For the last few hours I have been on 10m FT8. As well as lots of EU Es, there is some good DX about, despite summer, low flux and low SSNs. For example, HS0ZIV (9309km) and 3B8CW (9751km) as well as a couple of Gulf states. Pretty sure these are genuine judging by where they were spotted.
My very brief TX period (2.5W) before breakfast on 10m FT8 was spotted in Estonia and Finland.
This afternoon and this evening it would not surprise me to spot South Africa and South America on 10m FT8.
258 different stations spotted here on 10m FT8 RX in the last 6 hours alone. My antenna is poor and I am, frankly, amazed. There is no doubt that FT8 is transforming things with openings that would have been missed now caught. Sadly, SSB and CW "chats" will suffer. Amateur radio is changing - better in some ways and worse in others. With a poor voice these days, FT8 suits me fine, although I miss ragchews.
UPDATE 1228z: No South Americans or South Africans, but a couple of North Americans spotted on 10m FT8.
UPDATE 1238z: Now 4 North Americans spotted today on 10m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 1426z: Although still no South American or African spots, I have already spotted 10 North American and 1 Caribbean stations.
I have been monitoring FT8 on 10m more or less constantly since early May and feeding the spots up to PSK reporter. In that time, I don't remember ever seeing a FT8 spot from South Africa on 28 MHz. Lots of South America as well as the Falklands and St.Helena but no ZS.
ReplyDeleteThere are probably lots of paths open like to various parts of Africa but there is just nobody on FT8 from there.