12 April 2020

DST -4

Participation was low today due to heavy thunderstorms at some locations and today being Easter Sunday.  Propagation was poor but still, there were a few distant receptions. KØAWU and KGØVL were able to swap signal reports on SSB and CW Q5 copy both ways (323 mi).  WW8II on CW was Q5 copy at W4DEX 539 copy for about 30 seconds of the usual two-minute transmission  (510 mi).  WW8II was also 419 copy at KGØVL (443 mi) part of the time and the signal was detected at KØAWU (603 mi).   WW8II had brief periods of 419 copy on KGØVL and W4DEX.

AB4AM had to QRT early but was heard on SSB very weak at W4DEX (216 mi).  It is very unusual for AM4AM to be that weak.  He was also heard on SSB at WA4LDU (156 mi) but not heard at KP2AE (165 mi).  Signals from both WA4LDU and KP2AE were much weaker than normal at W4DEX.

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16:20 WW8II-BRUCE: NOISE TODAY -125 db ALL DIRECTIONS EXCEPT N.W. IS -130db TRANSLATE TO S3 TO S4 SSB AND S0 TO THE N.W. TO S2-3 CW

16:20 AB4AM-ROB: May have to disconnect early Storms about 60 miles out

16:21 WW8II-BRUCE: HEAVY MASSIVE LIGHTNING IOWA KS MO OK LA MS AND SOME TX I HEAR NO LIGHTNING CRASHES

16:23 AB4AM-ROB: Bruce I'll send 1 min cw at 24

16:25 WW8II-BRUCE: AB4AM 1 MIN CW AT 1624 NIL NO DETECT

16:25 K0AWU-BILL: 34deg overcast Noise floor S5 SSB S2 CW Inverted Vee

16:27 WW8II-BRUCE: DUE TO HEAVY STORMS IN THE SOUTH LETS START THE CW 5 MIN EARLY

16:28 W4DEX-DEX: AB4AM very weak, think he was calling me

16:28 W4DEX-DEX: Very rare that AB4AM is that weak here

16:28 AB4AM-ROB: I was Dex

16:29 KG0VL-JEFF: Mercy, look at all that lightning! http://en.blitzortung.org/live_lightning_maps.php?map=30

16:31 AB4AM-ROB: I have to disconnect antennas just had a strike across the lake from me... but, will sill log and receive on the sdr.

16:32 WA4LDU-JOE: Rob, I heard you calling CQ earlier. I tried to answer but signals were weak.

16:32 WY3T-TIM: I am also disconnecting. Lightning is getting too close. 73s

16:32 W4DEX-DEX: KP2AE weak also

16:33 WW8II-BRUCE: WW8II 1635 -- WY3T 1637-- W4DEX 1639-- K0AWU 1641-- KG0VL 1643

16:33 KG0VL-JEFF: Maybe there will be signal bursts today?

16:34 WW8II-BRUCE: OK GOING TO CW AND MAYBE BURST

16:34 WW8II-BRUCE: RR LEAVE 1637 BLANK

16:35 KG0VL-JEFF: Updated!!! WW8II 1635 -- -- W4DEX 1639-- K0AWU 1641-- KG0VL 1643

16:37 W4DEX-DEX: WW8II initially not heard, came up to nice 539 copy for about 30 seconds at the middle of the transmission

16:37 KG0VL-JEFF: WW8II 419 to start, down to noise at 1 min 30 back up to 419 at EOT

16:37 K0AWU-BILL: WW8II detected entire period, could just hear a hint of the sidetone, no more than 2 or 3db peak

16:38 WW8II-BRUCE: I WAS RUNNING FULL LIMIT TODAY

16:39 AB4AM-ROB: WW8II no detect on Birm. SDR

16:39 WA4LDU-JOE: WW8II cw no copy

16:40 WA4LDU-JOE: W4DEX cw 589 with rapid strong QSB

16:41 WW8II-BRUCE: W4DEX START NIL AT 27 SEC 419 , 45 SEC 319 , 1MIN 419 1 MIN 15 SEC JUST DETECT 1MIN 45 SEC GONE EOT NIL

16:41 KG0VL-JEFF: No copy from W4DEX

16:42 KG0VL-JEFF: KØAWU 529 at start, up to 539 30 seconds in slight qsb over time, 529 at EOT

16:42 K0AWU-BILL: Nothing heard or detected from W4DEX

16:42 WW8II-BRUCE: K0AWU START NIL 55 SEC PT JUST DETECT 1MIN 5 SEC GONE EOT NO DETECT

16:43 WA4LDU-JOE: K0AWU cw no copy

16:45 WW8II-BRUCE: KG0VL START DETECT-- 25 SEC 319-- 55 SEC 519 --- 1 MIN 14 SEC FADE TO NIL -- 1MIN 32 SEC 529 -- 1MIN 45 SEC 419 EOT GONE

16:45 K0AWU-BILL: KG0VL 30db ar start 32db at 15sec - 30sec, 33db at 45sec,- 1min QSB to 26db at 1min 15sec - 1:30, QSB to 19db at the end

16:45 W4DEX-DEX: K0AWU and KG0VL nothing detected

16:45 AB4AM-ROB: No Copy from any station on Birm. SDR

16:45 KP2AE-JOE: bad day for me only station copy was w4dex

16:46 WW8II-BRUCE: OK DO IT AGAIN TOMORROW

16:48 KG0VL-JEFF: KØAWU 5X3 on ssb

16:49 WW8II-BRUCE: SO I HEARD KG0VL AND HE HEARD ME TODAY AN W4DEX HEARD ME AND I HEARD HIM

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