Topband: ZS1C QSOs and EU conditions from VE6 update

[VE6WZ_Steve]

Last night I had my second CW QSO with Raoul, ZS1C (most of us remember him as ZS1REC).
I was ready to turn the radio off after returning home from a dinner out, when I saw Raoul's CQ trace on 1834.
It was just at his SR. I turned the amp on, but those ceramic tubes seem to take FOREVER to warm up.
Here is a recording of his CQ, and you can hear my calling with just 100W at first while waiting for the amp to warm up.  After the amp kicks in, we exchange reports, and at the end Raoul upgrades my RST from 449 to 559.
In this recording, if you use headphones you will hear his signal shift between your ears since I am RX in diversity with 2 different phased Beverage pairs in each ear:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1irIoowkyD-2u3MwHkh4Vx3hodqKeKJA5/view?usp=sharing <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1irIoowkyD-2u3MwHkh4Vx3hodqKeKJA5/view?usp=sharing>

Last night there did not seem to be a transpolar opening into Europe, but the trans-equatorial path to ZS seemed to open nicely.  However, this 15,800 km path is usually difficult into VE6 for some reason even though it avoids the AU path.
I also had a QSO with Raoul last week on Oct 3 but he was not quite as strong as last night.

Europe has also been been opening up sporadically over the pole with north EU dominating.
Yesterday, Oct 12 in spite of the very elevated geo-mag I was able to QSO with Stig OZ4MM and John SM5EDX.

So far this winter season I have had 28 QSOs with EU-AF.  Here is a list of those EU that have made it into the VE6WZ log so far:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Sys63wkMXoOHt7SRdqZU1F7R5vryuP0X/view?usp=sharing <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Sys63wkMXoOHt7SRdqZU1F7R5vryuP0X/view?usp=sharing>
I think its appropriate that Karel OK1CF is at the top of the list considering how dedicated he is to calling CQ every night!

160m CW is alive and well in spite of the elevated solar activity.  it seems the EC and mid-west guys are having success into VK6 lately too.

I think the thrill of DXing on 160m is only enhanced by the unpredictability and sporadic conditions.  Sure, we all lament about the poor conditions during elevated geo-mag periods, but if 160m was open all the time, and DXing was easy like on 40m or even 80m, I would soon become bored and need to find a new hobby.
When those weak trans-polar signals bubble up and emerge through the noise (even for a few seconds) and a QSO can be squeezed out, its worth the effort and the wait, even if that same station has been logged 60 times!

Sure….back in 2008-2010 and prior sunspot lows TB was often wall-to-wall DX with great signals. That’s not the case now with the current solar activity level.  The low CW activity we see now on 160m is not just because of digital modes and higher noise levels. Yes, that’s a contributor, but the real reason activity is low is because generally, the conditions are poor and marginal.  If conditions were back to like they were in 2008-10, you can bet the band would be filling up with CW.  But this is precisely what makes 160m DXing exciting!

….well that’s how I feel anyway. As the old saying goes: “Be careful what you wish for”

73, de steve ve6wz
Sundre, AB