How were conditions at W3LPL in Maryland last weekend?
Mark KD4D operated here last weekend using his call.
Conditions were good Friday night but with troublesome QRN from
nearby heavy rain storms. Fantastic on Saturday night with no
significant QRN.
110 ten-pointers were worked from 2300-0900Z Friday night
170 ten- pointers were worked from 2300-0700Z Saturday night.
705 U.S. QSOs
295 DX QSOs
51 VE QSOs
1051 total QSOs
53 DL QSOs (kudos to the German Topbanders!)
22 UA QSOs
20 OK QSOs
20 G/GD/GI/GM/GW QSOs
14 LY QSOs
14 S5 QSOs
13 SP QSOs
11 UR QSOs
10 I QSOs
Much more detail is posted at:
www.3830scores.com/showrumor.php?arg=uRaNzEmgsvimL
Mark used a pair of barefoot K3 transceivers operating SO2R unassisted.
My 1500 watt amplifier was physically disconnected from the RF path
and unplugged from AC power. There's no salt water within many miles,
just moist Maryland clay soil. An examination of RBN data p roves that
Mark was running low power.
Of course he used good antennas, a 4-square transmitting antenna with
4 miles of radials, three 580 foot Beverages (NE, S, W) and a 350 foot
diameter W8JI/W5ZN passive 8-circle receiving array. The receiving
antennas are 1000 feet south of the 4-square allowing SO2R operation
with no interference at all from the transmitted signal.
73
Frank
W3LPL
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Smith VE9AA" <ve9aa@nbnet.nb.ca>
To: topband@contesting.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2020 6:27:33 PM
Subject: Re: Topband: CQ WW Contest
Like my neighbour Dave/WHS here a few grid squares away to my SW, I found
condx "good" but certainly not great up here in Central New Brunswick,
Canada where I am nowhere at all near salt water, being in FN66na.
I (currently) run a small stn on 160m. Inverted L(more like a J these days)
and legal limit. No RX antennas.
I only operated Sat night in 2 small spurts for a total of 2hrs+53mins, but
managed 46 S/P and 31 countries in my very limited time on the band. This
was about 75% running and 25% S&P. I was really only on to work Da-boyZ @
VO2AC to show my support for their expedition, but when I didn't hear any
other NB stns on or see any spotted, I felt compelled to at least give the
deserving the chance to work the VE9 mult. When the dust settled, Monday I
found out that there were at least 4 other VE9's QRV throughout the w/e so I
felt pretty good about that.
I don't think any VY2's were really on.but I digress.
I worked from N6TR(K7RAT) out to RL3A and a few of the PJ's to the south.
Nobody was what I would call "loud" by any stretch of the imagination. Most
EU's CQ'd in my face (or called me when they saw me spotted,but then
couldn't hear me reply)
Sometimes I think folks are confusing amazing condx with just a lot of
activity during a very popular contest weekend. (at least in my
opinion)...Many times I have worked much stronger DX, regardless of beam
headings.
I'd characterize condx as "good" to perhaps almost "very good" but certainly
NOT "fantastic/amazing/unforgettable" or other descriptors I've read here
and 3830scores.com.
But again.who am I to say.?....< 3 hrs on the band late Sat evening (NA
time) is a pretty myopic view I guess.
Mike VE9AA "NB"
In my listening, I heard many stations farther south (W4 & W5) calling
stations and I was surprised that they could hear them at all, seeing how
weak they were here. I began to think that something broke here! K1DG was
on in Maine from his island in the middle of salt water, and he seemed to do
very well. I don't know what to say as I do not have the experience to
adequately explain what happened. Maybe if I called CQ for more than 45
minutes total I would have a different feel for how condx were. My take is
that absorption can be quite variable over a fairly narrow geographical
area, say a few hundred miles.
Dave K1WHS
Mike, Coreen & Corey
Keswick Ridge, NB
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