Topband: 3B7C in the deep south

[Cecil Acuff]

I was quite amazed this evening at around 00:30Z after finally working 3B7C 
on 80 I decided to check 160.  The only antenna I have up is a Carolina 
Windom that is not tuned for 160.  I also have recently built a Heliax 
Magnetic Loop on a rotor at ground level including an I.C.E. preamp.  Jury 
has been out on it's usefulness.

Low and behold there in the noise was 3B7C on 1821.5 CW.  A little tweaking 
on the receiver to disable the AGC and manage the RF gain and I was 
listening to the most distant signal I have ever heard on 160 meters.  I 
don't have an antenna that will load on 160 so I called a couple of friends 
that I knew needed them on 160.  Hope they worked them!

I played with the Loop for a while and found I could actually hear a tiny 
bit better at times using it.  Quite amazing since it is at ground level.

It seems this evening that something is a bit different on the band because 
I've not heard them up till now...checking almost every evening.  Maybe it's 
related to the sub-tropical system sitting over South FL.  I noticed several 
very favorable reports on the cluster as well up the east coast....

I know this probably seems a bit silly since many of you have been in this 
160 meter game for a while....but this is a new experience for me.

Quite impressed!

Cecil Acuff
K5DL
Gulfport MS