5K0T QRT at 1200 Z on Dec 07.
5K0T made a total of 3000 QSO-s on TB: 2250 from Serrana
Bank and 750 form Bajo Nuevo. On Serrana Bank we had an 18
meter tall inverted L fed via an automatic antenna coupler
with 700 watts. For receiving we had a pennant, whose
direction could be switched between NE and NW (EU and
Japan). From Bajo Nuevo, we were on TB only during the
night of Dec 6 for the ARRL contest. The antenna was a 12
m (40 foot) tall inverted L. Power was 100 watts form a
K3. At both locations antennas were located over salt
water, grounded, with no radials.
From both locations we had a good mix of European, North
American, and Japanese QSO-s. There were very few SA
QSO-s.
Observations: Although on most nights we were hampered by
strong QRN from nearby thunder-storms, we could hear a lot
of DX every night between Nov 22 and Dec 06. Many European
stations were very strong and a good number had reasonable
signals. At the same time, we could hear, but not copy, an
even larger number of European stations calling who were
just at the noise level and not strong enough to make a
QSO.
On some mornings, especially the morning of Dec 1,
conditions to Japan were excellent. On Dec 1 we put a
string 100 JA QSO-s into the log in less than two hours.
Conclusions: Operating from a low noise location (other
than T-storm noise), one realizes, that when in “season”,
DX signals on TB are almost always present. It is the
level of noise that makes the difference between being
able to hear them or not.
On behalf of the 5K0T Team thanks to all for the QSO-s,
73,
George
AA7JV
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