Topband: 160m VP8PJ

[David Olean]

Hi Gary,

I was out of the house early in the evening on Sunday, but started 
listening a little before 10 PM local time.  VP8 was very weak and 
mostly in the noise. They would peak up and be readable for short 
periods of 15 seconds or so. Over the next half hour the signal started 
building here. and by 10:30 they were good copy most of the time for me. 
I am 30 miles inland, so no salt water effect. W7RH said they had good 
ears and to call them even if they were weak. I took his advice and they 
came back right away as soon as I called! I was so surprised I sent my 
call again to make sure I was not imagining things! It really took me by 
surprise.  They peaked up 5 hours after sunset here. By 0500 UT they 
were getting sorta loud at times!

I am not sure, but I think many areas had no propagation as there were 
few callers most of the time. I listened up until about 0600 UT (1 AM 
here) It was getting close to EU sunrise but very few European callers, 
and they would call sporadically.  There were not so many NA callers 
either, although VP8PJ was making a steady run of contacts.  Back at 
0300 UT I did hear a good pile of EU callers calling VP8 when he was 
impossible copy here.  Later on, there were fewer EU callers.  If it is 
a new country, I doubt people would quit for a nap! I heard a few 
comment that VP8 was impossible copy later on.

Then again, maybe everyone was exhausted from the CQ 160 SSB weekend.  
It was fun to listen as the night progressed, and I was amazed at how 
well VP8PJ was hearing; better than the callers almost all the time!

73

Dave K1WHS

On 2/24/2020 6:04 AM, Gary Smith wrote:
> VP8PJ, in South Orkney is a 559 here
> tonight. A new one on 160 & my only other
> S. Orkney Q was on 15M in 1990.
>
> Amazingly it took two calls and he came
> back so N/S propagation is excellent right
> now.
>
> 73,
>
> Gary
> KA1J
> _________________
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