Topband: A25KW Botswana

[Raoul Coetzee]

I think it may be a combination of factors. 

We had some geomagnetic storms in that period that might have effected you, I have found that this time of the year is not really good to EU, although I was heard last night in EU
with 300 watts on 160m.The night before nobody could hear me.

I have never used a FCP, so cannot comment on that but I would have preferred a lot of ground radials for 160m.

Best time for EU from down South here would be closer to midnight and not the mutual grey line on 160m at least!
On the other hand, on 160m it seems the best time to NA is about 30min before our sunrise but in many cases they can be worked sooner,
DX  160m and 80 can be a challenge down here this time of the year.


Maybe next time!
73 Raoul ZS1REC



________________________________
 From: Ve7mid <ve7mid at telus.net>
To: Topband at contesting.com 
Sent: Tuesday, April 3, 2012 2:37 AM
Subject: Topband: A25KW Botswana
 
The A25KW Botswana 160m operations were not a success with only ZS6LH being worked. What was more of a surprise was that no other stations were heard on either 160m or 80m!

The equipment was a K3 with diversity receive capabilities (Using the 80m vertical 30m away. A beverage was brought but the thorn bushes discouraged its deployment and it is unlikely that it would have survived the nightly foraging of our local Hippo anyway!) with a 600 watt amplifier (only operating at half power due to some fault) when available. The 160m antenna was an inverted L with FCP but unfortunately the expected 15 to 25 m trees were nowhere near the shack so Frosty did what he could to use the two story lodge and available 10m trees. 

I expected the best conditions to be at the mutual EU and A25 gray zones. We did do skeds on request between but without hearing any signals I was not keen on sending CQ to myself all night like in Zone 2. Not having solid internet was also a problem. 

I think that the long overland path killed our chances. The local noise was reasonable. I would be interested in any heard reports or comments on our setup (keeping in mind that all of us were maxed out on baggage allowance!) The lack of 80m signals using two different antennas puzzles me. There were EM storms and this maybe isn't the best season but still?

73 Keith 
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK