Topband: ARRL160 Test conditions

[Richard (Rick) Karlquist]

Conditions this year from the left coast were
weird.  The band didn't open to the east coast
until many hours after sunset.  I can remember
years when I worked VY2ZM while there was still
daylight.  Even big guns struggled to get any
rate going.  I thought the contest was going to be
a bust, but then  everything got normal around
0500Z and I see that I am now ahead of where I
was last year after the first night.  East
coasters who went to bed early missed the action.
I actually had a small pileup going around 0700Z.
It seemed like everyone needed SV.

Rick N6RK