EXCERPTS OF 160-M HAM PROPAGATION REPORTS FROM THE TOPBAND DIGEST [9-26 OCT 1999]
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Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 12:34:34 -0700
From: "kmarch" <[email protected]>
Subject: Topband: 160 CNDX
As Wolf DF2PY points out, the band was very good last night... for a welcome change. In this part of the Solar Cycle it is rare for stations in NW USA to work Europe because propagation conditions. However last night is was a true short path opening. Six Europeans worked. DF2PY and OZ1EEZ both peaked around 579. As if that wasn't enough fun, this morning at 1320 Z, there was UN5J calling CQ on 1827. He held in for almost 30 minutes. When we exchanged reports, he was 569. Hope we get a few more of these this year. Bob, N7UA
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Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 06:40:54 +0800
From: "Michael Bazley" <[email protected]>
Subject: Topband: VK6 cndx and UK8 info
Hi All, hope all who wanted the ZK3 were lucky.....great signals here. superb cndx last night 1030/1050z with really strong East coast USA...then the band went dead. came back at 1237z and the band was full of 599 signals...unfortunately I also had S9 plus QRN. This morning cndx to Europe were superb..luckily i got up earlier than usual at 2030z...0430 local. Of possible interest to North America, I heard UK8BE working UK8IWW. .... 1840 CW at 2115z... I have heard UK8BE on the hf bands so there is a chance of making skeds. Thanks to all for the many QSO's in the last 12 hours. 73 es dx de Mike VK6HD
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Date: 11 Oct 1999 14:04:37 -0000
From: [email protected]
Subject: Topband: Boring Report - N6TR/7
On 9-Oct - several "real" Europeans were heard - DF2PY, OZ1EEZ and IV3PRK. The first two made it in the log and PA0CLN was also heard in Oregon by our sister station, W7EW. On 10-Oct - SM4CAN showed up peaking S7, but was the only thing heard from Europe that evening. On 11-Oct - with the K index up at 4, we were not very optimisitc about hearing anything from Europe, but at the lat minute, EA3VY showed up working stations to the south. I could actually hear him just before he faded down and didn't complete a QSO. So close to a hat trick. It is interesting that Europe has been in for many evenings in the past week - but from very different areas. ZK3CW was easy at 1254 UTC this morning. They were not on the band when I checked it around 1100Z. 73 Tree N6TR/7 Boring, OR PS: Don't forget to mark your calendars for the 4th running of the Stew Perry Topband Distance Challenge on December 18/19th.
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Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 21:04:53 +0200
From: [email protected] (DF2PY)
Subject: Topband: 11th of Oct propagation
hello topbanders ! This morning the searchlight illuminated the Rocky Mountain division. N7JW from Utah was pretty strong and a few minutes later N7KA ( NM ) rolled in. No more TX or other southern stations heard.Missing out on all the big ones from Coloradio ! From reports on the reflector it seems to me that we all reach different latitudes from EU.But we need to give consideration to the fact that there is a big difference in latitude between active EU stations ( i am exactly on the 50 th meridian ),think OZ1EEZ is about 10 to 15 degrees north and Jose is easily 15 degrees south.Some of the prop-wizards on the reflector might think up something out of it. Just putting up another 900 ft bev,but at a greater height-will report later. 73 amigos de df2py
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Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 08:02:38 +0200
From: [email protected] (DF2PY)
Subject: Topband: 12th Oct prop frm EU
Hi ! This am poor condx to NA.Just b4 sunrise N5IA (NM) 549 qso.Right on the sunrise N7GP ( AZ) 549 qso.B4 that about an hour CQing in vain.Sometimes 160 seems to be "hard work" ,but the fun always balances it. 73 to everyone de df2py
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Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 18:34:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: [email protected] (Joseph Dube)
Subject: Topband: 160 m Band Condx
Certainly has been alot of activity around the band and so early in the season. For about the last week or so I've been listening to all the 1's,2's,3's,northern 4's,5's,6's,7'sand 0's working the world. One fellow even worked the ZK dxpedition with hurriedly constructed shunt fed tower with one radial thrown the ground! All the posting on the reflector and flurries of activity make for a really fine time on the 160 meter band except for one thing. Here in Tampa,Fl. I'm not hearing a peep!! For example, I am closer to the FY than everyone . One would expect that I would at least hear the station. Yet that is not the case. The same is true for the V31's that have been on the band of late. With the exception of this morning I've had difficulty hearing either V31MP or KX yet YS1RR comes blasting in. The rest of the long haul stuff I understand-EU,Africa,Extreme southern SA,VK & the Pacific.I guess it's because I've only been licensed since 1964 and am over looking something. Has anyone out there got a reasonable explination for these strange conditions or should I just turn up the AF gain on the rig!! HaHaHa. Seriously, there must be some reason for the disparity in signal strength from stations in relativley the same area. Incidentally all you guys out there from Maine to Washinton and all points south all have great signals into Tampa every nite. Keep up the good work and thanks for any help you guys can give me with my problem. Joe KK4TR ampa,Fl. http://kk4tr.tripod.com
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Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 23:41:08 +0100
From: Mike Devereux - G3SED <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Topband: 12th Oct prop frm EU
Wolf and gang here in the UK at G3SED QTH conditions were good to NA 12 th October. I heard or worked :- K9DX S 9 plus 5 db ! K2NV, V31MP, FY/DJ6SI, WA4TT, W3GH, N4JI, K1FZ, K2XA, WT3Q, W9CH, K3JJG, K3SX, W1DEX, KT3Y, YK1AO, 5B4ADA Typical 160 metres - selective propagation as always - today favouring Western EU. I look with envy at the postings for ZK3CW on 160 metres - no hope here in the UK - the path is always in sunlight !!!!! 73's Mike G3SED
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Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 07:36:42 +0200
From: "Greg, ZS5K" <[email protected]>
Subject: Topband: Good openings
Great opening to east and central US this morning, although my log doesn't show it. Most of the activity was around the EL and 5H. Some of the guys calling were a genuine 5NN. The last few days have shown a marked improvement with some kind of opening to the US and Eu just before my SR on most mornings. (0320 at present). Even had a good opening to KH2 on Sunday night, with Gus at 559 for 15 mins solid. Greg, ZS5K
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Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 08:03:52 +0200
From: "Greg, ZS5K" <[email protected]>
Subject: Topband: Another good morning
Great condx again at SR today. First heard G3SED with mid west about 0250, both at 589. Took some time to get attention - must move the PC into the shack so I can "spot" myself! Now I need some help. Since things were so good, I tried to give the left side a chance, by calling 6/7, but that was largely ignored. I would like to ask folks please to use a little judgement. When things are marginal, I am not going to hear the little guys anyway, so I would like the big guns to give me a call, just so I know that someone is there. When the band is wide open, though, that is the chance for the little guys, or those who don't often have the chance, so, unless you need ZS for a new one, please stand by and let them have their shot as well. Working from this QTH is not like the higher latitudes, where openings last for hours. The band often only opens for 20-25 mins at SR, and sometimes only 5 min, so I don't have time to work down the pile to reach the little guys. Let's hope we have many more like this morning. It's already better than last year. 73, Greg, ZS5K
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Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 15:16:12 +0200
From: [email protected] (DF2PY)
Subject: Topband: cndx on 15th Oct frm EU
Hi topbanders ! This am with figures SFI =200 a=20 k=5 nothing good was expected. W8JI called in with 579, towards the end of the chat showed 599. Surprisingly Bill -K0HA called about 15min b4 sunrise - nice to see u back Bill After that W8JI called again in cw and asked me to move to SSB.Ragchewed from 5 min b4 sunrise `til 8 min past sunrise,then i was too weak to beat the qrn at Toms place.He complained about a storm in Florida ruining the band- guess that was the number one reason for todays low activity ? Anyways it would be interesting how far these things spread QRN under regular cndx in the US ? I know that with good cndx we get the stuff over here from several thousand miles away.But it always pays to be there - 73 de df2py
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Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1999 08:39:24 +0800
From: "Michael Bazley" <[email protected]>
Subject: Topband: VK6 cndx
Good morning!, Last night the QRN was down so were the cndx. W8JI was only 439 and nothing else heard until N7DD came on the scene (1833) with 579 Qsb signals. VQ9DX was 599 on 1828 (1300z) putting out CQ after CQ with no luck. This morning..from 2050z lots of strong Europeans all QSX JA except for F6EAZ who gave me a QSO. HB9BIN was the strongest EU with signal 20db over S9 on the meter of a FT1000. Of possible interest to North America HL3IUA (1824) and UA0ACG (1832) have both been QRV. 73 es dx de Mike VK6HD
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Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 07:01:11 +0800
From: Steve Ireland <[email protected]>
Subject: Topband: Down Under Diary 25/10/99
The last week or so on the topband has resulted in some very strange conditions on 160m, particularly when using the band in conjunction with a very disturbed weather pattern. This time of year is usually relatively quiet atmospherically in VK6, being Spring. However, QRN levels have been relatively high, sometimes at both sunrise and sunset. Following some good European conditions around a week ago at around sunrise, the band has now switched, with lousy conditions at sunrise (around 2126Z in Perth today) and good propagation into the USA for most of the last five or so nights for an hour or more after sunset. It is quite rare here, even at the very height of the best conditions in December/January, to have both a good opening into Europe at sunrise followed by a good North American opening at sunset. Stations in all call areas of the USA have been worked, although mainly in the eastern half of the country, perhaps mainly due to VK sunset being much closer to sunrise on the eastern seaboard and 'domestic factors' (like me being too tired to stay up much past sunset in the mid-west). Although I have been looking for the Caribbean/Central America at my sunset, there has been no luck so far, with the only station from these parts of the world being worked being 6D2X (who is, I guess, very close to the US border). It has been good when I have been calling 'Cq DX carib' to hear US stations stand-by before calling to check that no stations from the Caribbean or Central America have been calling me. Thanks, blokes, it is much appreciated. On the whole, looking at the log, conditions have been less consistently good than last year, but there is still a lot of fun to be had on the topband. I am very sorry that Jim Dionne K1MEM won't be there any more, listening at his sunset for that elusive once-a-year VK6 LP QSO any more. Vale, Jim, thanks for perhaps my best memory on 160m. One final note: I got up at 4.30am today and hunted around 160, looking for 5C8M and any sign of a European signal. Just nothing, nothing, nothing, but noise and good old Jo, YC0LOW, keeping the band alive. Just when I had given up, five mintues after sunrise, I tuned across the band and heard a RST599 signal on 1834 - turned out to be be Bob G3ZEM! We worked a minute or two later, exchanging 579 reports. There was absolutely no trace of any other signal on the band at the time. What an amazing band is 160m. Vy 73, Steve, VK6VZ
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Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 13:27:01 -0500
From: "Iowaguy" <[email protected]>
Subject: Topband: Condx Tuesday Morning
Woke up early this morning (about 4:30 a.m. local/10:30z) and couldn't get back to sleep so I fired up the rig. At 10:41z found FO0KOJ calling a lonely CQ with no takers on 1826. I answered Koji and had a nice exchange. He was 569 here most of the time but with deep qsb that would take him completely out. Tuned around a little after the qso with FO0KOJ and found VK9LX at 10:50z also calling a lonely CQ up on 1832. Having the Australs already confirmed on 160, I stood by for a couple of minutes waiting for others to call. No one called so I finally gave him a call and had a clean exchange (he was 559 at best, 449 most of the time). His signal then dropped strength and he was 339 for the next half hour or so that I listened. VK6HF was also on 1829 and QSOd with Mike at 1100z. Some nice conditions this morning although things sounded a little strange. Perhaps the Boulder A index of 17 might contribute to that. Signals on 40 mtrs were very warbly and watery here in Iowa. Anyway, not a bad morning. Things are looking up. 73 to all. . . Dave W0FLS
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