Yesterday night, propagation was exceptional on 40m. The band seemed open to just about everywhere. I made six contacts on 40m, including one in PA, one in MO, and four in Europe. I could also hear stations from Central America, but didn’t get a chance to work them.
Of the four European contacts, two were notable:
- OL22ASE. This is a special event station at the ASE XXII Planetary Congress, an international congress of astronauts organised by Association of Space Explorers (ASE). This station will be on the air until October 15.
The ASE is an international nonprofit professional and educational organization of over 325 individuals from 35 nations who have flown in space. Founded in 1985, ASE’s mission is to provide a forum for professional dialogue among individuals who have flown in space, support space science and exploration for the benefit of all, promote education in science and engineering, foster greater environmental awareness, and encourage international cooperation in the human exploration of space.
- LZ44WFF. This is a special event station of the “World Flora Fauna” (WFF) expedition to the Biosphere Reserve “Srebarna” (LZFF-016, WW. Loc. KN34MC). WFF is an International Award Program (an International ecologo-edicational and nature conservation action on supporting of protected areas), organized to attract attention of the world community to the problems of protected areas, to provide them with feasible practical support, to waken a feeling of pride in the minds of the Earth’s inhabitants for natural and cultural heritage, for visiting National Parks and Nature Reserves and making QSO contacts with them.
I thought it was kind of amusing that both stations had two numbers in their callsigns, and that they were operating within 2 kHz of one another on Saturday night.