Topband: ZL6QH in CQ WW 160m

[Brian Miller]

Hi Petr

Many thanks for looking out for us and I am sorry we missed you. Unfortunately
the propagation to EU was not good this year, especially via the short path.

There was quite a good long path opening towards EU at our sunset on Sunday
evening with EI , GI,  GD and CN making it into the log, but there were no LP
QSOs at the same time on Saturday evening.

We did manage to work a number of Eastern EU stations via the short path, but
only by searching and pouncing and with difficulty. EU countries worked via SP
included OM, ES, LY, S5, UA, and UR. We heard some very weak West EU stations
but they were not strong enough for a QSO.

Fortunately there was good propagation to NA on both nights, so we ended up
filling the log with USA and VE QSOs! However, the large pileups from NA at
sunset reduced our ability to hear weaker LP signals from EU. We were also
handicapped by high QRN levels - from tropical storms on Saturday night and from
local rain static on Sunday night.

In the 'magic' 2005 CW CQWW 160M contest we made around 60 QSOs with EU,
compared with 10 this year.

Anyhow we hope to have another chance to work you again soon. ZL2BSJ and I will
make a point of activating 160M @ ZL6QH as often as possible over the coming
weeks and months.

Please see http://www.zl6qh.com/000418.html for our story about the ZL6QH
operation in the 2007 contest.

73

Brian ZL1AZE (and Wilbert ZL2BSJ)
ZL6QH team in 2007 CW CQWW 160M Contest