Friday 11 February
Went on 73kHz for "Friday night is activity
night", and found noise level fairly low at S7.
Worked M0BMU (gave 599, got 589). No-one else
heard. Put out numerous normal and slow CW calls.
Where was everybody?
Saturday 12 February
Replaced top loading coil that had been taken out
so I could use the inverted-L for the topband
contest. Also added 50% more turns. Previously, I
had half of the inductive loading at the top of
the vertical section, and half at the bottom. Now
I have two-thirds at the top. Local noise
noticeably lower than when all loading was at
bottom. Received signals were good. G4GVC and
G3YXM noticeably up.
Greek RTTY was S9 all day. CFH was S7 at night.
Some local noise S4/5. Very little activity. Many
CQs, both on normal and slow CW went unanswered.
Heard G6RO (569); G3AQC (599); G3YXM (5 9+10 9.
Worked DJ5BV (gave 539, got 339) and DJ5DI (549,
439).
Sunday 13 February
Conditions not so good as Saturday, but noise
level lower.
Heard G3LDO (5 9+10 9); DK8KW (549); G3BDQ (599);
HB2ASB (329; GW4ALG (589); G3YXM (5 9+10 9);
G3DQC (589) in Oxford, a new one. Another new one
heard was OZ8NJ (559), but he didn't reply to my
calls.
Worked G4GVC (599/599); GI3PDN (5 7/8 9 / 569).*
Saw on Spectrogram screen QRSs from ON4ZK ('O'
and S4). Also I5TGC ('T' to 'M' with deep QSB) -
has anyone else in the UK seen/heard/worked this
one?
A puzzle is that, although I am giving reports
about one S-point down on G4GVC's legendary
receive system, an exception is HB2ASB who was
barely audible with me in an S4 noise level when
John and G3YXM were giving him S6 or S7. This is
the second time I have noticed this phenomenon. I
have heard (and worked) Toni before at good
strength.
Mike, G3XDV (IO91VT)
http://www.dennison.demon.co.uk/activity.htm
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