[SEDXC] Working the JA's

[David Thompson]

I bought a small HF-5B mini beam from a JA/W4 who said he worked JA's on 15
and 20 CW quite easily.  He had the beam tied to a rope and fixed on JA at
40 feet.

It is the low point of the sunspot cycle but with my beam at 86 feet JA's
are easy on 40 SSB.  Don't bother with JA2BAY is you are looking for a card.
My beam is down at 34 feet right now so I used my vertical dipole (Mor-gain
8040) which is 69 feet long
and found that it took more patience but you get thru
OK.  Probably it would easier on 40 CW.  3Y0 came right back first call on
40 and when they called for USA 3, 4, and 5's I was the third station thru.
I even worked two JA's on 75 SSB with the vertical (short on 80) dipole.

Its not impossible.  With a big tri-bander and short 40 JA's are easy at
high sunspot.  On 15 and 10 there are endless 10 watt JA's.  That is how the
W6 amd W7 gang run up such high scores.  W7RM had a beam below a high nluff
aimed at JA.  It was 200 feet down.  It was funny to hear the JA's and W7RM
was almost unreadable!

Dave K4JRB