Hi Gang I have been reading comments about this past weekend's ARRL 160M test and I wish to address some comments that I have seen regarding EAST COAST participants.
Some of what I have read seems to suggest that we out here are not interested in beaming to and or working WEST COAST stations. I am troubled by this kind of thought because it runs counter to what this contest is all about. Basically, I will admit that working 5 point Europeans is very important out here - but in my case it has NEVER been at the expense of working stations out West. I try to beam bidirectionally MOST of the time even when Europe is open out here and I try to put a significant footprint into the Pacific NW and Northern Cal area as much as I can. For example - It was not long after the start of the contest on Friday night - perhaps even before 2300z on Friday night - when K7KU or K7KY I think it was called me from WYOMING - and he was so loud (before his SS) - that I had to ask him WY?? WY?? - because he was so loud out here. As the evening wore on, as others have suggested, the West Coast stuff was well down here as compared to normal signal levels but I managed to work everything out that way EXCEPT SDG (which I never even heard), MS and SD - those latter two which came on Sat night. I worked all the guys out that way I could copy and I do have the ability to hear well down into the noise with directive RX listening antennas aimed at W6/W7. So guys, at least in MY CASE, I love to work you guys out there and I always beam at you even when I am trying to work Europe - so please do not think that this notion of not being interested in working USA stations out west applies here - as it does NOT. A contact is a contact in ARRL 160M - and I work everything I can hear and then some (almost ESP sometimes). For example, I just got an email from IV3AOL - Fulvio in Trieste - it helps soothe the soul I think. Fulvio told me that he had called me ALL LAST YEAR in ARRL 160M 2010 with NO QSO resulting - and that he was delighted to make a qso **this year** after calling ALL Friday night and then two hours or more on SAT night. You see, he was running 4w into an indoor antenna and yet when I managed to work him on a peak QSB fade, he was 559 or so around 0137z I think it was. I wrote back to Fulvio and said his qsl was on the way - it was his FIRST North American qso ever on Topband and he was thrilled - and he is not the only station from whom I get emails just like that. So the point here is that I think most guys out here are VERY INTERESTED in working anyone we can hear - especially from the WEST COAST - and I will always DIG and ask for repeats for as long as the calling station wishes to try. Sometimes, it does take 5-6 overs to complete a qso - but that's part of the game isn't it? I wish to thank especially all the W6 stations and W7 stations whom I was able to work on Friday night - yes, condx were AWFUL - yet I managed to work most of you on Friday night nonetheless and even more on Sat night when condx were better. There was NO sunrise opening here to the West Coast on Sunday AM - the band all but closed by 0800z on Sat night - and I never did even hear San Diego - I guess it was on but I never managed to find one of those guys. I also spend much of the second night TUNING for any new station I can hear - and I call anything that I have not worked as long as I can - until I determine they just cannot hear me calling - only then do I give up and move on.... Thanks for the calls and contacts and hope to CU again in CQ 160M CW in January. 73 and happy holidays and good Dx to all JEFF VY2ZM k...@aol.com</HTML> _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK