Topband: mysterious band

[Paul Kelley N1BUG]

Wow! I had only been asleep for about 2 hours when something woke me up. 
It was just sunrise and all the equipment was still on. To my amazement, 
I found the band full of JA's with VERY strong signals considering I'm 
in Maine and it is not an easy path from here. Several of them were 
peaking 579. I just had time for 3 quick (and easy!) QSOs before signals 
dropped out. If I had been there earlier I am sure many more JA's could 
have gone in the log. But I am thrilled with working 3 of them!

Maybe this is a special thrill because I spent so many fruitless hours 
back in the 1980's listening to others work JA stations and never 
hearing a whisper myself. I eventually came to believe my modest station 
would never conquer that path. After returning to the band last season I 
got my first... JA8ISU... and I will always remember that magic moment. 
Prior to today I had worked one other this season, JH4UYB on January 14.

You just never know with top band. Signals from just about everywhere 
were weak throughout the night. Europe, Africa, Indian Ocean, even the 
Caribbean stations were all weaker than on a typical fair to good night. 
Then this pure magic happens at sunrise!

CE0Z was barely readable when he first came on, but faded before I could 
get a QSO. I never heard so much as a rustling in the noise after that. 
FO/DL5XU made an attempt to come on 160 again but had problems with his 
tuner. Those two were the reason I stayed up most of the night. Oh well, 
maybe next time. I am relatively sure I am in the FO/DL5XU log already 
but I am not comfortable claiming it as a QSO. It was easy (got him on 
first call) but deep QSB took out his final QSO ack.

This morning was further proof that even crude compromise Beverages are 
a lot better than none. Some of the louder JA's were Q5 on the TX 
antenna but all were MUCH better on either or both the west and 
northwest Beverage. Others were too weak to really be readable on the TX 
antenna but 100% copy on a Beverage.

73,
Paul N1BUG