Topband: Unusual Propagation

[EP Swynar]

On 1st November, Denny wrote:

"...Between 2030Z and 2034Z I heard clearly 3 DX stations...my sun was still
over 2 hours from sunset, being 30+ degrees up in the sky...The band was
very quiet and the signals were right at the noise level but Q5... I'm not
sure how the signals got here - ducting above the D layer?"

***************************************

Hi Denny,

Yes, the band was, indeed, kinda funny yesterday...

I turned the rig on at around 2140Z, and heard G3ROO just pouring in --- it
was still very much full daylight here, and until I heard his callsign, at
first I assumed Ian was most likely located somewhere Stateside because he
was just so strong.

I worked him well enough (he just barely copied me at 559), but he
complained about QRM from adjacent European stations participating in the
Russian DX contest. After we'd signed, I toured the band and was amazed at
how many 569 / 579 Europeans there were scattered pretty much
everywhere...they were all intensely focused, it seemed, upon working each
other, so I never bothered to try.

I never heard any Stateside stations at all...I assumed they simply knew
better than to waste any effort in attempting to crash through all of that
European QRM.

~73~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ