Magic Band QSOs

1st MULTIHOP QSO WITH USA - UPDATE!

Almost to the day, one month later, and I make my first multihop contact with the USA! 😊

The band had started well into Europe and I had made a good number of QSOs into Europe. I then noticed that some of the W and K stations being worked form Europe were themselves appearing in WSJT-X and on Gridtracker.

I sorted Gridtracker on the strongest signals and watched as a number of US stations started to climb nearer the top of the window.

I called several, but with no success; but then one did respond and it was all over in the wink of an eye!

I found out subsequently that I had worked a well known 'super station', but - even so - I did it with my 5W and in room dipole.

He didn't acknowledge my electronic QSL, but no matter; I know it happened and it made me Whoop!! 😆

Click images for full size!

Here - as at 5th June 2022 - is a map showing the total number of 'Magic Band' 6m stations worked using my FT817ND and FT8 digital mode.

My dipole antenna faces ENE-WSW but as it is inside my flat - concrete and metal construction, like being inside a Faraday cage 😀 - signals can appear to come from anywhere, and I guess radiate in a similarly random manner.

Still; it all makes for some good fun and hasn't stopped me from getting some good DX on the Magic Band.

I even had a multihop 'spot' in North America. Pity I wasn't able to convert it to a QSO!