Friday night, I switched over to 30m, tuned around a bit and heard W8UM working SP3EPK. W8UM is the ham station of the University of Michigan’s ham radio club and probably about two miles, as the crow flies, from here. W8UM is a great station. They have a 30-ft. tower on the roof of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) Building topped by a SteppIR beam. They’re driving it all with a kW from a restored Heathkit linear amplifier. Needless to say, they have a big signal.
Even so, I was SP3EPK was S5 here, and I reckoned that I could work him as well. Sure enough, when W8UM signed with him, I called him and bagged him. I noted to Les that W8UM was only about 3 km from me, and he had a good laugh at that.
After our short QSO, Steve, K8QKY, who was operating W8UM at the time, called me and we had a nice chat. I joked with him that W8UM warmed up the ionosphere for me, making it easier for my 75W into an inverted vee to work the Polish station. Thanks, Steve!!