Topband: FW: 160 & Other Stuff

[Bernie McClenny, W3UR]

Bernie, please extend my apologies to those trying like crazy for 160 from
C9. We have only a vertical, no beverages or any other separate receiving
antenna. We've been trying to listen on the gray line for Japanese sunrise
and our sunrise to maximize potential U.S. contacts. We're being victimized
by a single antenna (which is also our 30 meter antenna), only two of us
working cw (NQ7R and me) and the lack of propagation.

 

I've not seen prop like this before. For the last few days we've had very
poor trans-equatorial prop but condx seem quite pleasant for E-W. Last night
during one of my shifts in the IARU contest, VK was booming in and we've
been having a terrible time working anyone significantly north of us.

 

Tom Kramer (NQ7R/C91TK) and I worked about 10 on 160 one night, including
9M6AX and a ZL. On other nights, it's been mostly a bust except for a few ZS
guys.

 

I'm sure you know how difficult it is for us to hit every opening on every
band at every sunrise at every sunset at every.......

 

Again, my apologies to the guys trying 160. We are also having terrible prop
on 80 meters as well. The first night I was here was good for 80 and it's
been the pits since then.

 

Tom (the other CW guy) and I are leaving here Thursday morning, going back
to Maputo and the rest of the semi-civilized world! Apparently, after
tonight, the 80 meter antenna is going to be retuned for 80 SSB. That means
we won't have many (or any!) opportunities for 80 CW, 160 CW and we'll also
most likely lose our 30 meter capability (which has us upset, but we can't
please everyone all the time, blah, blah, blah!). Again, my regrets,
particularly to W5UN and K4CIA, with whom we were trying to make schedules.

 

Art - N4PJ/C91JR