Topband: KH1/KH7Z was a tough go

[Wes Stewart]

My friend Larry's station makes them all easy :-)

I have an inverted-l, 55' of it vertical, the rest horizontal, with twenty 55' 
radials.  Used on both TX and RX.  I first worked KH1/KH7Z on topband on June 27 
@1134Z, the beginning of my sunrise.  They were weak and we completed a marginal 
contact.  Ten minutes later they were much stronger and very Q5.  I contemplated 
a second "insurance" contact but didn't want to be a hog.  A couple of evenings 
later, I did make my insurance contact on 6/29 @ 0618Z, their sunset.  They had 
an excellent signal at that time.

I have a coax-fed 80-40 parallel wire inverted-vee only 45' high at the middle 
and worked them on 80 CW and 40 SSB.  They were strong on 40 CW the first night 
but the JA pile was huge and I figured I'd work them later.  Never happened.  I 
worked them twice on 20 CW.  The first time they busted my call; I corrected 
them and they confirmed but I'll bet the log didn't get changed.  When I didn't 
show in Clublog I worked them again.  I use a tuner in the shack to make the 
80-40 antenna work 30 where I worked them just before they quit.  Made one QSO 
on 15 CW plus CW, SSB and FT8 QSOs on 20 and 17.  Eleven slots all together, but 
I'd trade them all for one SV/A QSO.

Wes  N7WS

On 7/14/2018 6:56 PM, Larry via Topband wrote:
> Here is my opinion:
> 15- weak but easily worked on SSB
> 20- loud and worked on both modes easily.
> 40- loud and worked on both modes easily
> 80- no antenna
> 160- extremely loud and easy to work. Can’t believe that someone on the west coast couldn’t make a contact!
>
> Very good operation considering the time of year and antenna restrictions.
>
> Thanks for the hard work. ATN on top band.
>
> 73,
> Larry
> N7DD
>