Topband: Last night was really boring!!

[Tree]

Was hopeful of another good night - as I was hearing RA4LW around sunset - 
but his signal never came up very much and after I got some "AGN"s from 
him, I think he threw in the towel due to a high noise level.

Later in the evening, I heard RZ1AWT CQing on two different frequencies,
but he was really weak and didn't hear me.  That was around 0320Z.

G3PQA had some signal making it - but I couldn't copy - just a trace on the
Spectran waterfall display.  So - no Europe.

Waking up early in the morning did net ZL8R, so the night wasn't a total 
loss.

The previous night, it was a couple of UA4s just after sunset, SM5EDX and
then ON4UN showed up with a good signal.  

Hope the band recovers some tonight.  

Several have asked what my TX antenna is.  It is a 72 foot tower, with an 8 
foot mast - with a 5 element 20 on the bottom of the mast and a 5 element 15
at the top.  I use a gamma match made out of RG8 that goes clear to the top 
of the tower and the gamma capacitor is another piece of RG8 with one of those
neat caps from the Gap vertical people on the end of it to keep it from 
arcing.  

I talk more about the cap here 

http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/Topband/1997-12/msg00110.html

73 Tree N6TR
tree at kkn.net

PS: Stew Results will be posted soon.  I have rather enjoyed surprising people 
by having their plaques show up without knowing they were coming.