Good to see Eddy has figured out this band (like - there is no way to do it).
After being QRT for just over 2 weeks while taking a cruise with my wife in
ZL and VK (and meeting ZL3IX and VK7GN), I have been on the band every night
hoping to put at least one more European in the log before summer.
I have heard some signals from Europe on most evenings. The first couple of
nights, I could hear one or two stations coming in from the south east. With
the K index coming down however, the path has shifted back to the northeast
and I could copy IV3PRK and EA6BF - but very weakly and they couldn't hear
me well enough for a QSO.
However, for at least a brief moment, the band really peaked up so that Terry,
G4AMT peaked up to 579 and was an easy QSO with "wow" exchanged from both of
us. If this turns out to be my last European QSO for the season, it would be
fitting, as Terry was my first European QSO back near the end of August.
The 5T5 was coming in pretty well a couple of nights ago and was working a
handful of W6s last night. Also - ZP6CW reported the best signals he had
heard from me on Monday night.
So - there is lots of life left in the band.
As far as the TX array update - I have one element in the final position for
a 4 way array. I am laying the radials for the second element, which will be
supported by extending my 80 meter 4 square element with an insulator to about
75 feet. I hope to have a 3 element parasitic array to EU/VK working in a few
weeks. Eventually, I will get the other two elements up and be able to switch
4 directions.
73 Tree N6TR/7
tree@kkn.net
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