Weekly Report

Propagation still poor. K=1, A=2, Flux= 71.

N.B. UK clocks go back one hour to GMT at 0100z on Sunday October 25.

0630z - 0730z Europe - Anzo Net on 14.293 Long Path.

(N.B. This net re-timed 0730z - 0830z from next Sunday October 25.)

Many thanks to Klaus for this report : -

Greetings Bill,

Conditions were very peculiar this Sunday morning with the opening to VK2 occurring a full hour after the VK3 opening. The contest QRM was again murderous with an S9 station insisting on using 14292 - or he was just replaced by another strong station after Pertti asked him to QSY.

06:35z VK3KCD, Peter from Flinders. 53/53. Lost after 10 minutes. Peter works on erecting a spider beam assisted by a friend.

06:46z VK4ZD, Bill. 32 here. Impossible to copy Bill through the QRM.

06:50z EA7GSU, Pertti. 59+10 both ways. Luckily it was R5 though all the QRM.

07:15z G4YZE, Bill. 54 here.

07:35z VK2GWK, Henk. 54 - 56 here. Got 54 - 55. Big surprise that Henk came through so well at his hour.

08:00z PA0SDZ, Les. 43. We just managed to send 73s.

08:00z QRT 73 Klaus, HB9CQS

And many thanks to Peter VK3KCD for the following report :-

Good Morning Bill,

Conditions not as good as on the previous 2 weeks.

The following is an extract from my log.

0631z JM2HBO (Teru ) 5x3 both ways Teru went QRT at 0654

0636z HB9CQS Klaus was not as good as the last 2 weeks 5x3 both ways lost him at 0650

0645z VK4ZD (Bill ) 5x5 both ways a good steady signal until I went QRT at 0732

0725 Weak signals ( uncopyable ) ? Europe.

0728z G4YZE 3x2 in QSO with HB9CQS. (Thanks Peter, I should have tried harder, g4yze)

Gave a couple of calls to Europe around 0729 to 0732 with no result then went QRT.

Will be on next Sunday and QRM willing (contest) conditions may improve again.

73 YIR Peter VK3KCD

0800z - 0900z UK 80-metre net on 3,693.

G3JJR John in charge from Wolverhampton. Band noisy with much qrm.

On Parade :- G3LUW Brian, G7OAI John, M0BDI Ralph, G0MMO Norman,

G2FUU Tommy, G0PCF Bruce, G4MVO Jim and G4YZE Bill.

1100z - 1200z International Net on 14,293.

(N.B. This net re-timed 1200z - 1300z from next Sunday October 25)

1100z - EA7GSU Pertti from Genalguacil 5/9

1105z - HB9CQS Klaus from Sachseln 3/5 in heavy qrm

1111z - G3LUW Brian from Devon 2/1 here, got 5/7 from Pertti.

1120z - SM4CSF Nils from Falun 3/5 in qrm, got 5/9 from Pertti.

1136z - SM0DMJ Karl from Nyneshamn 5/9

1140z - VO1NP Nate 3/5 in qrm, gave me 3/3 but great to get the contact Nate !

1145z - Net ended. Very hard work with merciless contest qrm.

Many thanks to Pertti and all the others who took part.

1800z - 1830z UK evening 80-metre net on 3,693.

G3LUW Brian in charge from Lifton. Band very lively - and noisy.

On Parade :- G4WRU Mike from London, G0SQH Derek from Ringwood,

G2FUU Tommy from Nazeing, Essex and G4YZE Bill from Bolton.

Messages Received.

From EA/G4HMG John, by telephone .

John survived his rather gruesome sinus operation yesterday (Tuesday)

and hopes to be on the net on Sunday

From our worthy Transatlantic Anchor-Man Jim W1QUO : -

Hello Bill,

Thanks for the info and good wishes. Understand contest QRM problem but it so happens my son Mark will be monitoring and if there are any holes I may give you a shout. Please advise the starting time ( universal time) (1200z Jim ! )

. 73 Jim WQUO

From Klaus HB9CQS who had to go out on Sunday and harvest quince !

For the edification of Pertti and me :

Try "Quince" and/or "Quince fruit" on Google. There are more answers and photos than you want.

In our climate quince is definitely not a fruit you can eat raw, but it makes a very nice jelly. There is a glass of quince jelly for you next time you visit.

We also cut some quinces in cubes and cook them with lots of sugar. We serve the quince cubes with cheese. It is a good combination.

My mother made quince bread and we have tried this also here. It is basically a thick quince marmelade, spread evenly in a roasting pan and left to dry up. After it is dry, you cut it in small squares which are lifted out of the pan and dipped in a coarse sugar. The squares are served as a sweet. During the war this was one of the few sweets we had and my mother saved on the sugar during the year so that she was able to make quince breads for Christmas.

I am told by the family from whom we bought this house that the tree which they planted was an apricot tree. However, one late evening some young people driving a car at high speed on the road above us missed a 90 degrees turn and the car went down the slope and over the tree which was badly damaged. It has been a quince tree ever since. Incidentally, the car came to a halt after it hit the neighbour house. Luckily, nobody was badly hurt.

So, now you also know how to make quince trees.

73 Klaus, HB9CQS

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That's all for this week,

73 de Bill g4yze