20-03-2018, 08:59 AM
The just passed summer DX season was one of the worst I have experienced on 50MHz, only real DX I heard was the E51USA beacon in the Cook Islands plus some very weak South Americans working into VK4 on two occasions.
Even the interstate summer paths were limited, heard/worked VK6 three times and heard VK8 (Darwin) twice.
Usually the VK8RAS Alice Springs beacon comes in for hours during past summers, seldom heard this time around, likewise the Atherton and Townsville beacons, both down in signal strength and very short paths. Last summer on a few occasions I had the Atherton beacon in and out for hours, not so this time.
Not a single path to Asia this way, didn't even hear the 49.750MHz Asian TV at all, a sure sign indicator of F2 lacking.
Plenty of ZL openings plus the FK8SIX beacon, however, compared to last 2016/2017 season the FK8 path was lacking and short openings if any.
Jack VK2XQ QF56dm
Even the interstate summer paths were limited, heard/worked VK6 three times and heard VK8 (Darwin) twice.
Usually the VK8RAS Alice Springs beacon comes in for hours during past summers, seldom heard this time around, likewise the Atherton and Townsville beacons, both down in signal strength and very short paths. Last summer on a few occasions I had the Atherton beacon in and out for hours, not so this time.
Not a single path to Asia this way, didn't even hear the 49.750MHz Asian TV at all, a sure sign indicator of F2 lacking.
Plenty of ZL openings plus the FK8SIX beacon, however, compared to last 2016/2017 season the FK8 path was lacking and short openings if any.
Jack VK2XQ QF56dm