Topband: Down Under Diary 25/10/99

[Steve Ireland]

The last week or so on the topband has resulted in some very strange
conditions on 160m, particulary when using the band in conjunction with a
very disturbed weather pattern.

This time of year is usually relatively quiet atmospherically in VK6, being
Spring.  However, QRN levels have been relatively high, sometimes at both
sunrise and sunset.

Following some good European conditions around a week ago at around
sunrise, the band has now switched, with lousy conditions at sunrise
(around 2126Z in Perth today) and good propagation into the USA for most of
the last five or so nights for an hour or more after sunset.  It is quite
rare here, even at the very height of the best conditions in
December/January, to have both a good opening into Europe at sunrise
followed by a good North American opening at sunset.

Stations in all call areas of the USA have been worked, although mainly in
the eastern half of the country, perhaps mainly due to VK sunset being much
closer to sunrise on the eastern seaboard and 'domestic factors' (like me
being too tired to stay up much past sunset in the mid-west). Although I
have been looking for the Caribbean/Central America at my sunset, there has
been no luck so far, with the only station from these parts of the world
being worked being 6D2X (who is, I guess, very close to the US border). 

It has been good when I have been calling 'Cq DX carib' to hear US stations
stand-by before calling to check that no stations from the Caribbean or
Central America have been calling me.

Thanks, blokes, it is much appreciated.

On the whole, looking at the log, conditions have been less consistently
good than last year, but there is still a lot of fun to be had on the
topband.  I am very sorry that Jim Dionne K1MEM won't be there any more,
listening at his sunset for that elusive once-a-year VK6 LP QSO any more.
Vale, Jim, thanks for perhaps my best memory on 160m.

One final note: I got up at 4.30am today and hunted around 160, looking for
5C8M and any sign of a European signal.  Just nothing, nothing, nothing,
but noise and good old Jo, YC0LOW, keeping the band alive.  Just when I had
given up, five mintues after sunrise, I tuned across the band and heard a
RST599 signal on 1834 - turned out to be be Bob G3ZEM!  We worked a minute
or two later, exchanging 579 reports.

There was absolutely no trace of any other signal on the band at the time.
What an amazing band is 160m.


Vy 73,

Steve, VK6VZ





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