Topband: H44WA 22-Nov

[Brian Moran via Topband]

Greetings, we'll be focusing on CW on 160m from 0730z (our sunset) through 
approximately 1500z as conditions and callers hold up.  We will have short 
stoppages at various times to refuel our generator and change operators, or for 
operator breaks. 


We worked a number of US and EU stations last evening on both CW and FT8. 

Brian N9ADG for H44WA
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Topband: H44WA on Topband Monday night (US)

[Brian Moran via Topband]

We did some RX antenna work for 80 and 160 (well, and 60 too), and we're 
itching to try it out. We started calling CQ on our FT8 Frequency, and as of 
6:25pm local time, we already have one in the log. PSKreporter shows we're 
being received in the east coast.
Maybe give us a try?
1836 fox/hound. Some people try to call us below 1000Hz thinking it's a secret 
way to get worked. Since we use WSJT-X, it's not. 

Please call us above 1000Hz.
Thanks!-Brian N9ADG (H44WA team member)


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Re: Topband: RIP W7LR

[Brian Moran via Topband]

 So sad to hear this! I had the pleasure of having lunch with him and his wife 
a number of years ago at Visalia (IIRC). I always smile when I heard his call 
on 160m. Even just now. Thanks for providing the audio clip Tree. I'd like to 
think that all of us who've met him carry a little bit of Bob with us, and 
though we don't hear him on the air, that he's still going to be putting out 
his beverages the next Top Band season, just in different fields.-Brian N9ADG

On Monday, April 4, 2022, 08:26:35 AM PDT, Tree  wrote:  
 
 https://www.kkn.net/n6tr/160/w7lr_cq_15-Mar-2009.mp3

Age 101.
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Re: Topband: FT-8 Contest would be great for Topband

[Brian Moran via Topband]

 "Stew Perry Next Generation"  or "Ess Pee En Gee" Something for everyone to 
like and not like in that title.-Brian N9ADG

On Friday, January 10, 2020, 6:23:12 PM PST, W0MU Mike Fatchett 
 wrote:  
 
 FT4 is not allocated on 160 for some reason.  If the contest were to use 
Grids then supporting a new contest should be quite simple.

W0MU

On 1/10/2020 7:11 PM, DXer wrote:
> >>I thought  there  was a contest  version  of  FT-8  coming
> out  soon ?   I  forget  what  it  was to  be  labeled  as.
>
> The current version of WSJT-X supports the following contests:
>
> NA VHF Contest;
> EU VHF Contest;
> ARRL Field Day, technically not a contest;
> RTTY Roundup.
>
> To activate contesting 'mode', click on File -> Settings -> Advance 
> tab -> Check the Special operating activity box -> select the contest.
>
> I'll let others with more FT8 contesting experience 'chime in', but 
> the easist way to implement the Topband FT8 Contest would be to use 
> the same exchange as the RU. Anything different than what is currently 
> supported would require programming additions to the WSJT-X code.
>
> JTDX does not support contests. MSHV may not support them either, but 
> I'm not sure.
>
> I won't mention WSJT-Z for obvious reasons. LOL
>
> 73 de Vince, VA3VF
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Topband: VK9MA - Mellish Reef - TopBand

[Brian Moran via Topband]

Hi Everyone:
All of the members of VK9MA Mellish Reef DXpedition have arrived in Cairns. 
Some of us have already been here for nearly a week in preparation.  The 
four-day boat journey starts on Tuesday. Current plans say we land on the reef 
November 3, which is November 4 for us. We will strive to be on 160 meters by 
day 2 -- we have a number of directional receive antennas receive antennas to 
erect, and a couple of choices of verticals, depending on the conditions when 
we get there.  We'll be trying hard to get people into the logs, which will be 
uploaded at periodic intervals to Club Log. You can check out the VK9MA website 
http://vk9ma.com for more details. A number of our operators our experienced 
with the unique characteristics of 160M, and we have pilots that will help 
inform our operating choices. Mellish is very much 'needed' on digital, so 
we'll also be trying some of that, yes, even on 160m. If 160m really 'opens' 
however, we'll strive to use the modes offering the highest rates.
73, hope to hear some familiar calls over the noise of the wind and the 
birds!-Brian N9ADG

  

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Re: Topband: Working Europe

[Brian Moran via Topband]

A few years ago, I offered to send out binocular cores for beverages/flags etc. 
FOR FREE to people that needed them to just get on 160. Let me see if I have 
enough left to make that offer again. 
-Brian N9ADG
 

On Friday, July 1, 2016 4:25 PM, James Rodenkirch  
wrote:
 

 Mike: I would posit we - the "top band community" - need to promote increased 
operations -- fuggedabout "decent rx antennas" --- just get more hams 
operating on top band:

- emphasize the Maunder minimum
- emphasize the rise of efficiency of small lot antennas, as a resulting 
"benefit"
- emphasize the benefits of a new low band rcv arrays

It's about encouraging hams to explore top band, as the "minimums" descend on 
us.not, necessarily, encouraging "ultimate stations" --- i.e., get 'em on 
the band..

71.5/72 de Jim Rodenkirch K9JWV

Guy said:

>There is the issue of when people are actually listening on 160. *Sounds*
dead because no one is there.

...AND THEN there is the issue of when people *can* actually listen; by
that I mean, they have a decent rx antenna at their disposal.

I've noticed quite a few locals (W1) with increasing interest in 160. The
low-space rx antenna options out there are attracting interest. This is
good. Bring on the minimum.

Mike N1TA
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Topband: Limiters - not T/R Relays

[Brian Moran]

I'm more interested in the 'limiters' aspect of the other thread. Back-to-back 
diodes == bad, but am looking for something to better tame RF coming in on my 
beverages, or whatever leaks by the bandpass filters on the 'other' station 
antenna in a multi-multi.

Some sort of saturable transformer design, like 
http://www.arraysolutions.com/Products/as_rxfep.htm ? 


PIN diode attenuator?

What are some good references to learn about the tradeoffs and techniques?

-Brian N9ADG
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Topband: Technology vs. Tradition

[Brian Moran]

Hi Everyone! As a relative youngster (a few more months to go before I qualify 
for AARP!), I've been reading every fifth message or so about digital modes on 
160;  In the old days, seems like any innovation or mode that would get the 
intelligence through would have been in the domain of what was acceptable or 
even wanted. 

Maybe one could argue that the digital modes aren't really exploring new ground 
here, but on the ham bands these days what is? Do we even care about that 
aspect of the hobby anymore? It appears from reading the reflector that it's OK 
to experiment with antennas, amps, etc. but please get your non-CW signal 'off 
my 160 lawn'. Perhaps I exaggerate, but many evenings (and certainly during the 
day :-)) for large parts of the year, the spectrum appears underutilized. 

Digital modes not being a QSO; Sure to incite a bunch more reflector traffic. 
Using lookups into code correcting tables, or comparing received information 
against a known corpus -- could we not liken than to ARRL STANDARD MESSAGE 
 where if I don't have the code book, I don't know what the message is? 
Some of those CW characters and prosigns I occasionally hear on 40m in the 
morning from Asia, I don't understand either. 

Now before you think I'm advocating digital uber alles, I've never consciously 
used a 'digital mode' on 160m (besides CW) that I can recall. I know I've 
occasionally delved into SSB, even on 160! But usually someone else did it 
first. 

Trying new things out seems easier and less costly than it's ever been in our 
hobby before, perhaps because most of us have computers now. I find that 
experimenting with new stuff always helps me in some way, whether it's 
understanding ALC better because of PSK, seeing band openings on a spectrum 
scope before I can hear it, figuring out some interference source. Are you 
still asking yourself What Have I Done that's new to me lately? on 160, or is 
that not what it's about?

-Brian N9ADG
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Topband: Stew Perry, Summer Edition, less than 24 hours away!

[Brian Moran]

160meters. 14 operating hours. Starts at 1500z tomorrow.

http://jzap.com/k7rat/stew.html
-Brian N9ADG
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Topband: Reminder: Summer Stew Perry contest June 16-17

[Brian Moran]

Reminder - Summer Stew Perry 160m Contest June 16-17!

There are plenty of grid squares to go around -- those folks in the VHF contest 
this weekend are certainly not going to use them all up. Pass out some more 
next weekend in the Summer Stew!

If you're not familiar with this contest, the rules can be found at 
http://jzap.com/k7rat/stew.html- there's something for everyone, as scoring 
takes into account distance AND power. 


Got the 'topband itch'? Scratch it by getting on for a few hours... try just 
starting with the hours that are 'dark', or even least gray.

If you don't try, how would you even know if your equipment works on Topband 
between March and August?
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Re: Topband: Topband QSL Library

[Brian Moran]

Another method of displaying them is scanning and putting into a digital 
picture frame... Someone brought one in to our DX club meeting, and it was a 
real hit.
-Brian N9ADG
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Topband: Pre-Stew -- 1500Z, Oct 22 to 1500Z, Oct 23

[Brian Moran]

According to the the contest calendar, the pre-Stew is coming up! I had nearly 
forgotten!
Brian N9ADG
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Topband: Ionization before Japan's seismic event

[Brian Moran]

Interesting article talking about how the atmosphere may become more ionized 
over areas where there is increased tectonic plate pressure.

http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/26773/?p1=blogs

Brian N9ADG
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK