This year I concentrated on 50MHz with 96 DXCC worked and 70MHz with 39 DXCC worked to date.
My antenna system is a 3 element short boom (1m) dual band Yagi fixed East South East (photo below) and a single wire loop for North/South.
The E layer produces very strong reflections from a few hundred miles to as far as the Northern Territories, Australia on 6m. Now whether these ultra-long DX are via purely E layer reflections or a mixture of Es and high altitude ducting is an ongoing debate.
Working with indoor antennas is a challenge as the angle of radiation is higher than external antennas at least a quarter wave above ground. On many occasions I have sat here watching stations all around working excellent DX while I have nothing, but when the radiation angle changes I am away and in the mix. My 96 DXCC contacts on 6m is over five continents and on 4m over three continents.
My main modes of use are FT4 and FT8 as these are so much more efficient than analogue modes. I have worked with the Joe Taylor (K1JT) suite of modes from the beginning. Many others came and went over the years and the FT modes are now considered a standard. These were originally for 6m long haul DX only, but the HF fraternity picked up on them and FT8 on HF is now a victim of its own success.
Long haul 6m DX can at times be very short openings and as the footprint is much smaller than HF it can move rapidly.
No new DXCC on 4m this year tho it was good to see Italy back on the band in August after an absence of two years, with limited frequencies.
6m was a different kettle of fish with five All Time New Ones (ATNO) for six meters. All five ATNOs were in Africa on the single wire loop. This years ODX was LU1FAM in FF97 at 6869 miles, again on the wire loop. Maybe I should abandon the 3 el Yagi!
My all time ODX on 2M is 4Z4DX SSB at 2196 miles (3434k) (1989)
My all time ODX on 4M is 9K2YM FT8 2871 miles (4620k) (2021)
My all time ODX on 6M is VK8ZLX SSB 9350 miles (15047k) (1989)
G0LFF
