Even though we have passed the peak of the current sunspot cycle, conditions on the higher HF bands and the low VHF region are still very good.
On the 8th of November 2025, Paul G7PUV reports an opening from the UK to Australia on the 40 MHz (8m) band.
The map above from PSK Reporter shows the paths open for Paul using his G9PUV callsign. Paul reports that he managed to complete a contact with Joe, VK8VTX in the far north of Australia.
PSK Reporter didn't show the path so it's a reminder that while the website is a very useful tool, it may not give the full story.
This is the screenshot for the 8th of November 2025 for the 40 MHz band and it shows all the paths recorded.
Note that there may be a few paths in the map which are mistakes and are for other bands! However, you can see the 40 MHz from the north of Australia to Europe, the path north from ZS6WAB in South Africa to Europe and the paths from the Dominican Republic to Europe.
While the good conditions help, the one big change of late on the 40 MHz band is the permission given to radio amateurs in Spain and Italy to use the 8m band.
The list of the path shown in the map above are listed below...
