Talking about poor propagation,
FWIW I have been concentrating on 40 and 80 meters SSB for quite sometime now.
Staying up till 0:800 or 09:00 Zulu on 80 meters listening to K2RR and others
work the two regular groups around 3.799 KHz and 3.795 KHz or so. The southern
California guys also do some working of the European DX but not good enough
copy here. Propagation has really seemed bad from the Pacific Northwest. Last
bit of luck was 12/30/2017 when I managed to work EI6S, OT4A, F5BZB and GM3PPG
(new one) all around 07:58-08:16 Zulu. For the most part I just eat my heart
out hoping that those DL's, DF2' and especially the SV1/SV2's will staying on
past there sunrise. One of the big problems is that guys who have worked their
'good buddy's' umpteen times will use up the window talking over old times. I
have been known to be a little rude if that is what it takes to get a break and
work some new one. Know what I mean?
I appreciate those European hams working as groups and passing the mic around
when they got some US station on. But when propagation only allows you to copy
maybe one or two out of five or six or more, it can take quite a while and use
up more time that could be better spent working others. What ya' going to do?
Anyway, for the most part it seem that we have not been getting the openings to
the PNW. Then of course when your SWR starts jumping up and down that doesn't
help. Running an inv-V at about 100 feet and a ground mounted Hy-Tower. Working
on some receive antennas but so far the Waller-Flag and the beverage are pipe
dreams.
FWIW from Oregon,
Terry
KI7M
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