Topband: ARRL 160m

[kq2m at kq2m.com]

I operated SOABHP all band for the first 20.7 hours until a rapidly 
worsening ice storm forced me to qrt.

So one night of operating from CT on top band with very spotty 
conditions at best, resulted in 50 q's and 31 mults.  36 q's and 19 
mults were made in the 02z and 04z hours.  I did have a few short runs 
which was unusual and fun for using an Inv L in a tree.  The first run 
was 0244 - 0256z - 12 q's and 6 mults but the best time was was from 
0434 - 0442z when I ran 15 stations and picked up another 6 mults. By 
0445z when I worked MD4K, the opening was gone.

So the key was getting the timing right.  If you cq'ed at the right time 
or s & P'ed at the right time, you had maybe 10 - 15 DX audible stations 
to work in about 10 minutes, and then a big fade, most signals would 
disappear and be then replaced by a few new stations that were much 
weaker.  That's how it was for most of the night.  You had to constantly 
check 160 to work what was there in the few minute burst that those 
signals might POP briefly out of the noise.

Propagation was VERY selective with these spotlight openings.  MD4K was 
relatively loud for 5 minutes when I worked him but no other EU stations 
were audible.  Same with 9A1A and a few others.  There were probably 
another 20 relatively easy Caribbean and EU mults that I missed because 
I was not listening on 160 at the times that they peaked in their 5 - 10 
minute "window".  It was common to hear several DL stations but no G, F, 
or I.  Then you heard a few G's but no DL, F, or I.  Then an F station 
would be loud and then an HA, one or two countries at a time.

There was no sunrise enhancement that I observed on Friday and EU was 
mostly inaudible here by 05z. The precip static made it worse.  Even the 
Carib, CA, or SA stations that I heard were all weak, and that is 
unusual.

Repeated solar flares, high A and K indices and S9+ precip static made 
working stations unusually challenging.  Hopefully cndx will be better 
on the SSB weekend.

73

Bob, KQ2M


On 2025-02-17 15:53, Dave Sharred via Topband wrote:
> I'll second what Andy said....
> 
> I was operating from MD4K, all band .    I have a 160m dipole at 60ft, 
> no rx antenna this time.   I was only on Sat morning; I had a 40m 
> disaster, so took down teh dipole to put up an inverted V for 40m , 40m 
> would be my best bang for buck...
> 
> I heard Roger on, so some of my operating coincided with his...
> 
> I was QRV  160m  01:25z - 01:50 (19 STNS) ; 03:19 -03:45  (28 STNS); 
> 04:37 - 04:55 (22STNS); 05:33 - 05:46 (14STNS);  06:18 - 06:27 (3 STNS)
> 
> States / Provinces worked -
> 
> CT MA ME NH  NJ NY DE PA MD AL FL NC TN VA MI OH IL IN
> 
> LB QC ON
> 
> As I say, I was 80 + 160m 1st night, no 160 for 2nd night, so condx not 
> bad actually..
> 
> 73 Dave, G3NKC // MD4K
> 
> 
> On 17/02/2025 20:50, Andree DL8LAS via Topband wrote:
>> Hey Roger,
>> 
>> Friday night was good on topband,
>> I worked 75x  NA in ARRL Contest,
>> and this with only a simple RX BOG.
>> Saturday was not  much activity.
>> My Call in ARRL was DR5X.
>> So, band was not  bad here.
>> 73 Andy DL8LAS