Topband: KC6AWX

[YL2VW]

Hi topbanders and Happy New Year!

Talking about remote RX/TX, here is the latest interesting observation.

Excerpt from my FT8 log (receiver near Riga/Latvia, KO26au):

20200102_015215 -11  0.3 1969 ~ A65DR KC6AWX CM88
20200102_015245 -10  0.3 1969 ~ A65DR KC6AWX CM88
20200102_015645  -5  0.3  396 ~ A65DR KC6AWX CM88
20200102_015745  -7  0.3  395 ~ A65DR KC6AWX CM88
20200102_015815  -2  0.4  395 ~ A65DR KC6AWX CM88
20200102_015845  -4  0.3 1215 ~ A65DR KC6AWX CM88
20200102_015900 -10  0.1  396 ~ KC6AWX A65DR -13
20200102_015915  -7  0.3 1215 ~ A65DR KC6AWX R-17
20200102_015930  -9  0.1  396 ~ KC6AWX A65DR RR73
20200102_015945   1  0.3 1215 ~ A65DR KC6AWX 73

For those not into FT8 short summary:  KC6AWX from grid CM88 is calling and
getting into the log of A65DR. Signal level of KC6AWX peaks at +1 here in
Latvia, which is kind of EU level signal strength for me.

What a propagation I thought initially.... But

KC6AWX was the only westcoast station which I was able to copy here tonight.
And according to his QRZ.com page that is with his 50ft apex InvL and 1.5
kW (Alpha 9500).

But if you bother to look at where his signal was received and with what
strength in PSKreporter.info, you can see that he was copied with +14 level
by EI4CN and G4CPD, and with + levels by some other UK stations, while in
Westcoast USA, where CM88 (the gridsquare he transmitted) is located, his
levels were -9 (by KZ1W) at best, much less by other wstcoasters, some
little + levels in Eastcoast USA.

How can that be, if not remote TX or little help from friend with radio
station in EU?

By the way, here in Europe I have heard/read that the value of WAS award
has diminished among HAMs lately, due to US  guys transmitting from remote
QTH locations on the other coast of USA, but specifying home state when
uploading data to LoTW.

73,
Agris/YL2VW