G'day
Decided time to check out the band before the Big Stew contest next
weekend, as the words of the esteemed Lew W7EW about being prepared kept
nagging in my brain.
Last night at the Glen Forrest, WA sunset, conditions seemed to have
gone west with the sun. Jon AA1K was ESP on 1824.5 and 20.6 (but not at
the same time), which is always a bad sign. I listened on for about an
hour, with the odd JA signal breaking through the gloom. To my east, Ron
VK3IO was hearing the USA, but making QSOs was not an easy business.
Sensing the band was actually cactus (dead) for VK6, I decided it was
time to pull up stumps (Aussie cricketing metaphor) and get an early
night to have a crack at sunrise.
First station to catch my attention was Jeff VY2ZM at 2144Z - a full
20-minutes before sunrise here - and long path. As Jeff can hear a
cricket rubbing its legs, he was quickly in the log and I was thinking
the band was in great shape. Unfortunately, the only European signals
subsequently heard were very weak, watery and polar-path sounding.
At 2055Z, 3B9HA appeared on 1818.5 briefly and hit S9, listening up.
Called him a couple of times, 1 up but no joy.
Similarly, DU1IST appeared on 1812 at 599 and worked a few JA's but
again no joy for me.
Best DX heard was Chris A45XR who also hit 599 at my sunrise, working
the JA crew at a pretty good rate but didn't hear me in the midst of the
very polite and well-ordered pile-up. Signals from JA were good, with
the best also hitting S9.
All in all, a bit of a bust for me personally, but thanks to Jeff not a
wasted effort. Summary of the band conditions would be that the lady is
tantalising again after a pretty lean last winter, but don't get ya
hopes up too much, certainly not in this half of the globe.
Vy 73
Steve, VK6VZ
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