I was able to hear stations up and down the West Coast, Intermountain West, etc. very strongly both Friday and Saturday nights. I was amazed at the signal strength- CA, UT, OR, WA big guns 10 or 20 over, with hundreds of weaker signals (only S6 or S7!) and the band was as crowded as I have ever heard it. This was the first time I have used the 80 hz filter on the 590, and I needed it.
I was not intending to compete, I was looking for 2 states that I need for WAS 160- AK and HI. Sadly, I have no listening antennas up facing W right now, and my inverted vee is not up either. All I have up right now for a 160 transmit antenna is an NVIS vee fan dipole for 160/80/40 with the feedpoint about 25' above the ground, in a gully. Until last weekend, the farthest away I have ever worked anyone on that antenna was east of the Mississippi River. So, I finally found KH7B down at the bottom of the band Friday night around his sunset, and after listening to him fade a bit up and down, (from loud to very loud) decided I was going to give him a try at the next upswing. He immediately came back to my call, (nt nt?) and after a repeat, I got the QSO. I never thought I'd get Hawaii in the log on 350 watts on 160, and never in my wildest dreams did I think that I'd do it on a 25' high fan dipole. Saturday, I listened for several hours for an Alaska station, and did hear one doing search and pounce, but no joy. I also heard at least two faint Japanese stations at different times, too weak to get the whole call, but this was the first time I'd ever heard JAs on 160. So, I made one QSO last weekend, and I could not be happier. (Fortunately my XYL is also a ham, and readily forgave my waking her up in the middle of the night.) Larry W8ANT _________________ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
