Re: Topband: WSPR and topband
> Why not say 1.990 MHz to avoid QRM. Mainly because nobody will be listening there. On most nights there are dozens and dozens of stations monitoring (actually 132 at this moment) the standard 160m WSPR frequency. Overnight WSPR’ing has been with us for several years now and can’t really be compared to the typical CW beacons heard on 10 or 6m. On HF they are almost invisible to those using the band and their typically low power levels usually put them below the threshold of audibility by ear. They create no QRM unless you live down the street from one and are not continuous since they transmit at random periods throughout the hour at a user predetermined duty cycle. Most transmit once every 10 minutes or so. I see no reason why your WSPR propagation plans should not continue along with the numerous other ones on Topband. Steve VE7SL WEB - "The VE7SL Radio Notebook": http://qsl.net/ve7sl/ VE7SL BLOG - "Homebrewing and Operating Adventures From 2200m to Nanowaves": http://ve7sl.blogspot.ca/ _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Comparing antennas was: Re: 160m loaded tower
Pete, I’ve found the best way to A/B antennas in real time is to listen on one of the hundreds of online Kiwi SDRs …. You can flip from one antenna to the other instantly and the difference is readily apparent. RBN can never be A/B ‘d instantly. Steve VE7SL - Original Message - This would have been more helpful to Ignacy before the second antenna went up, but taking off from Stan's question ... if you want to get a quick quantitative comparison between two transmitting antennas, you can use the Reverse Beacon Network. Go to https://reversebeacon.net/main.php. Transmit a CQ or test (CQ or TEST at least twice, and your callsign 3-4 times) and note the spots that result. QSY at least 0.3 KHz and repeat. You should see spots from some of the same stations, and you can readily tell (in dB) which antenna was stronger. You can do the same trick to compare receiving antennas, without QSYing, but you must wait 10 minutes before the system will accept a second spot of the same station from you. 73, Pete N4ZR On 1/18/2023 11:31 AM, Stan Stockton wrote: > Ignacy, > > Is your thought that you are a few dB weaker based on sone kind of A-B test > of the two antenna setups or just that you feel weaker? > > 73…Stan, K5GO > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Jan 17, 2023, at 9:44 PM, Ignacy Misztal wrote: >> >> I have a 100 ft tower with jk mid tri 40 on top. When shunt fed, it was >> pretty competitive on 160. Recently the antenna seems to be a few db >> weaker. The only change was adding another beam at 60ft. Could it have had >> an impact? Adding the beam only marginally affected the match. >> >> Ignacy NO9E >> _ >> 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 WEB - "The VE7SL Radio Notebook": http://qsl.net/ve7sl/ VE7SL BLOG - "Homebrewing and Operating Adventures From 2200m to Nanowaves": http://ve7sl.blogspot.ca/ _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: spot
Highly unlikely at 1:30 in the afternoon in California. > 160m on 24Nov22 @ 2130Z > > I emailed to ask if he was transmitting from CA per his QRZ.com details and > he confirmed that was correct and he was using a large rhombic by the > ocean. Both contacts are confirmed in LoTw as California. > > Regards > > Paul MM0ZBH > > On Sun, 8 Jan 2023 at 23:31, wrote: > > > Interesting spot..? 2324Z 1.832.Ø TN8K DL3DXX wkd > > NM6V,W6AEA,WB6CJT big remo Republic of the Congo (TN) > > > > _ > > 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 -- WEB - "The VE7SL Radio Notebook": http://qsl.net/ve7sl/ VE7SL BLOG - "Homebrewing and Operating Adventures From 2200m to Nanowaves": http://ve7sl.blogspot.ca/ _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Bad 160m Conditions
>(in fact I don't even recall the Cycle affecting Top Band very much, unlike >the higher bands. Roger, I somewhat agree that things do seem a little different this time as even HF is not reflecting what these high flux numbers should be doing. I may be wrong but this present run-up of the cycle seems to have much more flaring (sometimes 20-30 per day) than previous cycles have had and these can really disrupt even HF propagation on the polar path. If we can see several days of a quiet undisturbed field things might improve for a bit. Steve 73 WEB - "The VE7SL Radio Notebook": http://qsl.net/ve7sl/ VE7SL BLOG - "Homebrewing and Operating Adventures From 2200m to Nanowaves": http://ve7sl.blogspot.ca/ _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Nasty QRM From ??
Dick, if you have a portable AM radio, try sniffing around your power meter and any cable leads (tv, internet) that are coming into the house ... while you have main breaker pulled. If nil then start a search in the local neighbourhood making note of where it gets louder. You should eventually trace the source this way. I’ve done it here on several occasions and have found sources as far as several blocks away. This crud travels along power lines using them as antennas. A couple of sources turned out to be burned out or failing CFL lights. Once located, a friendly chat with the source owner has always solved the problem. Good luck with the search. Steve VE7SL - Original Message - From: k8...@alphacomm.net To: Dick Bingham , Topband@contesting.com Sent: Fri, 24 Jan 2020 10:20:06 -0700 (MST) Subject: Re: Topband: Nasty QRM From ?? Just a thought, does your house have the new "intelligent" power metering on the powerline? This would still be on, even if your breakers were off. Or, maybe the same type of monitoring on natural gas or municipal water supplies. Sure sounds like a switching power supply Brian K8BHZ On 1/24/2020 1:59 AM, Dick Bingham wrote: > Greetings All > > Here are my basic conditions: > - KiwiSDR (~DC-to-30MHz) or > - Apache-Labs 7000dle > - Dell laptop computer > - Both on battery power > > I have cleaned up my system using chokes and filtering to the point > there are virtually no CM-signals entering the receiver when the feedline > at the antenna is disconnected and re-connected to a 50-ohm load. > > When the antenna is reconnected I see desired signals PLUS an > unwanted comb-line with signals every ~98.4KHz (e.g. comb-lines span > 2573.49KHz to 4355.38KHz resulting in 98.438KHz line spacings.) > > These signals are frequency stable and not drifty. Shutting down the > house-mains with the receiver battery powered does not kill the QRM. > > SO, it looks like something somewhere is generating this junk that runs from > the BC-band to >20MHz. > > Have any of you encountered similar ~98.xxxKHz spurious signals ? > > 73 Dick/w7wkr at CN97uj > _ > 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
