Topband: ARRL 160 Test - barren of DX

[W3HKK at roadrunner.com]

Tnx for the qso, Jim.

I worked a mere six CA stations, fewer than half of the 7 land states,
one KH6. and a smattering of Carib/C.A. stations. Several locals gave
up early Fri night due to the poor/few signals ota.
I started at 2200z prompt and worked a so-so 109 stations during the
first 80 minutes. XYL announced dinner so I took an hour break, came
back and saw the rates declining -instead of increasing- and holes
appearing in the bandscope. Not many blockbuster sigs either, with
moderate QRN, 

Day 2 began with a bang...45% of my contacts were DUPES...until I
decided to check for the N1MM+ DUPE alert before gong back to the guy.
Id give his call, then say SRI-DUPE-and resume CQing. Miraculously
after a while the dupes went way down. (perhaps the friendly reminder
changed some behavior.) ( rather than just working them and letting
the software sort it out.) But spending half your time on dupes seemed
ridiculous. 

Also during both nights I heard only two Euros. But s they wee
replying to someone elses CQ I never had a chance to call them. So
zero Euros in the 2023 log. I reflected back to 2020 when 160 was wide
open to EU and it was great fun working them right and left. 

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