Topband: Improving condx?

[daraymond at iowatelecom.net]

Greetings Topbanders. . .

I got on the air on TB late last evening about 11:00 p.m. Central Standard Time and had a pleasant surprise.   I had been QRV 160 earlier in the evening and found conditions to EU to be poor (when I have trouble copying SV3RF, F5IN, HA8RM, etc., things are bad).  However, I got back on later having suspicions that maybe conditions were beginning to improve so I started calling CQ.  I was pleasantly surprised and ended up working 32 EU stations (not a bad run from here in the Midwest).  It wasn’t a continuous run as I stopped to tune around from time to time to see what else might be going on.  I could have worked more stations but was tired and went to bed. The real surprise was well over half the EU stations worked were either new call signs for 160m or all time new call signs.  I was careful to make sure I was getting call signs accurately so I’m confident the “unique” call signs were indeed valid.  As we get further into the season I’ve noticed the past week or so this pattern of improving conditions as EU SR approaches.  It most definitely has not always been that way this season here in Iowa.   In any case, it might pay for you stateside guys to stay up a little late as EU seems to waiting.

73 and compliments of the Season. . .Dave, W0FLS