TopBand: H40AA into Boring, Oregon

[Tree N6TR]

Yes, we are still alive in Boring Oregon.  

The band has really been strange since those great conditions we had
over XMAS week and the Stew Perry.  I have probably worked Europe on
about 3 nights this year, and never with good signals. 

This morning, saw the spots for H40AA and heard nothing.  The band
was really noisy.  However, I came up with a receiving configuration
that finally allowed me to hear something.

As you might remember, my high inverted vee has always worked best
to the west.  I found that by using my "noise" antenna (a 95 foot
tall tower with a gamma match) with the ANC-4 and the inverted vee
(which is now mounted on the same tower) as the RX antenna input,
I was able to pick the signal out of the noise.  He peaked a little
after that (right at sunrise) and I was able to work him quickly
thereafter.  

I will have to test this setup more and see how it works.  I remember 
trying this before when the inverted vee was on a nearby tree without 
feeling like it was working.  

Hopefully, H40AA will have a better signal so more people can hear 
him. He was coming back to stations who couldn't hear him.

Tree N6TR
tree@contesting.com

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