Nice surprise this evening trying RBN

[GM0LVI]

I decided to try out the Reverse Beacon Network this evening at about grey-line time. I was on 17m and the band was fairly quiet. I found my signal was being spotted on the RBN in USA and EU. Then while still sending CQs I was called by KK1W and worked 559 both ways. Then I could hear quite a weak call and after a while asking for repeats found it was club member IT9CHU and after turning the beam (2 el quad) from NA to Italy managed a 339 both ways contact. I also worked I2ZZU. Next contact was SV2JAO 599.
While the beam was pointing south I heard TR8CA at about 559, but he went QRT before I'd a chance to call him :-(
QRP is great fun!!

[IT9CHU]

Hi Dave tnx for nice short contact ( i did lost you on band's fading). In the first part your rst was 339 then, when you turned antenna, you were 559 with deep qsb.
My power was 5w in a Windom antenna....hope to meet you again on cluster and on the bands.

                                                                                      72 Vince IT9CHU

[GM0LVI]

Yes Vince it was a very nice surprise, you were more or less unreadable off the side of the beam but came up nicely and were more or less fully readable when I pointed it your way. Copy wasn't helped due to my shack door being open, me not wearing phones and our 4 year old grand-daughter, her  mother and my XYL having a loud conversation about 2m away!!!

72, Dave

P.S. Nicola has done a great service for QRP in EU in particular and the rest of the world too.