Topband: Noise and the CQ WW CW 2002

[Steve Ireland]

G'day all

Sometimes when we switch on the radio during the summer season in the early
dawn and hear loud static on the topband, the immediate response is switch
off the radio and go straight back to bed.  This year's CQ WW CW at VK6VZ
was a salutary lesson in NOT doing that.

I switched on the FT1000MP about 10 minutes before sunset on the first
night and found the band full of S9+ static.  "Conditions are bad", I
thought, with a sigh and after a few minutes went to 40m and decided to
have an early night.

Waking up around 2.30am local to try for some European and African stations
on 160, I found the static on the band was possibly even worse and the only
antenna I could hear anything on at all was the contest Beverage and the
only signal copyable (just) was RU1A.  However, this time I told myself
this was the CQ WW CW and persevered - and to my surprise and pleasure
found that under the enormous bangs and crashes were the odd European station.

Under the QRN, the conditions were actually a lot better than I thought.
Working the stations I could hear was like "pulling teeth", but for a real
topbander good DXing practice.

By the time sunrise came, there were 24 qsos in the log - 14 countries and
8 zones - including a new country in the form of XT2DX at 1959Z.

The next evening the conditions were similar - enormous static, but
underneath it North American signals and a further 9 QSOs were made and a
few more countries and zones added.

However, this time, at 2.30am, the static had dropped right away and I
thought I was really going to have some fun.  Unfortunately, this time the
conditions really WERE poor and the second night only contributed one more
QSO and the frustration of a getaway in the shape of 9K9X, who was peaking
579.

It was a good reminder for me that there is a major difference between
"good conditions" and lots of QRN - and sometimes good propagation is
unfortunately accompanied by lots of QRN.  Serious topbanders always take
care to make the best of the latter situation.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ