Topband: Market Reef report

[Ilmo Anttila]

Hi Topbanders

Topband was activated from Market Reef from 18th September to 28th September 2008. Callsigns were OJ0B and in less then 100 Qs OJ0J. Operators were mainly Pertti, OH2PM and myself and also Henri, OH3JR.
Band conditions: Most of the time propagation on 160m was very good taking account the time of the year. A-index was less than 5 mostly. Aurora was not noticed.  Receiving was however disturbed by atmospheric noise from distance of hundreds/thousends of kilometers. With narrow filters S-meter did stay at about 7 most of the night time.

Equipment: Main transceiver was Yeasu FT 1000MP Field with Alpha 91B amplifier. Antenna was 1/8 WL vertical of 22,5 meters. A coil was at the end of aluminium tube at 15 meters and at the top a  fiberclass mast of 7 meters with a T-load at top. Four tuned elevated radials were fixed to guy lines and supprted with short fishing rods. For receiving we had two BOGs/Beverages, one to JA direction and one to NA. Beverages did help to cut noise. At the mid of the night a short walk on the rock was taken to change direction of Beverage.

Working results: On Topband we had about 2800 QSOs, dublicates included, divided as folloows: USA 720, VE 80, other NA 11, SA 9, Europe 1600, Africa 9, Asia 85, JA 220 and Oceania 6. Receiving of VKs we felt most difficult because of high noise level at around midnight.

The whole trip was directed to low band working outside SAC contest time. We felt this was the most succesfull 160m operation on Market Reef for more than a decade or may be ever. We had very well time to concentrate on working without problems, electric power by Lars, OH0RJ worked without brakes and weather was good except on day we left reef.

QSL managers are OH2BH for OJ0B-cards and OH0RJ for OJ0J-cards.
I do not have logs to answer to any question.

73!

Ilmo, OH2BO