Topband: unusual conditions

[Jon Zaimes AA1K]

I've been participating in the CQ 160 meter contest from the northeast USA
for more than 20 years. It's rare enough to have even a couple of
multipliers from the Pacific or Asia, and usually the opening is only on
one morning or the other, not both.

But on Saturday we had three VKs and four ZLs in the log, and worked a JA8
on the SW path around 1100z, more than an hour before sunrise. That was the
only JA heard Saturday.

On Sunday, things were a bit wild. JAs started coming through at 1100z, on
the SW path again, and lasted till 1230z -- 20 mins. past sunrise. A few
shifted to the NW (direct) path after 1205z, but most were from the SW the
whole time. Some peaked 579 briefly, but most were weak, but the band was
very quiet. We also heard several of the VKs and ZLs who we had worked the
day before, and we worked two V73 stations at least 2 hours before sunrise. 

I worked NL7Z at 1129z. Kevin was on the direct (NW) path for me, but he
reports hearing multipath flutter on my signals. His signal was weak, band
noise very low. At 1143z KH2/K4SXT was in the log; Gus also was weak,
peaking from the SW. At 1146z I worked XZ0A, also peaking from the SW but
about S6 most of the time. I worked two JAs, at 1155z and 1202z, on the SW
path also.

KH6CC and KH6AT were active both mornings with good signals.

European conditions were only so-so. While conditions were generally quiet
both nights, we worked 41 Eu stations on Friday and 80 on Saturday. The
pace picked up with some mini-runs after 0230z Saturday night, but then the
curtain fell about 0450z and only a handful made it through after that.

73/Jon AA1k
Delaware




 


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