A great day - 12 metres open to the states & worked Tajikistan, Nigeria and Hawaii

What a day it's been. 15 metres was well open all day. In fact, right now, at 18:30 UT, I can still hear a weak stateside station on the CW portion of 15m. Then 12 metres opened also, with plenty of activity.

My first contact of the day was EY8MM in Tajikistan, a new country for me. I worked him on 15M SSB. He was followed by 7X4AN, Mohammed in Algeria, also on 15M USB. I worked Z32AJA in Macedonia on the CW portion of the band and trhen worked W4RM on SSB, 59 each direction. Not bad for 100 watts and a vertical. But it got better.

As I said, 12 metres opened and I heard K5RQ on CW so called him and worked 559 each way. My first CW contact on 12M and my first Stateside contact on 12M. Shortly after that, at nearly 2pm, I worked VO1KVT, Ken in Newfoundland, on 12M SSB. I added Samos, Greece, to the tally with SV8FMY on 24.947.

I worked into Florida also on 12M SSB. Alex K4ADR was very weak and I gave him 41 - he gave me 51. But a good contact all the same. I nabbed Canada on 15m CW with VE3JM and, on exactly the same frequency a while later I got 5N50K, Nikola in Nigeria. I have seen 5N50K spotted many times but he was never strong enough for me to work so I was very glad to get him in the log.

Jim WX3B, who I have worked many times, popped up on 15M CW and we were 599 each way. The last contact up to now was probably my best. I worked KH6MB in Hawaii on 20m CW, my first contact into Hawaii. That's his 2 element vertical yagi pictured above. He is nearly 7,000 miles from my QTH so that was a nice contact. Thanks to everyone who worked me today. It was an active and pleasurable day.