A blanket of poor propagation and atmospheric noise, causing frustration and
despondency, fell onto the VK6VZ QTH as soon as the Pacific DX Test commenced.
With a steady S5 - S7 noise level and even VK3 stations below it, working
out of WA at all was hard. The log shows only six stations, with W8JI heard
at S3 only for a few seconds and nothing heard from the west coast all. My
best DX was ZL2REX - the only ZL I worked.
At around sunrise, I listened to Mike VK6HD, some 450km south east of me,
working a string of Europeans, giving up to S7 reports. Here, I heard DJ7AA
briefly at S5 and a few characters from IV3PRK - still with the continuous
sizzle of the atmospheric noise, but nothing of any of the others. As I have
learnt in the past, several hundred km can make a hell of a difference where
160m conditions are concerned.
For some reason, the only antenna which showed a good signal to noise was my
80m vertical - even the Bev was relatively noisy and didn't help to pull out
the weak ones.
I must have done something really really bad. I have the best antenna I
have ever had and it didn't make a bit of difference.
What a cruel mistress is 160.
Vy 73,
Steve, VK6VZ
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