Stations worked here during the weekend on 136kHz using normal speed CW:
Friday 10/12
G8IK (15.33UT: gave him 579, he gave me 579), G3GRO (16.10: 599, 58/99),
ON6ND (20.01: 589, 559), OH1TN (20.22: 579QRN, 559QSB).
Saturday 11/12
G3YXM (15.22: 59+9, 59+9), M0BMU (17.07: 589, 599), OH1TN (19.48: 569QRN,
549).
Sunday 12/12
G6RO (08.45: 589, 599).
Non-UK stations heard but not worked:
DL3FDO (569), PA0MLC (579), PA0LEG (559), PA0SE (579), DJ5DI (559), ON4ZK
(569), DK5PT (449).
Yet again the weather dominated the weekend here. The antenna had been
lowered all week due to the winds and I re-rigged it at lunchtime on Friday.
Static levels were fairly high and it started pouring with rain just as I
began the contact with Reino, so the antenna efficiency dropped during the
QSO. The heavy rain continued right through until Saturday afternoon, so
I didn't bother to do any transmitting until later, and even then the
antenna
current was lower than normal due to the waterlogged ground. I left the RX
scanning whilst I got on with other things, but the level of activity seemed
well down on normal. Sunday started dry here, but the rain quickly returned
and the day became more or less a repeat of Saturday - not a very productive
weekend.
As an aside, on Friday night I remembered to listen to the special morse
broadcast from DDH47 on 147.3kHz, which made an interesting change to the
usual work on LF. I was surprised how complex the transmission was, with the
"poineer names" embedded within messages in German, English, French and
Italian, sent at three different power levels (15, 5 & 1KW) and two
different
speeds (moderate and fast!), which lasted over an hour. They certainly make
you work for your certificate! As expected, the signal was enormous on my LF
antenna - well over S9 at the 1KW level and very different to the milliwatt
erp signals we are used to copying 10kHz lower!
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 **
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