Topband: VK0EK Operation From Spit

[Milt]

Jim,

I have never worked Heard on any band, and my only interest is to possibly 
make the contact on Top Band.

Our window of marginal opportunity from here in southern New Mexico (183 
degrees bearing to Heard) is like 10 minutes of "common sun not above the 
horizon" and NO COMMON DARKNESS.

If I understand the report from the pilot station, they are now moving the 
Top Band station to the even more difficult opposite side of Big Ben for 
this part of the world.

OR, is it that they are now moving to the side of the island that is NOT 
blocked by Big Ben in our direction?

Thanks for your reply.

73 de Milt, N5IA


-----Original Message----- 
From: Jim Brown
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 10:25 AM
To: topband at contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: VK0EK Operation From Spit

On Tue,3/29/2016 10:10 AM, Chortek, Robert L. wrote:
> Does this mean there will be no more opportunities during the West Coast 
> sunrise?

I doubt that -- they're moving to Spit (the other side of the mountain
that blocks their main QTH to west of the Rockies, to VK/ZL, and to some
other parts of the world. I consider myself very lucky to have them in
the log 80-20.

Just looked at stats on ClubLog: EU has 52% of ALL QSOs; on Topband,
1182 to EU, 205 to AS, 132 to NA. AF, OC, and SA are almost shut out on
Topband, with a total of 32 QSOs. Mutual darkness, of course, accounts
for much of the difference, but western US really depends on US sunrise
for Topband and 80M, and even to a lesser extent, 40M.

Few of us out here in W6 (including some very good stations) have even
heard them on Topband, and were really hoping for Spit to get us in the
log.

73, Jim K9YC
_________________
Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband