Enthusiastic Steve: 10 Watts = 14,336 Miles. My first Australia SSB contact. Well Chuffed !!!!

Hi Enthusiastic Steve here, well I am well chuffed this week, I have been hearing from other local Radio users that conditions were good with much Sun spot activity being recorded.
They have been out portable making some very long DX contacts.
So far contacting the other side of the World from here in the UK has eluded me, I had as yet not managed to get my 10 Watts power to travel the distance.
So off to the seafront, Xiegu G90, Ampro Whip antenna and 10 Watts peak power and this is what happened.
In the video I also talk about Longpath and Shortpath, and show an animation showing the difference.
I am by no means achieving anything that many others are also doing but this is both a record for myself and also to encourage others that POWER POWER, POWER is not required.
Good conditions, good location, good setup, and their are no limits to where you can reach.
So to all those low power/qrp operators, new license holders, portable and mobile stations get out there and DX..... 73's
Thank you for watching, please consider subscribing to help my channel continue to grow.
All the best
Enthusiastic Steve

[@tonym7cvk430]

Well done Steve I managed India on 10m 10watts this weekend through my home made delta loop over the moon with that regards M7CVK

[@christopherjeffery6228]

Glad you finally made it there Steve a great feeling good KZbin video to show it.

[@VK6ZMS]

Nice work, my favourite portable / mobile DX spot is next to the Indian Ocean.

[@bryanwheeler1608]

Nice one, Steve! It's always a good feeling to make a nice, solid contact to the other side of the world. I haven't got any functional HF gear at the moment but your video encourages me to get back to fixing it. I had a chuckle about the wind---I made a long visit to SOTON back in the 1970s, & I still remember that bone-chilling wind. It's what we call a "lazy" wind in VK6. It's too lazy to go around you, so it goes straight through you! Cheers & 73, VK6ZGO

[@EnthusiastSteveM6WVV]

Cheers Bryan, get that hf gear back out, we could be seeing some continued lift in conditions so hopefully great radio to be had. Yes it was a bit windy, going to have to get myself a fluffy mic 😂 all the best, regards Steve

[@OnTheMicwithMike]

Terrific mate, absolutely spot on and made up for you. Brilliant 👍🏻

[@trevgale3635]

Congratulations on your first VK contact Steve, great location. 73, Trev M0but.

[@janetlegg6623]

Thank you, regards Steve

[@EnthusiastSteveM6WVV]

(from another tablet)

[@spaceflight1019]

When 10 meters is open as it's been for the past week, it's the real magic band! When we moved here 36 years ago I put up a 30 foot tower and put a 4 element beam on top. My rig? A converted Radio Shack TRC-457, 12 watts output. The European stations thought that I was a Big Gun. I've been exercising my Siltronix 1011D, logging Kuwait on it, and now I've got a Tempo 2020 out. The antenna is a Antenna Specialist Super Magnum from 1964. No school like old school!

[@EnthusiastSteveM6WVV]

Love old school, if you have watched my previous shack rebuild video, I collect 11m pre 1981 radios, love the sound love the looks. Like your shuttle logo. Thank you regards Steve

[@spaceflight1019]

@@EnthusiastSteveM6WVV Thanks, Steve. My CB radio collection ranges from 1963 to 1979. I started as a SWL in 1964, got on CB in 1970, earned my ham ticket in 1980, upgraded to Extra in 1989. The magic is still the same as it was 58 years ago.

[@jtwardley]

Well done all the best great contact in 10w :)

[@EnthusiastSteveM6WVV]

Thank you, regards Steve

[@NToombes]

Excellent stuff, well done indeed. Its always a special moment when you make your first VK contact. Managed a few myself this past week myself for the first time in many years. Enjoyed the video and keep up the good work. Neil M0CJM

[@janetlegg6623]

Thank you Neil, regards Steve

[@andyM7XTT]

Well done Steve!! I got my first zl last week n still smiling :) take care 73

[@StuartM0TTQAmateurRadio]

Congraulations!

[@peterburrows8610]

well done Steve 73s

[@timbojoh1]

Brilliant Steve, well done. A low noise floor at that location meant he was no and loud too. 👍👍

[@martylawrence4082]

Congratulations Steve on your first VK contact. I have put your multiband vertical up and it's doing great. Hope to hear you on the band's de Marty VK3MRT (I grew up in Pompey).

[@EnthusiastSteveM6WVV]

Nice to hear the antenna is working well for you, its simple but effective. Thank you, regards Steve

[@walesunt]

Great contact from the mobile and great first dx into VK , g90 great little radios and must say the ampro whips are great antennas 👍

[@EnthusiastSteveM6WVV]

Thank you, the location by the seafront helped, its a basic setup, g90 and ampro but it does work when conditions allow. Thank you for your comments, regards Steve

[@EnthusiastSteveM6WVV]

Also just wanted to say I also enjoy your KZbin channel, and that icom is a great looking radio, hopefully we will make contact on the Airways one day, either on a amateur band or 11m. I visit Tenby every few years, luv the place, I recall it use to have more discone antennas on the roof tops then anywhere else. Still a few about around the main town. All the best Steve, M6WVV and 26CT2064

[@walesunt]

@@EnthusiastSteveM6WVV cheers , hopefully worked you over the airwaves have a great week ahead and hopefully it’s sunny nextime your in Tenby 👍

[@mikebohemia1947]

Well done!

[@EnthusiastSteveM6WVV]

Thank you, regards Steve

[@Paul_VK3HN]

Congrats Steve, this kind of thing just shows how magical QRP can be when conditions are good. How about trying other antennas on a squid pole tied to the railing next to the car? 73.

[@EnthusiastSteveM6WVV]

I have seen that done using those railings, now you got me tempted...... Thank you for your reply, regards Steve

[@harryparis3326]

Impressiv

[@norrinradd8952]

I agree with you. It looks like it went over twice as much land on the short path. The lack of "bonus" attenuation on the long path would explain one way the signal made it's way to VKLand. Thanks for sharing!

[@paul-1963]

Well done, Steve rom Paul 2E0PKK

[@flipster7285]

Conditions have been exciting. My furthest qso with my g90 has been almost 13 000km, worked w3xb on 10m from South Africa, granted, I did use 20W and a 1/4 vertical, but still amazing hiw far you can get with little power when conditions are good.

[@hedgiehogUK]

Well that's amazing - I particularly appreciated the propagation explanation as that gives me some ideas on where I might put my car for my own QRP experiments.

[@EnthusiastSteveM6WVV]

Thank you, regards Steve

[@frankartieta4887]

Thing is ! 10 watts is not QRP Might be low power 5 watts too many for QRP !

[@26TM034]

I think its short path... On 11 we have been getting Oz.. We only hear Oz if we hear white russia or Indonesia 🇮🇩 first, so from the east.... I know its a different band etc and the size of the hops are not the same.. But the old beam users are always pointing east... 80 degrees ish... Theres two headings, as oz is big... on the GC map...!!

[@EnthusiastSteveM6WVV]

I was thinking Longpath as the attenuation of my signal would be massive reflecting off of dry land, it would never achieve the 6 to 8 skips required. Longpath as in the animated sequence in the video shows the path being 80% ish over sea water.

[@26TM034]

@@EnthusiastSteveM6WVV why is the sea better than land.. Refraction..? Looking at the maps... Pskreporter... 10/12 ft8, its from the east primerily and js8 in 11.. You may be right but I check the paths of the digi modes and contacts as voice ssb would follow that route, would it not?

[@janetlegg6623]

Sea water is more conductive, some 10 times better than dry, some mapping tools only ever show a direct route between 2 points and don't take into account short or long path. I also use WSPR as a propagation tool, that clearly shows how signals attenuate over land and those over seawater go so much further.

[@chrisjay9377]

Definitely long path I have over 300 ft8 contacts into Vk and I have the beam pointing west every time, I can’t hear them pointing east.

[@26TM034]

@@chrisjay9377 unless its coming in off the back... Lol...

[@youtubeaccount931]

Well done!