Topband: Thanks

[w5zn at w5zn.org]

The propagation into Arkansas on 160 meters from 4U1ITU is pretty much a 
black hole. I can only imagine what is like further west!!!!

Joel W5ZN


On 2019-02-24 11:09, Tree wrote:
> Back in 1990, I lived about 30 minutes from 4U1ITU and put about 25K 
> QSOs
> in their log during my 14 month stay.  I remember operating the ARRL 
> 160
> contest and giving out a few QSOs.  They each were like pulling teeth.
> 
> 160CW   1-Dec-90 05:28    1  K5NA/2         599
> 160CW   1-Dec-90 05:32    2  W1PH           599
> 160CW   1-Dec-90 05:44    3  K1ZM           599
> 160CW   1-Dec-90 06:01    4  KZ2S           599
> 160CW   1-Dec-90 06:19    5  NK1K           599
> 160CW   1-Dec-90 06:21    6  G0AWF          599
> 160CW   1-Dec-90 06:25    7  K2WI           599
> 
> The QTH is no doubt very noisy - even more than before.  I don't 
> remember a
> tram back then.  The other issue with the station is the path towards 
> the
> USA is pretty poor.  There are the Jura mountains right in the way.  
> Lake
> Geneva is nestled between the Jura and the Alps.  The QTH I had at home 
> was
> right against the Alps - and I have better success working the West 
> Coast
> long path on 40 than I did short path.
> 
> For us on the West coast - it would take one of those nights where we 
> can
> work several layers deep into Europe - which is a pretty rare event.  
> Then
> - that would have to be coupled with someone being focused on the band 
> on
> the other end.  Probably the best hope would be for some European 
> station
> who is normally active on 160 to be able to commute to the station when
> they are aware conditions are excellent.  This was a possibility when
> Pierre, HB9AMO was on the band some 30 years ago (Pierre was the first
> signal I ever heard from Europe back in 1986 from Oregon - I heard
> "9AMO").
> 
> Sadly - that sort of puts it in the same class as working C31 or 3A - 
> which
> would probably take a DX-pedition to with big antennas to make it out 
> West
> and focused operating over a two week period during good conditions.
> 
> Tree N6TR/7
> Manning, OR
> 
> On Sun, Feb 24, 2019 at 7:56 AM Raymond Benny <rayn6vr at gmail.com> 
> wrote:
> 
>> Tnx for the info.
>> 
>> Wish someone else could put on 4U1ITU again but perhaps with a little
>> notice. It's even rarer on the West coast.
>> 
>> Ray,
>> N6VR
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Sun, Feb 24, 2019, 7:01 AM <w5zn at w5zn.org> wrote:
>> 
>> > Last night Dave, K1ZZ, who is in Geneva at the Conference Preparatory
>> > Meeting in advance of this fall's WRC, was able to fire up 4U1ITU on CW.
>> > 4U1ITU is still a much needed DXCC entity in North America. Obviously,
>> > the CQWW 160 SSB contest was this weekend. There is considerable noise
>> > on 160 meters at 4U1ITU as you can imagine. Not to help matters, once
>> > the tram fires up in Geneva it adds to the hash noise on the band thus
>> > the decision to focus on CW rather than struggle even harder with SSB in
>> > the contest.
>> >
>> > Dave chose to operate low in the band, on 1811 KHz initially listening
>> > up 1, in an effort to avoid as much of the contest traffic as possible.
>> > Later in the night he shifted to listening down at 1805 KHz to avoid
>> > some SSB splatter from EU a little higher up.
>> >
>> > Dave was able to give about 40 USA stations a new one, mostly from
>> > around 0500z to 0630z when we had some decent propagation.
>> >
>> > During the evening there were around 10 stations that came on 1811, or
>> > close enough to disrupt the ability to hear 4U1ITU, who were politely
>> > asked to QSY and everyone did. As someone who needed 4U1ITU for a new
>> > DXCC on 160, and on behalf of the others, I want to thank you all for
>> > understanding and being accommodating. It was greatly appreciated.
>> >
>> > Thanks again.
>> >
>> > 73 Joel W5ZN
>> >
>> > _________________
>> > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband
>> > Reflector
>> >
>> _________________
>> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband
>> Reflector
>> 
> _________________
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband 
> Reflector