I saw an exchange here, earlier, where someone was mentioning calling a station
with a weak signal, only having them come back with a stronger signal.
I witnessed that more than just a couple of times during the recent CQ WW 160
contest and attributed it to, mainly, very dynamic conditions. I heard strong
stations, who were calling CQ while tuning across their frequency that, when I
tuned back, to be certain I'd copied their call correctly, I found their signal
strength to have changed - up or down, in some instances, as much as 2 S units!
That's some serious quick changing conditions!
I believe several that I called and called and CALLED (I was a QRP entry)
finally heard me 'cuz they had switched beverages or rotated their pennant/ewe
antennas...so, I attribute much of that to band changing rapidly and or
altering transmitting antennas!
I heard HL5IVL this morning at one point where he was a solid S5 here in s/w
Utah and that was just as he signed off with a W6...he sent his call moments
later and his signal was just at the noise level.
I gotta think that Top Band offers some unusual operating conditions that,
amongst other witness states, shows us clearly how dynamic the band is!
FWIW - I'm not a SUPER contest station like many are but...I sure do see lots
of evidence of the above with my puny antenna system - hi Hi
72, Jim Rodenkirch K9JWV
_
Topband Reflector
