Topband: Down Under Diary 9/12/99

[Steve Ireland]

Conditions here into the Northern hemisphere at sunrise have been simply
awesome for the last five days, with signals as loud - or louder - than I
have ever heard them.  I don't think I can ever recall conditions being as
good as this for as long as five days at a time before either - even at the
sunspot minimum.

18 stations were worked on 5/12/99 between 2042 and 2112Z, all Europeans
except for Jack VE1ZZ who was a genuine 57/89 at around 17 minutes before
sunrise (I rarely hear Jack until right on sunrise) the loudest I have ever
heard him.  OH2BO was a real 599 plus plus! The majority of signals were
between RST579 and 599, with Eu contacts ranging as far west as EA3CR.

9 European stations were worked on 6/12/99, between 2049 and 2114Z, with
signals slightly down in strength from the previous day.  Graham GM4BES was
an excellent signal, as the previous day, peaking RST579.

On 7/12/99, GM4BES came back to a CQ DX at 2039Z and by 2104 - on sunrise -
there were 14 stations in the log, ranging as far west as the UK and
France, but with several strong stations logged from the Russian area,
including Vlad RV1CC and UN20.

The best as far as DX was saved for 8/12/99.  After Gragham GM4BES started
things off as usual, I heard Jaro SU9ZZ's signal come through the pile-up
at 2041Z, with his signals louder than many Europeans at RST569, peaking
579.  We have been trying for a QSO with each other for some time and it
gave me a real thrill - and a new country.  Thank you, Jaro, for your efforts!

I then called for African stations, but Jaro was the only one there.  Eight
more Europeans followed, from SM to 9A and F to RW9, and the band seemed to
die off a few minutes before sunset.  As he seems to have been for the last
few days, the last signal I heard was Luis IV3PRK at 2106Z and we just
about managed a QSO.

Signals were good on all days on both my inverted vee at 90' and the 400'
east-west unterminated Beverage, although I have been mainly using the
latter for Rx owing to the better signal-to-noise ratio.

My activity levels have been down from their usual level, as my wife's
father is seriously ill in hospital and I have been caring for our children
while she helps her parents.

Thanks to the topband gang  for some fun at a rather grim time.  I think I
have improved my parenting skills as well as the topband country count.

Vy 73,

Steve, VK6VZ



 



 




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