I spent the rest of the weekend on and off chasing 7O6T on the higher bands. I tried for almost 40 minutes to get them on 12 CW. No go. Later that afternoon they were very loud so I tried again and worked them almost on the first call. A couple of my ten contacts were also made running barefoot with about 40W, the K3 drive level while the amp was warming up. Just to say that low power works.
A bigger problem was 10m SSB. They were weak at first but became louder peaking around lunch time. Too bad the XYL had promoted me to ‘chef’ so while things were cooking and roasting I went into the shack. Very dangerous indeed…
I could not hear any of the stations that were calling 7O6T on 10 SSB. Hard to follow the pile up pattern then. Yet the operator worked EU at a steady pace. Then he worked a KH2 and as a result spent the next minutes listening for Pacific DX. This was the only time he announced where he was listening. Come on dude, my meat is in the oven! Then he announced a one minute QRX for the collection of the electronic logs. I had visions of lunch carbonizing. Then he worked a YK who apparently engaged into a conversation. My nerves! Then the (American sounding) operator openly started badmouthing the K3. Microphone clicks and bad AGC were bothering him and he clearly didn’t like the little TRX. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I’ll be the first to support freedom of speech – but can we please move along here? I need 7O on 10SSB, now is the time and the lunch is about to blacken in the oven! Finally I worked them, flipped the amp into stand by and ran downstairs to serve lunch ‘à point’.
It’s safe to say I am feeling VERY P/O that my 10m SSB QSO does not show up in the latest online log! Probably the AGC distorted my callsign. Or my K3 modulation had mic clicks? Although I’m quite sure the operator had my call. Bummer!
One reply on “7O6T: the sequel”
I tried 7O6T as well on 10m SSB. He was very loud here but had the same experience you did, didn’t hear any of he pile-up though he worked a lot of stations.
I wasn’t lucky to work him there. Well, better luck next time….got him on 17m SSB couple of days ago, so at least have Yemen as new all band DXCC. 73, Bas