TopBand: 3B7RF on now

Bill Tippett btippett@CTC.Net
Fri, 15 May 1998 16:49:02 -0400 (EDT)


KM1H wrote:

>On 1826.5,  worked at 0118 on 1831.2  He seems to be really trying, lots
>of QRZ and partial calls. Another hour to his sunrise.

Hallelulah!  After hearing him 559 when Carl worked him, he went down
and would QSB from about 229 to 449 on peaks.  I kept calling, hoping I
could catch him on a peak.  Finally his signal came up to 559 around 
0158 and I was able to get him.  He continued to be very readable here
until about 0218 when either his sunrise got him or he decided to QRT.

Man this one was rough!  This was the first time I've heard him after
about one solid week of listening.  Hope he will be back tomorrow.  
BTW, he seemed to be hearing reasonably well after 0200, so either his
QRN died down at his sunrise or he has a better RX antenna.  

                                        GL & 73,

                                        Bill  W4ZV

P.S.  Since posting this reply to Carl (I intended it for the reflector
but forgot to change the header in my excitement), I got a response back
from pilot HB9BGN.  I asked him if they were using a different antenna,
since I was at a loss to explain why their signal was so readable yesterday
and they had not been heard previously.

"Bill,
It must have propagation - they did not mention any new antennas taken
into service. (They do not have much material for building antennas and
no hardware shop around hi!) But thanks for the precise report. If
everybody would sent such complete info, my job would be much easier...
73, Al hb9bgn"

As I reported to HB9BGN, here is what I observed:

0030-0100  Signal barely detectable on 1826.44
0100-0155  Slow QSB from 229 to 449.  Heard KM1H's Q at 0118 very clearly.
0155-0220  Signal came back to 559, peaking 569 around 0208 (N4SU's QSO).
0220       Nil.  Possibly QRT, QSY or the 0217 sunrise absorption got him.

I also noticed that 3B7RF was worked by some 6's on 80 meters around his
sunrise, so conditions must have been exceptional last night.  Let's hope
they hold for the remainder of their stay!  Good luck to all!
 


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