Topband: SP test - Awful condx
Hi all, I think we had the worst prop of any SP test since I have been in ZL. In the first darkness period (15z to 1650z there was not a single USA or KH6 station audible. Usually there are several left coasters on around their sunrise. Just 2 JAs, 3 VKs and 2 ZLs in that session. Things improved slightly in the next period, from 08z onwards, and I managed to put just a handful of USA in the log, but it was really hard going, and I decided to throw in the towel at 0945z (Not prepared to give up a night's sleep for that kind of misery!). All signals were down, and the weaker ones were just not audible. An exception was Milt N5IA, who was a genuine 599 when he replied to my call. I did also manage to work KV4FZ at 579, but only after about the 10th pass across the band, and then calling Herb for nearly 10 minutes before he heard me. Only 6 in the log in total, namely K7CA, WA7LNW, N5IA, W1AW/3, KV4FZ, W7RN. Heard, but didn't even pause their CQ's for me, HS0ZIA, WD5R, N3QE, K5MR, K0DI, N2KW, N5OT, K1LT, plus a few others. I won't be putting an entry for this one! (Lew if you want a check log, I can forward it to you, for what it's worth) 73, Greg, ZL3IX _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: SP test - Awful condx
Poor also from Fairbanks, Ak. Listened both nights off and on. But in the end it was the burning end of my Inv-L that called timeout. Apparently my coated stranded wire had a covering defect at the far end where it was suspended in a tree…the voltage node melted the pull-up rope and down it came/SWR shot up/amp went into safe mode (Alpha 8410). And this was at -12F with everything covered with hoar frost. I’ve never had this happen before (I thought ice was a good insulator) but now I know what to look for at rebuild. 73, Gary NL7Y _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: SP test - Awful condx
I was driving all day to get home from holiday visits so I had a short SP for me. I needed CA and AK to finish my WAS 160m for CW and I did manage two CA contacts so hopefully they will confirm on LOTW, but I never heard or saw a AK on the spots. Anyway I made a few contacts before diner and the rest between 12:00 and 1:00 AM EST for a total of 20. Normally I can easily make over 100 contacts but just too beat after driving all day. Someday I will get the elusive AK contact on 160m. But I also did not hear much of anything on my inverted L like in years past. So I would also say for my brief operating time the conditions were sub par. Cheers Don ~73 Don KD8NNU 2014 3905CC Top Gun :-) -.- -.. ---.. -. -. ..- -Original Message- From: Gary and Kathleen Pearse Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2014 2:45 PM To: topband List Subject: Re: Topband: SP test - Awful condx Poor also from Fairbanks, Ak. Listened both nights off and on. But in the end it was the burning end of my Inv-L that called timeout. Apparently my coated stranded wire had a covering defect at the far end where it was suspended in a tree…the voltage node melted the pull-up rope and down it came/SWR shot up/amp went into safe mode (Alpha 8410). And this was at -12F with everything covered with hoar frost. I’ve never had this happen before (I thought ice was a good insulator) but now I know what to look for at rebuild. 73, Gary NL7Y _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
