TopBand: 160M Condx 6 Oct

[Bill Hohnstein]

H
  Unusual but good conditions last night.  After staying up until
1:15AM local last night and getting up at 6:20 AM for work I didn't
feel like commenting until now.
  I heard an east coast station talking to DJ7MI around 0155z 6 Oct.
I didn't hear anything from Hans.  They signed and I left the 
receiver on the same frequency but heard nothing but noise.  At 0201
I heard a good signal (569) calling CQ.  I was surprised when I
heard, "de DJ7MI."  I called, and Hans came back, but by the end of
his first transmission he faded back into the noise...
  At 0211 I heard SM4CAN calling CQ--he was 579.  After we worked
RK3PA called me--he was 569.  Kent let us have a quick QSO...
  Mir, RK3PA and I must have had a duct sort of path.  I repeatedly
heard he CQing and repeatedly spotted his frequency, but I never
heard anyone else even calling him (I certainly didn't listen all
of the time, so he could have had additonal contacts).  At 0306 Mir
answered my CQ perhaps to have someone to talk to.  He was still 
569 (he gave me 579 both times) we signed and he CQed again without
my hearing a response...
  Around 0350 either more Europeans got up or things improved
further.  Things were obviously open to the west coast and I toned
down my calling and tried to do more spotting instead.  Had
problems with a lot of spots that didn't get posted and several
that had multiple postings.
  My 43 degree "Zero ohm Beverage" was the clear winner as a
receive antenna.  Stations worked/heard (that made the scratch pad)
were:  DJ7MI, SM4CAN, RK3PA, SM3BDZ, SM7BAE, HA8BE, OH2PJ, OK1DOT,
OH3ES (loudest European), LA9GX, G4DBN, SM6MCW, OK1AWZ, DJ4SO,
OZ7YY, IK2DED, G3PQA, EI5HE, and DF2PY.  I called Wolf, DF2PY
around 0535 near his sunrise.  He was weak then (stronger earlier)
and fluttery sounding.  He wasn't hearing any stateside at that
point though...
  While things were better for the west coast, I was surprised
by the lack of 9's, 0's, and 5's.  I just finished work on my
new European director earlier in the day and was glad to give
it a test...

73,  Bill     K0HA

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