My 2 cents, below is a slightly abbreviated/updated email I sent to the CADXA Reflector on Friday 22Jan2016
Thursday evening his sig was inaudible here from our sunset (0046Z in Dewey) until 0408Z/22Jan when they restarted after a ~1.5 hour break. The sig was very weak but readable. I called 2 kHz up and VP8 came right back, we exchanged and he was in the log. I gave him the usual dxpedition 599. In reality the sig was to be generous 449 on peaks. I was the only caller. I listened for a few minutes and no other stations called. The spotlight (more like a flashlight) was briefly on Arizona. He faded in a few minutes and was never audible again. Later he was working a minor east coast pile. Club Log shows Ned, AA7A was the op. Thank you Ned !!! And thanks for sending at a copiable ~22 WPM. For this dxpedition I resurrected a 360 foot BOG to the SE that was useless. His best sig was on the omni tx vertical but severe QRN from storms to the east obliterated his sig. A DHDL (tnx AA7JV) to the SE was the antenna of choice. As long as these geomagnetic condx persist the only way to work VP8STI is to be in the shack BIC from our sunset til their sunrise (0520Z) with the rx on 1826.5 and hope for an opening. If ur amp requires 3 minutes to warm up leave it on. In 3 minutes he could be up, workable and gone. Good luck/73 Pres, N6SS > ------------------------------ > > Message: 13 > Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2016 15:40:13 -0500 (EST) > From: donov...@starpower.net > To: topband@contesting.com > Cc: w...@w5zn.org > Subject: Re: Topband: Topband Spotlight Propagation Theorem > Message-ID: > <1499908368.279207.1453581613517.javamail.r...@starpower.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Hi Joel, > > > My W5ZN/N4HY/W8JI passive 8-circle array really shines during > this changeable and often spotty propagation from VP8STI. Its > consistently significantly better than my south Beverage and > 4-square transmitting array, typically solid copy when the other > two antennas are suffering QSB into the noise. > > > My listening was cut short after I worked VP8STI during their > first night of 160 meter operation. I had picked a random > transmitting frequency (3 up) immediately after they stopped > directional CQs to Europe and I nearly jumped out of my skin > when they answered my first call. > > > Sometimes its better to be lucky than good. > > > 73 > Frank > W3LPL ____________________________________________________________ FREE ONLINE PHOTOSHARING - Share your photos online with your friends and family! Visit http://www.inbox.com/photosharing to find out more! _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
