Hi TopBanders, I was unable to be at the rig on Sunday, the 18th (when they worked a lot of EUs including HA9RE). I spent the next five evenings at the station. (FTDX-5000MP with micro-tune, Beverages, Delta loop, linear) On the 19th they went QRT at our sunset. Later I worked VK3PA from the same direction, so the band was in good shape. On the 20th I copied 4W6A when they worked LY7M and Italians. Best copy was 339 to 449. I called, but no QSO ( someone gave me a very quick HA0DU 599 on their TX frequency, but that signal was much stronger than the one I tried to dig out of noise for hours... The following days they were not active on 160. On the 22nd I worked them on 80 SSB and I heard the op saying to G3BJ they will be on 160 the next night. They were not there on Friday though. They worked 112 Europeans, but surprisingly the SP-OK-OM-HA-YO-9A-E7-YU-LZ region accounts for only 4 QSOs TOTAL SP-OK-OM-HA 1 each). So it was not only me who did not hear them, but the whole region had very little propagation. However, the region West of us from OH through SM, DL, OE, S5 down to I had 63 QSOs, and G/GM/GW/F had 16 QSOs. There are no EA, EA6, OZ, PA or ON stations in their log. I am not quite a propagation expert, but from the relatively sharp boundaries between the "go" and "no go" regions I derived that their signal probably came in under a high angle. Considering the number of CW operators (2), the time of the year, the unexpectedly high sunspot activity and the equatorial noise, I must say they did a good job and worked a lot more Europeans than any previous 4W operation. The fact that I missed them (just like I missed 4W/N6FF and 4W3ZZ before) does not make me happy at all, but I would not criticize them - they did what they had to do. I do hope someone still finds it worthwhile to organize another 4W operation and I can work this relatively "easy" one.
73 Steve HA0DU On 27/09/2011 10:57, ik4gme wrote: > ......and judging by the response, an excellent showing was made on 160M. > Thanks once again.. > Kev > M0TNX > Assistant QSL manager/web admin > > > > Just out of curiosity, I'd like to read lots of comments from the other > European topbanders . > > 73 John IK4GME > > _______________________________________________ > UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK > > _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
