With the recent increase in sunspot numbers (apparently we are having a double maximum in this cycle – woo-hoo!), I decided to have a go at 10M in the CQ WW CW, with the prime aim of chasing some new countries. And conditions were good, although probably not as good as 2011.

Actually, conditions were kind of strange at times. Not only were there JAs on 10M, I also worked W1VE in New Hampshire. In the Caribbean, Fy5KE had a huge signal most of the time. But PJ4A, PJ2T and P40L were super weak for me all weekend. And some signals seemed to have odd echo-y multipath stuff going on.

I heard some good stuff that I couldn’t work – 5R8IC and Z81R to name two. But I did pick up a couple of new countries – was nice to find XT2FCJ all by himself calling CQ! There was an insane pileup on GJ2A, so I left him thinking “I’ll work him on Sunday”…of course, never heard a sign of him on Sunday. Serves me right.

The best thing about 10m is you get to keep a fairly normal schedule, and it’s pretty low stress.

This might be it for 10M too – depending on what the next cycle looks like, 10M may turn into almost a VHF band.

Anyway, bottom line was 352 QSOS, 21 zones and 81 countries for 102,204 points.