Topband: J28MD, conditions

[kq2m at kq2m.com]

On Tuesday I heard but could not work VK6IR, but I did work VK6GX on 
Thursday for my first zone 29 qso on 160 since VK6HD about 3 decades 
ago.
My antenna is a modest 160 Inv L with elevated radials.  When the band 
has very good cndx I can work almost anything that I can hear.  But on 
the marginal days there is quite a bit of long-haul DX that eludes me.  
;-)  (I'm still missing zones 22, 23, 24, 26, and 27)

What is maddening to me is that it used to be that FT4 / FT8 was used by 
some DXpeditions AFTER they had already worked 160 CW.  Now, to my great 
disappointment, more and more DXpeditions are routinely using FT4 and/or 
FT8 IN PLACE of 160 cw, even though they are perfectly capable of 
operating 160 CW. Sadly, this trend seems to be getting more and more 
pervasive.

Recently, 5V7RU has ONLY been on FT4 / FT8 on 80 and 160, with NO cw at 
all on those bands.
This follows the previous country they were in where they operated 80 cw 
but no 160 cw.

J28MD has operated 160 cw very briefly and typically avoids it, instead 
preferring FT8.

I get it....  It is far easier to work stations on FT4 or FT8 than on 
cw.  And using those unattended modes allow qsos to be made
while the Dxpedition operators sleep.  But that does not make me feel 
better about it.

I am not interested in the digital modes, preferring the traditional 
modes of CW and SSB.  I understand that others feel differently,
which is fine.  But it bothers me that DXpeditions are now avoiding CW 
on 80/160 because they just don't want to bother.

73

Bob, KQ2M



On 2022-11-05 12:45, Tom wrote:
> On thursday night conditions here in w1 land were outstanding!   J28MD
> (cw) and 5V7RU (ft8) got in the log and I heard HS0ZOY (ft8) at his SR
> at -5 for about 5 minutes.  first HS I have ever heard.
> 
> hope i get a chance with T88.
> 
>> On Nov 5, 2022, at 12:00 PM, David Raymond <daraymond at iowatelecom.net> 
>> wrote:
>> 
>> Greetings Topbanders. . .
>> 
>> I've spent a considerable amount of time on watch this past week for 
>> J28MD on Topband (CW).  While they've spent a fair amount of time on 
>> TB I haven't yet had success yet in spite of my ongoing efforts.   I 
>> believe it was this past Tuesday night when Joel, W5ZN, said they 
>> appeared briefly out of the noise (about 10 minutes or so and did have 
>> success with his BSEF-8 and Hi-Z 8 arrays in diversity)  then 
>> disappeared the rest of the evening. Wednesday night's opening to NA 
>> was much longer starting on the East coast and slowly sweeping 
>> westward with quite a few NA making it in the log (EC + 5's, 8's, & 
>> 9s', VE).  Unfortunately the prop just never quite made it this far 
>> west.  They barely peaked out of the noise here in Iowa Wednesday 
>> evening (NA time) just enough to get me excited and dump my call a few 
>> times hoping for even a marginal QSO. . . but no cigar.  It's a little 
>> frustrating to see that they always QRT about 30 minutes or so prior 
>> to their SR but they get credit for being on faithfully on CW and FT8 
>> as well.  I know they're getting close to wrapping up but hopefully 
>> they'll be on (CW) again this evening.
>> 
>> It's been good to have some DX operations QRV and bring some much 
>> needed life to TB (which sure hasn't had much). . .TY0, 5V, and now 
>> J28, A3, and T88.  The prop has been very poor.  CQing here in the 
>> evening brings no DX responses and only a handful of EU EBN hits so 
>> far this season.  Thankfully mornings have activity from our very 
>> stalwart VK friends (VK3HJ, VK2WF, VK6GX, VK6IR, VK6LW, others) but 
>> only a handful of JA QSOs so far this season (8 to be exact).  JA1LZR 
>> gets kudos for being QRV almost every morning (NA time),  but without 
>> much prop, I think only limited success.    I have yet to hit the 
>> VK4CT RBN CQing here in the mornings.  I don't think this is totally 
>> attributable to the increased SFI. . . prop from here was only 
>> marginally better two seasons ago when the SFI was very low.
>> 
>> All that said, I encourage everyone to get on and make some noise.
>> 
>> 73. . . Dave, W0FLS (in Iowa)
>> 
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