Dear Jack,
Congratulations on your remarkable feat during the HAARP test. About
twenty of us (who normally chat on 75 meters in the evening time) made an
organized effort to copy the HAARP transmissions. That group included
several stations from TX. None of us... most using 'top of the line'
equipment and antennas... were able to achieve what you did with a 706
and an I-Vee. Makes me feel better about the little 706 that I use for
my QRP station. Maybe I really should donate the IC-781 to LZ1BB.
Such Frustration! There I was digging to copy about 70% of the cw
message and you had armchair copy all along. I am curious what your
impression was of the last comment sent by the CW op at HAARP? Did you
agree or disagree?
I think luck played a big part in all of this too. Obviously, you were
lucky enough not to have propagation to the Spanish speaking drug runners
on 6088 USB. They played havoc with 6090 commencing at 0440. Owning a
706... I know that if you would have had propagation to those jokers...
the barn door front-end on the 706 would have slammed shut on the HAARP
test at your QTH.
And by the way... how did you ever get ICOM to put an S-meter in your
706? They forgot to put one in mine. All I got... in a little corner
of a very crowded display panel... was a genuine Japanese 'virtual'
S-meter.
On second thought... maybe it wasn't the great little 706... or just
plain luck. Maybe it was superior operator skills... vastly superior to
an "Extra Class Op with over 300 DX confirmed countries"...
overwhelmingly superior to a "Very experienced QRP op" and far in excess
of this humble ham's meager abilities. Yes... that must surely be the
case.
Jack... you have once again proved that within our QRP-L circle... there
are those for whom the improbable is common place... and the impossible
just takes a little more effort. My hat is off to you.
Uh Oh... the 4-element quad just fell off my hat. I need to get some
more super glue.
vy 73,
Martin W9XN
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