In 2017 I set myself a little mini challenge to work 100 DXCC entities on 17m FT8 and when I started, I described FT8 as a new mode. In 2017 it really was a new mode and I wonder who could have predicted back then how big it would become.
I reached 100 entities in March 2018 and then in May 2021, I reached 150 entities worked on 17m using FT8. To quote what I said back then: “The next logical step would be 200 but as I’ve not worked that many using all modes, I don’t think I’ll be going out of my way to chase that challenge.”
A few days ago I worked the S21DX DXPedition on 17m FT8 and for the first time in ages, I looked at my 17m FT8 total. That QSO had taken me up to 199 DXCC entities worked on 17m which surprised me. An hour or so later I then worked VP2V/K5PI which took me to 200 and then a couple of days later, I worked KH0/KC0W to take me up to 201 entities worked on 17m FT8.
Here’s an extract from my log showing the last few entities I worked.
Logically of course the next step for this mini challenge (which I suppose isn’t so mini now) is to work 250 different DXCC entities using just 17m FT8. Considering it’s taken me nearly four years to go from 150 to 200, don’t expect another post in this series for probably another ten years!
My total on 17m using all modes is now up to 248 worked and 237 confirmed. 17m is definitely my second favourite band behind 15m where I’ve worked 258 with 253 confirmed.
