[UK-CONTEST] HF SSB FD ... HF bands poor or what? Yep.

[Jonathan G0DVJ]

Chris et al.

We found exactly the same (further south) at Ipswich with G4IRC/P.
We scraped 4 Qs on 10m and 11 Qs on 15m (4 & 9 mults respectively).  20m 
was also unbelievably poor - we managed 149 Qs and 45 mults - and also 
noticed the auroral echo effect.  The only mildly-interesting DX was 
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Hong Kong (presumably inspired by the All Asia 
event being on too).  We also gained most from S&P on 20m.  Only worked 
a few DLs on 20m when we were running a freq.
Total Qs was a measly 657.
Weather down south with us was also very poor and extremely WET.

Let's hope next year is better with no aurora!  (Sorry to the VHF 
participants but our turn next year!!)

73,
Jonathan G0DVJ
--

On Monday, September 9, 2002, at 08:43  pm, G3SJJ wrote:

> Yep, they sure were. I travelled 200 miles north of home here in 
> Nottingham
> to do FD with Contest Cumbria. Wx on Saturday was appalling and so were 
> band
> conditions. Numerous times we scanned 15m and couldn't hear a single 
> signal,
> 10m was a dead loss and 20m was occasionally alive, but it was 
> difficult to
> generate a run so we S&Ped a lot!  There was definately an auroral echo 
> on
> signals on Saturday evening, that is when we could hear above the rain
> beating down on the tent.

> I will be interested to compare our log with stations further south but 
> I am
> sure that we were more affected being further north.
> Interestingly I listened to GD0TEP running DLs on 20 that I couldn't 
> hear.