In the second hour I spent a considerable amount of time trying to get the attention of K3TUF but I began noticing that I was getting very randomly timed receiver de-sense, and on top of that, I was getting the chirps, sqeals, and buzzes of intermod. Time for a bandpass filter for this band too. Good grief, I just ordered them for the bottom 3 bands and thought I was safe on 432. Add to that the very poor (negative, not flat) propagation and this was quickly becoming the toughest sprint I've ever done. I worked K1DQV FM19 (256 miles) to prove that I really could get signals to the south; unfortunately, he ended up being the ONLY station I worked to the south. I couldn't get through to W3EKT, K1RZ, or WB2RVX.
In the third hour I called CQ profusely on CW, turning the 30-degree beamwidth antenna system in 10-degree increments all around the compass. Nothing in the first 26 minutes, then I finally worked 3 stations in the last part of the hour. Heard but did not work W3IP and WB2SIH. In the fourth hour I had only one QSO. At times I felt like I was working crossband, listening on 432 but transmitting on 3.4 GHz by mistake. Briefly heard K3GNC and K1PXE but didn't get through. Seems as if the tropo is running on a 4-year cycle: In 2009 and 2013 it was great...in 2010 and 2014 not so great. El Nino has also been known to run on a 4-year cycle. One wonders if there is a connection.
BAND QSOs UNIQUE GRIDS --------------------------- 432 12 7 --- Claimed score = 84 ---
MD TIME CALLSIGN GRID OTHER -------------------------------- PH 2321 KJ1K FN32 Mount Greylock, MA PH 2344 K8ZES FN02 5x7 PH 2350 WA1RKS FN32 CW 0028 K1DQV FM19 PH 0053 AF1T FN43 PH 0054 W1ZC FN42 PH 0054 K1WHS FN43 PH 0055 K1BX FN43 CW 0126 N1CD FN32 CW 0149 W1AN FN41 PH 0156 WZ1V FN31 PH 0200 K1TEO FN31