that he is “so glad to be working guys on 80M, for the first time in 20 years!” and “The DX Flagpole is 2-3 S-units louder on first tests versus the loop on 20/17M.”
"In the pile-ups, I got a surprising number of 1 to 3 calls contacts, far more competitive than I expected."
Update from Bill after ARRL SSB 2019 (Weekend of March 2-3). If you were on the air at all during this contest you know even some of the most fierce of competitors (using superstations) pulled the plug about half-way through as it was lousy conditions even for the 200' tower guys. Here's more from Bill...
"By the way, I ran about 100 contacts in the ARRL Phone DX Contest over the weekend. I could hear a ton of stuff in Europe and Asia. Also used 20, 15 and 10. As you would expect with lousy propagation, 20 was a zoo. I still managed to put some Europeans and Oceana stations in the log. In the pile-ups, I got a surprising number of 1 to 3 calls contacts, far more competitive than I expected. Same thing on 15. Only half dozen on 10 it was only open for a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon, and that was mostly to South America and the Caribbean."
How would you like to hear "a ton of stuff in Europe and Asia" again from your Home or HOA? That's Real DX on 160-6M at your QTH. See our antenna collections, here.
Ham Radio is fun again.
