Topband: Good Conditions, little NA Activity

[rgarrett5 at comcast.net]

Hello Roger and Dave,

The band has been amazing in the last week.  Two mornings in a row to work JA from the East Coast and this AM, HL5IVL too.  Roger, I
hear lots of NA stations and no lack of activity from both sides of the pond beginning at SS and lasting until EU SR.  a few UA9 and
UK9AA thrown in there too along with JT1CO this AM and also before his SR.  Yes, CW not as much as before FT8 but certainly it has
not gone away.  Also, I'm working many new EU stations with very weak signals.  I suspect they are running 100 watts and compromise
antennas. 

So, Topband is alive and well.  

PS:  I also worked two JA's after my SR this morning on FT8.  Not an easy task.

73, Bob K3UL

-----Original Message-----
From: Topband <topband-bounces+rgarrett5=comcast.net at contesting.com> On Behalf Of daraymond at iowatelecom.net
Sent: Sunday, January 5, 2020 8:21 AM
To: Roger Kennedy <roger at wessexproductions.co.uk>; topband at contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Good Conditions, little NA Activity

Roger. . . while CW activity is most undeniably down, it is not gone.  A couple of nights ago LA1MHA  reported on KST working over
100(!) NA stations in just one evening (morning his time).  In the meantime, the band has been red hot here both mornings and
evenings now for over a week.  Conditions to Asia this morning as I write this are outstanding.  HL5IVL is as loud as I've ever
heard him.  Great sigs from our friends in JA.  RA9Y called in this morning with a Q5 signal.  Chak/JT1CO has been QRV stirring some

excitement for NA SR.  So all is not lost.       73 and HNY to all. . . 
Dave, W0FLS

-----Original Message-----
From: Roger Kennedy
Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2020 7:02 AM
To: topband at contesting.com
Subject: Topband: Good Conditions, little NA Activity


Yes conditions have been good the last few days on 160m (not Great . . . but
what I would always have considered Normal, which they haven't been for
ages)

I myself have received some amazing reports from Stations I have worked, as
well as strong RBN reports. However . . . there seems to have been a
distinct lack of activity from North American stations.

I've been on and off the band for half an hour or so during the past 2
nights (Friday and Saturday) typically around 0000, 0200, 0400 . . . but
along with several other Europeans, calling CQ DX but getting very few
replies. Yet the few stations I DID work gave me very good reports, and RBN
reports were always good too.

I also popped on the band at the end of both nights (around 07.30) . . . but
I didn't even bother putting out a call. Why?  Well many of the regular EU
DX-ers were on the band, calling endless CQs . . . but barely getting any
replies !

Even though Saturday Night/Sunday Morning always used to be the MAIN time to
come and work across the pond on 160m, maybe people have family commitments
at the weekend these days . . .

So I'm going to keep plugging the idea of a Wednesday CW DX Night on Top
Band . . . it certainly worked last winter, as I would often work as many as
50 NA stations who made the effort to come on the band.

73 Roger G3YRO

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