Topband: CQ 160

[Jim - WS6X]

Gracious! I almost feel like I should apologize for sharing my 74-year old,
"youthful" exuberance for having the weekend of my career on TB! To put
things into perspective...

1. Since this is my 5th low-band / contesting season from this QTH in
Rockingham County, Virginia, I thought everyone knew where I was located. I
didn't mean to mislead, and certainly was not intending to stick it to my
long-suffering W6 friends in any sort of boastful fashion!
2. Between 1983 and 2013 I worked 186 DXC on 160 from my tiny sandbox in
Fresno, CA. However, it was 22 years, and only after installing a rotating
flag, before I FINALLY worked my first EU! (OZ7YY).
3. From then on, QSOs with EU were few and far between, but one glorious
night in Feb., 2009, I worked 17 EU in one evening. For me, truly amazing!

So, how have things changed since the move to VA, and the enchanted East
Coast? Over the weekend, during the contest, I worked HB0 for #224. 38 new
ones in 5 years? Not bad, but not earth-shattering! Oddly, 3 were in OC,
ones that I couldn't work from W6!

4. It was only this past December that I finally beat my Fresno record of 17
EU in one evening, with an amazing run of 23.

With that background, please forgive me if I mistakenly thought that working
58 EU in one weekend meant that propagation was terrific! As for me and my
meager station in FM08, you will have a difficult time proving otherwise!

73 es gud DX,

Jim - WS6X

P.S. You have my permission to assume some of the above was a bit
"tongue-in-cheek"!