Topband: Topband Spotlight (Flashlight) Propagation

[Preston Smith]

My 2 cents, below is a slightly abbreviated/updated email I sent to
the CADXA Reflector on Friday 22Jan2016

Thursday evening his sig was inaudible here from our sunset (0046Z
in Dewey) until 0408Z/22Jan when they restarted after a ~1.5 hour
break. The sig was very weak but readable. I called 2 kHz up and
VP8 came right back, we exchanged and he was in the log. I gave
him the usual dxpedition 599. In reality the sig was to be generous
449 on peaks. I was the only caller. I listened for a few minutes
and no other stations called. The spotlight (more like a flashlight)
was briefly on Arizona. He faded in a few minutes and was never
audible again. Later he was working a minor east coast pile. Club
Log shows Ned, AA7A was the op. Thank you Ned !!! And thanks for
sending at a copiable ~22 WPM.

For this dxpedition I resurrected a 360 foot BOG to the SE that was
useless. His best sig was on the omni tx vertical but severe QRN
from storms to the east obliterated his sig. A DHDL (tnx AA7JV) to
the SE was the antenna of choice.

As long as these geomagnetic condx persist the only way to work
VP8STI is to be in the shack BIC from our sunset til their sunrise
(0520Z) with the rx on 1826.5 and hope for an opening. If ur amp
requires 3 minutes to warm up leave it on. In 3 minutes he could
be up, workable and gone.

Good luck/73

Pres, N6SS


> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 13
> Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2016 15:40:13 -0500 (EST)
> From: donovanf at starpower.net
> To: topband at contesting.com
> Cc: w5zn at w5zn.org
> Subject: Re: Topband: Topband Spotlight Propagation Theorem
> Message-ID:
> 	<1499908368.279207.1453581613517.JavaMail.root at starpower.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
> 
> Hi Joel,
> 
> 
> My W5ZN/N4HY/W8JI passive 8-circle array really shines during
> this changeable and often spotty propagation from VP8STI. Its
> consistently significantly better than my south Beverage and
> 4-square transmitting array, typically solid copy when the other
> two antennas are suffering QSB into the noise.
> 
> 
> My listening was cut short after I worked VP8STI during their
> first night of 160 meter operation. I had picked a random
> transmitting frequency (3 up) immediately after they stopped
> directional CQs to Europe and I nearly jumped out of my skin
> when they answered my first call.
> 
> 
> Sometimes its better to be lucky than good.
> 
> 
> 73
> Frank
> W3LPL

____________________________________________________________
FREE ONLINE PHOTOSHARING - Share your photos online with your friends and family!
Visit http://www.inbox.com/photosharing to find out more!