Topband: last night (10/12) on 160

[Steve Babcock]

Ron,
Indeed the band has been alive with EU for the last 3 evenings.  The QRN was elevated last night, but many signals on the QSB peaks were good copy.
Here in VE6 last night I logged OK1CF, DF2PY, SM5EDX, OK1DOT, LY7M, OZ4MM, OK4WW, OH0Z, ON4GPE and PE5T.
The night before 11 EU were logged, most of the above, but also DL7ON, OT4A and G3XHZ.

I shut down last night before 500z. Yesterday I missed a few UK that my RBN skimmer spotted.

My broadside phased “BOG” arrays are working better than I expected.
I have been RX in diversity with 2 broadside arrays, one at 21 deg. for N. EU, and one at 45 deg for S-central EU.
That combination is working very well.

It’s great to see you QRV Ron for the EU sunrise.
Indeed, that’s when much of the EU action starts, but pretty early for you guys out east.  A lot easier for us guys out west!
Last night there didn’t seem to be a lot of NA action from 300-500ut, but perhaps the QRN was a killer for many?

73, de steve ve6wz


> On Oct 12, 2023, at 4:50 AM, Ron Spencer via Topband <topband at contesting.com> wrote:
> 
> I came up to the shack around 0530 and starting around 0540 worked several EU stations. DF2PY, G3OLB, ON7PQ, G3ROO, G3OQT, G3PQA, OT4A, OZ4MM. Earlier, around 0102 worked OK1CF and heard, but didn't work, OK2BUZ. Lots of QRN and QSB but several stations peaked up to 20dB above noise floor.
> 
> 
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> Stig, OZ4MM, was worked 1 hour past his sunrise! Ragnar, LA5HE called but we didn't work. He was very close to my noise floor. 
> 
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> 
> Nice to see the band both open and full of CW signals!
> 
> 
> 
> Ron
> 
> N4XD