Topband: A midsummer nights contest

[Herbert Schoenbohm]

It was probably the strangest conditions during the Summer Stew Perry 
contest I have ever heard.  East Coast regulars could not copy my calls 
without many repeats and endless QRZ?  Even Job AA1K who can normally 
heard a pin drop on the band had problems getting me in the log 
hearing.  I heard a weak station calling me on the NW Beverage and when 
I switched  to north than NE I heard a very strong OK1ATP calling me me 
followed by a followed by a string of Western EU's including IK1RAE.  
That last EU was F6BLP but then a few East Coast were worked while 
listening on the NE Beverage.  Even K1LT who was running LP was very 
readable on the NE but zero copy on the NW and N Beverages.  A similar 
phenomenon occur later with sever NA stations being better copy on my 
West Beverage only.  There were times a situation where some stations 
had an unusual flutter or double pings.  On the South and SW Beverages 
South American stations were like locals. This included HC1PF, OA4TT, 
and LU5YF.  At times I would call CQ for an hour without any reply while 
constantly changing all of my Beverages with a 12X1 Dynair passive video 
switch panel to the point I developed a callous on my index finger.  48 
QSO's in about 8 yours is not anything to brag about. But many thanks 
the stations that stuck with me when I was calling them.

Hopefully someday someone will market a remote relay box with 
illuminated indicator and a momentary push button for each antenna. The 
Dynair is ancient technology but it has good isolation and takes each 
unused feed-line to ground via a 75 ohm resistor.  This is important to 
me since four of my antennas are reversible  and the feedlines are 
multiples of a half wave less the VF in hopes that the termination will 
electrically appear at the transformer and reduce some common mode 
coupling. My 3830 report is added below.

Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ

     Stew Perry Topband Challenge - Summer

Call: KV4FZ
Operator(s): KV4FZ
Station: KV4FZ

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: U.S. Virgin Islands
Operating Time (hrs): 7.5

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 48  Total Score = 556

Club:

Comments:

Endless calling of stations who could not hear me even on the East Coast. I
could understand some of this with my amp in Longmont, Co undergoing a much
needed overhaul.  Yet even super stations with good RX antennas were very
difficult. What was most amazing was a short opening to Western Europe with
strong signals better than the U.S by far.  This was started by OK1ATP, and
followed by DF5AU, PA5KT,EA3AKA G3SYN,EA3NT IK1RAE,G4UFK and F6LBP.  Such a
good opening in the summer is rare but in addition to this Chris ZS6UT sent me
an e mail after the contest that I was readable in southern Africa during this
opening.  Nothing much heard past the Ohio River except for WD5R and VE6SV.
Usually something from AZ or Cal is there but not this time.



On 6/21/2015 7:45 PM, Art Snapper wrote:
> I participated for a couple hours. QRN was very high in S.W. Michigan. 
> I found some relief by phasing a BOG with my OCF antenna while 
> transmitting on the inv. L. KV4FZ and HC1PF were copyable, but they 
> couldn't hear my 100W. The thunderstorms were just south of me, so I 
> probably couldn't overcome the lightning static.they encountered in my 
> direction. Hopefully there will be a 160-capable amp in the shack by 
> fall. Art NK8X ᐧ