Topband: K3J OPERATION

[by way of Bill Tippett <btippett@alum.mit.edu>]

THE RECENT K3J OPERATION  PROVIDED SOME INTERESTING ACTIVITY ON 160M.  THIS 
IS THE TIME OF YEAR TO WORK ON ANTENNAS AND PREPARE FOR THE FALL-WINTER 
ACTIVITY PERIOD. WE DONT OFTEN GET A CHANCE TO TRY THOSE ANTENNAS OUT DURING 
THIS PERIOD OF TIME DUE TO LOW ACTIVITY.  MY QTH IS HAWAII SO LISTNING TO THE 
K3J ACTIVITY WAS VERY PRODUCTIVE,  THE ACTIVITY WAS AT MY MOST PRODUCTIVE  
PROPAGATION TIME.  YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW LOUD OUT HERE SOME OF YOU ARE. I 
SEE CALLSIGNS ON THE TOPBAND REFLECTOR THAT I HEARD EVERY NIGHT AND EVERY 
MORNING DURING THE K3J PURSUIT.  GIVEN HOW LOUD MOST OF YOU WERE IT BECOMES 
OBVIOUS THAT K3J HAD A NOISE PROBLEM.  THERE WERE MID WEST STATIONS THAT WERE 
PUMPING MY RECEIVERS AGC TO DISTRACTION, I HAD TO TURN THE FAST AGC ACTION 
OFF AND REDUCE THE RF GAIN CONTROL.  THIS WAS WHILE RECEIVING ON A LOOP 
WITHOUT AN RF AMP ATTACHED.  IT BECAME A LOT OF FUN TO CATCH  A QUICK 
EXCHANGE WITH SOME OF YOU WHILE YOU WERE SITTING AROUND WAITING FOR THE NEXT 
ACTIVITY PERIOD FROM K3J.  KL7J WAS SUCH AN EASY SHOT IT WAS PATHETIC, WORKED 
HIM WITHOUT REALIZING I HAD FORGOT TO TURN THE POWER UP .... I WAS PUTTING 
ABOUT 10 WATTS OUT.  LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING SOMETHING DECENT UP AND 
WORKING EVERYONE THIS COMING SEASON.

RON  KH6DV
KANEOHE HAWAII