Trying not to be a reflector junkie, but:
Last night was remarkable on 160M listening to the signals coming out of EU.
The first big signal was RA6AX at 04:39z.....first EU UA I ever heard from
here in Wyoming. But after several tries, he didn't hear me although he was
moving the meter up to 2 S units on a 1 S unit noise level with the 600 foot
NE Beverage.
At 0449, OH1XX was just as loud but we too had problems with a successful
QSO. Another station stateside jumped in with my call to help (I hate that)
but it didn't go well and I just QSY'd-
Then, at 0522z, a SM7 was trying but no luck, QSB killed us- Then it got
very interesting...
At 0532, I found F8BPN, with her 100 watts out of a Inv L antenna, down
around 1.819MHz punching through with a readable signal on the beverage
moving the S meter to 2 units- Wow! She is only running 100watts......We
worked first call-
After a break, I come back and find OZ1DD 559 at 0638z, then DF2PY punching
in with a 569 report at 0654z- PA0CLN is CQ'ing all alone and I worked him
first call at 0648. All still with the beverage antenna used for listening-
A few minutes later, EA3VY is loud but to no avail- He does work a W7 but not
me- Loudest signal on the band the whole night but no luck- So I move on to
find DK2FG CQ'ing- he's weak but again, first attempt is a success, and his
original 339 is now 559 at around 07:14z.
Sunrise moves across EU and I find ON4WW at around 0718.....same effect of
his signal as with DK2GF.....QSB up and down 1-2 S units- but he peaks at
559....this was a thrill to work Mark because we had discussed a 160M sked a
few months ago- and here he was out of the blue CQ'ing away- awesome-
PA0LEZ and I try at 0740 but I don't think he got my call.......then I finish
the night with a strong GW3TMP who peaks at 0749 with a 569 signal-
My noise on the Inv L was around 3-6 S units- I didn't hardly hear anyone on
the Inv L but the NE beverage was a killer. It typically makes a good
difference in hearing, but tonight, it was huge-
OZ, ON, and PA were all new ones for me on 160M.....In the 3 years I've been
serious about the band, (excluding the few worked years ago with a back yard
HF2V while living in Denver), I've been able to work 76 countries and confirm
58, so I am not as deep into my DXCC count as many on this reflector. So
what is remarkable to me might be chump change to others.....But to pick up 3
new ones in one evening, all out of EU, from out here in Wyoming, was really
was a lot of fun-
On a side note,...F8BPN, being down on freq, had no QRM, and was a clear
shot- I really want to thank all of you who worked to get the volunteer band
plan into action.....it is allowing those of us jammed out of the DX window
in the past to have some room to operate- It's the best thing to hit ham
radio in a long time for me and it will be nice if and when the FCC will ever
make it official-
Equipment here is a Icom 756Pro, Inv L with 90 1/4 wave radials, up 75 feet
then pulled out towards EU, and an assortment of beverages-
73 Paul N0AH
Carpenter, Wyoming
P.S. also just got some interesting news from F8BPN who emailed me to say
conditions in France tonight had bad QRN S7-8 on her Inv L and that the east
coast USA signals, the few that she heard, seemed equal to our's out west
humm........interesting, but what does it all mean?
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