Regarding the table that Luis, IV3PRK posted on solar weather for the
Stew Perry contest since 1997, it is very apparent that on Stew Perry
night in 1997, condx were fabulous. Luis averaged about 10 points per
QSO in that one, or about 4500 km per QSO. In subsequent years his point
total didn't even approach that.
I regard the night of the Stew Perry contest in 1997 as the best-ever
condx from W6 to EU I have ever witnessed. With the 39 EUs (including
Luis) I worked that night (plus Asia the hard way from W6 -- 4X4NJ), gave
me approximately the equivalent of Luis -- about 4500 km per QSO. EU was
as strong as S9+ 30 db more than an hour before local sunset here and
continued that way past sunrise in EU. K6SE was even spotted in the UK
at noon their local time!
1998 to 2002 have be real duds in comparison. I've been through a few
sunspot cycles and I don't recall any topband doldrums whatsoever during
any of the other sunspot peak years. As Luis says, the band is
unpredictable.
I long for the condx of late December 1997 to return, when EU could be
easily worked on short path both at my sunset and at my sunrise. That's
right -- northern EU was worked by many W6/W7s in late December 1997 at
their sunrise on the SHORT path while it was sunset in those northern EU
countries! But 160 meters would not be the challenge that it is if condx
like that were common, correct?
73, de Earl, K6SE
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