First QRP DX of 2018. Nice Surprise too!

[GM0LVI]

At 1830z this evening (7th February) 20m seemed just about dead apart from just two or three signals from NA near the bottom of the band and they were not very strong even though one station was running 2 kW.
Nevertheless I decided to chance my luck and started calling CQ on 14.060 and after about 5 minutes I could hear a weak reply. After sending a few ? ? and QRZs I made out the call as W7CNL in Idaho he was 339 and gave me 539, we were both running QRP and the distance was 4510 miles/7259 km.
I said it before on QRPC - you'll never know what you can work on a dead band until you try. Magic happens!

[f5gsk]

congratulations Dave , very FB , no the 20m is not dead...
For me ,few local qso and i'm trying the W3EDP antenna since yesterday ...
72
Pierre - F5GSK

[GM0LVI]

Will be interesting to hear about the W3EDP antenna performs Pierre as there are many options for configuring it.
I tried 17m this evening just for fun as the SFI has risen and managed a contact with K1NBF, though it was marginal as I was only 339. However it was good to make a QSO above 20m!

72/73

[f5gsk]

oK Dave, this evening ,21h00 utc  : W1MK Rob Boxford Massachusset usa on 10113 with my w3edp and my fdm-duo 3 watts and 5 watts later . It's a cool day !
72
Pierre F5GSK

[GM0LVI]

That's great Pierre!! I'll have to give 30m a try, I've not been on 30m very much as I have a high noise level on my 30m GP due to local qrn.

[ve3vvf]

I don't know why, exactly, but 2x QRP contacts are my favourites.  They always make me smile.