I had a “free” day yesterday as most of the regular chores had been finished over the weekend. The weather was beautiful though rain is expected to move in today. That should give me another free day, but I have some AMSAT business to complete. I haven’t mentioned it here often, but I have served as the Corporate Secretary for the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) for the last few years. And while that role doesn’t take up a lot of my time, there’s always something that can be done, especially now that we’re entering another BOD election season.

The bands were as crappy yesterday as usual. Sorry, that’s not fair. Cycle 25 has been good enough these last few years to revive radio life at HF though it is certainly near it’s peak (or passed it?), but the last several weeks have been strange. All the propagation numbers have looked really good on paper, but spin the dial and you hear almost nothing. I made a handful of contacts yesterday, nothing impressive and Europe has simply gone missing from here the last week or two. When I have copied a European station they start strong enough before taking deep fades into nothingness. It’s been frustrating, can you tell?

Propagation to South America and the Caribbean was just “OK” and I did manage to work Randy, V49T who is playing on St. Kitts from April 18th to May 1st according to reports and Walter, J79WTA on Dominica. I also worked Patrick, N7UVH in Idaho, the fifth time overall I have put him in the log since he was my very first PSK31 contact way back in 2004.

I also put a line in the water on 6 meters and caught nothing though I left for an hour and when I returned saw this on the screen:

John, N8DX is near Cincinnati, just 80 miles as the crow flies from here, but according to QRZ, W8UV is located in Milford, Delaware more than 500 miles distant from my QTH. I’m sorry I missed him, I still need DE on the Magic Band. This has me thinking, I do have a 3-element beam with a brand spanking new rotor for it still in the box in the garage. Maybe it’s time to bring it online…