TopBand: PreSunset/TO0R

[Bill Hohnstein]

  I turned on the radio at 2215z hoping to later hear TO0R (2310z
sunset).  I found TO0R's signal barely heard, but copied lots of
Europeans calling him about an hour before sunset:  OZ3W, GW4VEQ,
DJ9KG, G3PQA, EA8AK, G3RPB, G3KMA, F5IN...
  By 2230 I got tired of copying European calls and started
listening for Reunion harder.  He was in and out of the noise by
then so I started calling hoping that he'd be out of the noise
when he called.  He may have come back around 2240z, I copied most
but the call of the station that he was calling--frustrating!
  I stopped calling then and his signal got weaker instead of 
stronger.  By 2305z he bounced back to the best yet and I started calling
again.  I probably had a QSO at 2318z--98% chance that he was calling me:
I copied 559 and sent a real 559 and turned it over--silence!
Did he copy?  Gee, I sure thought that I heard my call.  Did I
really work him?
  I pondered that a bit and decided to start calling again.  At
2330z--100% chance he's calling me--559 received, 559 sent, silence.
Well, I know that I worked him that time!!! (I think)
  TO0R peaked in strength around 0100z (579) and slowly decreased to
close to the noise level when leaving the band around 0200.
  73,  Bill     K0HA




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