It’s that time of year again! This years Easter DX event will take place on Sunday 24th and Monday 25th April 2011!

As always these events have been very popular over the last few years and many operators have turned out on the hill tops to make long distance contacts. You don’t need to go mobile to enjoy the events but it helps! The main thing is taking part and being on the air.

27.555 MHz USB is the main 11m calling frequency and for those who prefer the FM side of things Channel 25 UK and 25 EU (CEPT) will be in use. On the PMR-446 side of things Channel 8 with no CTCSS is a good start for hill topping.

We hope that TM members will be active over the Easter Bank Holiday on the 24/25th April 2011 and we’ll be listening out for you. Don’t forget to register over at Transmission1 and also post your contacts up here at: http://www.transmission1.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18022

For further details please visit: http://www.delboyenterprises.co.uk/ – a very good website indeed!

Time to dust off the mobile rig and head for the hills!

Tango Mike Group Presents DX Super Sunday – 28th November 2010. Take to the hills or operate from home! The most important thing is being on your radio on this date so plenty of contacts can be made. If there is no propagation there is always great fun to be had working around the UK. Even under flat band conditions we have had some amazing contacts reported so give it a try.  You don’t need to be a “big gun” to work the DX as many of our members have proved over the past few years. If nothing else it gives you the oppotunity to warm up those output transistors and blow the dust off those radios!

The Charlie Tango DX Group in North Yorkshire are holding a DX Field Day on the 28th May 2010.

As a neighboring DX group from the TM HQ we are proud to help promote the event and hope the TM members will also be on air over the bank holiday weekend making contact with the CT guys.

For further details please visit http://www.charlietango.co.uk/ or contact “Firetrap” over on the Transmission1 Forums.

Good DX guys!

Welcome to 2008 and the beginning of cycle 24. I hope all our members have had a good start to the new year, and make many contacts in the months to come.

“”On January 4, 2008, a reversed-polarity sunspot appeared—and this signals the start of Solar Cycle 24,” says David Hathaway of the Marshall Space Flight Center.

The sunspot that appeared on January 4th fits both these criteria. It was high latitude (30 degrees N) and magnetically reversed. NOAA named the spot AR10981, or “sunspot 981″ for short.

Sunspot 981 was small–only about as wide as Earth, which counts as small on the grand scale of the sun–and it has already faded away. But its three day appearance on Jan. 4-6 was enough to convince most solar physicists that Solar Cycle 24 is underway.”
SOURCE:

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/10jan_solarcycle24.htm

Propagation this month was predictably slow, a short opening occurred on UKFM on the 4th where I had a couple of QSO’s into Norwich and surrounding area’s including a contact using only 4w from a Midland 38 with 26TM420 “Rikki” on ch25.

On the 5th some USB activity around 27.555 from divisions: 13,14,16,30,31,35 etc but by late afternoon the band had closed again.

On the 6th short openings to 14,30 divisions. On the 8th 14,1 divisions only. The 9th-11th: Divisions 1,14,30,161,26 all reported with much QSB and very short openings.

The 12th brought some stronger propagation, reports of 1,26,14,30,161. Also 26TM008 “Dave” managed to work 104 and 21 divisions, excellent contacts given the conditions.

Conditions improved again for the 13th and many divisions heard and worked inc: 1,30,26,108,31,329,29,104. The 14th was quieter with more UKFM activity from 26,13 and on SSB 14,47,21,3,4,306 divisions on RX.

On the 15th FM was alive on both 27/81 and CEPT block with signals from 26 division and also 13 division into 26 division. Some strong SSB activity followed in the evening with 26,13,14,15,30,35,54.16,19,1,20,21,161,29,329 reported heard and worked.

The 16th brought reports of 52 division into 26 division. Otherwise a little FM activity but generally very flat band with the exception of 108TM814 “Robin” bagging his first QSO for 08′ with 15DX015 “Marco”.

17th-20th was very quiet, Only 29,30,31,161 divisions being reported on RX.

On the 21st: 13,1,14,30,35,47,19,16,26 divisions coming in for a good couple of hours with fairly stable conditions allowing some great QSO’s.
The 22nd was much quieter 21,104,1 divisions around but very hard to maintain a QSO. The 23rd was similar and had divisions 1,26,27,30,137 heard and worked.

The 24th was more varied with conditions spreading throughout the day. Divisions included: 1,13,14,30,26,31,161,47,21,35,15.

Dead on the 25th but on the 26th our very own 26TM073 “Eddie” RX’d AUSTRALIA 43OT010 calling CQ with a QSY to 27.570.

27th and a lot of 1 div around, also 104,30,14,30,36,163,16,29,31 divisions heard and several of these also worked.

Also on the 27th 163TM088 “Franz” had an expedition up a local hill to work some awesome ground wave and also a couple DX contacts. (see pic below).

From the 27th to the 31st was again very poor with only 161,14,3 divisions on RX. Throughout the whole of the 31st only one station made it through to me here in 108 division, a nice QSO with 13PA001 “Bernard” – 5/8. Otherwise silence.

Franz (163TM088) Portable hill topping with his generator.

Please contact me with your highlights or pics and be included in next months report.

73s & Good DX for February,
108TM742
Callum. Read the rest of this entry »

October we had fairly low expectations, what with the end of the summer sporadic and it being too early for the winter openings, all we could do was sit tight and see what came our way.

The 1st and the 2nd showed virtually zero SSB activity only some short openings to 3 division getting through. There was also short hop skip on UKFM of around the 250 miles, again very unstable.

The 3rd, 4th and early into the 5th we had nothing, late afternoon of the 5th finally brought some strong continued conditions, divisions inc: 1,14,15,30,34. On the 6th again conditions opened for a short time over lunchtime, div inc: 13,14,15,30,31. On the 7th the best propagation of the month so far and brought signals from: 1,13,14,15,16,19,26,30,31,161,163 divisions as well as good FM skip from 26 div to my QTH in 108 division.

The 8th continued the trend of short openings with 30,34 and 3 division making it to the UK, although not too stable they were workable. Also on the 8th the 1st reports of 43 and 44 divisions making it to Europe for many months were made on Cluster.DK. From there it was fairly quiet until the 11th with 1,34,30,31,14,137 heard and worked, 43 div again reported on the 16th. On the 18th stations from 161,163,13,3,1,35,47,21,56,20 were heard and worked.

On the 19th “Karen” 108TM026 made an unexpected contact with 9CO990 “Brian” in Nova Scotia, Canada. Her 1st ever QSO.

Generally quiet until the 24th of Oct where FM opened up to allow CADS to be heard across CEPT/UKFM & even bleeding alll over 27.555usb. Most of the common EU divisions reported through to the end of the month. On the 28th/29th 43 div again reported into the EU.

Also on the 28th I made contact with 14TM102 for 5/7 QSO, many thanks Pascal.

November was a very quiet month. Only 26TM022 “Phil” with great RX reports of 74 and 43 divisions. Otherwise a couple of the mainland EU divisions were RX’d and a handful worked.

Certainly appearing to be the true solar minimum.

December the 2nd had reports of 161,13,19,35 divisions, a welcome change from a very dead 11m band.
It didnt last and it wasnt until the 14th skip really returned bringing many 13 div stations on CEPT FM. Nothing further through until the 26th & 27th where both SSB and FM were active, divisions 1,13,14.19,30,35.104,330 heard and worked. Lots of QSB around and propagation dropped to very low on the 28th/29th/30th and nil on the 31st.

Mid December did show signs of the very start of cycle 24. Increases in solar flux, flare activity, sun spots and generally healthier numbers all round. On the 11th a magnetically reversed active region was identified over the eastern limb of the sun and could have been the first signs of the new cycle. Quiet from mid December until the 31st with a very high C class flare and forecasts of possible M or X class flares early January.

26TM022′s new Corsican spider antenna built by Roy 104GT011.

Please contact me with your highlights or pics and be inc in next months report.

73s & Good DX for 2008.
108TM742
Callum.

For this month levels continued to drop through September. With 21 consecutive days recorded with no sunspots. Sporadic openings have been at the lowest levels in 2007 so far.

The 1st to the 4th of the month raised some hopes with workable conditions including: 1,13,14,16,26,30,36,47,56,163,169 divisions. Much QSB but very nice to hear stations calling again.

Then 2 days without a single voice breaking the squelch!
Some odd calls from 14 and 30 division amongst hours of silence from the 7th to the 9th.

Then on the 9th 26TM022 “Phil” broke the trend and worked 3 division and 21 division amongst others whilst static mobile.

The following week was very patchy with some EU divisions in for short spells. On the 16th I had a QSO with 19TM145 “Andy”, which was followed by 3 division calling amongst the EU divisions.
Again several quiet days followed until the 21st where 104 div was worked and 2OT001 “Jon” reported hearing 26TM321 “George”.

The 22nd and 23rd brought 3 division again with strong signals on 27.555 & 27.540, as well as many other EU divisions received. 26TM014 “Andrew” also managed a short QSO with 161TM001 “Lucas”. On the 25th both myself and 26TM123 worked 51PO02, a first for me into that division. Through to the end of the month Brazil, France and Spain were received in short spells but not too stable.

Again this month one of the most active days was the DX SuperSunday event on the 30th, many stations went portable and several were active from homebased. Some low levels of skip around lunchtime, with the band closing by mid afternoon only to re open in the evening for a spell with some stations attempting contact with 3 div. Many groundwave contacts were made and a great day was had by all participants.

26TM256 “Dave”, At a top DX and GW spot.

26TM333 “Chris”, Schooling the sheep in the art of DX.

Please contact me with your “highlights” etc and be inc in next months report.

73s & Good DX.
108TM742
Callum.

It would appear that the sporadic propagation again this month has become even more infrequent, many days passing with no skip at all. It surely shows that along with a poor summer in the UK and solar minimum that things can only improve.

The start of month had spells of skip with 1,13,14,15,16,19,20,21,26,30,31,35,47,54,161,163 divisions as well as 109 division worked. I spoke with several 26 division stations and heard 26TM212 booming through.

The highlight of the month was the DX Super sunday on the 5th, luckily coinciding with the best propagation for the month. Many stations inc TM members made the effort and many divisions were worked throughout the EU. I also had a very nice QSO with 26TM062.

In the evening of the 5th I had a very unexpected contact with 2NY042 “joe” from my homebase, thanks Joe.

The next few days brought UK and close EU skip with some short hop about. On the 8th conditions lifted again and I QSO’d with “Mick” 26TM777. Thank you for the very nice cards.
Later on the 8th I also worked 26TM024 Dave portable 5/5 & 26TM022 Phil, 5/7.

Through to the middle of month were really flat spells with infrequent openings usually with much QSB.

On the 15th 108TM814 made a good contact with 54/16AT285/M especially given the conditions. Later that day 3 div was heard by me and worked by 163TM088, well done.
This trend of short openings continued for the rest of the month, on the 28th 26TM014 QSO’d 36AT102. Also 26TM108 worked 3ET123 on the 29th.

All in an unstable August with a few good days and well done to the TM members who made some excellent contacts.

My portable set up on DX SS

Please contact me with your “highlights” etc and be inc in next months report.

73s & Good DX.
108TM742
Callum.

Conditions for this month were slightly less than I expected. That said when prop was there it was good. The 1st through to the 6th had very strong EU divisions with small spells of 2 division heard on USB,AM and LSB in the afternoons.

Going through to the middle of month we had good inter UK propagation along with the usual EU divisions, although some very flat periods were experienced with the band becoming flat.

Moving towards the 20th and conditions had not been great, however the 21st had the skip rtn with style. Strong EU signals all day as well as receiving 9 div Canada on 26mhz from my homebase.

Fairly quiet again until the 24th with EU prop once again returning including an activation from 165 division. The propagation through to the end of the month was very flat. Random calls through out but mega QSB and all very unstable.

A thankyou to the TM members I QSO’d this month, and again great to see so many new members signing up and being so active on the air.

73s & Good DX.
108TM742
Callum.

Tango Mike is pleased to announce that we have agreed a scheduled net on 27.535 MHz USB every Sunday between 18.30-21.30 UTC (19.30-22.30 BST) for all UK members. It’s a great opportunity to try and contact fellow members of the group, especially more so if you are mobile and plan to head off towards the hill tops like quite a number of our dedicated people! If you manage to make contact with anyone on the net frequency then please do post your comments under this article so we can see how successful you have been and what distances are achievable – particularly as we are mainly working flat band with the low conditions of the present time.