Stations worked here during the weekend on 136kHz using normal speed CW:
Friday 19/11
G3XDV (20.23UT: gave him 599, he gave me 599), SM4DHN (20.49: 569, 549),
OH3LYG (21.03: 559, 559), GD3YXM/P (21.25: 599, 58/99), GD0MRF/P (21.59:
599, 599).
Saturday 20/11
MM0ALM (08.41: 599, 59+9), PA0LEG (08.54: 569, 569), DJ5DI (09.03: 559,
559), GW4ALG (09.35: 599, 599), PA0SE (10.35: 57/89, 589), GD3XTZ/P (10.49:
589, 579), GD3YXM/P (11.03: 58/99, 579).
Sunday 21/11
PA0SE (09.31: 579, 579), G6RO (10.36: 589, 599), GB2CPM (11.09: 599, 599),
DJ5DI (11.23: 559, 549), EI0CF (12.39: 579, 569), GD3YXM/P (15.49: 59+9,
59+9), G6NB (16.46: 589, 599), GI3PDN (17.02: 57/89, 579), HB9ASB (18.58:
579QRN, 579QRN).
Non-UK stations heard but not worked:
OH1TN (579), DK8KW (569), SM6PXJ (569), ON7YD (559), DJ5BV (559), DL1SAN
(449), IK5ZPV (559), PA2NJN (559), I5MXX (569), DL3FDO (569).
Well, Friday made an exciting end to a very interesting week - partly
because conditions were good, but mostly with the appearance of the Isle of
Man expedition. Starting off the evening, I was very pleased to hear OH1TN
reply to a CQ by G3XDV and give Mike that long-awaited QSO. Reino was a very
strong 579 here during the QSO, and for most of the rest of the night.
Following contacts with SM4DHN and OH3LYG, which were both much better than
previous initial contacts with them, Dave appeared from Point of Ayre, IOM
with the expected good signal from a kite antenna. He worked both Reino and
Lars before I could attract his attention - very impressive! The ensuing
pile-ups were amazing with signals from several countries calling at the
same
time on occasions; more like 20m than 136kHz, which just shows how far
things
have progressed on LF over the past two years. All three operators took
turns
on the key and I also made a quick contact with David GD0MRF/P during a
quiet
period. They were still going strong at 22.45UT when I switched off for the
night.......
Saturday morning started fairly quiet, but there was a steady stream of
stations to work until Dave and Graham reappeared mid-morning using a
'fixed'
antenna. Signals were not as strong as the previous night and apparently
they had a few TX and RX noise problems to sort out. They seemed to have
done
so when I heard them again in the early evening with the kite antenna,
although the light wind was causing its own difficulties.
I arrived late on the band on Sunday morning to find it so busy it was
impossible to find a completely clear frequency anywhere in the 'normal CW'
section! The lads on the IOM generated another pile-up with their now huge
signal from the kite antenna - reading up to S9+10dB on my S-meter when the
kite reached maximum height. A nice 'new one' for me was to work Peter as
GB2CPM from the Amberley Industrial Museum, with a very good signal despite
some initial earth/counterpoise problems. The day was completed with an
excellent contact with Toni HB9ASB, making the 11th country worked during
the weekend.
One final observation - I've now worked 83 callsigns 2-way in 16 countries
on 136kHz, but haven't yet worked OK or OE; from the email in the week, LA
may appear soon. Who would have dared to suggest, when we put our first weak
tests out on LF, that working 20 countries would soon become a realistic
possibility?...
Regards John G4GVC near Leicester, IO92JP
** TX: Synth + 400W RF from modified 'G3YXM' Mosfet PA **
** RX: TS-850S with 3 x CW filters and 0.5ppm TCXO **
** Ant: Inv-L 60m long, 6m high at feed end, 12m high at far end **
(Do people still find these reports of interest or have they outgrown their
usefulness?)
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