Topband: Fwd: V84SAA QSL- some additional thoughts...
From: k...@aol.com To: daraym...@iowatelecom.net Sent: 2019-04-18 8:05:23 AM Coordinated Universal Time Subject: Re: Topband: V84SAA QSL- some additional thoughts... Hi DAVE and 160m friends. I happened to see this email this morning and I thought I might like to comment. As far as I know - there is no ***requirement*** to make a donation to receive a V84SAA confirmation - but I do think I remember hearing that for those that DO, confirmation would be more immediate. This is how many dx'peditions are handling things these days because they are hoping to receive some funds after the fact in order to offset the huge expenses of putting a major dx'pedition like V84SAA on the air. Operations USUALLY WAIT a period of time (often 6 months as I recall) to do MASS LOTW updates because, quite honestly, they are hoping for some donations from those who want a more immediate confirmation. Now let me also say that I personally have nothing to do with the qsl side of this - I just WORKED GUYS with a Topband focus while I was there - HI. I was there at every NA opening (except for one) when personal circumstances prevented me from being there and S55M covered for me that night. However, as an insider, I can also add that the team had to shoulder an out of pocket expense of $47,000 USD to make this happen - and that this was **over and above** the team member contributions to do this one that were collected from each V84SAA participant. So please do understand that these things don't just happen - somehow they have to be paid forand also forgive me if some out there think that having a policy of providing an EARLY confirmation also asks for a modest contribution is asking too much - nonsense is my opinion. As I understand it, a general LOTW update will follow - and cards can be had from an application to LZ1JZ at any time. 73 JEFF K1ZM In a message dated 2019-04-18 1:17:42 AM Coordinated Universal Time, daraym...@iowatelecom.net writes: Greetings topbanders. . . My recent comment about the quick confirmation via LoTW brought multiple private responses with comments questioning the need for a donation to receive speedy V84SAA LoTW confirmation. Several asked why I would even make the requested $5 donation. I felt the modest $5 donation to the operation was well worth it for the speedy LoTW confirmation. By the time I filled out the card, addressed the envelope, put sufficient postage for foreign delivery on the envelope, put money in the envelope, get it to a mailbox, hope that it might actually get there un-pilfered, and then wait months for the card hoping that the foreign postal services actually got it to the USPS so it could be delivered. . . .well, I figured the $5 donation was about a break-even point (or less) as compared to mailing a printed card and “hoping.” Plus, I didn’t mind at all making a rather small donation to a first rate operation with a real low band focus (which it most successfully had). 73. . .Dave, W0FLS_Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: Summer Update & a Surprise
Hi Gang It is mid summer here and E season on 6M has been fun to play with while 160m is pretty S L O W as it usually is. On these pages there has been alot of chatter regarding FT8 - (which basically took over 6M DX'ing starting in July 2917 - all DX is now on 50.313 FT8 - which is why I had to adopt this mode in order to continue DX'ing on 6m). It was either do that or give up operating on 6M during E season. I do hope that CW continues to thrive on Topband - but this past season there was TONS of DX on FT8 and in my opinion LESS DX on CW than in prior years. It is quite possible to work in JA on 160m from here on FT8 with 100w out - which would have been quite rare indeed on CW as I recall (I do not think I ever worked JA with 100w from here - but who knows?) Today as I write this - I am listening to 28.074Mhz on a totally DEAD 10m band. If I tune the entire CW portion and the whole SSB portion, there is NOTHING - repeat NOTHING there - no signals whatsoever to be found. Yet on 28.074Mhz - I just worked a whole page of Europeans on FT8 - to my almost total INCREDULITY!! I am not sure how I feel about all of this - but one thing is SURE - the DX world has changed - and there is no looking back. I love CW on Topband and used to love CW on 6m - but that no longer exists -so I do hope the 6m migration to FT8 does not repeat itself on Topband! To all a good summer and CU on CW again starting in September. 73 JEFF VY2ZM . _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 160
Hi Again Folks Been reading all the mail and WOW - I did not mean for this debate to take over the 160m reflector again. But I CAN ADD something to this discussion. So I will YES - THERE IS FOR SURE AN AUTOMATED CAPABILITY ON FT8 - There may be more software versions out there that do this but MSHV by LZ2HV sure can and it queues up to 5 stations at a time and then works them and then starts with another CQ to work the next batch of 5 incoming callers. I have tried it on 6m and then just sat back in the chair and watched it all happen. While this is all going on, you can read CQ or QST and then every now and then check your log or screen to see what "YOU WORKED" (sic!). Despite this fact there is a much larger issue here and some have spoken to it already - as will I. WARC Potential Impacts As we all know spectrum space is very finite and commercial interests would probably salivate at some of our LF and MF spectrum as well as VHF. There may come a time (probably not in my lifetime though) when some portions of our sacred bands and gobbled up by the FCC and other global authorities and then granted to other interests. Heresy? Yes but if large segments of our bands are not used and this becomes widely known - then that day may surely come. EXAMPLE - 6m runs from 50-54 MEGACYCLES. With 50.313, 50,323 and a few other single KILOCYCLES being those primarily used - there is a clearly LOGICAL argument that we do not NEED 4 MEGACYCLES of space. As an amateur I do not like this logic but it is clearly a compelling argument that can be used as a WEDGE to cause OTHERS to change their minds about what is now protected amateur spectrum. Think about it -. Cannot the same argument be used on 10m where we own 1.7MHZ of spectrum - or sad to say that 160m gets reduced one day to 1825-1840. As someone nearing the twilight of my lifetime, I doubt I will live to see this or another solar cycle like 1957-58 ( GROAN! HI!) - but that day might be coming. And with all this FT8 - well the threat is very real. One more BY THE WAY's. Some good friends of mine are now on the air from St Paul Island (CY9C) - and about 90% of their first 2 days of operation have been on FT8 - I have seen a little CW but no SSB so far. AND THE FLAMES - that are showing up on DX SUMMIT indicate that many world ops do not like this - here are a few comments I saw yesterday: "jEEZUZ - ANOTHER DAMNED FT8 DxPedition" "Do you guys know any other modes?" "Another GAMEBOY Dx'pedition!" "Do any of your ops know CW or SSB?" I have noted N1UR's comments about future Dx'peditions - and Ed may well be right about this - because the trend line is clear. Hell - if you turn on MSHV on 20M and just let her rip - you can go outside and put up the antennas for the other bands - OR Take a NAP - and come back in a few hours to see who "YOU WORKED!!" Sic. I fear this is not just another mode - it is already demonstrated that it is a gamechanger. Forget the awards impact - (That is like trying to save the CURTAINS when your house is on FIRE!) The clear future impact that really matters is what might this do to our BAND ALLOCATIONS in the near future!. Anyway that's my view - so I will now go back to MONITORING MODE. 73 JEFF _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Review of the last 1000 spots on 160m
Whoa! That matrix of Clublog contacts made by mode really does make it pretty clear to me. Probably the best thing we can all do to deal with this is to get on CW and SSB as often as we may desire to - to keep the traditional modes alive in the traditional band segments. Tks Wes for adding to this conversation. 73 JEFF In a message dated 2019-08-03 4:27:01 PM Coordinated Universal Time, wes_n...@triconet.org writes: Perhaps more informative, read it and weep: https://clublog.org/dxreport.html Wes N7WS On 8/3/2019 8:34 AM, W0MU Mike Fatchett wrote: > Of the last 1000 spots downloaded from DX Summit just over 200 of them at on > FT8. Which means that nearly 800 spots were NOT FT8 meaning those were CW or > SSB spots. Not all of the spots are actually spots as many spots are just > people venting and using the system as their message system. > > Are we really not utilizing our bands? > > You decide. > > W0MU > > > > > _ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: 160m Season Has Begun Here
Hi There Two days ago I hooked up the 160m antenna and can report that the season is off to a start - at least here it is. Two pages of Eu stations on CW, 5T5 on FT8 - and OJ0O last night also on CW - RST 599 on 1824. For some reason the LA's and SM's and OH's are the best signals at this time of year - dunno why - but all are 599 while other Eu signals are down in the 579 region or so. Time to start looking at 160m at sunset again I guess. GL to all this season - it should be really good given the current state of the solar cycle. 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: Visit from N7DD
Earlier this week Miriam (VY2NA/N1QV) and I had the pleasure of having a visit from Larry pace N7DD and Patti. It was great fun chatting about contesting and Dx'ing on 160m for the better part of an afternoon and evening. We did have some time to listen on 160m around VY2 sunset and Larry got to hear some great signals from OM5ZW, G3ZGC and CT1ILT under good band conditions. It is always fun to hook up with 160m ops we may have worked over many, many years - just to catch up and remember 160m DxCitement from the past. 160m continues to have some real DX each evening out here - many Eu stations plus 5T5PA, VK, PY by way of example. On the other end of the spectrum, 10M continues to play well into Europe - on 28.074 using FT8. Looks like things are picking up as Fall approaches. 73 JEFF VY2ZM Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: A Bit of Zone 2 History Was Made Last Week
08 Nov 2019 Hi Gang Jeff and I just got back from a one week "mini dx'pedition" to ZONE 2. Three ferries and about a 2400km roundtrip drive to 50.112 North from PEI was made with the express purpose of giving ZONE 2 to our JA 160m friends. Prior to our trip, only one single JA station had ever managed a qso with ZONE 2 on Topband and that was JA7HMZ about 35 years ago - so this zone was much needed by most 160m JA dx'ers. Quite of few of our 160m JA friends have been stuck at 39 zones on 160m for many years - so this was our chance to help them get ZONE 2 for #40. So without too much bandwidth - here is our report: QRV 31 October to 04 November 2019 Roughly 350 stations worked on Topband - in 42 DXCC countries (we could have worked more but we took lots of time off in order to sleep and then get up for the JA window from about 0715z - 1110z.) We tried some CW but signals were very very weak and FT8 proved the only possible way to complete contacts to JA. It was pretty exciting to work these (6) JA friends: JF8QNF JA8EAT JA7NI JA1BK JA8WKE JA3FYC We decoded no other JA signals on our side- but we know we were decoded by these other JA stations: JH7PFD (two decodes) JE6KYA (one decode) JA1EOD (several decodes). Epilogue: We think that each JA qso that was made completed WAZ 40 on Topband for these JA friends. (meaning ZONE 2 was most likely their last one needed). Steve VK6IR called us on ON4KST chat saying he had been chasing ZONE 2 on 80m for 5BWAZ for 45 years and asked if we could work him on 80m. We did not know about 80m since the antenna had not been tested for that band but, after checking it with my analyst, I found it resonated at about 3778kHz. Steve said he could not do SSB there - so I asked him if he could do digital. YES! was his reply and we managed a qso on FT8 a few minutes later. After we uploaded our LOG FILE to LOTW (completed on 06 November) - within minutes there were 37 DXCC entities instantly confirmed via LOTW - including VK6IR and all (6) lucky JA friends we had worked. So we are happy we helped some of our JA friends with WAZ 40 - and, at the same time, we are a bit disappointed that we could not do more. The A/K were lousy on nights one and two - things got better on night 3 when we worked the first 4 JA's - nights 5 and 6 produced one JA qso each - meaning JA8WKE and JA3FYC. One amusing final fact - it was roughly a 2400km trip to there and back - so this works out to about 400km per JA qso. KOWABUNGA! but we had a great time trying this - and are pleased we had some limited success in doing so. We wish to mention our special thanks to Don Toman (K2KQ) and to Frank Donovan (W3LPL) for their kind assistance with our antenna planning. Their input and suggestions were invaluable in making this happen! 73/88 de Miriam (VY2NA) and Jeff VY2ZM Email: k...@aol.com _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Why is ZONE 2 so Rare in JAPAN???
HI Gary Zone 2 is rare over in JA for a number of reasons. These are: 1) The first is that there are only a handful of licensed/active amateurs in ZONE 2 2) Of those that are on the air - very few of them have even as much as a 64 ft tower 3) Of the remaining number - there is very little serious interest in 160m - most of the amateurs there prefer to operate on the higher frequency bands 4) One of the best guys in ZONE 2 is NAZ VO2NS in Labrador City, Labrador - and he has a good station - but he is a bit too far North and East for good propagation to JA. I am not saying it never happens but it is RARE. 5) Even a really talented DX'er and 160m afficionado - my friend FRANK DAVIS VO1HP has only managed to work JA from near St Johns Newfoundland - and that was after some 2 years of winter skeds with Kaz JA8ISU. Frank has tried for several years to to work Robert DU7ET - and they have (to my knowledge) not yet made a 160m qso. So it is JUST DAMNED HARD to work from VO1/VO2 and Zone 2 into Japan.and Asia. Miriam and I are pretty sure that we know what we are doing on Topband - I have 340/340 160m DXCC on CW, well over 150 DXCC on 160M SSB (including ST0 and VP8SSI) and have managed to make DXCC HONOR ROLL via signal band 160m only - something which only 3 amateurs in the world have achieved and I was NUMBER 2 in doing so. But even with this amount of experience - over the course of 6 straight nights on the air from ZONE with a decent antenna system - with a single purpose of trying to work our JA friends who need the zone - we were only able to manage 6 qso's - and these had to be made on FT8 because we could not hear the JA's on CW mode (we tried repeatedly with JA8ISU - and if you cannot hear/work KAZ on Topband from Northern Hokkaido - well you cannot hear one of the most savvy and best equipped 160m amateurs in all of JAPAN.) Kaz is a super op, dedicated to the band, and has a rock crushing signal here at VY2ZM - from late September to mid March - first on the short path starting at 0730Z and he is again workable from 2020z in November via the long path - until his SR occurs. If it is not clear yet to anyone reading this post - whether you may or may not think much of FT8 - it is clearly superior to CW for weak signal work on Topband and less sensitive to "noise" to boot. Just listen on 1840 or watch DX SUMMIT for a few days and you will see this kind of stuff there - with little or NO DX on CW mode: at the same time: 9K25T5VP8TA2UA9UA0JA's (tons of them!)T6 Get the picture? While it may sadden me as a dyed in the wool CW DX'er on Topband to see this happen, it is very clear to me where we are going here. I still enjoy all the CW contests on 160m which bring the CW band to life once again - meaning ARRL 160m/CQ 160m/The STEW,/ARRL DX CW/CQWPX CW etc Apart from those weekends though, it is SLOW SLOW SLOW down in the CW segment of Topband today. As I noted to VE5RA - the world has changed. Basically, it is fast becoming time to "GO WITH THE FLOW" or get out of the way. Thanks for your question Gary - it was a good one. 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon -Original Message- From: Gary Smith To: Topband Sent: Mon, Nov 11, 2019 5:08 am Subject: Re: Topband: A Bit of Zone 2 History Was Made Last Week I probably should know, but what makes Zone 2 such a rarity for JA & the others? The few operators from 2? Propagation issues? 73, Gary KA1J _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Beverage feedline
FWIW - Here at VY2ZM - I am running RG6 (standard stuff) out 3500 feet to a distant RX antenna on the other side of my property. I am also switching 12VDC down the line (using a BIAS Tee) - in order to switch the hybrid coupler from NE to SW - All of this is on 160M - so I think you will surely be OKAY with only 1500 feet of BELDEN RG6 at 160m. 73 JEFF, VY2ZM Original Message From: Bill Wichers To: Timo Korhonen Cc: topband Sent: Thu, Jun 26, 2014 9:28 pm Subject: Re: Topband: Beverage feedline The copper clad steel center conductor won't make much difference in terms of loss on 160m. It is an issue if you will be powering Anything through the coax (like amps or antenna selection relays) since the dc resistance is higher. If you need solid copper center conductor rg6 you can get that too - its sold for satellite systems that run dc on the coax to power the LNB at the dish. It will generally be more expensive. Solid copper center conductor will be listed as type BC (bare copper) in the datasheets. Sent from my iPhone On Jun 26, 2014, at 11:12 AM, "Timo Korhonen" wrote: > Hi all, > > We are putting up new beverages for 160/80 at OH5Z. > I have a question regarding the feedline. We have to make > quite long runs like 1500 feet. > When looking for a low cost 75 ohm coaxial I found a Belden > RG6 type cable which is reasonably priced. > > Here is a link for technical data > > http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/1733139.pdf > > This cable has a copper covered steel inner conductor. > Is this an issue on low frequency like 1.8 MHz with long runs like 1500 feet? > > Thanks for your help > > 73, Timo OG9X > oh5z.wordpress.com > > _ > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: vgtTtpNT
http://makunin.vipshop.ru/vinhhieu75.php From: Jeffrey Briggs 7/5/2014 12:54:10 AM _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: Modeling the proverbial "vertical on a beach"
Hi Guys K3ZM is my brother - and his 160m antenna is located in a salt marsh just to the West of Chesapeake Bay in Matthews, Va as I recall. Indeed he is located inland a bit (eg: not directly at water's edge) - perhaps 1000 feet distant (although this is only a guess on my part from photos I have seen). But the intervening land is also primarily salt marsh. At certain times of the year this land floods with salt water and it is necessary to wear very tall boots in order to walk out to the base of the towers Peter owns. I am sure Peter could add more specifics. >From conversations I have had with Peter over the years - and from listening >to his signal over at 7O6T, I can tell you that he is very competitive when >compared to his peers. Additionally, his ability to hear for a location so >far South (eg - not in New England) - especially in winter is quite remarkable > His contest results in 160M contests speak for themselves. Other observations - perhaps relevant, perhaps not. W1WEF and I often get together for lunch in Orleans on Cape Cod. Jack works the HF bands from his mobile CW rig in his car - and when he drives out to the peninsula where I live (just off Pleasant bay which is salt water) - dead 15m and 20M bands magically go from NO European signals to a full band of signals as he comes up the road that runs along the Bay. He describes it as going from a DEAD BAND to a wide open band as he nears my home. This is in the daytime in summer as I recall. Personally here at VY2ZM - I am sure by co-locating my vertical systems at or near the water's edge has helped me - to what degree I am not sure - but it is rare to be outheard looking NE or East on the lowbands. During this thread I am pretty sure I read a post that co-location near Salt water is additive also for horizontal yagis. I do not believe this to be correct. My good friend Don Toman has several times told me the effect we are seeing here is primarily limited to verticals - and not to horizontal yagis - which according to Don, rely principally on their height above ground as the key variable impacting their performance. On the other hand, shooting out over open ocean from a slightly elevated position with HF yagis is a pretty good takeoff to be sure. Especially when compared to looking uphill over land in other directions - which I find causes performance to suffer by comparison. FWIW Salt water is good stuff. Especially for verticals placed at or near the ocean - with additional ocean out in front of the antenna for hundreds of miles. I too have never fully understood the phenomena but I know it is magical in terms of lowband DX'ing performance. 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM Original Message From: Guy Olinger K2AV To: Tom W8JI Cc: TopBand List ; Guy Olinger K2AV Sent: Fri, Aug 15, 2014 7:20 am Subject: Re: Topband: Modeling the proverbial "vertical on a beach" On Wed, Aug 13, 2014 at 9:28 PM, Tom W8JI wrote: >>> One would think if there was a 10-20 db penalty, it would show on >>> skimmers and that W2GD would be unbeatable being on the water. >>> I'm sure I'm missing something. What is it I am missing? >> A contest certainly is not only about transmit signal strength, nor is >> the lowest angle propagation always the most productive. There is >> always the 27 dB gain between the operator's ears (or lack of it) to >> be reckoned with. > But skimmer, which displays a relative level, does not show the level > difference. I quite agree, and from what I have personally observed, I WOULD NOT EXPECT peak levels on RBN to show the difference, except in very special circumstances. The Core Banks N4A test was walking backward FROM WATER'S EDGE up onto the sand beach, and then over the low dunes to about 400-500 feet from water's edge. MSL 0 feet to about MSL 5 or 6 feet. The signals showing the most change were not the loudest. They were the ones on the edge of the developing band opening. The stronger or peak signals from these stations would occur later as (presumably) the angle of arrival moved up. The advantage to the water's edge I was hearing would only last from first hearing to full band opening. To the extent that the opening was very marginal, the advantage could persist. I need to make some phone calls, but both W2GD and K3ZM appear to be well away from water's edge to NE, possibly over 1000 feet for W2GD, and depending on where and how ZM's 4 square is constructed, nearly a half mile from water's edge at bearing 45 degrees. Given these yet-to-be-verified distances both these stations will enjoy the excellent advantages of EFFICIENCY from those locations, and lack of intervening clutter, but not the water's edge change. I have only seen the large change from water's edge, not from water's vicinity. Therefore I must apologize for including W2GD and K3ZM in the discussion, and retract that aspect in my prior comments. My observations are strictly water'
Topband: Dxing on the Edge...the Thrill of 160m! - SECOND EDITION is now available!
Hi Gang I am pleased to be able to announce that the 2ND EDITION of Dxing on the Edge...the Thrill of 160M! is now available for purchase. While we had a great run with ARRL starting in 1998 (for which I am most grateful), this second edition has been self-published using BOOKBABY.com. Earlier this year some UK friends of mine asked me to put out an updated edition of the book and this summer I had the time to work with Tim Duffy of DXE and Jay Terleski of Array Solutions to do just that. The new book contains the original manuscript from 1998 but also includes new and updated material regarding current XMIT antenna solutions for Dx'ing and contesting on Topband. Additionally,, there is a chapter specifically dedicated to Rx antennas for those with smaller lots - as Rx on Topband is the thorniest problem to resolve if one is space limited as we all are well aware. Also included are current operating suggestions for snagging the rarest of the rare ones on 160m - which means using capabilities and techniques that did not exist in 1998. Gone unfortunately is the CD of "Memorable Moments on 160M" as technical limitations prevented inclusion of this in the revised addition. A couple of things I wish to make very clear: 1) I am not necessarily trying here to sell you another bookif you bought and enjoyed the first edition of my book, it is totally your call if you wish to purchase the second addition. Current successful 160M Dx'ers may already be well aware of the modern antenna choices for XMIT and RX that I talk about - so I am really aiming this book at amateurs who have always wanted to try 160M but have demeurred due to smallish properties or to those who would like to learn how to operate on 160M for the first time and need to know how to become successful on Topband. 2) I owe a huge debt of gratitude to K3LR and WX0B for providing information on their fine 160M products - including elevation plots and technical data on their products. I would never have been able to release this second edition without their input and cooperation - so thanks to them both! I should note also that I did not ask for nor receive any remuneration whatsoever for highlighting their fine products in the revised version. I simply consider both guys friends, who are reputable suppliers, who market great products and they service them well. It is that simple.I buy and use their stuff myself - so I am 100% comfortable recommending what they sell to buyers of my book. 3) The price of the 2nd edition is $20.18 USD. 4) You may purchase it here: a) From DX Engineering - (it will soon be added to the DXE website in the books section) b) From Array Solutions - (it will soon be added to the Array Solutions website in the books section) c) Directly from the publisher Bookbaby - Here is the Internet Link: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/Dxing-On-the-Edge The ISBN number is: 9781483586458 Thanks for taking the time to read this message. I do hope anyone who orders the new book finds it a useful addition to their 160M operating enjoyment going forward. 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: 160 Meter Contests
Rick I was delighted you heard me - YES - I was more than an hour into daylight - so your RX setup must be pretty damend good!!! 73 JEFF Original Message From: Richard (Rick) Karlquist To: W0MU Mike Fatchett ; topband Sent: Mon, Dec 5, 2016 12:19 pm Subject: Re: Topband: 160 Meter Contests That's just how this contest works, as they say. Around 0700 on Saturday, my "time since last QSO" timer hit 10 minutes. I went to S&P and found just a handful of stations that weren't dupes, and worked them. Time for bed. Got up at 1100 (that's 3AM here on the left coast) and worked across the US sunrise. I only made a few dozen QSO's by 1300, by which time the band was worked out and I went QRT. I did get two mults in that time SC and MAR. Jeff, with his famous beacon station VY2ZM called me over an hour after his sunrise. He was barely audible here but I got him in the log. My new Flex 6700 was instrumental in this and many other QSO's that probably wouldn't have been made with the FT-1000 I used for the last 15 years. It seems so 1990 now. On Sunday morning, the few non-dupes heard CQing were fresh meat and were being mobbed by callers on the east coast. I and other left coasters with decent signals could not break through the pileups! Rick N6RK On 12/5/2016 7:44 AM, W0MU Mike Fatchett wrote: > Shelby, > > The first night there were still plenty of stations on after 0700. > Maybe it was conditions or that is just how this contest works. I was > not able to stay awake and figured I would catch up on Saturday. I was > wrong. After 0700 there were very few stations on Saturday night. > (Sunday UTC). > > W0MU > > > On 12/5/2016 8:01 AM, Shelby Summerville wrote: >> I'm not very functional between 0200-0700 UTC, and without divulging >> any of y'all's secrets, how more activity, mainly Stateside, is >> between 02-07 UTC, than there is after 07 UTC? >> Thanks, and Happy Holidays to all >> >> C'ya, Shelby >> >> As I don't have an iPhone, nor an iPad, sent from my PC >> _ >> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > > _ > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > > _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: Dxing on the Edge...the Thrill of 160m! - SECOND EDITION is now available!
Andy Jeff here. Pls let me know if you were able to get a book from Jay at ARRAY SOLUTIONS... Apparently BB does not ship to all countries - one of them is Russia - I did not know that - but I can help if needed. After DEC 20th I will have a personal supply on hand and can even provide SIGNED and NUMBERED copies to special friends like you - there is ALWAYS a way to make things happen at K1ZM. . If you have no luck I will personally send one to you and any of my other friends in RUSSIA. Let me know about that - shipping is a bit expensive and I will need to be covered for that - but I can find a way to get you a book (or books) if you need help. Just let me know. DID Bookbaby reverse the charge on your credit card? They should have - I can speak to them about that if not. Tks and 73 -Season`s Greetings! 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: Dx'ing on the Edge - Numbered and Signed Copies Now Available fro US Topbanders
Hi Gang Season's Greetings and HNY to All 160m Dx'ers. FYI - I now have on hand a **small** number of signed & numbered copies of the SECOND EDITION of DXing on the Edge here with me on Cape Cod. These can be personalized (if desired) and can be shipped relatively inexpensively to US addressees. PRICE (SHIPPED) is $25.00 which means NUMBERED, SIGNED, PERSONALIZED & SHIPPED - all in. Again - this is an offer I can make to US addressees ONLY! (Overseas shipping is ridiculously expensive and also cumbersome - overseas shipping costs alone are more than the book price itself!) Thanks for the bandwidth and CU on Topband soon I hope. 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM Email: k...@aol.com _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: DXing on the Edge - Update - Personalized Books SOLD OUT.
Hi GANG Many thanks to those who jumped on my small quantity of books that I had on hand and could personalize!. They went very quickly. IF YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE WHO MISSED OUT - PLS GO TO DX ENGINEERING - K3LR has a supply on hand and is only too happy to provide one to you. My good friends at ARRAY SOLUTIONS also are timely shippers - WX0B also has a supply on hand. HAPPY NEW YEAR and thanks to all for your support. CU soon on Topabnd! 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: DXing on the Edge - Ordering Information for International Amateurs
Hi Gang I have received quite a few emails from many overseas Topbanders seeking information regarding COST EFFICIENT ways to order Dx'ing on the Edge from an International country. (I am talking now with the RSGB about a special deal in the UK - but this is not a 'go" at this point - if something happens I will be sure to let folks know.) Here is the BEST way to do it that exists at this time: 1) Check to see if there is an AMAZON outlet in your country. AMAZON has local offices in many OECD countries. 2) IMPORTANT - When you go to a local AMAZON site in your country it will probably say "TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK". DO NOT be alarmed at this message. - do not just go away if you really want a copy.!! 3) PLACE YOUR ORDER ANYWAY - and be patient. 4) The way AMAZON overseas works is they TAKE ORDERS, then STOCK THEIR LOCAL IN-COUNTRY INVENTORY based on demand - and your book is shipped to you from a LOCAL IN COUNTRY WAREHOUSE once their stock is on hand. This will allow you a LOCAL CURRENCY PRICE and a LOCAL MAIL SHIPMENT CHARGE that avoids the usual $33USD shipping cost out of the USA. AMAZON deals directly with Bookbaby USA in some cases, and at other times gets their stock from INGRAM and/or BAKER & TAYLOR who are US wholesale dealers. We amateurs cannot order directly from these big wholesalers - sorry. They only will deal with AMAZON and/or BARNES & NOBLE.type concerns. 5) BARNES & NOBLE operates differently from AMAZON - when B&N is out of stock - they take the book down completely from their websites and then bring it back up again when supplies are ON HAND. ++ FOR USA DOMESTIC AMATEURS: Your best way to secure a book is to order one from K3LR at DXE and/or WX0B at Array Solutions. Both friends have supplies on hand and can ship immediately at local USA mailing rates to USA domestic addresses. You may also deal with Bookbaby by following the link on my website: http://www.vy2zm.com Any of these ways will work - but if you would like to thank K3LR and WX0B for their important assistance with the book, kindly give them your business if possible. Many thanks for your support - we have sold over 500 copies since early December when the book was first announced. Thanks for the bandwidth and GOOD DX'ing on 160M this winter season! HNY 2017! 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: DXing on teh Edge 2nd ed
Brian & Doug (EI2CN) I am contacting the publisher today to learn what happened here and to attempt to resolve this. Pls keep me posted - if all else fails, I will personally AIR MAIL you a complete copy at my expense to make this right. I am very sorry this happened - really - but I will get to the bottom of this for sure. Quirks do happen in publishing - years ago, some copies of the FIRST EDITION had one chapter inserted with pages upside down - we had to resolve that one as well. Kindly keep me posted. Thanks. 73 Jeff K1ZM Original Message From: Brian D G3VGZ To: topband Sent: Tue, Jan 24, 2017 7:49 am Subject: Re: Topband: DXing on teh Edge 2nd ed "Doug Turnbull" wrote: > Dear OMs and YLs, > I received an e-mail from Jeff, K1ZM this morning questioning my > comments about missing materials in "DXing on the Edge" - all of the first > edition which is now out of print should be in the second edition. Well > the publisher has failed and my edition stops in Chapter 10 page 10-24. > Jeff did not short us but the publisher has made an error. I wonder if there is a batch faulty or if Amazon sent out to you the one I returned as faulty. I've re-ordered but it hasn't arrived yet, interestingly Amazon didn't have it in stock but it is coming from one of their sellers, unlike the first copy I received. It should arrive tomorrow or Thursday. I'll see what materialises. -- Brian D G3VGZ _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: DXing on the Edge - 2nd edition - Important!
Hi Gang PLS EXCUSE THE BANDWIDTH! With apologies to Tree N6TR, I am writing to note that there have apparently been some production problems at Bookbaby and it has been reported to me that there are some copies out there that were truncated in CHAPTER 10 at page 10-24. The SECOND EDITION has 19 chapters and properly ends at page 19-4 with a photo of a CQ WAZ 40Z 160M Plaque. If your book does not end at page 19-4, it is INCOMPLETE. May I ask anyone who did not receive a complete copy to please write to me DIRECTLY (and not to this reflector) indicating where the book was purchased. Two known problems have occurred from AMAZON.CO.UK it seems but there may be others. I will do my level best to make this right for anyone who was disappointed. This needs to be righted ASAP - I have already been in touch with the publisher and AMAZON UK has been advised. Thanks for the bandwidth and my apologies to anyone affected by this. 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM Email: k...@aol.com _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: UK Edition of Dx'ing on the Edge...the Thrill of 160M is now available
Hi Gang I am especially pleased to announce that the UK edition of Dx'ing on the Edge...the Thrill of 160M1 second edition (published by the RSGB) is now available. I especially wish to thank Mark Algar, M1MPA for his help in making this happen. It will surely make things more convenient for UK folks since it avoids the expensive International shipping costs from the USA for the US edition.. The book can be found at http://www.rsgbshop.org within the new releases tab. It is ISBN: 9781 9101 9333 4 in the UK and the RSGB member price is 13.59 UK pounds or 15.99 UK pounds for non-members. 73 Jeff Briggs, K1ZM/VY2ZM Email: k...@aol.com _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: JT1CO/JT5DX 160m Report de K1ZM
Hi Guys Having just returned from JT5DX, I thought I would pass along a few bits of information for use next Winter season on Topband when NA again has some lowband PROP to JT land. The team installed the following 160M antennas this past month at the FARM SITE - JT5DX. There are no antennas remaining now at JT1CO in Ulan Bator, eg: Chak's home location. 160M - 4 element fixed yagi at 100 feet aimed at EUROPE (I do not know if this antenna will be removed or not as it was installed primarily for the CQ WPX CW contest and it may be removed at some point). 160M 4 square array suspended from a 120 ft tower. This antenna is switched in 4 directions using a conventional COMTEK box. This antenna should be permanent. 160M - 8 circle RX array for 160M - this antenna is also permanently installed. 160M/80M - 450m Beverage installed aimed at EUROPE (I suspect this antenna may be removed and will not be permanent). 80M - 4 element K1WA/K1THQ - sloping dipole array - This will be permanent I think 80M - 4 square array - This antenna also should also be permanent 80M - 5 element fixed yagi at 100 feet - aimed at Europe - (This antenna may not be permanent).- It was also installed primarily for the CQ WPX CW test. On TUES/WED/THURS nights before the contest I got on Topband using the 4 el wire yagi and the 8 circle array for RX I had the beverage on THURS night only. Both the 8 circle and the BEVERAGE were GREAT into EU. Personally I thought the beverage had a slight edge - but both were very good on RX. On TUES night I worked about 65 EU and JA stations. On WED night I worked about 100 EU/JA and Asian stations. On Thurs night I worked about 120 EU/JA/Asian stations (including VK4MA and 4X4DK at my SR peak.) Tues night the call used was JT5DX - qsl via JT1CO. (The logs I think were actually on 9A5K's computer station log - FWIW.) WED night the call used was JT5LZ - qsl via K1LZ THURS night the call used was JT5LZ - qsl via K1LZ The overall station at JT5DX now sports an enormous amount of firepower on 40M - 10M. 6 40M yagis (including two sets of 3el full sized 40M stacks), LONG BOOM 7el stacks on 20 and 15M, two STEPP'IR's, & many additional smaller yagis for 15 and 10M. I think around 35 yagis in all were installed from May 9th to May 25th by S52M and RN5M who worked his tail off to complete the task. GL to all next winter season. Note that Chak does not live full time at the farm - but I know he is anxious to do some lowband work this coming Winter season using his new antenna arsenal! I encouraged him to do so as best I could! 73 de JEFFK1ZM/VY2ZM _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: JT1CO/JT5DX 160m Report de K1ZM
Hi Dan Tks for writing cu on the bands. 73 JEFF -Original Message- From: Dan Edward Dba East edwards To: Mark K3MSB ; k1zm Cc: topBand List Sent: Sat, Jun 3, 2017 12:28 am Subject: Re: Topband: JT1CO/JT5DX 160m Report de K1ZM bravo, Jeff!! 73, w5xz, dan On Friday, June 2, 2017 10:53 AM, Mark K3MSB wrote: Thanks for that very interesting update Jeff. May I inquire as to the reason Chak no longer has antennas at his home JT1CO site? 73 Mark K3MSB On Jun 1, 2017 11:27 PM, "k1zm--- via Topband" wrote: > Hi Guys > > > Having just returned from JT5DX, I thought I would pass along a few bits > of information for use next Winter season on Topband when NA again has some > lowband PROP to JT land. > > > The team installed the following 160M antennas this past month at the > FARM SITE - JT5DX. There are no antennas remaining now at JT1CO in Ulan > Bator, eg: Chak's home location. > > > 160M - 4 element fixed yagi at 100 feet aimed at EUROPE (I do not know if > this antenna will be removed or not as it was installed primarily for the > CQ WPX CW contest and it may be removed at some point). > > > 160M 4 square array suspended from a 120 ft tower. This antenna is > switched in 4 directions using a conventional COMTEK box. This antenna > should be permanent. > > > 160M - 8 circle RX array for 160M - this antenna is also permanently > installed. > > > 160M/80M - 450m Beverage installed aimed at EUROPE (I suspect this antenna > may be removed and will not be permanent). > > > > > 80M - 4 element K1WA/K1THQ - sloping dipole array - This will be permanent > I think > > > 80M - 4 square array - This antenna also should also be permanent > > > 80M - 5 element fixed yagi at 100 feet - aimed at Europe - (This antenna > may not be permanent).- It was also installed primarily for the CQ WPX CW > test. > > > > > On TUES/WED/THURS nights before the contest I got on Topband using the 4 > el wire yagi and the 8 circle array for RX > I had the beverage on THURS night only. Both the 8 circle and the > BEVERAGE were GREAT into EU. Personally I thought the beverage had a > slight edge - but both were very good on RX. > > > On TUES night I worked about 65 EU and JA stations. > > > On WED night I worked about 100 EU/JA and Asian stations. > > > On Thurs night I worked about 120 EU/JA/Asian stations (including VK4MA > and 4X4DK at my SR peak.) > > > Tues night the call used was JT5DX - qsl via JT1CO. (The logs I think were > actually on 9A5K's computer station log - FWIW.) > > > WED night the call used was JT5LZ - qsl via K1LZ > > > THURS night the call used was JT5LZ - qsl via K1LZ > > > The overall station at JT5DX now sports an enormous amount of firepower on > 40M - 10M. > > > 6 40M yagis (including two sets of 3el full sized 40M stacks), LONG BOOM > 7el stacks on 20 and 15M, two STEPP'IR's, & many additional smaller yagis > for 15 and 10M. I think around 35 yagis in all were installed from May 9th > to May 25th by S52M and RN5M who worked his tail off to complete the task. > > > GL to all next winter season. Note that Chak does not live full time at > the farm - but I know he is anxious to do some lowband work this coming > Winter season using his new antenna arsenal! I encouraged him to do so as > best I could! > > > 73 de JEFFK1ZM/VY2ZM > > > > > > > > > > > _ > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: Some Operating Observations from JT5DX de K1ZM/VY2ZM (very long!)
Hi All While it is still fresh in my mind and while I have a few moments this morning, I thought I might pass along a few OPERATING OBSERVATIONS that I made while over at JT5DX this past week. I will organize these into GENERAL OBSERVATIONS, TOPBAND THOUGHTS and HF THOUGHTS. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS - & What it was like getting there... First let me note that this was NOT a Topband Dx'pedition. From a timing perspective, with no overlapping darkness to NA on either coast, the timing could not have been worse for NA. What it WAS was an invitation to join a talented International team of old friends to operate the CQ WPX CW contest and to visit Hong Kong, China and Mongolia and JT1CO. Despite the downside of SPRING conditions, there was still enough of an attraction there to say - "HELL YES - I want to go!" Plus it was a chance to visit CHAK and see his station up close and personal. And, even more important, it was a chance to help build some updated capability into the JT1CO lowband station for the upcoming Winter months. While I was out at the farm, my wife and daughter accompanied K1LZ's wife on a wonderful tour of the Southern GOBI desert so they were totally cool with my going off on my own thing with the boys In some respects their experiences and what they got to see and do was as equally exciting to THEM as was my experience out on the farming steppes to the NW of Ulan Bator. Getting there... The farm is around 220 miles to the NW of the capital city. That is about the the distance from New York to Boston - but there are few paved roads in JT land. And what exists could HARDLY equate to the I-95 corridor along the East coast of the US. There are two PRINCIPAL roads in Mongolia - one North South and one East west. Our route was on one of them for the first part of the trip - perhaps the first 4 hours of what was about a 6.5 hour drive in total. At about the 4 hour point, Chak headed LEFT out into the mountainous steppes along a dirt road and, from that point onwards, it was total dead-reckoning using "this hill" and "that hill over there" - plus many rock outcroppings which served as guideposts along the way. THERE ARE NO ROAD SIGNS! There were MANY dirt roads and Chak knew exactly which one was the road that would lead the last 45 miles or so out to the farm. (Honestly - if you did not know where this place was located, you nor I would NEVER find it. There was no GPS system I was told - I did not understand that - but I did understand that only Chak's expertise got us there!!!) There are also few treed regions in JT. We did pass through a few clusters of BIRCH - some evergreens now and then along the hillsides - but mainly sheep, goats, cows and the occasional hairy YAK. I kept looking out for the station and finally, we dropped down out of the hills into a valley below and there in the distance I could see 6 tall towers way off in the distance. There were wheat fields everywhere - many of which Chak owns as that is what he does for a living. There are 3 million people in JT and Chak likes to say "I feed 300,000 of them every year!" The farm is enormous with quite a few LARGE buildings about the size of aircraft hangers. He employs a large number of staff - most of whom work the farm. He works his tail off on the farm, and remember - he does NOT live there - and, with no home station back in UB any more, operating timeframes are hardly a top priority for him - he gets on when he has time. He is hardly retired. Some years ago, he bought the land and then built a compound on it - the MAIN structure has 4 main connected components: The family residence The business side of the operation where his accountants and office are located The station component which has 4 rooms (one which is a HUGE workshop), two operating rooms, a full bathroom and a lounge at the rear. The last connected component is what he calls the HOTEL - which has 4 upstairs guest bedrooms, a kitchen and a dining room where we took our meals. Three ladies looked after us - and if you came into the dining room, within 30 seconds you were handed a cup of coffee or tea and two minutes later a plate of food. So we were well taken care of - that's for sure. A fridge was stocked with BEER, COKE, COLD WATER and the coffee mess was ALWAYS there with a full pot of coffee. I do not care if you came in at 0200AM local - someone had made a full pot of coffee - which I personally took full advantage of as I was up each night from about 0300 local until grayline sunrise. So much for the PROLOGUE TOPBAND HIGHLIGHTS All of us dedicated topband afficiandos know what 160M is like - usually there is a well-defined peak in signals as SR approaches - sometimes it is not there - but it USUALLY works that way. I would get on at about 0300 local - which was 1900z - and start listening on 160M. It was an interesting
Topband: JT5DX - W0CD Story
Hi All While at JT5DX a week or so ago, I took a breather from antenna owrk to rest for a moment - and sat down in the lounge behind CHAK's shack. On the table next to me was a stack of incoming qsl cards and I decided to take a look at them. Near the top of the pile as I sifted through them, I was very surprised to find the QSL from Charlie Dewey W0CD for his 160M QSO with Chak that had been made in 2009. WOW - What a coincidence! I was stunned for a moment or so./ Many on this reflector will fondly remember CHARLIE DEWEY, W0CD who passed away a few years ago. Charlie along with W8UVZ and K8GG was one the the BATTLE CREEK guys who helped design, build and ship the famous BATTLE CREEK SPECIAL vertical antenna all over the world to deserving 160m Dx-Peditions who needed an efficient XMIT antenna for TOPBAND. For many years Charlie, George and Geprge took care of all of us who needed NEW ONES on Topband - only asking those of us on this reflector now and then for a SMALL DONATION in order to help maintain these fine antennas. Charlie needed CHAK for his 40th 160M ZONE - and commented on that on his QSL to CHAK. What a SMALL WORLD! I thought the TOPBAND guys of today would like to hear this story and I am sure many of you remember CHARLIE DEWEY fondly as I do. I miss him at the 160M Topband Dinner in Dayton which he often attended with the GEORGE/GEORGE guys. 73 and CU on the band! JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: VE1ZZ Jack Leahy
Hi All A few friends have asked about VE1ZZ since he has not been on Topband much lately. I gave him a call yesterday on the phone and he said he is nearing his 82nd birthday but has been slowed down by age and other things. He said he has COPD and cannot get around very well these days - antenna work in his woods is no longer possible. His main AMP is down as is a backup amp and he hopes to get on a little now and then if he can fix one or both. Hi great wife - OPAL - fell down the cellar stairs not long ago and is slowly recovering at home after a long hospital stay. I was saddened to hear these things but expected something was amiss over there. Jack has long been the BEACON here in Canada on the lowbands and his absence has been missed. He lives about 120 miles to the SE of me here in CANADA. He was largely responsible for my emigrating to Canada in 2000 and creating VY2ZM here on Prince Edward Island. Jack once told me "Jeff, Cape Cod is a pretty good location. but IT IS NOT AS GOOD AS HERE!! You should come up here and see for yourself." ..And boy was he ever right! BTW - I noted Opal his wife. We ALL might wish for a wife like Opal. When I first met her in 2002, we talked about HAM RADIO and Dx'ing and about how much Jack has been a fixture on the lowbands since the mid 1950's. What she said I will never forget - as it was memorable: She said: "JEFF - WHEN I MARRIED JACK, I KNEW HOW MUCH HE LOVED DX'ING AND HAM RADIO AND I REALIZED THAT THE ***BIGGEST*** MISTAKE I COULD EVER MAKE WOULD BE TO HAVE TRIED TO GET BETWEEN HIM AND HIS LOVE FOR RADIO!! IT IS A BIG PART OF OUR LIVES!!!" Anyway, I thought I might pass on what I knew - sure hope to hear Jack on now and then again soon. 73 JEFF VY2ZM _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: FT8 qrm & Bandplanning History on 160m
Hi All This FT8 discussion is fascinating really. It harkens me to remember the origins of the current ARRL 160M bandplan that we try to follow today on Topband. A number of us (myself included) were on the 160M ARRL BANDPLANNING COMMITTEE some years ago and there were several schools of thought that took place at the time: 1) A few of us (myself, W4ZV and K1KI (I think) favored a true CW sub-band on 160M as we have always had in place on the upper bands like 80/40/20/15/10. 2) However, the CHARTER of the ARRL committee was determined NOT to be inclusive of a formal petition to the FCC to establish true, formal sub-bands on 160M. 3) INSTEAD - the current bandplan was what was adopted which placed digital where it presently resides - as I recall it was on 1838 and not on 1840 by the way. 4) When those of us favoring FCC action on the matter inquired about CONTESTS - (especially those on SINGLE SIDEBAND) - we were told that 160M spectrum would "FLEX" to accommodate what would be SSB activity down to 1803 here in the USA and above 1813 over in EU since the lower band edge is 1810 over in Region 1 In other words, if this is not cyrstal clear - it was EXPECTED that SSB would penetrate below 1842 during an SSB contest - and that CW would "FLEX" over the band segments that were usually considered for DIGITAL and SSB modes.during a competitive operating event. In actual practice this has worked reasonably well - until the rise of the interest in FT8 - where some folks seem to think now that 1838-1840 is somehow INVIOLATE. This is an INCORRECT assumption in my opinion. No one 'owns" a band segment on 160M under what is a VOLUNTARY BANDPLAN - and the band segments do "flex" in contests when there is so much activity to warrant the overlap that naturally occurs. It is also an illusory assumption to believe that since the 160m band goes all the way to 2000khz that all space on Topband is of equivalent VALUE during a contest event. Europe, for example, cannot operate below 1810 and most European countries cannot run FULL POWER above 1850Khz. Also some countries in EU today still are limited to narrow band slots from 1810 to 1830 or from 1810 to only 1850.. So it is quite LIKELY that during a contest event there is going to be a lot of operation around 1838-1842 and it is not likely to be FT8 either.if the contest is a CW event or an SSB event. What needs to happen (and usually does)is that after these contests are completed, the band FLEXES again back to our more normal, accepted conventions - meaning that CW is usually occurring from 1810 - 1835 or so (not by a rule - but just by gentleman's bandplanning convention) and that SSB usually occurs above 1843 or so. On a final note - W4ZV and I authored a FORMAL FCC petition after our 160M Bandplan service was completed and over 1000 amateurs worldwide filed supportive comments. What we asked the FCC to do was create a TRUE CW sub-band on 160M from 1800 to 1835 or so here in the USA as I recall - but in the end Bill Cross at the FCC ridiculed the petition and the FCC denied it out of hand - which meant that what we have in place today is the VOLUNTARY 160M ARRL BANDPLAN that we now follow - and we all need to understand that NO BAND SEGMENT on 160M is reserved for anyone or any mode. Here in the US, CW is authorized from 1800-2000 inclusive as is SSB - what we all usually do is try to respect what we have as a bandplan MOST OF THE TIME and not complain when a contest comes along. BY THE WAY - here's one for you. I recently witnessed an HL5IVL digital qso where the HL5 was on FT8 around 1820 (because his 160M band was limited to 1825 and below) and the counterparty on this same qso was on 1840 or so on FT8.I do nope we do not see too much of this kind of event - this one was understandable given the band restrictions in Korea.- but it would concern me to find FT8 all over the band all the time - because that would (most likely) create a lot of food fights going forward. At the end of the day - we must respect that 160M is a most UNUSUAL band and there are no really HARD ans FAST inviolate sub-bands in the traditional sense that we find on the higher bands. Personally - I am not an FT8 user - but I respect the rights of others to use this new mode. We cannot hold back technology here - that never works very well - but we do need to understand the need to be FLEXIBLE - especially during competitive operating events (eg: contests). 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM -Original Message- From: Ed Sawyer To: topband Sent: Wed, Nov 29, 2017 7:44 pm Subject: Re: Topband: FT8 qrm I'm sorry but I don't buy the argument that the way to be a "gentleman" is to accept everyone else's interests above your own. A "gentleman" is respectful of others and treats others as he/she wants to be treated. No one owns a frequency channel at least in the US - read your license. If I come o
Re: Topband: Conditions on 160m for ARRL Contest
Hello Gang I think these signals (which we call the "O O O" beacons because they send "DAH DAH DAH" - "DAH DAH DAH" over and over - are some kind of navigation beacons in the Eastern BALTIC. I have heard them starting as high in the band as 1818 (or so - maybe not a precise starting point) - and on a really good night I can hear the weaker ones down to as low as 1806 and 1803. (or so). On a really good evening this past week, I heard them (I think) as low as 1801 - but that is a really weak one. Curiously, they are not on the air every night - because there are often days at a time when they are not operational - or I would surely hear them - from where I am located. They have been on as long as I can remember - they were around in 1977 as I recall - when we all used to hang out and rag chew on 1812 SSB - the old guys from the nets of those days have mostly passed away now - EI8H, GD4BEG etc, - but a few are still with us including AA0RS (G3SZA) and Willem PA0HIP who now lives in DU as I recall. FWIW - BTW - based on how loud the UPPER ones are from 1814-1818 over here - I would think they must be at least 40db over S9 in WESTERN EU - and spaced every 3-4 kHz apart - they peak at about S9+5 or so here at VY2ZM, 73 jeff. Jeff Briggs DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon Original Message From: F6FYA via Topband To: topband Sent: Mon, Feb 19, 2018 9:10 pm Subject: Re: Topband: Conditions on 160m for ARRL Contest I'm a New member of the "Topband list"I agree with Roger for the QRM at the bottom of the band. I don't know what they are, fishnet or beacons, but it's getting very hard to call CQ on this part of the band. By the way, for me in the central west part of France, conditions was much better friday night. Working with vertical ant, 21 m, and beverage. So, sorry with my poor english, but a pleasure to read differents messages from the list's members. Jean-Paul / F6FYA.Envoyé de mon smartphone BlackBerry 10 sur le réseau Orange depuis La Touraine, Dpt 37. Message d'origine De: Roger KennedyEnvoyé: lundi 19 février 2018 14:34À: topband@contesting.comObjet: Topband: Conditions on 160m for ARRL ContestWell on Friday night I couldn't hear one single American station . . . eventhough I heard a couple of Southern Europe stations working a few.Saturday night conditions were better, but signals were well down on whatthey have been for the past few weeks.However, in the 3 hours I spent on the band (at different times in thenight) I did manage to work 61 American stations . . . including a few inBrazil and the Caribbean.For future reference, here in Britain there are about 6 Navigation Beaconsbetween 1810 and 1818 kHz (they sound like the old Decca HiFix) . . . thesemake copying weak signals VERY difficult, so a good idea to avoid this partof the band !Roger G3YRO_Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband_Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: 9M0W - Operating from SHANGRI-LA (NOT!) on 160m, - Multiple Parts
Hi Gang Having just returned from Spratly with the team and, while this is still clear in my mind, I thought I would pen a few lines to relate what it was to be a part of this venture. We will try to organize it into multiple discrete sections: The Offer to Join the Expedition The Original Planning for 160m with YT5A and K1LZ Departure Date Bad Luck and its Consequences Cooling our Heels in Sabah (and me with LOST LUGGAGE and no clean clothes for 4 days) Actual Departure on 08 March and Setup on Layang Layang Day 1 - Results and LESSONS LEARNED! Day 2 - Total Revision of 160M Approach Day 3 - Rx Adjustments including an effective RX Antenna for EU Day 4 - An attempt to get an Rx antenna for NA short path that worked Day 5 - The decision to keep 160m QRV for one more sunset - and takedown at 0300 in the dark (in the pouring rain) Operating Impressions - Basically a review of "on the air" impediments that added to fatigue and frustration most of the time Epilogue - Lessons learned and why certain 160m goals are very hard to achieve on Layang Layang Since this PC crashes and blue screens at will, we will attempt this in small bites. 73 JEFF K1ZM (on behalf of K1LZ/JT1CO/WD5COV - who were the principal operators of 160m at 9M0W) Jeff Briggs DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: 9M0W - 160M The decision to join this expedition
The decision to join 9M0W took place when K1LZ told me he was going to activate Scarborough Reef - I was pretty sure that was not where he was planning to go and later learned it was indeed SPRATLY. Once we got that straight, he said "You want to come?" I said -"Yeah - why not - as long as you and I can do 160m and not be required to operate on the higher bands..." Krassy called Hrane, YT5A, who was the TEAM LEADER of 9M0W who said it would be okay as long as Krassy and I were totally responsible for the setup of both 80m and 160m - and that we might focus on 160M ourselves in terms of on the air time. Let me note at this point the really incredible will and talent of Hrane in terms of making all of this happen - what he had to overcome every step of the way to secure permission and overcome unreal obstacles when the whole thing almost failed on Sabah - well - he deserves my thanks and total respect because he was tireless and just would not quit on us - and in the end he prevailed and got us there. And back... Planning commenced with invaluable assistance from Fred PY2XB - who added considerably with antenna recommendations, strategy and a checklist of everything that we might encounter from RFI, to site placement. While he never operated to my knowledge on Topband while we were at 9M0W - he was a part of the lowband team for sure. We divided things into assigned roles: Krassy brought 4 spider poles - two at about 75 feet tall for 160m and two for 80m at around 62 feet tall (or so). He brought also the support ropes, antenna wire (really strong strong stuff - silver wire inside the equivalent of phillystran) - and some wire for radials. I brought everything I have ever known in terms of F/E protection, antenna switching, 160M Rx bandpass filters, jumpers, a KD9SV preamp, power adapters, custom 5 outlet strips designed for both 220v and 110V, a 220-110V 200w stepdown xfmr, and a 2.5A/12V DC TRANSFORMER power supply to power needed accessory devices. Krassy and I both brought noise cancelling headphones. I also had coaxial adapters for eveything I have ever seen - with the one exception of not being able to adapt from something ELSE to an F male - that caused us some grief during setup. Eventually we found another way to do it. The list included So239 females with pre-attached pigtails, some Bymark 2:1 (50/25) Kw UNUNS which proved invaluable to avoid tuning hassles at vertical feedpoints, beverage and pennant matching transformers, 1000 feet of coax (not fun to lift that bag) - but needed for the 3/4 wave phasing lines planned for the 80m and 160m phased verticals.plus wire for a 160m bog and 1000 feet of ground radial wire/or a beverage. We had constant email reflector dialogues taking place and this helped us to eventually avoid making BIG mistakes. We wanted to go earlier in the year but the resort was closed - we were their first arrivals after opening. We desperately wanted the CONFERENCE ROOM at the western end of the complex - because from there coax runs are reasonable and might have allowed lowband RX systems that could have been reached with a coax run to acquire NA in reverse mode - while keeping the damned things as far away from man made noise as possible. Jeff Briggs DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: 9M0W - Departure Bad Luck and its Consequences
Krassy and I planned to fly together from Boston at 9PM on 02 March. via Doha/Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu (SABAH). Arrival would be 04 March, a TEAM MEETING for all on 05 March and a private charter flight to Layang Layang at 0545 hours on 06 March. On Wed Feb 28th I learned of the GIANT Nor'Easter that was going to hit BOSTON about our takeoff time on Friday. I called Krassy and we changed our departure to THURS night 0850 hours - at a mere additional cost of $800 per man to re-write our tickets. I mean - what the HELL!! This was SPRATLY - damned that we were going to back out at this point. Departure was okay - we beat the storm and got to DOHA on time. In the re-write process of our tickets Krassy got a good ininerary - mine SUCKED in plain English - he got on a plane to KL - I had about a 9 hour layover and could not get on his plane(without paying another $280 which I decided not to do.) Jeff Briggs DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: 9M0W - More Bad Luck and near disaster for me...and the Dx'pedition
I sat in Doha for my 9 hours and boarded the plane at 0145 local. We were supposed to take off at 0245 but at 4AM we were still sitting on the tarmac which I had not noticed as I had the headphones on watching a movie. The captain said "sorry for the delay in taking off - we were loading cargo!!+*&%$#@+++ - GO FIGURE! QFU QFU QFU! This meant I would miss my connection from KL to SABAH. As we landed in KL. a QATAR agent had a sign with my name on it at the end of the jetway. I asked why they were looking for me. They had arranged an alternate flight to KK on MALINDO airways - where I was originally on MALAYSIAN AIR. I asked specifically about my (2) bags of luggage and we stopped at a counter to deal with the issue of getting my bags to KK onMY PLANE! (NOT!) I arrived in KK with NO BAGS on the arrival luggage chute - and spent the next hour with MALAYSIAN Airlines luggage. They worked for quite some time and advised they had NO IDEA were all my stuff had gone. I filed a claim sheet and took a taxi to my hotel. I later hooked up with Krassy, CHRIS VK3FY and Peter VK3GN - for a few beers and a burger at the Hyatt Regency. Then crashed as I was a total zombie - with no clothes except for one tee shirt - and my winter clothes were soaked with sweat from the humidity and2.5 days on the planes. I would try to follow up with Air Malaysia the next morning (this was now SAT night - having left on Thurs night from BOSTON.) Jeff Briggs DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: 9M0W- 3 days with no clothes and NO LUGGAGE
Sunday 04 March Spent the day first chasing luggage with Air Malaysia - then touring with 9M6KOM, 9M6BOB, JT1CO and K1LZ. We went into the mountains and had a fantastic lunch overlooking KK from about 3500 feet up - a place called KOKOL HAVEN. You might look this one up on google - now this was what SHANGRI LA was supposed to be all about. Good food, good beer and I had a great HAWAIIAN PIZZA - best food I had eaten in several days! At night took a taxi out to the SHANGRI LA Tanjura resort on the ocean - talk about LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS!!! This was where JT1CO and K1LZ were staying - somehow the price of a room and the cost of anything (like drinks) was beyond my budget - especially after dumping $800 into an exchange of flight ticket. Yes I have trip insurance, but I am pretty sure since the BOSTON flight did leave after a delayed departure Friday night - that QATAR air will find some way to weasle out of paying for my trip modification - so again, its's Spratly - but no money for a $350 per night hotel room with Chak and Krassy (HI) But this place is 5 star + if there is such a rating - look it up on google and you will see what I mean! (BRING MONEY - lots of it!) We happened to have dinner there last night - the bill was staggering (note that i DID NOT PAY IT!) Anyway Hrane asked about the status of my luggage, and he basically took charge of finding it. He is a bit like a bull in a china shop (but in a good way) - and he takes no prisoners.- He took my claim sheet and went out to the airport to both Malindo and Air Malaysia and the NEXT DAY - he accompanied me out to Air Malindo where we finally had my 160M stuff in hand again - and some CLEAN CLOTHES, This was DAY 5 - Monday 4 March. Our team meeting was set for Tues 05 March at 10:00AM which I will talk about next. Jeff Briggs DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: 9M0W - Day 6 - Team Meeting at Shangri La - Day 7 Cancellations galore!
At 10AM we all met each other for the first time - it was a BIG TEAM with several great 9M6 local hams. Hrane went over all necessary departure logistics for our supposed departure on 06 MARCH FROM KK to Layang Layang. We ended our meeting pretty pumped as the day of departure was almost at hand - then MORE BAD NEWS. At 5PM Hrane came to my hotel to advise that our departure was CANCELLED for the next day - no specific reason - basically claiming unforseen complications - departure now set for 0545 on 07 March. I spent the day checking my luggage and just chilling - talking with my wife about all of this on SKYPE. Of course we all had to PAY for the extra night in our hotels - there was some possible compensation that some got from Layang Layang - I just wanted to GO. By the way - Hrane's reply to the "DEAR JOHN" letter he got from the resort as to the cancellation was a classic - and totally unfit for repeating here - it was pretty spirited to say the least. DAY 7 - and again, our hopes are DASHED - at 4PM Hrane advises we have been anulled again! This time my hotel tells me they are BOOKED SOLID - they have no room for me for the night - but eventually they come through with a smallish room - who cares I told them - it was BETTER than OUTSIDE on the street! Hrane calls to advise that NO BS - we will fly at 0545 Am - this being DAY 7 and 08 March. Really? WD5COV and I start considering going home - my wife says play the hand out and I know she is right - so we wait to see if they deliver this time - but if there is no flight on 08 MARCH - it is probably time to think about going home. Jeff Briggs DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: 9M0W - 08 March - We finally take off and our DAY 1 on the island
We all met at 0400Am at KK airport and Hrane organized the MOUNTAIN of excess luggage going out to Spratly. We took a private charter run by Malaysian Air and took off at 0545. In a little over an hour we were over the reef and the lagoon was below us - landing formalities were quite professional and we all gathered in the lobby - to meet with Mark Peter, manager of the resort. MARK was tremendously accommodating - but there was some really bad news in his briefing: 1) They were down to one generator - thus no power to the conference room - REAL BUMMER! 2) They were to swap generators the next day from 80KW to something like 300KW - so there would be frequent brownouts - at unexpected times of their choosing. 3) We would have to set up in the middle of the resort - to accommodate computer networking - and our planned antenna placement was basically torn up and we started 160m anternna planning anew with a blank sheet of paper. Our 160m plans were totally thrown out the window - and a new site plan was arranged. the real downside was that listening antennas would now be FAR TOO CLOSE to the hotel - but we really had no choice as we had no long coax runs that would get to where we really wanted to site the 160m listening stuff. BUMMER - but we were there at last! Between 0730AM and our sunset many teams all worked like madmen getting all of this stuff up - assisted in large measure by Mark Peter's loan of his maintenance staff to help us - they were a GODSEND as time was short - we had precious little time to get on the lowbands by dark. Here's what went up that single day: 2 Rotary Yagis on 10m masts (one for 20/15/10 and one for the WARC bands) - a 4O3A KW triplexer and 6 4O3A Kw passband filters allowed sharing of the HF yagi on the upper bands A 4 square for 40m brought by Dusko ZL3WW was set up well away from the bldg Krassy, JT1CO, VK3FN, 9M0KOM and the Layang staff - helped erect two spider pole verticals for 160M - sited one at the shore and one to the SW near the runway - providing 5.5db bi-directional gain SE and NW - in the hopes of LP propagation into the USA East Coast. These were phased with 3/4 wave coaxial lines (electrical) that I brought - and then matched with the BYMARK ununs. KRASSY near sunset added a single 80m vertical for cw at the shoreline - which had a good SWR on 3503. Sunset was at 1030z and I missed it by a few minutes due to final antenna work with PY2XB - we tried a FLAG aimed SE and a PENNANT aimed to USA that I brought. Our plan was to primarily use the XMIT antenna for LP Rx with its gain - and directivity. The other RX stuff was PLAN B and backup. We made it on the air at about 1045z and DU7ET Bob was there as planned to announce on ON4KST our xmit and RX frequency. Bob was there every day to help out and I am especiually grateful for his being there to help us every sunset opening. DU7ET was also our first 160M qso - followed almost immediately by Don KH6DX. By 1130z - initial results were in - BUMMER! NO3M/AA1K and other ECJ's say they cannot even hear us - (we did not hear them either!) The first night included some West coast and N5DG I think - plus many JA's and quite a few EU stations. (KRASSY AND I DECIDED TO GIVE UP ON LP TO THE EAST COAST - AND A COMPLETE REWORK WAS PLANNED FOR SUNRISE THE NEXT MORNING). At least we were on the air and making some noise! Je ff Briggs DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: 9M0W Day 2 on 160M - A Better Showing
At sunrise after breakfast Krassy and I.wired in a 180 delay transformer that could be switched from the operating position to switch the 2 el array from BROADSIDE to end FIRE - and also to unidirectional NE or SW. Thus night 2 at 1030z was far better for us on Topband - DU7ET was there again and we were ON TIME at 1015z for our SUNSET at 1033z.. Instantly N4WW was worked with a respectable signal (this means we could hear.him at about RST 349.) Since Dragan YT3W has the logs and I am now doing this from memory, I do not remember if we then worked NO3M - or if it was the next night - but Eric became our Northeastern most qso on 160M - so congrats top Eric for hearing us and for making us be able to hear him (barely!) Water-weak like would aptly describe our side of this qso (HI) We worked quite a few USA mid-western and Far Western stations this night - plus at least 300 Europeans. My son Patrick KK6ZM had a great signal near his SR peakl - it was among the loudest signals we worked on night two. At SR after this night, Krassy and I decided to take down the runway 160M radiator, and use only the single 160m radiator - and we threw its 20 odd radials into the salt water lagoon. We moved this spider pole to the north side of theisland and plavced it on the seawall - and used it fro 80M SSB thereafter. We also decided we had to try to find a way to get a beverage up on 160M for RX - even if it was only one that could be aimed at EU. ZL3WW came up with a scheme to use the 2nd abandoned vertical feedline for this beverage and by relocating the coax slightly we started at the runway and got a NW beverage straight for about 800 feet toward the seawall - then we crossed a pathway in the air - and ran it at least another 500 feet along the seawall. This turned out to be a real gem - as we ran the table for HOURS into EU after SR had passed in W6/W7. It made a huge difference in our ability to work the 2nd and 3rd tier EU callers. It worked so well that ZL3WW and I tried our hand the next afternoon on a USA beverage to the NE. The plan was to switch the feedline to the USA at our SS and then at 1 430 after W7 SR move the feedline over to the EU beverage again, This was easy to do at 10:30PM in the dark as it was an open field and with a flashlight it took all of 5 mins. This was a pretty fair beverage - about 650 feet long - straight as an arrow - but it also ran close to the hotel complex for most of its run. As I feared,this one was not stone cold quiet like the Eu beverage was - when I switched to it there was some kind of background hash that covered up most weaker signals. Listening on the EU beverage did not work well either towards NA - as while it was super quiet - it was at least 90 degrees off of a true NE shortpath NA heading - some USA signals could be heard on it - but not the East Coast weaker guys we desperately wanted to work. So night 4 we spent listening for NA on the single 160m vertical located at the seawall - and listened to EU on its quieter NW beverage. AGAIN Eu was bedlam all night long - 160M to NA was only so so - we worked into the mid west and then the NW USA at their SR pretty well. Near SR Krassy who had departed for 80CW late into the EU opening - went to sleep - and YT3W took over near our SR grayline peak. I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw his 80 CW Grayline contacts come onto my screen. In the space of 10 mins, he logged K1CP (Maine), N1RJ (also Maine) - and W1JR (NH) - followed by PY5EG - Atilano - and then the LP sunset peak had passed on the eastern seaboard of NA because we went into daylight on our side at SR. Next email I will talk about our final night on Topband - which was our last night at SS on Layang Layang. Jeff Briggs DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: 9M0W - Night 5 on Topband - then takedown at 0300 hours local time - in a pouring rainstorm!
At our SS time of 1033z, Bob DU7ET was again there to greet us and help out.; While it was quiet for 25 mins or so - I alone mislogged W4ZV as N4IS (this was entirely possible due to the doppler effect on this path on a RST 219 signal!) - me BAD - so sincere apologies to Bill - but I know he did not need the country - at least he now knows he was HEARD! We worked KJ9I and others - W5IZ was in for at least an hour and finally heard his report on a peak - congrats Alan - you were good copy the whole time and glad you finally heard US! As the sun marched across the US to the West coast - our noise (QRN) became unbearable and a few guys like AE6C we just could not put together amidst S9 incessant crashes. I heard C, I heard 6C but never could get the rest - I tried for a solid 10 mins with him - then he went into daylight - so sorry - I really tried hard on that one. Again, we only had the xmit antenna for RX into NA - and under that kind of noise (it was the storm coming at us!) - the final two hours into W7 and W6 were a major disappointment for us - we apologize for really being MORE THAN DEAF. Krassy and CHAK JT1CO took over for the final 4 hour EU run on 160m and worked at least another 150 stations. Eu signals compared to NA are about 3-4 s units louder on Spratly on Topband - it is always the way. About 3:45AM local time, we decided we had to abandon the EU pileup to take down our stuff - basically three verticals, a tribander and something for 40 came down in the rain in 2.5 hours - was packed and we prepared for our departure at 0700 hours local time. We thanked our host Mark Peter and his staff for their wonderful support and we only wish we could have worked more NA east coast. There really is not enough common darkness on 160m into W1` at this time of year - & while we hoped for AA1K in Delaware and N4RJ in GA - we just could not make that happen either - but we did try on all the right openings. I do know our PINGS were heard in NE - but not enuff signal to make QSO's -=pity! I'll do one more before heading to the KK airport. I understand yet another Nor-easter awaits me at Logan airport - GREAT! - three vicious East coast storms in 12 days - just what I needed on the way home to Cape Cod. HI Must be "Murphy's Law" 73 Jeff for the 160m TEAM OF PY2XB/K1LZ/JT1CO/WD5COV Jeff Briggs DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: Layang Layang 160m Epilogue
Here are a few random thoughts and suggestions for anyone else who tries to do this: 1) If you are a HOUND chasing the FOX (THAT'S US!) and you hope to get in some Dx'pedition log on a tough path with noise and super weak signals PLEASE PLEASE do not call only once at 30 wpm and then not xmit again until you hear our next CQ What we are trying to do is PIECE together a letter or two of your call - so you have to do two things to help us: a) SLOW DOWN - PLEASE! b) Call over and over and over - and we will then have a chance to get ur callsign Calling once at a rabbit like speed - is not likely to get you in our log. Those that kept at it - usually will have a far better chance. It was maddening to hear a fairly good signal that we would try to respond to - who just waited as long as 2 mins to call again - PLS KEEP CALLING. 2) If we blow ur call (it happened alot at 9M0W) - keep at us trying to get our attention to fix it on the fly. I blew KJ9I as KJ9B due to doppler fading - but he kept calling and he is in our log as a result - congrats on doing it right! 3) If anyone ever goes out to Layang Layang again (I personally will not be doing this - Krassy and I have other things on the drawing boards) a) Get the conference room at the Western end of the complex - put your Rx antennas for Eu and NA - as FAR out into the open spaces that are out there as you possibly have coax feeders for - and then you probably can hear with a quiet noise floor. b) CONSIDER a K7TJR listening array and put it out there as an alternative to using beverages - again as far to the west as possible - and you will be rewarded as a result for doing os. WE WANTED THE CONFERENCE ROOM - but it was beyond our control - so we were compromised as a result - HUMAN devices make NOISE! +IF WE DID NOT WORK YOU FOR ANY OF THE ABOVE REASONS - HERE ARE A FEW MORE TO LAUGH (CRY ABOUT!) Happiness is NOT having this happen at our exact SUNSET - or at other optimum listening times: 1) Having the staff cut power at 1040z to swap generators (NOT GOOD!) 2) Having one of the other ops shout something at the worst possible time during a listening cycle (we tried our best to maintain a quiet room) Sometimes the staff was rolling carts of our evening meal at 1015-1045z from the kitchen past us to the dining area - which was a great concentration breaker! 3) Another unavoidable dilemma is almost getting a weak caller and then having a local area station decide to call us at the worst possible time - despite our pleas for NA NA NA NA only! (It happens!) Anyway - no complaints really - but this is what we had to deal with out there - and nothing is perfect - we tried as hard as we could and only wish we could have worked e a few more of you in NA on Topband. 73 and thanks for the memories guys - we had fun trying to work you - I hope you had fun trying to hear and work us! CU from the next one - wherever that may be - Jeff Briggs DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: Straws in the Wind ....A 160m Dx'ing Sea Change is Upon us!
Hello Gang I am probably not the only one who has been paying attention lately, but I may be the first to comment directly on what has been taking place right before our eyes the past two nights on 1.836kHz - and its possible implications going forward for future Dx'ing on 160m. Pls read on. I am sure most readers of these pages are well aware of the current dx'pedition to Malawi operating as 7Q7EI. Norbert DJ7JC has been a real trooper working the lowbands and has had quite a bit of success doing so - so well deserved kudos & thanks to Norbert. Norbert has managed to make quite a few NA stations happy with a NEW ONE on Topband and we all very much appreciate his efforts - well done Norbert - thank you! So what I am about to comment on next IN NO WAY is an negative opinion on Norbert - it is just an observation as to what is now occurring and its possible implications for all of us who like to work DX on 160M!. On or about 27 March, Norbert tried 160M CW operating on 1830kHz - in his grayline period - and was heard by a number of stations including NO3M and me here at VY2ZM. Others were in there too perhaps - Kaz K8KS may have been another and a few more as well. I also heard some EU stations in there calling among the NA stations. About 0228z, Norbert asnwered me as UY2ZM - went QRZ a few times but QRNN on his side prevented a legitimate qso. I heard him fine but I know he did not copy my callsign correctly - and later he even said so over ON4KST noting "I heard a few callers, mainly from EU but logged no NA or EU qso's on Topband - so I went back to 80M CW as the sun came up." The next night Norbert came on ON4KST chat and announced that he was going to try 1836 using the new FT8 Dx'pedition mode now in beta trials following its release by K1JT. I am told that the dx'pedition version of FT8 will also be used experimentally by the upcoming KH1 Dx'pedition. Dx'pedition Mode - offers some unique promise when and if it ever is fully conceived including: 1) A shortened qso sequence using only 2 of the traditional FT8 required QSO elements 2) The promise of simultaneous qso's between Multiple HOUNDS and the FOX (in this example the FOX was 7Q7EI) 3) The potential, as a result, of up to 300-400 qso's per hour may be possible one day - which would improve the overall qso totals of any dx'pedition - IF this ever becomes REALITY. So on night two Norbert came up on FT8 dx'pedition mode - first on 80m and I managed to work him fairly quickly here at VY2ZM. Others worked him as well - as we all struggled to learn exactly how to operate this new flavor of FT8. It is a bit tricky and I invite anyone reading this who may be interested to take a look - because Dx'pedition mode uses special settings within WSJT-x - and one must configure things exactly right - or it just does not function as one might expect traditional FT8 to function in order to complete qso's. Nearer to his SR, Norbert went to 1836 and I think he may have worked a couple of NA stations - I tried but without success because I did not pay close enough attention to ON4KST - and I came to 160m too late in the game to have a good shot as he went into daylight on his side. So what is going on here exactly? And why did I choose to make this post to Topband? The answer is fairly simple and stems from what I observed this past summer on 6M during the Sporadic E season. I happen to like to work 6M E during the summer and was all set around the end of June for what I hoped would be a great E season on 6M CW into Europe. I worked a couple of stations on CW in late June but during the first or second week of July, K1JT released the production version of FT8 and almost immediately everyone realized its potential (particularly those in the Mid and Far Western USA) - where it was immediately called a "GAME CHANGER" by K7JA and others on the Left Coast. Well - it SURELY WAS A GAME CHANGER - because I did not hear a single CW DX station out of Europe on 6M for the rest of the summer E season after that - everyone had qsy'ed to 50.313 to work FT8 - because it WORKED so well on 6M - even on E skip paths. And since I did not have FT8 capability - I was TOTALLY SHUT OUT and had NO 6M E season of Dx'ing - BUMMER! So how does this apply to Topband? Pls read on. Last night was NIGHT 3 into NA on the lowbands from 7Q7EI - and Norbert was back - first on 160m on 1836 from about 0130z - until around 0320z - again on FT8 - in dx'pedition mode. By now, most of us had downloaded the dx'pedition mode version of WSJT-x and had sort of figured out how to do the parameter settings correctly - so quite a few QSO's ensued. I happened to be one of the lucky ones on 160M - there were quite a few others. Watching my screen though (along with KAZ K8KS) it was clear that K1JT still has some clean up work to do to refine the dx'pedition mode software - because the promise of 300 qso's per
Re: Topband: Straws in the wind, continued or, "Where's the DX?" (Epilogue)
Thanks Ed. Yes, it is clear that you "GET IT" - meaning the original point of my message - so many others seemingly did NOT - HI. But that's okay because it created a lot of interest and discussion on this topic - so in the end - it was useful I think. It will be interesting to see what happens to 160m on future dx'peditions (say 2019 and beyond) when the Dxpedition mode of FT8 is perfected. I can easily see that CW will get less AIR TIME on 160M on future dx'peditions and some of it at least will now become FT8 AIR TIME. It is almost a NO BRAINER to see how that could be the likely outcome. Norbert at 7Q7EI elected his last two nights to stay on FT8 because his QRNN level made CW impossible - I think he truly wanted to accomodate those on 160M whom he had not yet worked - but had no choice but to elect to remain on Ft8 - because there he had a fighting chance to decode some NA signals - on CW he clearly did not. Up until now - CW has been the almost total AIR TIME mode of choice on 160M for any dx'pedition - usually ZERO SSB air time was seen and very little (if any) RTTY or PSK operation on 160M has been seen. I do really expect there will be a transition coming - just listen to 1840 every night versus traditional CW - it is happening even now - WITHOUT the perfection of dxpedition mode FT8. Guys will gravitate to WHAT WORKS - if you do not believe that statement, again, just listen to the amount of signals on 1840 on a given night versus what you hear down on CW! (When even W8LRL is up on 1840 every night - you gotta start believing!! HI HI) 73 and thanks guys for all the good back on forth on this topic. And good dx'ing to all on whatever mode works out best for you as you pursue your Dx'ing interests on Topband! JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM Time will tell - STAY TUNED! 73 JEFF In a message dated 2018-04-02 8:28:34 AM Atlantic Standard Time, sawye...@earthlink.net writes: KA1J stated "this is a licensed sport, I see it in some ways like fishing which is also a licensed sport; some catch and keep, some catch and release, some pay big bucks to fly to way out of the way places that most can't afford to do, to get the big fish, some fish the docks. Some like to go on Charter boats, some fish off the shore. Some get famous for fishing (River Monsters) and others compete in an even field to see whose skill is better. Some use a trot line, some use nets, some spear, some remove the barbs from the hooks, some try to get their families involved and some go fishing to get away from their families, and so on, and so on. Each of us has our idea of what Ham Radio should be. Some keep it to themselves, some feel the need to vent but one thing is for sure, we like finding other hams that think as we do. Some of us feel if someone sees things differently, then they are some kind of threat to what we hold sacred, anything negative in the woodpile is the beginning of the end. To me, each of us is competing against ourselves and anything else is like spitting into the wind. If I spent every penny I own on ham equipment, there will be so many more that have far more money than that available as chump change. Any contest I enter, no matter how well I did, someone in my call area could have done better if they had better location, equipment or time into it. All I can do is compete against me and then it is fun. If someone uses CW and hates FT8 or RTTY, whatever the mode and I use FT8, we're not competing against each other, but some see it as a threat to what they see as the brass ring. All my antennas are wire, how can I compete with stacked monobanders? My 160 is a sloper and at max, 50' tall, how can I compete with a full size 4 Square or better? I can't. Nor do I find any value in comparing what I have to do to make a Q compared to what they have to do to make the same contact. I'm happy for them, they're having fun and so am I so everyone wins. DXCC, I need one more for Honor Roll. It's my game against me, not me against some station that makes contacts easier than me. In that light; It's futile to complain about a mode someone else uses in getting the same award because its easier for them not doing it my way. Their award has a value to them and it's not up to me or within my power to assign worth just because I don't like their mode. I personally prefer CW, enjoy RTTY but RTTY is to me pretty much like FT8. One can argue that RTTY with N1MM+, MMTTY and a pan-adapter still require some playing with to make the Q but if the software were out there to do it as automatically as FT8 and make quicker Q's... you can bet your bottom dollar it would be the new contest mode the moment it's released. Bottom line is: If it is a popular mode it is not going away and nobody disliking it will make any difference in the final outcome." This was not the original point of Jeff's (VY2ZM) post actually. The point was that the DX to be worked was no long
Topband: Fwd: Princess Elettra Marconi - YouTube video #2 from Art Donahue W1AWX
hi Bill and Topbanders You all might enjoy seeing this video. Hope the link comes through. 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM The site where this happened is 10 mins up the road from me here on Cape Cod. Pretty neat video I thought Jeff Briggs DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon -Original Message- From: k1zm To: mvializbriggs ; k2dm ; pbriggs876 ; pwbriggs ; k2ek ; du7et ; tony.kaz Sent: Sun, Jun 3, 2018 6:24 am Subject: Fwd: Princess Elettra Marconi - YouTube video #2 from Art Donahue W1AWX hi Guys You might want to take a look at this - it happened just 3 days ago at the Marconi site which we have all visited over the years up in Wellfleet here on Cape Cod. Marconi's daughter who is still alive visted the site and made a CONTACT with SIGNAL HILL, NFLD in the Video! This was a BIg deal! Enjoy JEFF K1ZM Jeff Briggs DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon -Original Message- From: ROBERT DOHERTY Sent: Sat, Jun 2, 2018 7:10 pm Subject: Princess Elettra Marconi - YouTube video #2 from Art Donahue W1AWX Subject: Princess - YouTube video #2 from Art Donahue W1AWX YouTube video #2 from Art Donahue W1AWX https://youtu.be/M7v3Fr3q7aY _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: Some Early Topband Comments...What happened to DX Activity?
GM All It has been asked this week why there seems to be little activity on 160m so far this Fall season. Actually, there is PLENTY of DX activity on Topband so far - but much of it has migrated to 1840 and is on FT8. Last Spring, when 7Q7EI was active, I made a post commenting on FT8. What I said basically at the time was: 1) In July 2017 there was almost a total transition on 6M from Dx'ing on CW mode to FT8 - and that I had recently purchased an IC7300 so I could participate in 6M Dx'ing again during the summer 2018 FT8 sporadic E season . This past summer I joined the gang on FT8 on 50.313 and worked many JA's, into Africa (5A and TY2) and almost made a qso with KH7XS. 2) I noted lst Spring that there would probably be a migration of sorts on 160M to FT8 also - but hoped that CW would remain in use as well - as the traditional DX mode on Topband. So here we are now, not long after the equinox in Fall 2018 on Topband. Here's what I have seen so far over the last several weeks: 1) Almost like clockwork at my SS, FT8 opens the band on 1840 with literally pages of EU DX available - including A41ZZ, 9K2HS and many Eu stations. DM2SP is there every night and many others. 2) If you listen on CW mode - there is very little activity out of EU - some like G3YRO and a few others - but there is little volume available - recently 3V8SS (ASH) was on CW testing out his new 160m antenna as 3V8SF operating on 1837.5 with a big CW signal - and he was doing well in NA as well as into EU. 3) In the mornings on CW - VK3HJ VK3IO and VK2WF have often been available on CW mode - as well as ZL2OK on 160M SSB. Typically now at my SR - there is a mix of FT8 and some CW. E6Y, ZL7X and YJ0GC have shown up on CW all with good signals - so CW is still a part of the game (for now!) FT8 usually is in full swing also at my SR with lots of JA's and some VK/ZL - also VK3HJ, VK3EW and others have been in on CW with great signals - ZL2OK was 5/9 on 1847 SSB recently. The bottom line: FT8 has gained in popularity - largely because it gets through better than CW - and it is a new way to work people that is EASY. A modest 100w station with average antennas on FT8 can work some real DX on 160M these days and it is simply human nature to gravitate to what works BEST for a given person as they approach Dx'ing on 160m. I am hopeful that the 6M "total migration pattern to FT8" experienced in July of 2017 will NOT happen on 160m - but FT8 seems to be where the activity is concentrated so far. We shall see how things continue to play out as the season develops. One final note DX Peditions - especially in places where signals are known to be really weak into Eastern NA - (like my experience at 9M0W last March) should think at least about doing some FT8 while they are out there - in addition to traditional CW mode. TR8CA has commented repeatedly that FT8 "gets through" the African QRNN - far better at his qth than CW mode - which is why Alain uses it so often on 160m. Norbert 7Q7EI said the same thing - he could only hear CW signals in the noise on 160M when he tried it - so he went over to FT8 and made quite a number of NA qso's that way when CW was impossible copy for him. This winter season, I may have a chance to make another trip - too early to comment on it now - but if it happens I can almost guarantee that I will do some FT8 while there - WHY? Because it gets through no doubt about it. Good luck to everyone this season - 160m should be in really great shape this Winter - we are very close to the bottom - it will be either this season or the next - but either way - we are entering the best part of the cycle for weak signal work on Topband! GL to all 73 JEFF VY2ZM/K1ZM _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: VE1ZZ has passed on - Very Very Sad news! (Long)
Hello Gang I am truly saddened to have to pass along the contents of an email I just received from Carl Leahy who was one of Jack Leahy, VE1ZZ's sons. It is short and sweet - but I will add some personal comments after sharing his note to me. += Carl Leahy carl.leahy1@gmail.comHide To k1zm k...@aol.com Jeff, our family wanted you to know that dad passed away last evening. If you could let the people in the ham world know we would really appreciate it. It was a very big part of his life . He had just been talking about you and the book you gave him a few years ago.. Carl Leahy Signing off for VE1ZZ 😞 ++ A few comments from my memory now follow - as best I recall them: VE1ZZ was not only a personal friend to many of us - he was probably one of the finest Topband Dx'ers ever to have lived. He goes back to not long after W1BB came back on the band at the end of WW!! - and was one of the strongest signals I have ever witnessed on Topband. His signal was almost LEGENDARY all over the world. EU stations used to say - "He is almost as loud when he calls in Asian pileups as the EU callers are over here"...and that says it all! Jack Leahy was personally responsible for my migrating to VY2ZM and was here at my home twice - once is 2002 and once in 2012. I last visited him and Opal (his XYL) in August of 2014 with Mike OE6MBG who wanted to meet Jack and see his QTH . When I finally had the time after building my house here on PEI to visit Jack which was probably in July of 2003 or 2004, at first blush his place did not make a huge impression on me because it had only a short triangular portion of land at the road in the Head of Jeddore NE of Halifax - and the land rose rapidly behind his home. One initially wondered "How does he get out so well from here down at the road?" The answer came shortly thereafter - Jack took me out behind the house - and we climbed that hill - up and up and up for something like a MILE - it was a pizza slice in shape and very wide at the top of the hill in the woods - with only about 100 feet (if that) at the road front side of the parcel. Some distance up the hill was Jack's 160m 4sq array - which was made of ROHN 6 tower - that was sitting on 18 wheeler truck tires as base insulators. The towers were not tall - perhaps 55 feet or so and the rest of each radiator was wire - so it was really a WIRE inverted L 4sq. Jack was the "ultimate scavenger" and his radials were all 1-2" diameter pieces of HARDLINE!!! Hundreds of them all over the hillside I think he had a friend in CATV or at his local dump - but he got most of it for next to nothing he said. From that point of his land, he could reach around the HILLTOP on 160m to acquire a clear shot to EU and the South was wide open and to the SW was also clear looking over the water. Looking straight up the hill was probably blocked to some degree - but often this does not matter all that much on Topband. The day I was there was shortly after Jack had managed to communicate across the pond on what I think was 600m - I may be wrong about the frequency - but the antenna he used to make the SLOW SLOW SPEED CW contact was something out of this world! It started about 1/3 of the way up the hill - and ran all the way to the rear of the property to near the furthest reaches of his land - and this was a LONG LONG LONG walk to get there - through some land that I recall was swampy. It had to have been at least 3000 feet long. Part way up the hill, Jack had built a small shelter in which he placed the BIGGEST homebrew loading coil I have ever seen. It was about 4 feet tall and about 8 feet in diameter and wrapped around some kind of coil form he had created. Jack explained that it took him awhile to resonate the system to his desired operating QRG - and this was done by taking a pair of alligator clips and through trial and error he tapped the coil he made - trying to use a DC ammeter to find the point of peak current into the system - which he explained seemed to indicate the system was reasonably matched. His was among the first to work across the pond with that antenna - just one of his many achievements. When I was in the US Navy stationed at Bremerhaven, Germany I used to listen to Jack and W1BB on 160m. W1BB would sit around 1801, KV4FZ often was around 1803 and Jack was down at the low end as well - calling CQ listening QSX up at around 1825-1830 in what was then known as the "DX Window". Jack had a huge signal even then - using equipment that was popular in that era. I recall a Hammarlund HQ 160 Rx or something close to that model - there is a photo of that station from the late 1950's in my book "Dx'ing on the Edge." Jack's More Recent Station - Inside When I first visited Jack in 2003/2004, it was in his old house - not the newer one
Topband: VE1ZZ Local Obituary
Hi Gang One more item to add about Jack A local friend VY2GF sent me his obituary link this morning. Here it is if anyone wants to take a look. 73 JEFF VY2ZM https://www.arbormemorial.ca/atlantic-dartmouth/obituaries/john-william-leahy/25367/?fbclid=IwAR3eZdjoXxSYGLZV-NTm2KhPupRTNSWqwOEz0pThjWIM5YOk4cNJ8iV8wFk _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: TEST
TEST _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: 160m Condx
Band still down a bit from last week but 4k6fo good sigs now on 1830.0 from Alim. 73 JEFF _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: 160m Condx - More ...A Closer Look....
Hi All Thanks for all the observations as to how things look at your specific locations. It has made fascinating reading during what has been a slow period - relatively speaking. As we all know, 160m defies simplistic analysis - and even after some 40 years on the band, I NEVER know exactly what to expect when I sit down in front of the radio. If we PEEL THE ONION just a bit though - right now we have dropped down from a wonderful period (say 02/03 Nov) of low absorption as regards over the pole propagation - (where literally hundreds of JA's could be worked from here starting at 0800z - until around 1100z daily) - with even 7J4AAL coming in here via over the pole prop at 2121z as late as 08 November. But, since then, I have been seeing basically more "normal" propagation - with paths to Western and Central Europe and into the Pacific (VK/ZL) etc - remaining rather okay. However, anything more exotic (except for 4K6FO which is a more southerly route from here) just has not been in there since 03 Nov. I check the band usually at 08z each day - both on CW and sometimes on FT8 for JA friends - and I have not seen or heard a JA at that time since 03 Nov. Eventually - things will quiet down again, the polar routes will again emerge and 160m may again get really exciting until the next flare or storm occurs. So what I am trying to say here - is that things have probably looked okay to most folks over the past week or so - but except for one evening at 0020-0030z when 4S7AB was in there, things have been rather punk looking over the polar routes. There was a glimpse of hope last night though - JW/SM5EPO from Svalbard was in here around 2223z first on CW and then later on FT8 with a workable (but weak) signal - so perhaps things are about to improve again over the tougher paths - let's hope so! CU on the band! 73 JEFF VY2ZM _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters
hm Why would anyone with a LEGITIMATE 339 DXCC entities made on 160m made as licensed station OK1RD submit a DXCC total as CALLSIGN OK1YQ? That's kind of wacky.isn't it? If it is legit - then congrats! 73 JEFF K1ZM In a message dated 11/17/2018 12:33:17 AM Coordinated Universal Time, w...@mindspring.com writes: OK1YQ is actually OK1RD -Original Message- From: donov...@starpower.net Sent: Friday, November 16, 2018 7:06 PM To: topband Subject: Re: Topband: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters JC, I have well over a million QSOs in my computer log but not even a single QSO with OK1YQ 73 Frank W3LPL On 2018-11-16 13:32, n...@n4is.com wrote: > I never heard him on any band but he must be very active on EME > > ARRL DXCC - 2 Meters -151 OK1YQ > > http://www.arrl.org/system/dxcc/view/DXCC-2M-20181116-USLetter.pdf > > 73's JC > N4IS > > -Original Message- > From: Topband On Behalf Of uy0zg > Sent: Friday, November 16, 2018 1:41 PM > To: Topband@contesting.com > Subject: Topband: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters > > > > ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters -339 OK1YQ . > > Who is it ?? > > http://www.arrl.org/system/dxcc/view/DXCC-160M-20181116-A4.pdf#page=1&zoom=a > uto,-12,848 _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: Fwd: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters OK1YQ (OK1RD) Legitimacy???!!!
From: k...@aol.com To: sm2...@telia.com Cc: d...@arrl.org Sent: 11/17/2018 10:33:41 AM Coordinated Universal Time Subject: Re: Topband: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters OK1YQ (OK1RD) Legitimacy???!!! Hmmm again Okay - now I remember this guy and his shenanigans from way back. OK1RD (now masquerading as OK1YQ - which is a callsign that does not appear on qrz.com!) Guys - I would recommend that any of us that are really interested send an email to the ARRL DXCC desk and ask that this 160m DXCC OK1YQ listing be taken down - and that this fellow be prohibited from participating in the DXCC program going forward. This is ridiculous and I agree - who is now running the DXCC desk? Sure wish NN1N and some of the older, wiser DXCC managers were still around to police this kind of activity! What utter nonsense! 73 JEFF VY2ZM In a message dated 11/17/2018 10:07:05 AM Coordinated Universal Time, sm2...@telia.com writes: If OK1YQ is OK1RD as you say Bob, then pse read: http://www.g3txf.com/dxtrip/Fake-C21XF/Fake-C21.html https://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php?action=printpage;topic=110968.0 73 Peter SM2CEW At 00:32 2018-11-17, Bob W4DR wrote: >OK1YQ is actually OK1RD > >-Original Message- From: donov...@starpower.net >Sent: Friday, November 16, 2018 7:06 PM >To: topband >Subject: Re: Topband: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters > > >JC, > > >I have well over a million QSOs in my computer log but not even a >single QSO with OK1YQ > > >73 >Frank >W3LPL > > >On 2018-11-16 13:32, n...@n4is.com wrote: >>I never heard him on any band but he must be very active on EME >> >>ARRL DXCC - 2 Meters -151 OK1YQ >> >>http://www.arrl.org/system/dxcc/view/DXCC-2M-20181116-USLetter.pdf >> >>73's JC >>N4IS >> >>-Original Message- From: Topband >> On Behalf Of uy0zg >>Sent: Friday, November 16, 2018 1:41 PM >>To: Topband@contesting.com >>Subject: Topband: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters >> >> >> >>ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters -339 OK1YQ . >> >>Who is it ?? >> >>http://www.arrl.org/system/dxcc/view/DXCC-160M-20181116-A4.pdf#page=1&zoom=a >>uto,-12,848 >_ >Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector > >_ >Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector >_ >Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Fwd: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters OK1YQ (OK1RD) Legitimacy???!!!
FYI There is a NEW EMAIL ADDRESS for the ARRL DXCC DESK - it is dxccad...@arrl.org Pls send your comments to this email address for investigation and possible action! Thanks! 73 JEFF Vy2ZM In a message dated 11/17/2018 10:45:27 AM Coordinated Universal Time, lennart.michaels...@telia.com writes: Good idea Jeff! Thanks Peter for digging in this mudd! 73 Len/BIC -Ursprungligt meddelande- Från: Topband För k1zm--- via Topband Skickat: den 17 november 2018 11:43 Till: topband@contesting.com Ämne: Topband: Fwd: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters OK1YQ (OK1RD) Legitimacy???!!! From: k...@aol.com To: sm2...@telia.com Cc: d...@arrl.org Sent: 11/17/2018 10:33:41 AM Coordinated Universal Time Subject: Re: Topband: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters OK1YQ (OK1RD) Legitimacy???!!! Hmmm again Okay - now I remember this guy and his shenanigans from way back. OK1RD (now masquerading as OK1YQ - which is a callsign that does not appear on qrz.com!) Guys - I would recommend that any of us that are really interested send an email to the ARRL DXCC desk and ask that this 160m DXCC OK1YQ listing be taken down - and that this fellow be prohibited from participating in the DXCC program going forward. This is ridiculous and I agree - who is now running the DXCC desk? Sure wish NN1N and some of the older, wiser DXCC managers were still around to police this kind of activity! What utter nonsense! 73 JEFF VY2ZM In a message dated 11/17/2018 10:07:05 AM Coordinated Universal Time, sm2...@telia.com writes: If OK1YQ is OK1RD as you say Bob, then pse read: http://www.g3txf.com/dxtrip/Fake-C21XF/Fake-C21.html https://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php?action=printpage;topic=110968.0 73 Peter SM2CEW At 00:32 2018-11-17, Bob W4DR wrote: >OK1YQ is actually OK1RD > >-Original Message- From: donov...@starpower.net >Sent: Friday, November 16, 2018 7:06 PM >To: topband >Subject: Re: Topband: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters > > >JC, > > >I have well over a million QSOs in my computer log but not even a >single QSO with OK1YQ > > >73 >Frank >W3LPL > > >On 2018-11-16 13:32, n...@n4is.com wrote: >>I never heard him on any band but he must be very active on EME >> >>ARRL DXCC - 2 Meters -151 OK1YQ >> >>http://www.arrl.org/system/dxcc/view/DXCC-2M-20181116-USLetter.pdf >> >>73's JC >>N4IS >> >>-Original Message- From: Topband >> On Behalf Of uy0zg >>Sent: Friday, November 16, 2018 1:41 PM >>To: Topband@contesting.com >>Subject: Topband: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters >> >> >> >>ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters -339 OK1YQ . >> >>Who is it ?? >> >>http://www.arrl.org/system/dxcc/view/DXCC-160M-20181116-A4.pdf#page=1&; >>zoom=a >>uto,-12,848 >_ >Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband >Reflector > >_ >Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband >Reflector _ Searchable Archives: >http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: Fwd: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters OK1YQ (OK1RD) Legitimacy???!!!
Time to take action on this one please Thanks to all who find the time to do so. 73 JEFF From: k...@aol.com To: n...@n4is.com Sent: 11/17/2018 3:56:25 PM Coordinated Universal Time Subject: Re: Topband: Fwd: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters OK1YQ (OK1RD) Legitimacy???!!! JC and other 160m ops PLEASE DO write to the ARRL DXCCDESK to complain about this OK1YQ matter - this guy has to be stopped. If we do not go after this guy - he will just do more of the same and continue to get away with it. AGAIN THE email address is dxccad...@arrl.org Tks to all who take the time to complain about this fellow - we should not just "grouse about it" here on the reflector ...Rather - it is time to voice our strong, unequivocal feelings to HQ and the DXCC Desk - so this guy can be thrown out of the DXCC program - once and for all. 73 and thanks guys! JEFF K1ZM In a message dated 11/17/2018 12:55:11 PM Coordinated Universal Time, n...@n4is.com writes: Hi Jeff We have a similar problem with several "PY" faking QSL, QSO and even LOTW confirmation by the DX operator. We've been reporting (we.. N4IS, PY2XB , PY2RO and PY5EG), documenting on paper, talking and meeting with ARRL officials including the DXCC desk for several years, and ARRL just don’t care! This is a sad growing problem. Regards JC N4IS -Original Message- From: Topband On Behalf Of k1zm--- via Topband Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2018 5:48 AM To: lennart.michaels...@telia.com; topband@contesting.com Subject: Re: Topband: Fwd: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters OK1YQ (OK1RD) Legitimacy???!!! FYI There is a NEW EMAIL ADDRESS for the ARRL DXCC DESK - it is dxccad...@arrl.org Pls send your comments to this email address for investigation and possible action! Thanks! 73 JEFF Vy2ZM In a message dated 11/17/2018 10:45:27 AM Coordinated Universal Time, lennart.michaels...@telia.com writes: Good idea Jeff! Thanks Peter for digging in this mudd! 73 Len/BIC -Ursprungligt meddelande- Från: Topband För k1zm--- via Topband Skickat: den 17 november 2018 11:43 Till: topband@contesting.com Ämne: Topband: Fwd: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters OK1YQ (OK1RD) Legitimacy???!!! From: k...@aol.com To: sm2...@telia.com Cc: d...@arrl.org Sent: 11/17/2018 10:33:41 AM Coordinated Universal Time Subject: Re: Topband: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters OK1YQ (OK1RD) Legitimacy???!!! Hmmm again Okay - now I remember this guy and his shenanigans from way back. OK1RD (now masquerading as OK1YQ - which is a callsign that does not appear on qrz.com!) Guys - I would recommend that any of us that are really interested send an email to the ARRL DXCC desk and ask that this 160m DXCC OK1YQ listing be taken down - and that this fellow be prohibited from participating in the DXCC program going forward. This is ridiculous and I agree - who is now running the DXCC desk? Sure wish NN1N and some of the older, wiser DXCC managers were still around to police this kind of activity! What utter nonsense! 73 JEFF VY2ZM In a message dated 11/17/2018 10:07:05 AM Coordinated Universal Time, sm2...@telia.com writes: If OK1YQ is OK1RD as you say Bob, then pse read: http://www.g3txf.com/dxtrip/Fake-C21XF/Fake-C21.html https://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php?action=printpage;topic=110968.0 73 Peter SM2CEW At 00:32 2018-11-17, Bob W4DR wrote: >OK1YQ is actually OK1RD > >-Original Message- From: donov...@starpower.net >Sent: Friday, November 16, 2018 7:06 PM >To: topband >Subject: Re: Topband: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters > > >JC, > > >I have well over a million QSOs in my computer log but not even a >single QSO with OK1YQ > > >73 >Frank >W3LPL > > >On 2018-11-16 13:32, n...@n4is.com wrote: >>I never heard him on any band but he must be very active on EME >> >>ARRL DXCC - 2 Meters -151 OK1YQ >> >>http://www.arrl.org/system/dxcc/view/DXCC-2M-20181116-USLetter.pdf >> >>73's JC >>N4IS >> >>-Original Message- From: Topband >> On Behalf Of uy0zg >>Sent: Friday, November 16, 2018 1:41 PM >>To: Topband@contesting.com >>Subject: Topband: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters >> >> >> >>ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters -339 OK1YQ . >> >>Who is it ?? >> >>http://www.arrl.org/system/dxcc/view/DXCC-160M-20181116-A4.pdf#page=1&; >>zoom=a >>uto,-12,848 >_ >Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband >Reflector > >_ >Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband >Reflector _ Searchable Archives: >http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters
Joel Quite a few 160m friends have sent emails to Sharon Tarantula - and she has replied to each of us - saying the matter will be investigated. Thanks for your support of this matter. 73 JEFF In a message dated 11/19/2018 11:24:08 PM Coordinated Universal Time, w...@w5zn.org writes: I haven't really followed the 160 meter DXCC card checking process closely since I retired from ARRL elected volunteer service almost 10 years ago and after my good friend Dave NN1N departed I lost any real inquiry opportunity other than a "regular" member would have ":-))" so I have no clue what the current procedure is for a DXCC Field Checker to validate 160 meter DXCC cards. Regardless, as Jeff ZM urges, drop a note to the DXCC desk at HQ and also maybe your ARRL Director (please don't bug a Director in another Division, bug yours!). I would expect it to be investigated if enough folks raise the issue. 73 Joel W5ZN On 2018-11-17 08:08, Bill Tippett wrote: >>> "There have been no uploads for OK1YQ therefore it all has to be >>> cards. 73 > > Clive GM3POI" > > > Thanks Clive. I was under the mistaken impression that ARRL had closed > > the previous loopholes in their paper card process but that is clearly > not > > the case. This (paper cheating on 160 cards) has been going on since > at > > least the late 1980s, so I thought the process would have been > corrected > > by now. Something as simple as "IF 160 total is in the Top X, > crosscheck > > with someone knowledgeable about 160" (even a past or current ARRL > President > > would do...LOL). I don't know what the qualifications are for "160 > certified" > > log checkers but this may need to be reviewed. > > > I was also not intending to cast any aspersions about the integrity of > > LOTW, but as we've seen in the news the past few years, ANYTHING > connected > > to the Internet is subject to hacks. I'm sure ARRL will be > investigating > > everything in their validation process. They are our last and best > hope > > for maintaining the integrity of DXCC (notwithstanding remote country > > cheating, which is another topic). > > > 73, Bill W4ZV > > > P.S I know of at least 6 folks who have been disqualified for 160 > cheating, > > so yes, ARRL does care about this. > _ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband > Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: V84SAA notes and suggestions - pls take a look - it may help u to work us on 160m!
Hi Gang Our team is getting ready for V84SAA and we just posted some operating notes for Topband on our website which is now live. In addition to what is there, please take a look at the tips below which may HELP U WORK US! From 9M0W - I personally learned this is one of the most gawd-awful paths into Eastern NA imaginable! It is hard to appreciate what we will be dealing with coming out of our headphones: a) Doppler shift on weak NA signals. b) Dropped portions of morse CW characters - like instead of HEARING W4ZV - what I swore I heard was N4IS calling me one morning. I totally missed the W - I heard the 4 and from the Z I did not hear the two DAHS in the Z. What I then heard was 4 dit dit and then from the V I heard the dit dit dit and not the DAH at the end of the V!! So since that is what we will be dealing with - even with the BEST xmit antennas we can manage and some good RX antennas, we are going to have to work very HARD to deal with this kind of tough path. BUT YOU CAN HELP US!!! Please do *not simply call us ONCE at 35wpm on a qsb peak - and then wait for the next several CQ passes from us to call us again. That may seem logical - but it is not what will likely get you in our log. I personally recommend that you keep sending your call - over and over - which in the end may allow us to piece it together somehow. KJ9I is a perfect example of someone who did it right at 9M0W. I blew his call several times - but because he kept sending it over and over - I finally managed to piece it together and Dave now has a richly deserved 9M0W qsl to show for it. So without beating this to death too much - please appreciate what we will be dealing with and try to adapt your calling sequences to what we know will work best for US. 9M0W was a humbling experience for us out there - and even though you will have some pretty damned good lowband ops trying to work you on Topband - I can guarantee you that it will be really tough to get anyone East of the Mississippi River into our 160m log. Please note - we have a really good darkness overlap with all of NA starting at our SUNSET each evening. We also will have some great LONGPATH opening chances into VE1/VE9/VY2/VO1/VO2 and then W1/2/3 at your local SUNSET here on the East Coast of NA. Remember - it will likely be SHORTPATH well before your local SR time (meaning you aim to the N/NW) skirting the auroral ovals at our Sunset and you want to look SE at your SUNSET over the long path to work us - meaning you aim at about 150 degrees. This will correspond to our local SR event. Last year there really was no path for us SE over the longpath at our SS - although NO3M reported the path did shift around at his Rx location - but even for him it was mainly a shortpath event. And he should know because Eric was our most NE contact from 9M0W and he heard us several times coming over the pole out of the NE. Good luck to all - we are a little more than a month away now. HNY to all 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: CT1ILT request
Hi Guys Thanks for the suggestion Filipe - YES - I am aware of the issues with CT and even G/GM from out your way. The good news is that EU signals are at least 10db louder coming our way - which may help us to hear some of you guys as our SR nears. I will make a note to try to focus on this point as operations progress. Thanks for letting us know... Good luck! 73 JEFF Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: JW5E/Svalbard Experience and CQ 160m contest comments
Hi There Miriam and I just returned home to Cape Cod and are re-packing for our trip out to V84SAA on Tuesday. I thought I might pen a few lines about what it was like to visit Svalbard for the past 6 days - and to operate at JW5E. First - perhaps I did not enough homework about the place - but in my "mind's eye" I was assuming some quanset huts and a very primitive and spartan lifestyle on Svalbard. Boy was I ever wrong!!! Here is a quick summary: 1) The place is at almost 79 degrees North but it is warmer than VY2ZM at this time of year 2) It is a thriving city of some 2200 residents who basically want for almost nothing - except for daylight during this time of polar night up there 2a) I was amazed to spot a TOYOTA automobile dealership - never expected to see that up there 2b) We went to a bank and the ATM said "Welcome to the northernmost ATM machine in the WORLD!!!" WOW! 3) There were at least 7 really fine restaurants, many very high end boutique shops for the XYL to browse and spend some money at 4) There was a hospital, school, museum and a university to explore 5) On Thursday night we went to the Performing Arts Center - with seating for about 500 - and saw some wonderful musical entertainment consisting of rock, broadway type show songs, dancing and vocal ensembles that were first rate. The sound system was impressive and the feel of the place as well. 6) The burgers,pizza and fine dining was superb. 7) The locals are among the friendliest people you ever want to meet 8) We saw some great aurora, had a dinner at a trapper's lodge, visited with the huskies, went into a coal mine one afternoon and spent lots of time walking up and down the main street walker's mall where autos are not allowed 9) Anyone can live there (which is a bit different than many places where more formal arrangements are necessary) as the place is loosely affiliated with Norway. Bear Island is also part of Svalbard but JAN MAYEN (JX) is a true part of Norway. 10) As such immigrant Svalbard residents cannot vote in Norwegian elections - native Norwegian citizens may (I think) where the rules are more well defined 11) Polar night is a bit weird - it was always dark but from 10-13 hours local time one could see the "white nights" type of sky to the South that we saw in Helsinki during WRTC 2002 in July. The sun will soon show its face again in about a month's time in JW land. As such the place is lit up all 24 hours of the day by man-made lighting - with coal providing the electric power and heat for the whole town. 12) There were some gradations in houses and neighborhoods - the upper crust lives on a ridge aptly named "BEVERLY HILLS"!!! 13) There was little snowfall while we were there - some drifting along the permafrost roadways - and spiked tires are "de-rigeur" in winter in JW land. 14) There is an outpost to the North that is Russian occupied - two in fact - not all that far from Longyearbyn either. We heard about Isiford Radio where JW7QIA often operates but it was closed at this time of year. One gets there either by 3.5 hours on a skidoo or by zodiac boats in summer - where there is a fine hotel and a 5 star restaurant for those who go there. This is worth the effort to visit for sure - it is quite special. 15) Condx in the contest were total polar propagation - I could never hear the BIG GUNS I was expecting - meaning W2GD/K3ZM/N5DX/K1DG/AA1K/N4IS - it was a total wipeout along the entire USA east coast. nothing heard at all even though I kept checking the spots - but signals just were not there I did work NO3M and N0FW around 0700z - and VE3EJ had the most consistent signal for a couple of hours.549/559 - which is a solid signal considering that no one else could be copied at that time. I also heard KV0Q Bill in Colo and worked N9RV Pat in Montana who was LOUD for about 90 seconds and then went POOF. UA4M and UA1OMS were the most consistent "local" signals - but there would be 30-40 minute periods when NO SIGNALS were present on the band. I did alot of tuning and managed to work 31 stations in 12 DXCC entities - 6 of which were the NA stations noted above. This was in 14 hours - which came out to about $4 per qso - since JW5E rental is about $110 per day - hi. But the experience was well worth it! ON BALANCE - this was a really neat place to visit - even in Winter - in summer it tops out at about 50F in the high season and of course, that is when the tour ships all go to JW when there is perpetual summer daylight in the place. Gotta close now - lots of things to do before we make the long trip out to Borneo! Hope to work as many as possible from NA this time out - we surely are going to do our best to hear and work you guys and gals! 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _
Topband: V84SAA will be on 1805.2 qsx 1808.2 starting 2145z - a bit earlier on 3505 or so GL
Worked CX6VM this Am on 160m - so NA is possible on 160m maybe easier on 80m cw via LP. 73 JEFF Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: V84SAA report 1530z 09 Feb
Hi Gang I am off to bed but a quick update on the lowbands out here. On 80m at our SS we had some good luck. K1LZ worked KV4FZ, FM5BH K8MFO some W0's W3LPL, W3UR and quite a few others. This was as the sun setting out over the ocean. On 160m where I was - it was really tough - but managed to copy N4IS in (FLA) and work N0FW in Cincinnati Ohio. We have a 1000 ft beverage aimed at NA on the short path - and the xmit antenna is almost in the salt water - but honestly NA signals on Topband are about RST 109 for the most part. Only the west coast is about 559 with some exceptions Keep the faith - we are trying - with an S meter resting at S1 and only atmospheric noise to deal with - it is still beyond hard to hear stations considerably BELOW that level. It is almost ESP like out here on Topband! Keep the faith - maybe we will get an uptick in propagation while we are here 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: V84SAA 10 Feb SR Report 80m and 160m
Hi ALl Just got back from the CW site. I worked W1NA via LP at about 2237z on 1805.5 qsx 1808.5 I do this set of frequencies to try to focus on NA at both SR and SS - as it helps keep a bit of order out of ASIA and EU. Still some do CALL outside their allowed band segments. This was my first breakthrough to the NA east coast on 160m - I heard no other callers - I was there from 2150z to 2250z cq'ing for NA steadily. Wish there had been others... I will be back at SS again looking for NA Next to me on 80m about 3505 - K1LZ managed to work my brother K3ZM via the LP also - there may have been others. Part of the problem on 80m is that one cannot HIDE from unwanted callers - W3LPL had a tough slog to get through the very loud JA callers - I am sure it would have been much easier if Asia had stopped calling. But it is what it is. We know many want their Q and get impatient - it happens and we just have to go with the flow - HI. We will there again at our SS - 1805.5 for 160m and around 3505 for 80m. Keep your ears on pls! 73 JEFF K1ZM Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: 10 Feb SS REPORT V84SAA
Little to report to the NA East Coast at our SS time - worked only N4IS - I think I heard other vy weak stations calling but could not put together any calls the signals were so weak. Will be on for the SR opening to the East Coast starting 2145z or so - either 1805.5 or perhaps 1826.5 this morning - in both cases QSX UP 3 khz. Jeff Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: V84SAA Status report 11 Feb at about 0211Z
Hi All I need some sleep badly but there is good news to report. We are almost at 3,000 qso's already on 160m - and they keep on coming - most are from JA and Eu - the Eu signals were so loud last night that Krassy ran 300 of them on 160m in about 3 hours. First our SS - this is still a bit of a bummer! So far the furthest penetration into W1-W4 has been to N4IS in Fla. I did also work Pete N0FW in OHIO - but man was he weak - but who cares - it was a good qso. No other W8/W9 as yet - dunno why. We have worked a few W0 stations and quite a few W5/W6/W7 - this is about the same as last year at 9M0W. += THE BIG NEWS OF TODAY WAS THE SR OPENING INTO W1 ON THE LONG PATH. It was open to VO1HP as early as 2124z - and at 2148z Don Greenbaum N1DG called me right over top of the Eu stations - a solid 569 and I knew we finally had some PROP! I then went down to my preferred NA freq of 1805.5 and was spotted - then in quick succession managed to workAA1V in MAK1WHS in MEK1FZ in MEK1RL in MAW1RM in CT and W1LU ( I think ) at my exact SR time - might be CT or MAINE - not sure of that one. Judging on where these guys are located - it seems this was primarily a coastal event - as most of these stations are not very far inland. Several of them are definitely near SALT WATER - no surprise there. W1NA from yesterday is on Cape Cod - also near salt water! I am positive there were other callers as I heard tidbits way way down there - pretty sure I was getting called by others. Over on 80m Krassy was watching me do my thing into NE but he had NOTHING on 80m on the Long Path That boggles my mind as we were sharing the same RX antenna - no idea how 160m could be open via LP and not 80m - never seen that before! We are discussing options for a dedicated SW Rx antenna - which may boost signal LP levels into W1-W3 for the rest of our time.It still is a bit of chaos out here - but I am hoping we find a way to work on the LP RX that we do not yet have. So there is a chance for more - just keep ur ears on. EU and JA dominates as expected- with huge signal levels - at our SS we usually try hard for the east coast - but nothing usually happens until the SR reaches W5 - then we get 5/6/7 stations - some with reasonable signal levels. Today - N1DG was the loudest out of NE on the long path - followed by AA1V - K1WHS/K1FZ/K1RL and W1RM were all good copy but down at least an S unit from these two guys. W1LU was weak just as I was going into daylight. We had a great opening ceremony hosted by the Brunei Amateur Radio Assn on Saturday afternoon - there was press coverage, plus we were an item on the 6PM news hour on TV that night - and today's local paper has a group photo and a short article on our dx'pedition. I have to say that the VOLUNTEER effort on our behalf by the local V8 hams and their wives is nothing short of extraordinary. They catered the whole event, invited the deputy chief of the local FCC (called AITI) as the guest of honor - and V85TL and K1LZ made opening speeches. So we are having great fellowship out here with our brethren hams from V8. Last night I had a long chat with V85A - famous for his VOODOO AUDIO. He is a great guy and Krassy and I had fun meeting and talking with Rahman. Over at the SSB site (which I have not managed to find time to visit - I do not even know **where** it is exactly!) - LZ2HM reported to me this morning that they have made 4,000 FT8 qso's already - wow. We may still have a chance to do some FT8 on Topband - but pls do not hold your breath - as we have no good internet at the CW site - which is needed to keep the WSJTx time synched - but perhaps we will find a way to get something going in several days. Many of us are staying up in JERUDONG and the transit time to the CW site is about 27 mins. I almost know the route with my eyes closed by now - as I have made at least 3 trips daily so far - to make sure I do not miss a prime time NA opening. So rest assured - we are giving it 100% despite not yet having achieved what I had hoped for into NA. But we are trying and we never give up! GL to all - and keep ur ears on! 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon f _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: V8 Topband Report our SS 12 FEB and SR 13 Feb
Hi All Last nite I had a family matter to take care of and could not be at the SS opening our time - your SR time. Adi covered for me later assisted by JT1CO. A quick check shows that Adi worked 31 NA stations during that opening last night - and a few of them were interesting catches - eg: NP2J, C6AGU, NO8D, NX4D, K4SV - and the usual crop of 5/6/7 land stations. I checked the log and Adi's last NA contact was much later than normal that I have seen - he logged K7IDX at 1532z - I usually start getting overrun with EU callers by 1430z and switch over to the EU antenna at that time - this antenna has to be manually changed each night - which is why I often shift my focus to EU at what seems to be a good time. This morning at OUR SR I was able to be there and pls note that each day at 2145z - I depart from 1822 or 1823 and qsy to 1805.5 qsx up 3 on 1808.5. I did not hear any NA from 2145z - 2245z - I CQ'd for an hour - NADA. However - at 2145z VO1HP copied me on 1822 - with a good signal - and called me but I did not hear him. I hrd him two days ago but we did not connect that day - so I am still looking to work East coast VE via the long path. Again - I am out there tonight again for you SR opening - I usually start with Ja until the sun gets low in the sky - once the sun sets, the really strong part of the opening has passed it seems. Hope to work some more of you tonight - remember - you want to look on 1805.5 qsx up 3 and not around 1822. 73 and GL JEFF Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: V84SAA 160m Report 14 Feb 2019 0430z
Hi Gang Last night we got out to the beach CW site an hour or so before SS. We tried hard for the east coast, but I believe all that we worked were stations West of the Mississippi river. Some high points were these: 1) We picked up 25 more NA stations during our SS opening 2) Interesting catches were KH7XS, AH6QM, D4C, XX9X, 3) Our new DHDL, aimed at 150 degrees, paid off in spades - as we strung together about 8 VK stations - many whom had advised us earlier in the week that they were copying us and calling - but despite hearing them - copying their calls was very difficult until last night when it was far easier to hear them - so that worked. 3) I think we worked something like 150 stations overall bringing our 160m total to about 3,600 Topband qso's. I should point out that our DUPE percentage is HIGH - something like 365 dupes as I recall. 4) I tried at our SR this morning and heard nothing at all from NA - although I had a sked with VO1HP but did not hear Frank - having heard him well two days ago and he has heard us at least twice so far. 5) The Topband pileups have slowed down now and we seem to be left with callers out of EU who really want to work us but probably have lesser equipped stations and perhaps lower power. I say this because it often takes me 3 minutes to copy and confirm a callsign now - which makes the rate quite slow. No matter - We know many want their chance to work V8 on 160m and we will keep at it for as long as we can to please as many as we possibly can on Topband. 6 The ARRL CW DX Contest is this weekend and I have not heard from K1LZ how we wishes to structure our operations. Our choices might be to work PHONE and FT8 only - and limit our CW activity recognizing the global impacts of the contest. On Topband - personally I might favor coming on at both our Grayline periods (SR and SS) and staying on 1805.5 qsx up 3 - since only a small amount of contest activity on CW ever occurs below 1810khz. No promises on this one - but that makes sense to me. A number of us visited the home of V85A yesterday - I did not myself - but I know many did and ADI S55M managed to fix V85A's amplifier which had been down. I did hear talk of perhaps doing some of the contest from there by some of our ops - but this is a rumor at this point It is now around12:30PM local time and I am gonna catch some ZZZ's and head out to the beach to work our SS opening in a few hours - I surely hope we have some conditions to the East of the Mississippi river then - I missed perhaps the best night two days ago - and I know there are many who still want to work us in W2/W3/W4. - I did not mention W1 - but that too - it is just so hard to work that region - it is far easier on our morning LP route - but even this path is totally variable. It only opens well once in awhile but we will be there trying rest assured! GL to all - we hope to log more of you in the coming days. We are nearing the end of this soon! 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: V84SAA SR report 15 Feb - ANd final schedules of operation
Yesterday it looks like 203 additional qso's were made on Topband. Condx were good to NA from 1025z - 1100z - but rather poor later into EU. We did manage to work 33 qso's into NA during the SS opening - after 1100z signals drop rapidly though (like a rock) - so it is best to be there BEFORE we go into darkness. We have seen this for several days now - and while there are guys still hearing us and calling us - we just cannot decipher the calls after 1100z - they are about RST 119 at best after 11z. Once SR occurs in W5 W7 and W6 - signals get loud enough again to have a chance to figure out a callsign. GL to all there are 4 more chances to work us from NA - 2 on SS and 2 on SR Most of us depart on the 18th in the Am - so teardown is set for all day on the 17th -our last operations 160m will likely end at SR our time on the 17th. 73 JEFF Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: V84SAA 16 Feb 0100z -- A bit of chaos but some success also.....
Hi Guys A quick report on things here: 1) At our SS - there was a short opening to NA from 1035-1048z or so and we worked K9CT/K2FF/NA5NN/K9UWA/N4CC and a few others - 7-8 total I think. Later around 100 more EU stations. 2) The plans for our SR at 2145z on 160m were altered (unbeknownst to me) by a prior commitment made to PY5EG to try FT8 on 1836 starting around 2130z looking for SA friends. We did come up on FT8 on 1836 and worked a slew of EU callers on Ft8 - I have no idea how many - but it was a lot. 3) Krassy showed up around 2200z and we re-jigged the 160m radio setup for 80 CW and we got on around 2215z I think. We set up split headphones so we both could attempt to pull callsigns out of the massive pile - and I know we worked a ton of East coast via LP on 3503 qsx up 1 on 3504. Although not a complete list - here is who I remember we worked N1SV/W1QS/N1RJ/W3BGN/WT3Q/W1FV/VA2EW/N2ZX/VE9AA - there were others - I just cannot remember them all here at the hotel. 4) We are working the contest on some bands today BUT BUT - Despite that contest effort here - I will try my best to do the 160M SS and SR openings again on 1805.5 qsx 1808.5 as I think no contest activity usually takes place below 1810. It should be relatively easy to do that again. K1UO and VO1HP - please remember the planned CALLING FREQS and the times we established. I will do my best to honor them. As long as these plans do not get re-arranged - I will be there trying these last two windows for NA. Last night at my SS I did work K9CT with a very strong signal around 1035z or so. So there is hope still - HI. We start takedown at SR 2300z tomorrow morning - the 17th our time. Most of us fly home on the 18th. Gl to all - and BTW we are over 50,000 contacts now. 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: V84SAA Final Report as of 2300z 16 Feb 2019
GA All Teardown has been achieved and we will have a group dinner to celebrate tonight at 7:30PM First - thanks to everyone for looking out for us and trying to work us on Topband. We had a great time trying to hear and work you and I hope you had fun chasing us. I know we did not work all who wanted a qso on Topband - but we were there at every opening and even made a few extra qso's in the ARRL DX CW contest today - quite a few of these were into NA on 160m.. This exercise was instructive to us in a number of ways: 1) V85 and this part of the world is damned difficult to work into from NA districts W1 and W2. For example, here are some numbers: W1 - 8 qso's in all - All via the LP around our SR - W2 - NONE (At least none that I can recall...) W3 - 2 qso's - one via LP and one via SP as I recall W4 - Quite a few - this part of NA is workable more easily - All qso's via SP W5 - Good propagation via the SP - reliable every night W6/W7 - These districts have what I call the "front door" to this part of the world on Topband W8 - One as I recall - but maybe there were 1-2 more W9 - Only a handful via SP W0 - Around 10-15 qso's (if that) - all via SP Some observations: 1) Antennas work well when placed near salt water! You all commented that we had a great XMIT signal. 2) Short path propagation is best right at our SS - and drops off rapidly after about 25-30 mins 3) Long path peaks start about 30 mins before our local SR and fade rapidly as we go into daylight 4) 80m is far easier into NA than 160m is - for sure. 5) We know we were out transmitting our ability to hear via the LP into NA at our SR (This may have been a case of shooting ourselves in the foot! ) We heard W1NA and N1DG very well early in the week at 2200z or so - but it was almost a total bust into W1 after that. Some changes were made in the splitting of our RX antennas the next day - and for the life of me - I am beginning to think we lost something in that process. I usually do not like making changes to an environment that works - and I think we hurt ourselves by trying to do too much - when simpler had proven itself to be working relatively well. Sorry for that - especially to VO1HP who was heard and should have been in our 160m log. Frank heard us almost every day on the LP - & I heard him the day we worked N1DG - but never thereafter - which is a real downer... We never completed a qso that was relatively easy to achieve IMHO. LP into VO1 is quite good from this part of the world - especially if attempted on a clear frequency. Statistics (Note that the FINAL CLUBLOG numbers are not yet posted as I write this!) And the 160m numbers shown there include some OTHER BAND QSO's that happened to be made at the 160m equipment during the daytime. It looks like 3,677 Total 160m QSo's were made on 160m CW - I do not know the FT8 total but it was contributory as well. FT8 was worked mainly out of the SSB camp and one night with us in the CW camp. Most qso's were in Asia and Europe. NA was harder to crack - even on FT8. More than 400 CW qso's were made into NA on Topband (with the addition of the ARRL CW Dx Test numbers). Europe dominated our numbers - followed by JAPAN/ASIA. Note that it was hard to work into VK - and I do not remember working a ZL. Finally, I am aware that there are some band logging errors and surely there will be some busted calls in our log due to the ESP-like signal levels that we were dealing with much of the time. Please be patient as these are sorted out and pls do this via our QSL manager. And please do not ask me about other bands - I did not ever leave the 160m chair and never even visited the SSB camp - I do not even know where it was or how to get there - my singular focus was 160m for the past 10 days and K1LZ was the MAN on 80 CW 99% of the time. We sat next to each other and I thought we each helped each other as things progressed. BUT I do have a personal copy of the 160m logs - just in case there are issues where the QSL manager asks me for an opinion regarding a specific qso. 73 to all and thanks for helping us make this a successful lowband-focused dx'pedition. We had fun - the pleasure was all ours! Thanks for being a part of it! JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: The V84SAA Expedition - Part I Prologue
Gm Gang I am going to post a series of notes about our recently completed V84SAA Dx'pedition as some have asked me to do so. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ THESE STORIES PLS HIT THE DELETE KEY!! Thanks! How it all began? You may recall that our team activated 9M0W last March and soon thereafter K1LZ and I were talking about - "Okay...What do we want to do next?" We thought about V85 (Brunei) because our 9M0W team mates from Sabah told us it was only a 5 our drive from Kota Kinabalu down to the V8 border and these guys could assist with some logistics to include a site visit and bringing down some things we would need. In addition I had received some emails from K9UWA and DU7ET asking about activating V8 and we knew it was super rare on 160m from most of mainland USA. A Dialogue Begins Krassy K1LZ and I initially envisioned a smallish team of JT1CO/K1LZ/K1ZM/9M6KOM/S55M and perhaps one or two more - but as we all now know this became a rather large team of 26 operators - spread out over two camps - one for SSB and one for CW - separated by some 20km or so The Search for a CW Site Begins Initially I became the point-man and my task was to locate a site with a salt water takeoff to Eu and Na - where we might have low noise, room for antennas, commercial power and a place from which to operate. I spent about a month looking at google maps of Brunei and suggestions were made about Serasa Beach, Muara and Istana Pantai. Serasa beach was okay for NA but it beamed through the capital city to acquire Eu - so that was quickly eliminated. Muara had some issues also and Istana Pantai was recently taken over as a British garrison - so the search continued. I did a lot of reading about prior dx'peditions and two caught my attention - one by a SCOT and two other EU guys looked interesting and I wrote to them and learned eventually that the rental villa they had used was now under renovation and was not available to us. I also read about the two Italian dx'peditions - by the same Italian team I think - in 2007 and 2012 I think. I wrote to the team leader who was very helpful in telling me much about Sera Kenangan Beach - which is where they operated from. Also Adrian was on a dxpedition in Novermber/December with the Italian team and had learned much about Kenangan beach while in Africa as a part of the Italian team All of these points of contact led us to learn more about V8 and what it would be like down in TUTONG ad Kenangan beach. I also looked at the Italian website from 2012 and their photos and how they had arrayed their antennas - and it looked quite promising to me. At the same time - my assignment was to look into acquiring a V8 license and this is where I had the good fortune to meet Tamat Lampoh V85T/V85TL who is the 2nd oldest licensed amateur in V8 - having secured his license just after independence from the UK. In August of 2018 Tamat and I started a dialogue via email. With his help and guidance I managed to apply for and secure an individual license for myself as V85/K1ZM and one for Miriam as V85/KK1ZM - who is my XYL. This was useful but these callsigns never went on the air. The next task was to apply to the AITI authority in Brunei for a GROUP DX'pedition callsign. Here I learned that this required a local SPONSOR - and Tamat who is a principal in the Brunei Darussalem Amateur Radio Assn agreed to help me with the sponsorship required. He explained that it would likely be a V84 callsign and it would likely be a three letter suffix. It would need to be a special event callsign and BDARA would need to sponsor it for us to AITI which is the local FCC equivalent. I later applied to the ARRL LOTW manager and secured out P12 key for what will be our eventual updates to LOTW which are planned - not sure when. (I need to stop here and comment now on what is really important here. It is possible that I became the most visible face on 160m during our stay out there - but this would never have happened were it not for V85TL and BDARA. It would also never have happened without Adi S55M and Roman RN5M who were the master builders in charge of our antennas at each of our two operating sites. (If RN5M is not a familiar callsign to you, two HUGE stations which you **will surely recognize** are the Russian contest stations RU1A and RL3A which he has largely been the antenna installation guy for. He also installed most of the antennas at JT5CO two years ago in Mongolia in May when Krassy and I were out there for CQWPX CW. Roman and Adi were ***everywhere*** working on things, trying things on Rx at our request - basically they were the "go to" guys on installation and takedown - and their contributions were ENORMOUS. We all owe them a ***huge*** vote of thanks!) It would have never have happened also without Adrian Ciupa KO8SCA who handled our website, many of the logistics and were it not for Krassy K1LZ who coordinated several large shipments of gear
Topband: The V84SAA story - Part II- The 160m stiation - Early Results
V84SAA - Part II - The 160m station and antennas - Early Results K1LZ and I discussed the plans for the 160m xmit antenna at V85 and we decided in the end NOT to attempt some directivity - in part because of our experiences at 9M0W the prior year. At 9M0W we erected two beautiful phased verticals spaced 5/8 wave apart which in theory provided 5+db of broadside gain on the long path SE from Spratly. This was a great plan EXCEPT for the fact that the propagation to NA never materialized on the LP to the SE at our sunset! Instead it was all shortpath to 035 degrees or so - and we discovered that no one was hearing us on the east coast as a result. The second night there we were able to switch the system to end-fire - but this too was not optimal - and we abandoned the two vertical concept on night 3 at Spratly as a result. For the last two nights there at 9M0W we used the single vertical at the edge of the lagoon - with good results as an omnidirectional radiator. So rather than be FOOLED AGAIN - we elected to go with a single vertical radiator at the edge of the ocean - which meant that we would lose some possible xmit gain - but we would always be aimed at the path that was open to NA. It was admittedly a gamble but it paid off we thought judging by the reports we were receiving about our xmit signal at V8! The xmit antenna was basically a textbook L using a 74 ft spider pole that Krassy shipped to Brunei. But instead of sloping the tail down to the ground - it ran UP a bit and over some nearby trees - because it was installed using a DRONE to lift the wire into the desired location over the tops of the nearby trees. From there, the wire went horizontal for about 60 feet and the support rope was tied to the base of some trees down at ground level on the beach If you looked at this thing from the ground - it looked wonderful and played well. The radials ran out over the beach with some of them terminating in the ocean. 160M Rx antennas Originally, we had planned to go with two long beverages - one to NA and one to EU but when we got there - only one of the them (the one to NA at 035 degrees) had sufficient real estate to run it out to an optimal length. So we had a 1000 footer aimed at NA on the short path and a DHDL designed by Adi S55M on the beach near the salt water aimed at EU. These two antennas shared a single 400 foot feedline and at sunset we hooked it to the NA beverage - & at 1500z after VE7 SR had occurred - we went out with a flashlight and moved the feedline over to the DHDL aimed at EU. For the first several nights - we thought we were hearing very well. USA signals were much the same as at 9M0W which means they were about RST 219 - but the EU signals were literally blowing our doors in! It was so easy to hear and work EU and so tough to hear and work NA (except for W5/W6 and W7 that it was maddening!)A signal would rise out of the hiss and you would hear one or two letters and then it would fade down again - and only sometimes did it rise again so a callsign could be pieced together. At Sunset on 07 Feb K5XI was the first NA to go into the log on Topband followed by WA7NS and then W5ZN. Basically, as soon as the sun hit the ocean and disappeared (which I could see plainly from outside the window in our tent)- the band would open each night to NA - and for about 30 minutes time there would be a window that allowed us to reach as far as the Southerly part of W4 land. It almost never went further North of that during this short optimal window EXCEPT for one night when I worked Eric NO3M - who has a superb 160m Xmit signal and excellent RX antennas. One night we also managed a qso with Pete N0FW in Ohio - but these two spots were as far as we reached to the East coast on the short path. I would watch the grayline cross W1 and W2 at their SR times each day and listened as hard as I could for guys from the Northeast - but they just were not there. One time at 1206z I swore I copied AA1K at his local SR - and sent Jon a report - but it was not there on his side I later found out. So SUNSET was a very short window into NA but once it got fully dark - the band quickly went soft until local SR in Texas and points further West. Even W0 was a tough haul - as it took several days to work Dave W0FLS in Iowa. I can only describe it this way - EU signals were like a freight train and the NA signals were about 219 with rare exceptions and sounded like "fireflies in the fog and mist". Hearing you guys was a frustrating and humiliating experience. We just could not hear you despite trying all kinds of preamplification, attenuation, listening on the xmit antenna with attenuation, etc etc etc. It did not matter what we tried - the signals were just too damned weak to do much east of W5 - except on one or two days when we worked into NC/GA/FLA etc. From 1500Z to about 2100z we would run EU with ease and the pileups were ENORMOUS. It
Topband: V84SAA - Part III - The Role of the BDARA and V85TL/V85T
The Role of the BDARA and V85T in particular Any Dx'pedition requires comprehensive planning and while this can be done from afar (not easily!) having "boots on the ground' in country facilitates the process dramatically. In our case, V85T and the role of the Brunei Darussalem Amateur Radio Assn was critical. Our local friends in Brunei did many things to make our lives easier - among them were these: 1) Securing approval for us to hold our dx'pedition at Pantai Sera Kanangan Beach2) Arranging for two tents from which to operate3) Having the local power authority install 7 power lines from a pole across the street into our operating tent - which included an air conditioner!4) Making arrangements for us to import our equipment expeditiously5) Providing tables and chairs from which we would operate6) Hosting an official OPENING CEREMONY on 07 Feb at 3PM local time7) Inviting the Deputy Chief of AITI (the local FCC equivalent) to "open" the expedition officially and welcome us to Brunei8) Arranging for extensive local press coverage of the opening ceremony to include having an item on the local television news that day, holding interviews with V85T, arranging for an article in the local Brunei Bulletin newspaper9) Providing a sumptuous feast of local delicacies after the ceremony for the invited guests to enjoy complimented with soft drinks for all On the last evening of our operation (which was on 17 Feb) the BDARA again hosted a closing celebration this time at 7PM at our beach site - again with local food and drinks provided by the ladies of BDARA - as a goodbye ceremony to officially close the dx'pedition. Long after we were gone there of course remained all of the UNWIND and additional takedown of our operating site - meaning returning the tents and chairs, removal of the temporary installation of power for our operation and final cleanup of the beach site. The bottom line here is that none of this would ever happened were it not for the local BDARA support out team received and for that we are EXTREMELY GRATEFUL. So WE ALL WISH BDARA AND V85T A HEARTELT VOTE OF THANKS FOR ALL AND PLEASE KNOW WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOUR KINDNESS AND SUPPORT OF THE V84SAA OPERATION! 73 Jeff VY2ZM/K1ZM Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: V84SAA - Part IV - Some Rx Analysis and Final Report
Hi Gang This will probably be the last from me because there is not too much more to add to the mix - but I would like to comment on the progression of our RX antennas - and some theories why we could not hear well at our SR into the NA east coast via LP after 10 February. In order to do this, I will explain what we started with, then what we migrated to and finally what we ended up with for RX antennas while there. Days 1/2/3 1) We had two Rx antennas and the xmit vertical at the shoreline. All of these antennas were on the beach about 500 feet from our operating tent. For EU we had a 1000 ft beverage installed by S55M - and it was aimed at about 035 degrees - and it ran parallel over the sand about 100 feet off the ocean and parallel to it. Before going to V84 I was told by quite a few "experts" that a beverage does not work when run over sand and next to salt water.Let me say here and now that this "wive's tale" is utter NONSENSE - so pls do not believe it for a second. I personally have used such an antenna at 7O6T in 2012 and also here on Cape Cod in 1998 when K1HTV and W4ZV were here for a CQ 160m CW contest. Bill and Rich both were ecstatic about how well the BEACH BEVERAGE could hear Eu - even though it was only 600 ft long. So - my take on our NA Rx capability on the short path was that it worked and worked well. Later in the week Adi extended it by another 1000 feet - so we had a 2000 footer aimed NE for the last 3 nights at SUNSET our time. 2) For the first three days we had a second RX antenna which was a DHDL which was pointed at about 330 degrees to EU on the short path that way. Eu signals were LOUD and we worked TONS of them each night from 1500z-2145z or so. About 2200z each night we started looking for VO/VE1/VE9 and W1-W3 callers - our SR was at 2237z or so - which means we had a decent darkness overlap into this region. As I noted before, we had a single feedline for these two Rx antennas that was SHARED. We started on the beverage from 1000z - 1500z (which is about VE7 SR time) and then went out with a flashlight and swapped the feedline over to the DHDL aimed at EU for the EU run from 1500z-2145z or so each night. The DHDL was aimed to the NW and one end of it was close to the ocean. We were able to hear EU with no issues - the pileups were HUGE and never stopped . In fact Eu was calling all the time even while we were attempting to work NA from 2200z-2237z - despite the fact that we chose to look for NA stations on 1805.5 qsx 1808.5. The occasional JA also drifted down below 1810 khz - but, for the most part, we were able to focus on what we were trying to work - which was NA. Now and then we would hear "JA UP" or "Up 5" and this meant it was either a JA looking for us or an EU who had not yet cracked the pile. Pls note that 2200z is still PRIME time into EU and JA signals are still loud on 160m even after their local SR. One time I was called a LID and sent QFU by an impatient caller. We knew this was going to happen but honestly - after 6 hours into EU and JA each night - we felt it was only right to focus on the NA SS and SR windows when it was our ONLY chance to hear and work NA during very short windows and having a mostly clear Rx freq devoid of S9 callers allowed us to perhaps hear NA - at SS and at SR. I SHOULD NOTE THAT WHEN WE HEARD AND WORKED IN NEW ENGLAND (W1NA and N1DG et al) we were listening on our EU DHDL - which was all we had except for our Xmit antenna. In retrospect we should have stayed with this combination. What we were doing was to use an S55M splitter on the DHDL - (and on the NA BEV when the coax was hooked to that antenna) - and the splitter routed the signals both to 80 and 160m. So each of us had our own xmit antenna when Krassy was on 80m and I had my own 160M xmit antenna sitting next to him for 160M operations. Thus for the first few days were sharing the BEV and EU DHDL using a single splitter. Again, this worked and worked well. THE VK situation: On night 3, Adrian KO8SCA came by and told me that the VK contingent was most unhappy with us because we were BOOMING down there yet I could barely hear them. I copied partial calls for at least an hour - logging only perhaps 2-3 of them. So what we did was add a SECOND DHDL on the beach aimed initially at 240 degrees. This antenna was fed using a second RX feedline - and Adi modified the single splitter by adding a second one. So starting on day 4 we had three RX antennas on two feedlines. Each splitter had two outputs - one for 80m Rx and one for 160M Rx - and these were routed to two DAIWA 2 way coax switches. Krassy and I could individually select which of the two RX antennas were available to listen on - and the wiring of these systems was checked and double checked - it looked fine to me. So now each op could do this: a) Listen on the XMIT antenna - by selecting it from the menu on the ICOM 7610 radio b) Listen at 1015z
Topband: Fwd: [The Daily DX] V84SAA Final Report
This appeared today in the DAILY DX courtesy of Bernie W3UR. 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM Jeff BriggsDXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX Engineering, Radio Society of Great Britain, & Amazon -Original Message- From: Bernie McClenny, W3UR To: The Daily DX mailing list Sent: Mon, Feb 25, 2019 7:12 am Subject: [The Daily DX] V84SAA Final Report Hi Bernie I am writing today to pass along some final comments about our recent activation from V84SAA and our final statistics as taken from ClubLog. Our team, as you may know, operated from two separate camps. The SSB camp was from a rented villa on a small hilltop inland a bit and the CW camp was in a tent right on the beach at Pantai Sera Kanangan in the Tutong district - with all our CW antennas right on the beach. Most of the operators at the SSB villa stayed and ate their meals at that location. Our beach site (which was 20 minutes away) had very different and "spartan" facilities - there we usually lunched on vanilla cookies and water. Some of us stayed at the Empire Hotel and Country Club about 27 minutes drive to the North. I personally made about 30 trips along the coastal interstate to and from the Empire to do my 160m shifts at our SR and local SS. In so doing I burned up two tanks of gas in the process - but fortunately a LITER of gas in Brunei costs about 35 cents US. I wish it was like that at home - NOT! For the most part K1LZ operated on 80m next to the 160m position (where I operated on Topband a short distance away) and thus these two positions were co-located. On 160m operations were shared at various times with JT1CO, VE7NY and S55M. Krassy did some operating on 160m as well at various times. Propagation was tough overall without good openings on 15/12 and 10 meters for the most part - so the bulk of our contact total came from the lowbands through 20m. We were a large International team and we were blessed with fantastic local support from Tamat Lampoh, V85TL and the local Brunei Darussalem Amateur Radio Association. They were wonderful hosts and set up an opening and a closing ceremony for us - which was attended by the deputy minister of AITI - which is the local FCC equivalent in Brunei. At both ceremonies the local club wives cooked up local delicacies for us and provided refreshments as well. Some of our members could only provide a few days with us in Brunei but we welcomed the visits from YT5A/VK3FY/VK3FN and others who had work commitments and could not stay with us for a longer duration. Our most challenging times were on 80m and 160m where it was really difficult to work into NA - either at SS or SR - but we never missed an opening and were there trying every day! NA signals from east of the Mississippi River were about RST 219 on 160m but despite this hardship we did work as many as we were able to piece the callsigns together. Our final statistics from CLUBLOG are these: Total qso's 58,120 160m 4081 CW Qso's (with 459 from North America) 80m 5807 CW Qso's (with 1014 from North America) LZ2HM was in charge of most of our FT8 operations as well as some exciting 6M EME contacts that were made right up to the final evening at the beach site. W7GJ and others had asked us to do this mode and Andy was the MAN who made it happen. Our support team on site was championed by Adi S55M and Roman RN5M - who handled most of the setup and takedown. Both of these team members literally worked night and day travelling back and forth from the CW and SSB sites as needed to keep us on the air and working at maximum efficiency. Adrian, KO8SCA handled our website, arranging for some loaned equipment and was responsible for overseeing our logging functions and uploads to CLUBLOG each day. Our QSL manager is LZ1JZ - Tony in Bulgaria. Donors to our dx'pedition will get immediate uploads to LOTW - the overall log will most likely be uploaded to LOTW in early May. We owe a huge vote of thanks to our wonderful sponsors - which included DXE and ICOM. For those contributions, we are extremely grateful. We also wish to recognize the local 9M6 guys who were with us last year at 9M0W - specifically 9M6KOM and 9M6ZAE for preceding us to both sites to do a rekkie and provide photos of our two sites in order that we could plan our antenna setups in advance. Finally - I must recognize the hard work and financial backing provided by Krassy Petkov (K1LZ) - who provided several overseas shipments of antennas and other gear via Singapore - which made all of this happen efficiently. Also - thanks to all of the Dx community for looking out for us - we only regret we could not work all of you who tried - but the pleasure was all ours. We hope you had fun chasing us for 10 days - and we surely enjoyed trying to hear and work you! 73 and thanks again! JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM on behalf of "The Team Sabah and Friends Royal Dx'peditio
Topband: The VY2ZM Lowband and Contest Station is FOR SALE
Hi Guys Yes - you read the title correctlyit is time to move on. *SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY please to k...@aol.com Overview at QRZ.com - see VY2ZM Photos and Aerial Video at http://www.vy2zm.com Details will be be provided via email to serious inquiries only. Thanks for reading. 73 JEFF VY2ZM/K1ZM Email: k...@aol.com _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: K1FK to JA Via 160-Meter Long Path
Hi guys You have both surfaced a topic that is of great personal interest to me as I have worked JA on 160m around 2100z both from K1ZM on Cape Cod and from VY2ZM on PEI many many times. The conventional wisdom is that signals propagate SE over Africa and VK6 on Topband at 2100z but I no longer believe this to be cast in concrete. Why? I have had many many contacts with JH7PFD starting as early as 2024z from PEI and Kin san has many beverages from which to select. Among them are ones that look at 220 degrees and some that look over the North pole on either side. Carl suggests here in his posting that the JA's listen at 220 degrees for NA at this time - but time and time again Kin-San has reported that my160m signal is inaudible from the SW near his SR - instead he hears me from the NE which is short path. On my side. I can aim my 160M antenna such that it is firing due North with 6.0db of directional gain and I too hear Kin san and JA8ISU at this time from this heading - and not out of the SE path. Now how can this be true? Well, if one takes a look at the plot that Carl has included in his article, you can see the RED short path to which he refers is also in darkness at 2100z - and my postulation and Kin-san's is that the true path by which we are communicating is over North pole and not over VK6 at all. This observation has been reported by some other JA observants as well. I should note, though, that from NY, Cape Cod and from PEI on 80m the 80m path is indeed SE and SW at 2100z but not on Topband which has always puzzled me. What makes this so had to fathom is that the window of opportunity to do this occurs each Winter season from roughly 05 Dec to 15 January typically each year and that so few of us have truly directive Xmit and Rx antennas on Topband with which to make really precise observations. Bottom Line for me? This160m path is over the North and not over Vk6 on Topband and having worked HUNDREDS of JA's on 160m at 2100z from VY2ZM - I do believe my own ears and equipment.- despite what I had always previously thought. By the way - this path has (to my knowledge) only been worked from Eastern Canada, Maine, Mass and in Connecticut (by K1KI on the Mass/Conn line). I know it has been heard (not worked) from RI on 160m by John W1XX - but no qso's that I am aware of have ever been made further South of New England on Topband. The overlapping darkness that is needed to sustain propagation just does not make it down to even W2 usually on Topband. Hope this adds something to the mix. 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM -Original Message- From: Dave Bowker via Topband To: topband Sent: Thu, Sep 24, 2015 4:03 pm Subject: Topband: K1FK to JA Via 160-Meter Long Path Carl, K9LA, has posted an interesting analysis of a skewed path TopBand QSO in the August 15 'Monthly Feature' on his site. http://k9la.us/Aug15_K1FK_to_JA_on_160m_via_Long_Path.pdf Dave, K1FKFort Kent, ME _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: JA 160M Routing from Cape Cod at 2100z
Hi Again Just a brief clarification after reading W1FV's posting yesterday. My comments about a North polar short path routing to JA at 2100z apply strictly to VY2ZM - where this is a constant which I have observed many times over a 15 year period. Cape Cod and lower New England may indeed be true LP at 150 degrees over ZS6 and up over VK6 at 2100z - but it is harder for me to comment with specificity on the arrival direction from Cape Cod simply because I have only worked JA's at 2100z three times from there - and not for the past 9 years time. When I did manage it, I was using two 5/8 wave spaced verticals with 180 degree phasing meaning I was beaming both SE and NW at the same time with a bidirectional pattern having about 2.5db of gain in each lobe. I cannot remember whether I was listening on the Xmit antenna at the time or if I was listing on an 850 foot beverage aimed at ZS6 or not - HI. The day I did this was XMAS day in 1996 starting at 2110z. In those days, the JA's only had 1907.5-1912.5 for their use and I heard JA1JRK in the upper window. I spotted him and asked him to qsx 1805 for me in my spot - and then I started calling him like mad. He heard me about two minutes later - and then in quick succession, I worked JH5FXP, JA4LXY, JA4DND and heard a JR6PGB at 2205z who never heard me calling him. JA3ONB heard me during this period but his amplifier was broken and under repair that day - so no qso was possible with Yasuo. A couple of years later I worked JA4LXY again about 2135z and the following December after that, both K1KI and I worked Tommy again - but at this time I had a totally different xmit and Rx system and I have no idea where the signals were coming from. I think I recall listening on a 160m inverted vee at the time - which of course offers nothing in terms of the true pathing that day. VK6 definitely arrives via 160m LP on Cape Cod at their sunrise time from a 150 degree heading - but once in awhile they skew over Europe - which adds to the mystery. On a final note - please understand that LP routing can vary dramatically based on WHERE YOUR LOCATION may be situated versus another location here on the East coast of NA. On 40m at 1230z one day I was copying a UK8 from the SW (220 degrees) and at the same time a W4 was spotting the same station from a NW heading - while a station in Northern New England was agreeing with me that his routing was at 220 degrees - so it is indeed a bit hard to nail all of this down. One thing that does seem to be a constant however, on which there is almost universal agreement, is that LP into SE Asia on Topband at East Coast SR is from a 190-220 degree heading usually peaking about 45mins to one hour PRIOR to East Coast SR. Many of us all the way from VY2, down through Maine, to North Carolina down all the way to N4IS in Florida have copied XU7ACY, DU7ET, HS0ZKX and Spratly many mornings from the SW with signals clearly dropping into the noise as our SR times approached. So this one is better documented - but the JA path at 2100z seems to vary based upon where you are located - go figure! It is just a shame that it doesn't happen more often so we could gain more experience! 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: Longpath 2100z - More
Hi One More time. I was thinking about all of this overnight and can add one more data point to this topic. Shortly after I retired and, while still in New York, I used to work 40M long path to JA every day during Nov/Dec and Jan. This was around 1994/1995 and I would start listening about 2040z daily on 40m CW. I was using a 3el 40M yagi at about 170 feet - so there was little confusion as to where signals were actually coming from. Each day the opening lasted about 1.5 hours and on good days well over 100 Ja stations could be worked - even after SR occurred in JA6. What was MOST INTERESTING was that on SOME days, there was strong evidence of multi-pathing on the JA signals near the start of the opening - that usually dissipated as the opening progressed. In those days I did not realize that there was also a darkness path over the North pole (the K9LA RED LINE path from Carl's paper). All I knew was the JA longpath on 40 and 80m from New York's Hudson Valley came out of a 155 or so degree heading - and whatever the echoes I was hearing were some unknown anomaly. Today with more experience, I now know that what I was hearing was the OTHER DARKNESS path to the North that I am using to work Ja's on 1,8MhZ at 2100z from VY2ZM. W1FV noted in his posting that competing through EU is tough to work a JA at 2100z and this is very very true. But there are ways to get around this and here is one good way. In Winter, JA5AQC and 7J4AAL are in on 80m SSB every day (usually somewhere between 3798 and 3802). VE2ENM and W1QS are often there working Kan San. VE2ENM has a pipeline to Kan san every day and even though Kan san speaks very limited English, JA5AQC is very fluent and can translate to Kan san when needed. If you watch your optimum time on 80m, you can ask VE2ENM to ask Kan san to qsy to a specific 160m frequency - and Kan san is DELIGHTED to oblige as is JA5AQC! They love to try to work NA on 160M at 2100z. I have worked both of these fellows by asking them to try 160M and the best time is about 15 mins prior to Kan-san's JA4 sunrise peak. One day Kan san (who was using a 160m rotary dipole at the time) was well over S9 at VY2ZM and JA5AQC was a solid 559. Last year Kan san replaced the rotary dipole with a 3el yagi for 160m (you can see it on his website) and I would have to think that if it survived the Winter that it would put a great signal into New England. Also - since JA4 is in relatively Southern JAPAN, I would think the darkness overlap would help those in Central New England have a chance to make a Q. I know W1XX heard Kan san several times on such skeds last season - but no two way qso resulted - but this is the BEST chance for anyone to make the trip. JA8ISU is always willing to make skeds at 2100z but since he is well up North, his common darkness window is far shorter with New England than would be that of 7J4AAL. Anyway, this info may be of use to those willing to try to do it and in 3-4 years when we again hit a solar minimum, I am sure contacts can be made again when the A/K and well down for a few days in a row. GL 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: JA LP in Central NJ
Hi Gang Following the recent posts regarding JA 160m qso's just before JA sunrise, Peter Hutter, WW2Y, wrote to me to remind me that he heard my qso with JH5FXP on 25 Dec 1996 near Princeton, NJ., This is the furthest Southerly report of a JA being heard at 2130z or so that I know of - as Peter was in Central NJ at the time. There is a very very brief darkness overlap on 25 December each year but the peak possibility of making a qso that far South would be more like 20 December or thereabouts. Peter called and called that day but no qso resulted - too bad because it would have been clearly historic were it to have happened. So there is hope on a good day - especially with a sked in advance. 73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: W1BB (not K1BB)
Gary and all My book Dx'ing on the Edge is now out of print - but sold several thousand copies -however. you can find a copy here and there on EBAY and Amazon still The opening cut on the enclosed CD in the book is of Stew Perry on New Year's Eve 1977 talking to EI8H and Ernie K1PBW. The cut was graciously sent to me by Peter Bobek (SK) DJ8WL - who received it from a USA amateur who recorded it. Stew had passed away in 1990 I THINK - so we sort of brought him back from the grave - to commemorate him on the CD - it was great to her his voice again I met Stew in 1973 at the New England Convention and his talk on 160m was thrilling. I will never forget that presentation. Today I am the trustee for the Stew Perry Memorial ARC and I myself or some friends often put his call on ther air in the STEW - so listen for W1BB in the Stew - you will work it one day - and we have his old qsl designs on the special QSL card that we use today for W1BB. 73 and hope this helps. BTW Stew was the most accomplished 160m Dx'er I have ever met - | could tell you some stories that are fascinating about what he could do on Topband. No internet - no packet - no skimmer - no ON4KST chat - just the man and his station and it was the stuff of legends. 73 JEFF VY2ZM/K1ZM Original Message From: Chris G3SVL To: Gary ; topband Sent: Wed, Jan 6, 2016 5:34 am Subject: Re: Topband: W1BB (not K1BB) On 06/01/2016 03:17, Gary Smith wrote: > Is there a link where I can learn more about why he is so revered? He > must of been one heck of a DXer on 160 to be so well appreciated. Hi Gary, Stew, apart from being a great 160m DX'er, was also the father of the Transatlantic tests. In the late 60's and early 70's he would set dates and times for W to EU contacts and once a month (if my memory serves me) he would have 'first timers' tests where he asked all the regulars to stand by to allow those who wanted their first QSO to get through. Being the Gentleman's band the big guns did standby on those first timers mornings. (oh how different it might be today!). I duly sat there in my shack with my HRO, homebrew TX running 10 watts to a low inverted L with insufficient radials and called him. He was my first 160m W QSO and one of those moments I still remember over 40 years later. His QSL card was, and still is, a prized possession - as are the letters he wrote to so many topband enthusiasts. For many of us he was the driver and mentor for our lasting enthusiasm in 160m. Do get a copy of Jeff Briggs book if you can - it comes with an audio CD of 'magic moments on 160m'. 73 & Good DX Chris, G3SVL _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
