Topband: One of those times

[Björn SM0MDG]

On 25 Jan 2014, at 00:14, Merv Schweigert <k9fd at flex.com> wrote:

> Today was no different, path over the pole at sunrise was not open,
> I was sitting on 1823 working on email,  sunrise is 1708Z and
> suddenly I could hear a signal starting to come out of the noise.
> ???BM   8???BM  then clear as a bell 8Q7BM calling cq.  One
> call and I had a new one in the log at 1710Z,   he then faded
> back down into the noise,  I could hear traces of him for another
> 20 mins after sunrise,  not enough to copy but knew he was
> there.
> 
> Just one of those top band times when being at the right place at
> the right time when the band sounds dead.
> Makes up for all the ones I have missed this season.

Hi Merv,

Happy to enlighten your day! I had just got my short top and bottom loaded vertical up and was testing a few calls before dinner. Was quite surprised to get a call from you. Guess I had no idea what to expect as it was my first very first listen to the band in 8Q. Since our contact I have replaced the eight radials on ground with a single elevated radial as it improved RX a lot with less QRN from the resort.

The CQ160 contest has been very challenging from here. Using a simple antenna and 100 watt won’t get you far when it comes to cut through the contest QRM in EU. I was hoping the 8Q prefix would compensate a little, but it was impossible to get a run going. I had hard to cut through to any station below S9. Unless they was expecting me to be in the contest most ops where confused by the complicated call I guess, because many that heard me reasked several time before getting it right,

Anyway I was happy to log you as my first contact from here. I have attached an image of the antenna that probably will be stripped from the by the reflector, but should reach you in private. QSL via Tim M0URX and LoTW after I arrive home.


73 de Björn,
SM0MDG
8Q7BM
SE0X