Topband: Winter season 2019-20 conditions

[VE6WZ_Steve]

This winter the DX conditions on 160m have excellent at VE6WZ.
I did a log export for the 10 months from August, 2019 till May, 2020 and 
excluded all VE, and USA QSOs.

2,495   DX QSOs
886 unique callsigns
115 DXCC

Trans-polar Europe/Africa:
1,603   QSOs
513 unique callsigns

Trans-Pacific OC/AS:
745 QSOs
288 unique callsigns

All of the above QSOs are CW mode except for 9 ssb QSOs. 160m has not gone like 
6m. There is still a GREAT DEAL of CW activity on TB!!

Sure, there were a lot of dupe QSOs, but still 886 unique DX callsigns were 
worked.  Speaking of dupes….
Here is a link to the “160m VE6WZ over 10 QSO list”.  The top 3 are VK6LW at 90 
QSOs, DF2PY at 54 QSOs and SM5EDX at 53.
This list is a “whos-who” of the most active 160m CW operators this winter:
>
Yeh…..I dont mind working the same guys multiple times.  ANY DX is good DX on 
160m!

The reason for this report is to try and encourage more CW activity on 160m.  
Everyone is NOT on FT-8.  This summer get those RX antennas built and tuned up 
for next winter. It really is exciting to *hear* that DX bubbling through the 
noise and QRN and working to complete the QSO. The Ap seems to be lowest at the 
bottom and on the upswing of each solar cycle, so I reckon we have another 2 
years of good TB DX.

BTW…the band is still open.  The VK/ZL and JA path is still open every morning 
to the west coast, and even the east coast guys are making it through which is 
really strong DX!  I plan to try and stay QRV through the summer.

73, de steve ve6wz
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Re: Topband: KV4FZ from the eyes of the USVI

[Eduardo Araujo via Topband]

Many thanks Edd for sharing the linkI will miss Herb on the future 160m 
contests. He was a very good company specially when conditions were pretty 
closed he still had a good signal into Argentina. RIP Herb. Eddie. LU2DKT


Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone


On Monday, May 4, 2020, 1:08 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV  wrote:

Thanks for the URL

73, Guy K2AV

On Mon, May 4, 2020 at 10:08 AM Edward Seeliger 
wrote:

> For a perspective on Herb - KV4FZ - from the eyes of those who knew him in
> the USVI, see this link:
>
> https://stthomassource.com/content/2020/05/03/activist-communicator-herb-schoenbohm-dies-at-84/
> Edd - KD5M
> _
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband
> Reflector
>
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Re: Topband: Loop on the ground as a counterpoise

[Roy Koeppe]

Reminiscent of the DDRR antenna?

73,  Roy   K6XK    Iowa


On 5/4/2020 3:57 AM, Chris Moulding wrote:
I've developed a High Z Antenna Amplifier for 160m and other HF use as 
previously mentioned on the list.


Usually these would be used with a ground rod and 5m vertical element.

With the lockdown it's not possible to nip to the shops for a ground 
rod so I looked at supplying a 10m wire as a counterpoise.


At home and the workshop I have Loop on the Ground antennas from 
previous antenna experiments so I also tried using these with both 
ends of the loop connected to the amplifier ground terminal.


On testing this gave significantly better signal to noise ratios than 
using a ground rod or a single wire counterpoise. Checking with a SDR 
receiver I could see that the usual local VDSL internet hash had 
disappeared.


Both loops on the ground are 3m or 10' square.

I've also tried it using a G7FEK vertical antenna at home with two 3m 
or 10' square loops on the ground with similar results seeing much 
reduced local noise compared with the ground radials I had before. 
Topband Dx might be a possibility for me now.


I've never seen this mentioned in ham magazines before and I can't 
find anything with an internet search. Usually I find that all my good 
ideas have already been thought of 50 years ago.


I suspect that the RF voltage in the loop counterpoise is much reduced 
over the voltage at the end of a radial wire reducing noise pickup in 
the radial system.


I would like to model the loop on the ground counterpoise in a 
modelling tool. I use 4NEC2 but only have access to NEC2 so wires on 
the ground don't model correctly.


Is there any one out there with access to suitable software that could 
model it for me?


73, Chris G4HYG





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Re: Topband: KV4FZ from the eyes of the USVI

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Thanks for the URL

73, Guy K2AV

On Mon, May 4, 2020 at 10:08 AM Edward Seeliger 
wrote:

> For a perspective on Herb - KV4FZ - from the eyes of those who knew him in
> the USVI, see this link:
>
> https://stthomassource.com/content/2020/05/03/activist-communicator-herb-schoenbohm-dies-at-84/
> Edd - KD5M
> _
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband
> Reflector
>
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Re: Topband: KV4FZ from the eyes of the USVI

[Cecil]

Great article...

Cecil
K5DL

Sent from my iPad

> On May 4, 2020, at 9:08 AM, Edward Seeliger  wrote:
> 
> For a perspective on Herb - KV4FZ - from the eyes of those who knew him in 
> the USVI, see this link:
> https://stthomassource.com/content/2020/05/03/activist-communicator-herb-schoenbohm-dies-at-84/
> Edd - KD5M
> _
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

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Topband: KV4FZ from the eyes of the USVI

[Edward Seeliger]

For a perspective on Herb - KV4FZ - from the eyes of those who knew him in the 
USVI, see this link:
https://stthomassource.com/content/2020/05/03/activist-communicator-herb-schoenbohm-dies-at-84/
Edd - KD5M
_
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Topband: Loop on the ground as a counterpoise

[Chris Moulding]

I've developed a High Z Antenna Amplifier for 160m and other HF use as 
previously mentioned on the list.


Usually these would be used with a ground rod and 5m vertical element.

With the lockdown it's not possible to nip to the shops for a ground rod 
so I looked at supplying a 10m wire as a counterpoise.


At home and the workshop I have Loop on the Ground antennas from 
previous antenna experiments so I also tried using these with both ends 
of the loop connected to the amplifier ground terminal.


On testing this gave significantly better signal to noise ratios than 
using a ground rod or a single wire counterpoise. Checking with a SDR 
receiver I could see that the usual local VDSL internet hash had 
disappeared.


Both loops on the ground are 3m or 10' square.

I've also tried it using a G7FEK vertical antenna at home with two 3m or 
10' square loops on the ground with similar results seeing much reduced 
local noise compared with the ground radials I had before. Topband Dx 
might be a possibility for me now.


I've never seen this mentioned in ham magazines before and I can't find 
anything with an internet search. Usually I find that all my good ideas 
have already been thought of 50 years ago.


I suspect that the RF voltage in the loop counterpoise is much reduced 
over the voltage at the end of a radial wire reducing noise pickup in 
the radial system.


I would like to model the loop on the ground counterpoise in a modelling 
tool. I use 4NEC2 but only have access to NEC2 so wires on the ground 
don't model correctly.


Is there any one out there with access to suitable software that could 
model it for me?


73, Chris G4HYG




  


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