[SEDXC] Still chasing TO4E

[David L. Thompson]

I worked TO4E on 17 for #349 there.  I have been up 4 or 5 times when he is
on 12 meters but for some reason W1 to 3, W4 VA, W8,9.0 and even 5 and 7 are
working him but today I finally heard him for several transmissions on
24.954.  I heard several in Atlanta and N4KG calling him
but not sure if anyone got through.  When the pile up got quiet he was
listening on 24.959.8 and several got thru ...I could hear him on 25% of the
peaks so I knew who he was working.  I could still hear him working Europe
after all the stateside quit calling then a V47 came almost on frequency and
that was that.  I could hear him in the background and several of the
Europeans tried calling the V47 (EA3, F5, I1POR) to tell him but he was
listening for USA.

Its funny but on 10, 15, and 17 he at first was very weak and only working
Florida or Northern USA
but the past few days he comes in well on 17 and 15.  He was even S5 on 10
at 1300Z.  But for some reason the signal on 12 acts just like a close in
Caribbean (just hearable in the background).  With W3 and W8 reporting S9
its just like 6Y5 or ZF which we only catch on short skip.  I came up on
Wednesday at his normal appearance time for NA (1700Z) and I called CQ DX on
24.945.  I worked a HI8, LU, and a number of Brazilian pirates (they just
let me know they heard me and one cussed me out in Portuguese ).  Then at
1745Z 5R8FU called in at S5.  He was on today talking to several Europeans
today just below 24930 and was S4 even beaming on Europe.

Either this TO4E is a hoax on 12 or somehow we live in a hole on this one on
12.  I did hear him two weeks ago when band conditions were good at 1340Z
but he QRT before I could call him.  I heard several locals then.

They go QRT on Sunday or Monday...maybe one day Atlanta will hear them again
well enough to work them on 12.

Stuck at #318 on 12 for several months 73 Dave K4JRB