Topband: Changing received signal levels

[James Rodenkirch]

I saw an exchange here, earlier, where someone was mentioning calling a station with a weak signal, only having them come back with a stronger signal.

I witnessed that more than just a couple of times during the recent CQ WW 160 contest and attributed it to, mainly, very dynamic conditions.  I heard strong stations, who were calling CQ while tuning across their frequency that, when I tuned back, to be certain I'd copied their call correctly, I found their signal strength to have changed - up or down, in some instances, as much as 2 S units!  That's some serious quick changing conditions!

I believe several that I called and called and CALLED (I was a QRP entry) finally heard me 'cuz they had switched beverages or rotated their pennant/ewe antennas...so, I attribute much of that to band changing rapidly and or altering transmitting antennas!

I heard HL5IVL this morning at one point where he was a solid S5 here in s/w Utah and that was just as he signed off with a W6...he sent his call moments later and his signal was just at the noise level.

I gotta think that Top Band offers some "unusual" operating "conditions" that, amongst other witness "states," shows us clearly how dynamic the band is!

FWIW - I'm not a SUPER contest station like many are but...I sure do see lots of evidence of the above with my puny antenna system - hi Hi

72, Jim Rodenkirch K9JWV