Today was official day one test of my new Big SteppIR with 80 meter coil. I still have tons of work to do expanding the radial field. But--I made a trip around the world on FT8 and I made my first-ever 6 meter contact. First, my CQ was answered from Beijing, China. Then came Moscow, Russia. Then I worked Isle of Man. Next was Chile. That is not the complete list of countries but represents my circumnavigation. 

Unfortunately, 80 meters is total trash and unworkable. Signal loud enough to blow the radio. Will be monitoring at different times. And...the vertical picks up local manmade noise previously unheard with the dipole. There is a signal at evenly spaced intervals on all the higher bands. The noise blanker does not touch it. Grow lights discovered? Worse, I am hoping it is not a neighbor's oxygen machine.

This weekend beginning at 5 a.m. Saturday is Islands on the Air. Our friend, Rob Thompson, is QRV on Malta. His group call is 9H6YB if you can work him on SSB. He says it will be 104 degrees in their shack.

Speaking of SSB I got a 59 from a guy using 5 watts portable on my first SSB contact on 40 meters early this afternoon while testing new antennas and 7300 with Ken Koch, KK7KKA.

I still have hours and hours to go rounding out the radial field. It will wait until cooler weather. Yay! Back in the shack and feeling joyful about playing radio!

73,
Robin, WA7CPA