Topband: Take-Off Angle Question

[W2pm@aol.com]

Interesting observations -- Saturday evening here in NNJ with a modest  
station and full Flag antenna to the NE, in an optimum position with optimum  
installation details, the band sounded like 20 meters on a good night.   However 
last night the EU sigs were riding just above the noise floor - far  weaker than 
than Saturday evening yet there were many posts around me and  reports seemed 
quite healthy (altho some 160 meter RST reports I have little  credibilty 
in).  And I have seen these more than I'd like - with stations  all around me 
reporting big sigs and I can barely, if at all, hear the  stations.. The only 
thing I can figure is TOA.