[DX] Does anyone still run barefoot?

[Bob Nielsen]

On Tue, Mar 25, 2003 at 09:42:17PM -0800, John Geiger wrote:
> Been having a terrible time this week with the ST
> dxpeditions.  Sudan would make #305 for me, and the
> previous 304 have been worked with 100 watts, and
> simple antennas-first a dipole for around the first
> 255, then a cushcraft MA5B for awhile, and now a mini
> quad.  However, I am having no luck whatsoever with
> the ST guys.  I can hear ST2CF at S6 but can't get
> through, even when he works by call areas.  ST0RY is
> not very strong here most of the time, except on 15
> today when they were calling for Japan.  They did have
> a decent signal on 20 CW tonight, but still couldn't
> get through.
> 
> Does anyone else still run 100 watts for dxing?  Seems
> like I am getting creamed by guys with linears.  A few
> DX spots have even commented that they got through
> with 100 watts, which makes it sound unusual.  
> 

Maybe the propagation was better to the West Coast yesterday, but after
finding a relatively clear spot, I easily worked ST0RY with 100 w and a
vertical on 17 m.  They were an honest S9 here at the time.  Of course,
if I really needed ST it might have been different, although I hadn't
worked it on CW before.

-- 
Bob Nielsen, N7XY                          n7xy@n7xy.net
Bainbridge Island, WA                      http://www.n7xy.net
IOTA NA-065, USI WA-028S