[MAMS] Conditions this morning

[Dave Sublette]

Good morning,

Band conditions were enhanced this morning, at least up through 5760. I 
didn't have any means of checking 10 ghz.  I copied the WA4PGI 5760 
beacon. I sent the following report to him:


Good morning,

I am happy to report that I am copying your 5760 beacon this morning on 
5760.071.36 mhz with excellent signal strength. With QSB, your signal is 
10 to 35 dB above ambient noise. I am using my GPS locked signal 
generator on 5760 to check my calibration and I am running linrad to 
check signal strength.  Both methods seem to be quite accurate.

My location is EM77wx and elevation is 1120 ft ASL. My equipment is 
mounted 185 feet up my 200 foot rotating tower and my radio horizon is a 
long way off, since I am on the highest point in Clark County, KY.

This is the first microwave beacon I have heard in a long time. K8TQK 
brought my attention to another beacon and I saw your machine listed on 
my beacon list. When I tuned for it, there it was!

Congratulations on a fine beacon and thank you for supplying this 
valuable service to our microwave community.

73,

Dave, K4TO


Which brings me to the second reason for this email to my microwave 
friends.  I am almost fully recovered from my hospital stay this summer 
and would welcome skeds on 902mhz through 10ghz any morning from 6 to 9 
AM EDT. I have listened and participated to the MAD activities and 
haven't heard much going on.  It seems that propagation doesn't 
cooperate on these scheduled days, so I believe it is going to depend on 
individual skeds on days with enhanced propagation if I am ever going to 
increase my grid square totals.

K8TQK and I are on 144.135 just about every morning and check the higher 
bands. The propagation forecast pages often do not predict the good 
conditions that Bob and I find these mornings. Again, this tells me that 
persistent skeds are the way to go.

I realize that many, if not most, of you work for a living and do not 
have the luxury of retirement as I do. However, I am willing to sked 
with you any time that we can mutually agree on. Mornings are usually 
better.

73,

Dave, K4TO
EM77wx