10m in October

Late September I got my half wave vertical for 10m mounted with the feed point about 7m above ground.

This seems to have been good timing because that was about the time that the band started opening, at the time mostly in the North-South directions.
As October has passed, this has expanded to most of the world, and I have had the pleasure of working 6 continents. Antarctica is the one missing, it was active, but I could not get it. Maybe later.

As of today the country count is up to 56 in 6 continents on 10m alone. Not bad for a low Solar Cycle and a vertical. I suspect that, if the solar flux keeps up, we will have mostly daily F2 openings on the band until March/April. Several days we have had openings into the Mediterranean, i.e. down to about 2000km, indicating a relatively high MUF, albeit not enough to have 6m open. On 6 there is always the small hope of a few TEP openings around the Equinox.

I am now going to be listening to the low frequencies, especially during the dark hours which are aplenty here in the next few months - and probably try some low power work at the lower HF bands. After all, 10m is not very much open during those hours in the winter season of the current Solar Cycle, except for a few sporadic E openings in December and January.

I am still waiting for VK and ZL. I have heard them, but not yet being able to work them.