Happy Birthday Randy!
160M was brand new to me last winter. Despite almost two acres at my 1972-1975 and 1975-1992 Vermont QTH's, I never put up a 160M dipole. Here in Searcy, I have a 35' x 75' back yard and can't compete with you Big Dogs on 160M. I wanted to get on earlier
last night, but I'd started a Windows 10 update that took over an hour, not counting CCleaner and re-opening apps. It was a pleasure to work Randy, but
my highlight was my 40th state when W1FC confirms Massachusetts.
K1LEC W5ZJ 2025-01-18 02:01:00 160M FT8 1.84115 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
K1LEC KF0QR 2025-01-18 01:58:30 160M FT8 1.84115 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
K1LEC W1FC 2025-01-18 01:50:15 160M FT8 1.84115
Attached is my antenna: available at hamfests like Mena and on eBay. It is 1:1 on 1.840, but poor and extremely noisy on receive as evidenced when WB5JJJ and WB5BHS tell me on
HoIP I'm getting a reply I can't hear. PSKReporter drives me crazy because I never decode the DX that hears me!
73, Lanny K1LEC
Since it was my birthday, I decided to stay up, late (anything after 8pm) and actually try to make a contact on 160. I headed to the shack with the 65th birthday beverages, cran grape juice, and the hard stuff, Coca Cola on ice. The shack dog, PD (puppy
dog) who hates ft8 followed. I was able to decode 24 stations in Europe on the pennant. The times when I left the receiver on the inverted L Europe could not be heard due to the high noise.
Starting about 8:45 pm and lasting till about 9:15, something happened on the band. My transmit signal was suddenly heard all over Europe, as far east as Kazakhstan at a -15. I could see received stations pick up in quantity and signal. The east coast stated
calling 7Q6UJ. I never heard him, and pskreporter showed him only heard on the east coast. Just as quickly as it happened, it was over.
Everything after 11:30 pm was a bust, and Europe was dead to me.
I was able to work Bonaire for a new one, and 9 Europeans, none new. The highlight of the evening was working K1LEC Lanny. I hope he will count toward Worked All ADXA on 160. I also saw JJJ, but missed him.
Have a wonderful day and as always, Good DXing.
Randy W5ZJ.
