Topband: Top Band activity

[Bill Cromwell]

I managed to get out of my lazy bed slightly before twilight this
morning and got to the radio with coffee by 1015Z (quarter after 6 AM
Eastern daylight time). There was AA1K calling for DX somewhere north of
599. I also heard N6DX calling CQ (but not for DX) near 1825 kc at 1032Z
- about 549. I turned on the Ranger (yeah right - 35 watts). I have
rearranged - moved - the radios and I had a broken wire in the T/R
changeover so no transmission this morning. I'll get that fixed and see
what happens tomorrow. I may have to resort to the alarm clock so I can
get up with more "gray line" remaining. Shortly after the broken wire
incident around 6:40 on the clock here the QRN started a rapid rise.
Strikestarus.com showed growing lightning activity in the Florida
panhandle and just off the the east coast around about the time i
noticed the growing QRN this morning. Some of the guiys up on the Phone
partt of the band were noticing it, too.

Funny deal..I looked up N6DX in the RBN and found lots of hits. There
were none for AA1K. I have noticed that AA1K seems to be a Top Band
fixture. Maybe RBN has that call filtered *out*. I'm pretty sure I am
not the only station that can hear him.

I have found a lot of SSB and some AM activity further up the band. Lots
of it. Now..where did I put that microphone?

73,

Bill  KU8H