Nancy and I were at dinner yesterday evening and I got a text message from Jerry, WB9Z, "Wow Charlie just worked XV9T on 50211"
For those of you who don't know Jerry, he is a world-class contester, DXpeditioner and DXer who has an incredible super station out in the cornfields of Crescent City, IL. Jerry is also the OM of Val, NV9L and between the both of them, I don't think the operating chair in their hamshack ever has chance to cool down.
I replied to Jerry letting him know I was out to dinner and that I would need to properly congratulate Charlie as this is truly a "Speechless" contact by anyone's standards!
I have worked and confirmed Eddy, XV9T and previously XV1X in Vietnam on several bands... he is very active on the bands. BUT there are a couple things that is in the "speechless" equation with Charlie's Q that he did not mention.... First of all, Eddy is blind. He has to rely on his XYL to assist him. Jerry told me that Tim, N0TB did help Eddy on the ON4KST Chatroom during last evening saying that Eddy copied 3 or 4 other EME big guns like Charlie. But I think N8RR was the only to make a Q. Jerry said he copied, "Nothing" from Eddy on his single 9-element yagi (w/o elevation) that he uses on EME.
Jerry says that Eddy does not have an array but a single yagi with no elevation on his end. Jerry says he doesn't know how many elements is on Eddy's antenna. But the fact that he is not using an array means he only had 10-15 degrees of moon at his moon rise yesterday to work EME with what is probably a lower than average gain antenna. Charlie's array was the difference in that contact and he should be celebrating all weekend... I am wondering if this was the first ever 6M EME Q between NA and Vietnam??
Anyway, Congratulations Charlie... HUGE catch putting you into an elite spot with 6m... 180 on Magic Band is not an unreasonable goal from the N8RR super station!
73 es DX,
Hal W8HC