Topband: K4M on TopBand

[Gary E. Jones]

Dave:

Your point is well taken. A look at the numbers on ClubLog shows that very
few western European Dxers made the haul on the low bands. It is very
frustrating. 

However, you have to understand that we feel exactly the same level of
frustration if you look at the numbers of the FT5GA operation, which worked
Europeans at a rate 4 times the rate that they worked any area of North
America and did it consistently from the first day of their operation to the
last day of their operation. Let alone worrying about topband, the West
Coast of NA had almost no QSOs over the first 3 or 4 days of the operation
on any band and the hopes of working them on one of the low bands was a
fleeting dream. The ops virtually NEVER asked EU to stand by on any band so
they could work into a geography that had propagation but weaker
non-competitive signal strengths compared to the stronger signals
originating in Europe. 

I know it is a difficult decision for operators to find the right balance
that treats the world equally on all band, and I share your frustration.
Every one of us in the South Central, South West, or West Coast of N.A.
really had to scramble for a single QSO on any band, and very very few of us
had any hope of a chance on 160

           73

                       Gary     W5FI 





-----Original Message-----
From: topband-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com]
On Behalf Of G4GED Dave
Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 8:49 PM
To: topband at contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: K4M on TopBand

OK1RD wrote >>>
> Dear Topbanders,
> let me allow to express this way my admiration for excellent 160m band
> operation of the K4M DXpediton on Midway Isle. >

Well I normally take my DXing bad luck quietly on-the-chin. However in this
case I'm sorry but in contrast to the posting above I think it should be
recorded here that the performance for Western Europe on LF was a very
different and sad story.

It's not always understood that most  TB propagation between the Pacific and

W-EU is
generally completely different than for the rest of EU.
No consideration was allowed for the fact that on this far side of EU the
only chance we had for propagation to the North Pacific was less than 1 hour
around our Sunrise.

On the 3 days they were active on TB around that time, no breaks were
offered for EU and apart from one very lucky G and three GM Top Gun Dxers,
most found it impossible to cut through the NA Wall.
I see no TB QSOs at all for EI, F, EA and so on, in the on-line Logs.
80m was a similar story.

On their last day on TB, 18th Oct. they had the best signal ever at our SR 
(for over 30m at this QTH) but unbelievably they were working only the SP 
Contest!

I don't denigh our NA cousins their shots at all but surely a listen at W-EU
SR for less than an hour is not too much to ask when most NA has propagation

for 6 to 10 hours?
Thankfully, most previous Pacific DXpeditions have managed to recognise this

and I hope
this report will encourage more future ones to do the same.

So, sorry guys but  K4M was a very frustrating damp squid on LF for most of
us in this neck of the woods.

I stand by to be shot down :-(
73
Dave




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