Re: Topband: [160] No NA Activity

[Jim Brown]

On 3/6/2020 12:06 PM, W0MU Mike Fatchett wrote:
I generally try to leave my radio listening to 160 FT8 at night when I 
go to bed.  I did decode some VK's last night.  Not much activity the 
last couple of days.


I often do that, especially during our winter months, but also around 
the spring and fall equinox. Most FT8 operators feed their decodes to 
PSKReporter, a very useful site that can display activity on any band, 
for all stations or for a specific station, and for selected time 
periods. It's a great way to study band conditions.


73, Jim K9YC
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Topband: EU condx last night

[VE6WZ_Steve]

Last night the trans-polar EU path was open to VE6 although the QSB was very 
deep.  22 EU made it into my log.
At first the band seemed poor, with only very weak signals bubbling at the 
noise level.

Bob W7RH appeared to have the spotlight working some N EU that I couldn't hear.
For me the band started to open up around 0300z with LA1MFA and then RC3FL and 
SM4DHF.  Around 0425 Roger G3YRO was CQing with a great 579 signal, and it took 
a while to get his attention, but we did QSO. 3 other G stations and Ron GW3YDX 
also made it. 3 OH, a few PA, LY, F, DL and SP9JZU and Jan OM3XW also had good 
signals.  It was great to work Rino IK7JTF who was very solid, but only on the 
QSB peaks.
I was QRV through EU SR and shut down at about 0630z. As always, it can be slow 
going- only 22 DX QSOs after 3.5 hrs of CQing, but patience seems to prevail on 
160m as we wait for the QSB, and the EU ops to wake up and get their morning 
coffee.  I’m sure that the F1 key is going to wear out on my keyboard!

There were a few EU ops calling CQ with good signals and wondering where all 
the NA stations were, but at 0600z, I’m betting most were sleeping!

Perhaps the band will be open again tonight to allow a few EU SSB contacts in 
the contest??

73, de steve ve6wz
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Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: Inverted L with elevated radials for topband

[sawyered]

I haven’t experimented on top band but I have tried elevated radials on 80M
¼ verticals.  I had one in Houston Texas that worked wonderfully – elevated
8 radials at about 10 ft.  Ground conductivity in Houston was about as good
as anywhere in the US.  I tried doing the same thing at 2 different QTHs in
Vermont and both were very disappointing.  I gave up on elevated radials for
80 and 160M.

 

My experience has been that ground conductivity matters for a small number
of elevated radials.

 

I have been much happier with 48 – ¼ wave ground radials.

 

Ed N1UR

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Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: [160] No NA Activity

[W0MU Mike Fatchett]

I generally try to leave my radio listening to 160 FT8 at night when I 
go to bed.  I did decode some VK's last night.  Not much activity the 
last couple of days.


I have nothing for 630.  I just started playing with 60m chasing VP8PJ 
and they were super easy there.   There seem to be many many deaf 
stations on 60m or they just don't want to talk to me LOL!


W0MU

On 3/5/2020 1:22 PM, W0BTU wrote:
I just started following the 630m and 2200m "#KHz" Slack Chat. It 
looks to me like many CW folks have moved there. Some LF hams use CW 
there almost exclusively, although there is a lot of narrowband 
digital there (especially on 2200m).


It was kindly pointed out to me there by N03M and KB5NJD that 630 
meter antennas are not really all that different from 160. And LF is 
kind of a new frontier, similar to what radio was in the early 20th 
century (where if you wanted to get on, you had to build your own 
radios). Having said that, some transverters and SDRs are now 
available. But you'll have to built your own power amplifier.


In a lot of ways, it's like amateur radio was decades ago when the 
majority of hams actually had technical know-how and built their own 
antennas, etc.


This is /not/ to say that anyone here should up and move to LF. But 
when nobody is on 160, why not give a listen there on your Beverages 
or browse these websites?


http://no3m.net/
http://njdtechnologies.net/links/
http://www.n1bug.com/lfmf/

73, Mike
W0BTU

On Thu, Mar 5, 2020, 6:56 AM Roger Kennedy 
mailto:ro...@wessexproductions.co.uk>> 
wrote:



Well I came on for a few hours last night . . .

Conditions were good, as my RBN reports with NA sites were between
20 and 35 dB over the noise.

But I only worked a handful of NA stations !  (there were several
other European and Russian stations on too)

It's a real shame there's so little CW activity . . . this Season
will be over soon !

Roger G3YRO


--
73, Mike
W0BTU
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Re: Topband: Inverted L with elevated radials for topband

[Wes]

I second this.

Wes  N7WS


On 3/5/2020 4:43 PM, Grant Saviers wrote:


Read all of what Rudy N6LF says, and you will be an expert.

Grant KZ1W


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