Topband: 9M2AX finally after 15 years

[Chris G3SVL]

Well done Steve. My heart was in my mouth listening to that recording, 
so I can't imagine what it was like being there (actually, I can - all 
serious topband ops have been there!).

73 Chris, G3SVL


On 12/02/2024 19:28, ve6wz at shaw.ca wrote:
> For at least 15 years (perhaps more) I have been chasing Ross 9M2AX 
> for a new one on 160m.
> For some reason, a QSO has eluded us.
>
> >From VE6 Ross is 13,000km at 320 degrees AZ, and the path is usually 
> skewed southward.
> Every morning this winter season I have been at the radio RX for Ross, 
> but in spite of fair-good reports from ops down south in AZ and CA, I 
> have never copied him.
>
> For some reason, this morning his signal peaked up just before my sunrise.
> My tower was cranked down, so I had to wait for it to get to full 
> height and the amp to warm up.
>
> After many calls and a few QRZ? Ross gave a 6 ?. A few more calls and 
> he had my call, but gave me a VE6WZ ?? without a report.
> I responded with ONLY his report and made sure NOT to send my call 
> again. I was getting quite concerned that I might lose the contact 
> after I sent my report many times.
> Finally, Ross came back with a 339 and we completed the QSO.
> Our QSO was at 1452z, 10min before my sunrise at 1502z.
>
> Ross struggles with very high QRN in 9M2 so I am very grateful he was 
> able to pull me out.
> Because I have waited so many years for this QSO, I wanted it to be as 
> "pure" as possible, so I avoided any packet cluster "hints" that I was 
> calling, and I did not acknowledge I was even QRV in the KST chat room.
>
> I must say that Ross is a true QRN-warrior to persevere through what 
> must be painful RX conditions!
>
> I was TX with the 2 el Parasitic array, and listening in diversity.
>
> Here is a recording of our QSO. If you listen, you will understand why 
> I was quite worried I was going to lose the QSO.
> This morning his signal seemed almost equal on the direct path, and 
> the skew west path.
> In the left ear is the west 4 element BSEF Beverage (BOG) array, and 
> the right ear is the Asia 2 el Beverage (BOG) broadside phased pair.
> (the clicking is poor internet packet dropouts on my connection to my 
> remote 100km north of my home)
>
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ot1RhA1Gim1VoHEw6u0QA3T7QShf9bCE/view?usp=sharing
>
> 73, de steve, ve6wz
> https://www.youtube.com/@ve6wz/videos
>
>
> _________________
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