[ADXA] Fwd: Topband: V84SAA Final Report as of 2300z 16 Feb 2019

[w5zn at w5zn.org]

ADXA Folks -

Here is Jeff, K1ZM's report on the 160 meter operation at V84SAA. I am 
forwarding it because it contains some info near the end about logged 
QSO's and who to contact with regard to busted calls or missing Q's in 
the log.

73 Joel W5ZN


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Topband: V84SAA Final Report as of 2300z 16 Feb 2019
Date: 2019-02-16 23:42
 From: k1zm--- via Topband <topband at contesting.com>
To: topband at contesting.com
Reply-To: "k1zm at aol.com" <k1zm at aol.com>

 GA All
Teardown has been achieved and we will have a group dinner to celebrate 
tonight at 7:30PM

First - thanks  to everyone for looking out for us and trying to work us 
on Topband.  We had a great time trying to hear and work you and I hope 
you had fun chasing us.
I know we did not work all who wanted a qso on Topband - but we were 
there at every opening and even made a few extra qso's in the ARRL DX CW 
contest today - quite a few of these were into NA on 160m..
This exercise was instructive to us in a number of ways:
1) V85 and this part of the world is damned difficult to work into from 
NA districts W1 and W2.  For example, here are some numbers:
W1 - 8 qso's in all - All via the LP around our SR - 
W2 - NONE (At least none that I can recall...)
W3 - 2 qso's - one via LP and one via SP as I recall
W4 - Quite a few - this part of NA is workable more easily - All qso's 
via SP
W5 - Good propagation via the SP - reliable every night
W6/W7 - These districts have what I call the "front door" to this part 
of the world on Topband
W8 - One as I recall - but maybe there were 1-2 more
W9 - Only a handful via SP
W0 - Around 10-15 qso's (if that)  - all via SP

Some observations:
1) Antennas work well when placed near salt water!  You all commented 
that we had a great XMIT signal.
2) Short path propagation is best right at our SS - and drops off 
rapidly after about 25-30 mins
3) Long path peaks start about 30 mins before our local SR and fade 
rapidly as we go into daylight
4) 80m is far easier into NA than 160m is - for sure.
5) We know we were out transmitting our ability to hear via the LP  into 
NA at our SR   (This may have been a case of shooting ourselves in the 
foot! )   We heard W1NA and N1DG very well early in the week at 2200z or 
so - but it was almost a total bust into W1 after that.  Some changes 
were made in the splitting of our RX antennas the next day - and for the 
life of me - I am beginning to think we lost something in that process.  
I usually do not like making changes to an environment that works - and 
I think we hurt ourselves by trying to do too much - when simpler had 
proven itself to be working relatively well.   Sorry for that - 
especially to VO1HP who was heard and should have been in our 160m log.  
Frank heard us almost every day on the LP - & I heard him the day we 
worked N1DG - but never thereafter - which is a real downer...  We never 
completed a qso that was relatively easy to achieve IMHO.  LP into VO1 
is quite good from this part of the world - especially if attempted on a 
clear frequency.
Statistics
(Note that the FINAL CLUBLOG numbers are not yet posted as I write 
this!)
And the 160m numbers shown there include some OTHER BAND QSO's that 
happened to be made at the 160m equipment during the daytime.
It looks like 3,677 Total 160m QSo's were made on 160m CW - I do not 
know the FT8 total but it was contributory as well.  FT8 was worked 
mainly out of the SSB camp and one night with us in the CW camp.  Most 
qso's were in Asia and Europe.  NA was harder to crack - even on FT8.
More than 400 CW qso's were made into NA on Topband (with the addition 
of the ARRL CW Dx Test numbers).
Europe dominated our numbers - followed by JAPAN/ASIA.
Note that it was hard to work into VK - and I do not remember working a 
ZL.
Finally, I am aware that there are some band logging errors and surely 
there will be some busted calls in our log due to the ESP-like signal 
levels that we were dealing with much of the time.
Please be patient as these are sorted out and pls do this via our QSL 
manager.  And please do not ask me about other bands - I did not ever 
leave the 160m chair and never even visited the SSB camp - I do not even 
know where it was or how to get there - my singular focus was 160m for 
the past 10 days  and K1LZ was the MAN on 80 CW 99% of the time.  We sat 
next to each other and I thought we each helped each other as things 
progressed.
BUT
I do have a  personal copy of the 160m logs - just in case there are 
issues where the QSL manager asks me for an opinion regarding a specific 
qso.
73 to all and thanks for helping us make this a successful 
lowband-focused dx'pedition.
We had fun - the pleasure was all ours!  Thanks for being a part of it!
JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM
 




Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available 
worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio 
Society of Great Britain, & Amazon














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