Topband: Sunrise openning to Europe vs. west coast propagation

[terry burge]

Talking about poor propagation,


FWIW I have been concentrating on 40 and 80 meters SSB for quite sometime now. Staying up till 0:800 or 09:00 Zulu on 80 meters listening to K2RR and others work the two regular groups around 3.799 KHz and 3.795 KHz or so. The southern  California guys also do some working of the European DX but not good enough copy here. Propagation has really seemed bad from the Pacific Northwest. Last bit of luck was 12/30/2017 when I managed to work EI6S, OT4A, F5BZB and GM3PPG (new one) all around 07:58-08:16 Zulu. For the most part I just eat my heart out hoping that those DL's, DF2' and especially the SV1/SV2's will staying on past there sunrise. One of the big problems is that guys who have worked their 'good buddy's' umpteen times will use up the window talking over old times. I have been known to be a little rude if that is what it takes to get a break and work some new one. Know what I mean?


I appreciate those European hams working as groups and passing the mic around when they got some US station on. But when propagation only allows you to copy maybe one or two out of five or six or more, it can take quite a while and use up more time that could be better spent working others. What ya' going to do?


Anyway, for the most part it seem that we have not been getting the openings to the PNW. Then of course when your SWR starts jumping up and down that doesn't help. Running an inv-V at about 100 feet and a ground mounted Hy-Tower. Working on some receive antennas but so far the Waller-Flag and the beverage are pipe dreams. 


FWIW from Oregon,

Terry

KI7M