Topband: back from 3B9... thanks

[Eric Scace K3NA]

Hi everyone --

   Just got home last night from 3B9C and back on the reflector.  I had a chance to read some of the postings here while at
Rodrigues and the information was helpful/encouraging to G3SED, G3XTT and me.

   Our last few nights before the first group of operators left for home were pretty disappointing as far as USA openings were
concerned.  We couldn't raise anything on the west coast after the N7UA QSO, and as everyone knows the window of common darkness is
down to almost nothing now.  That said, N7UA was worked many minutes before 3B9C sunset... and we worked another station in east
Washington state around a half-hour before his sunset during our sunrise enhancement one morning.

   But conditions over the last week were definitely down compared to the first week's experience.  North America openings at the NA
sunset times have been quite ordinary: weak signals, starting to show up as the terminator arrived, and hearing stations as far as
W5 before sunrise at Rodrigues shut down the path.  We were really glad that we were on top band the first nights when signals were
loud and more geographically widespread (and we got that ever-so-cool flip-of-the-switch openings).

   Thanks again for all the fun!

-- Eric K3NA

   (Now I have to figure out how to work the second crew of ops at 3B9C myself!)