Golden ears and cloth ears from California. In the past 24 hours I
experienced a little of both.
Worked ZS6EZ last night for a new country (#10) and zone 38 on the
"Home Depot Special" antenna. What a chore to have to crash through
all those W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6, W7, W8, W9, W0 and Canadian stations
to work Africa! Ugh. Reminds me of the Dilbert cartoon where
management proposes that short people wear little flag-topped masts on
their heads so they will be more visible to tall people. I'm gonna go
get me a flag!
Naturally, a minute after working Chris, the next station heard is
ZS6UT with no takers, who is easily worked.
Not much luck with Europe. G4VFU/mm is heard numerous times with a
reasonable signal, but I can never get his attention. Interesting
that N6TR is hearing him well and I am not, yet I am hearing the ZS
stations well, and Tree is struggling with them. I kinda hear SM4CAN,
and try calling once, but then give up because I'm really not hearing
him well enough to waste everyone's time. Later I work KL7Y for a new
country (#11) and zone. I also hear W5PS working 5X4F. Using the
power of positive thinking I imagine a few dits from 5X4F, but not
really.
This morning I worked a few JA stations. I also heard a few JA
stations working VQ9SS. Ugh. Later I heard RW0LL ragchewing with
VQ9SS and telling him how great the band is today. No matter how
much positive thinking I apply, I hear nothing. I've worked this path
on 80 before, why not 160?
Like clockwork, at 1400Z XV7SW shows up on 1827.4 and BV7FC shows up
on 1825. I continue to hear XV7SW all the way up until around 1530Z.
Good, but not as loud as yeseterday. BV7FC never gets loud this
morning like he was two day ago. Finally after listening to Rolf
calling CQ after CQ with no takers, and observing that no one answers
a particular CQ, I give him a call just so he will know the band is
open, but it sounds like he is stuggling with the noise. I am working
hard not to waste the time of the guys who still need the XV.
I worked VK3AJJ at 1450Z on 1828.8 for zone 30. And a few minutes
later I got ZL4WA on 1829.8, also with an excellent signal, for a new
country (#12) and zone 32.
Off and on I hear folks calling a station on 1832, but I can't figure
it out what it is. Finally at 1530Z I find the guy they are working
on 1826.5, but it's very late for me now. It's S21XX and I hear him
well enough to get 100% copy on his QSO with KH6AT and then he fades
into the noise never to come back. Doh! I hate it when that happens!
:-(
After four days work with the Home Depot Special, the zone tally is
1, 3, 8, 19, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 35, 38.
--Trey, N5KO
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