Coming onto Topband just before my sunset on Sunday, there was static
crashes hitting in S9. Just as I clamped the cans on, my wife Deb came into
the shack to warn me that there was a big electrical storm coming.
I tried a CQ DX call with no luck, but the static was getting worse by the
minute, with crashes building in rapidity. Bob VK3ZL dropped by the
frequency for a few words, then just as we finished, I could hear a K2
calling, somewhere in the static!
After a few minutes, it turned out to be Rob, K2WI, and after VK3ZL worked
him, I scrambled a 559 (I think!) report from Rob. By now, my ears were
turning to mush and the crashes were way over S9, coming every second or
two. I made my apologies and decided to QRT before things got too dangerous.
I left the frequency to VK3ZL and just as I QRTed, I heard K1UO calling.
For me to hear him, he must have been at least S7 to S8 in strength!
Sometimes discretion is the better part of valour and I decided to maximise
my chances of staying alive and pulled the antennas off the radio and
switched off. Unfortunately, my feeling was the conditions were the best
they had been over a very good three days...
As we used to say back in the 1960s, "what a bummer!"
Vy 73 (and I'll be on 1.832 next weekend!)
Steve, VK6VZ
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