Topband: ARRL 160 meters

[f8bpn]

Hi all!

I took just a short part into this contest this year, only 28 QSO sunday
morning.
Conditions were much better this week end than last week end for the CQ WW
where no US QSO were logged from USA, but signals were not those I could
hear during contests in the past where I could log about 300 US stations on
the first morning.
I managed to work stations until the middle of the states, nothing heard
here from west coast.
Signals were stronger as long as I got closer of my sunrise (0730z), last
QSO was N2MM at 0727z, it was not what I could always notice in the past,
many times the strongests signals were coming in 1 hour before the sun rise.

I am used to hear Tom W8JI 20 to 30 dB over S9, he was "only" 599.
Most of the stations heard were arround 559/569, the strongest here this
week end was K3WW (almost 20dB over S9), but no QSO.

As I read on this refector, I agree that it is very frustarting to call and
call a station and not getting any sign of a repply, not even a "?" meaning
that he heard something... You can then get some doubts about your own
station even it's not super good one.
Normaly a station heard 20dB over S9, even he was using 10KW and if I
pretend that we have a too ways propagation, with my little 100 watts, I
should be heard arround S9...
Then you call a not too strong station who is about 559 in the noise like
VE3PN and you get the repply "F8BPN 599 ON" without any mistake in the call,
you can guess he heard you clearly even with a very weak signal.
I think that anyone can put a conclusion and if you want to compare go and
listen TO4E sounds by ON4UN system at www.uba.be and with my Inverted L at
home at the adress below. Same QSO have been recorded, you can notice a
serious difference on the receiving quality...!
So as long as there won't be a better receiving antenna here no need to put
more power.
As some one said here too, no need to have a big mouth if you have no ears!

Good luck with TO4E, they said they will try to be on at their sun rise for
USA, Dany F5CW will do his best for that but he has to obei to orders and
cannot do how he would like. There is still more than one week left for
that.

See you all in the Stew Perry!

73/88 de F8BPN, Mau

f8bpn at wanadoo.fr
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/ph-martin/f8bpn