Japan Pile-Up - JT65 Style!

This morning, seeing 20m propagation becoming short, I switched over to 17m.  Now, I'm not massively well-equipped for this band, having but a vertical delta loop, albeit over superb, highly mineralised ground.

It's always a delight to hear from JA-Land.

An empty 17m JT screen didn't look promising, but I called CQ anyway.  I had an instant reply - from JA!  What's more, it was a very good signal, which often leaves me wondering why a band is empty at all.  My first contact (15m SSB) with VP8 came under identical circumstances. 

As soon as I'd finished with one Japanese station, I received another.  Then another.  And another.  A long run, lasting nearly an hour, of signals from the Land of the Rising Sun, when it was in fact around sunrise here in Wales.

Not a bad way to start the week - at all!