Topband: daylight QSOs during the SP

[Jim Brown]

On Mon, 31 Dec 2007 09:45:10 -0500, Carl K9LA wrote:

>A station running 1000W to a vertical and having a quiet noise 
>environment should be able to work other similar stations out to 1500 km 
>or so during the day - maybe even a bit farther with 1500W and a 
>4-Square.

ARRL 160 begins at 2pm local on the west coast, 3 hours before sunset. In 
that first hour this year, I worked a bunch of guys in EWA, WWA, and BC 
(700-800 miles) and three in CO (800-1,000 miles) with 1 kW and a top-
loaded vertical. I AM in a quiet location, and can listen with Beverages. 

By 3 pm local (two hours before sunset), I am beginning to hear 9's and 
VE3's, and in another 30-45 minutes am hearing them very well, and within 
another 30-45 minutes, 2's and 3's. It's another 3 hours (at least) before 
they can hear me. W8JI has nearly convinced me it's because they're 
hearing a lot of noise and other signals propagated from their east. I 
differ only by believing that there's an additional 12 dB or more 
contributed by the F/B on their RX antennas listening NE. :)

73,

Jim K9YC