Topband: He who holds the gold makes the rules/CB0ZA

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

As a 160m DXer for almost 30 years from VK6 (238 countries worked and 39 zones 
on CW/SSB) and with absolutely no interest whatsoever in using computer-decoded 
modes, I have recently come to terms with the likelihood that I will never work 
my 40th 160m zone. 😉

This zone happens to be Zone 12 (CE0Y/CE0X/CE0Z)  - i.e. if I had got onto FT8 
I may have at least had a chance at achieving this by chasing CB0ZA. 

But to me this would be pointless and without any satisfaction whatsoever.

As we all know, DXpeditioning is a very expensive and dangerous business and 
the number of contacts made is all important in terms of DXpedition aims.  

If you want to work a new country on CW/SSB, be clear to a DXpedition organizer 
by email that you are only donating to them because they have said they will 
use SSB/CW. 

If a DXpedition organizer knows that 80 per cent of their donations are coming 
from CW/SSBers who only want to work them in that mode, then it is more likely 
they will use SSB/CW up to 80 per cent of the time.  

But if you don’t tell them this, they will use the mode they think will give 
them the best number of contacts in poor conditions, which they probably 
currently perceive to be FT8.

We, the operators who work the DXpeditions, actually hold the gold in this area 
– don’t donate to DXpeditioners/organisers who have a proven track record of 
mostly using FT8. Don’t whinge about them using FT8 – do something about it!

As a final thought for all, VK6 is a popular starting point for DXpeditions to 
the sub-Antarctic regions and the Indian Ocean.  Over the last ten years, as a 
result, I’ve got to talk face-to-face to a lot of operators from all over the 
world.

If anyone thinks that automatic/robotized FT8 contacts aren’t being done by 
operators living in locations that are DX to the USA, Europe and Japan on a 
daily basis, they are sadly mistaken.  That is the reality of amateur radio 
today.

As for me, once I am over my current kidney surgery, it will be back to working 
CW/SSB on 160 – 10m (plus a bit of Ancient Modulation).  

As for FT8 operators who want to work VK6/Zone 29, all three of us in VK6 who 
have built really good 160m stations and regularly work the band use CW and no 
FT8.  

There are a few VK6 who do work FT8 on the band but their signals are likely to 
be considerably weaker than ours. 

He who holds the gold always makes the rules. Good luck!

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ/VL6T 






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Re: Topband: Big Stew - A Wipe-out Down Under/W8UVZ SK

[Steve Ireland]

Happy New Year topbanders!

As my cobber Phil VK6GX so aptly put it the Big Stew was a wipe-out down under.

To continue to look at it in surfing parlance, it could be said that the 
propagation surf never got up beyond ankle height!

My only QSO was Ron VK3IO on Sunday evening here.  He was so weak that I 
thought he was a North American signal. 

Still Ron is 2,500 km or so away, which is a big hop even for a kangaroo. I 
probably would have worked Tree on the first night too if I hadn’t spent the 
previous evening carousing at the local jazz club.

On a slightly more serious note, I was sad to hear of the passing of George, 
W8UVZ.  Back in the late 1990s, George visited here a couple of times, en route 
to Christmas Island with Charlie W0YG and Jerry WB9Z and their wives.  

George spent time with my young family, who enjoyed his company. He was such a 
friendly, polite and clever man – and would always point out, gently but 
firmly, to the DXpeditions who borrowed the Battle Creek antennas from him (and 
George K8GG) that there were radio amateurs in Australia who spent a lot of 
time digging around in their summer noise for North American  and European 
stations on 160m.  

His expectation therefore was that the DXpeditions would try and dig them out 
of the noise in return.

Thanks to George’s efforts, Mike VK6HD (SK) and I worked at least 20 countries 
on 160m that we would have had no chance of being heard in the pile-up without 
George’s urgings for them to listen for us.

Bless him. He will be missed very much. I reckon George and Mike may be having 
a beer together somewhere in the ether.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ


Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2024 18:20:27 +0800
From: Phil Hartwell 
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Topband: Big Stew - A Wipe-out Down-Under
Message-ID: <8d9d1297-898e-41a7-ba45-ed82a81f9...@yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed

Greetings Topbanders,

I'm sorry to say the Stew was just about a non-event in this part of the 
world. The only stateside station I heard/worked was Tree, K7RAT, within 
the 1st hour, when he peaked up at his SR. The following evening (VK6 
time), I was set and ready to go, about 1/2 hour before my SS at 1123z, 
hoping to snare a good few east coast W's, but it was a complete 
wipe-out. The only station I heard was Ron, VK3IO, who was much weaker 
than normal, when he worked Steve VK6VZ, with difficulty. I think the VK 
contingent threw in the towel not long after that. I didn't hear or see 
any trace of anyone from anywhere after that.

It looks like things were much better in the northern hemisphere and I 
hope you all enjoyed the event, with hopefully some new ones.

Oh well, here's hoping for better next time, surely it couldn't be any 
worse for us down-under.

Happy New Year All, 73, Phil VK6GX.

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Re: Topband: The Stew Perry TBDC is afoot

[Steve Ireland]

Hello Lew (and Tree)

It is good to see your dainty fingers back on the keyboard, spruiking the Stew 
Perry TBDC as only you can.

Tree does his best but he lacks your raconteur spirit.  It is fitting he has 
handed back the medicine wagon and the Dr Good hat to you for this year’s TBDC 
finale advertisement. 

I am going to Ellington’s Jazz Club in Perth prior to the start of proceedings 
and some moderately hard liquor is likely to be consumed. As a result, I may 
not be in full control of my Morse key.

However, the spirit (mine) is likely to be willing and the push-pull spark 
transmitter will be put into action once again.  Hopefully someone can decipher 
its output.

Season’s greetings from the Land Down Under!

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

---
Greetings Ringmasters,  Trapeze Artists, Elephant Handlers, Strongmen, Clowns 
and respected Others of the 160M Realm,
 The Stew Perry Top Band Distance Challenge is afoot.  It commences 1500Z 
Dec. 30, 2023 and ends 24 hours later.  This contest is all Morse Code (CW) and 
uses distance between stations in determining the score.  It is a lot of fun.  
If your addiction to FT8/FT4 is getting thin or if you are exploring new things 
to do in radio operating, then come try CW contesting here.  The operators on 
"The Gentlemens' Band" generally will slow down to whatever speed you have to 
help you decode the signals yourself, which you are quite capable of doing.
 Rules, plaques, plaque sponsoring, unique scoring, prior results and other 
very interesting information all live athttps://kkn.net/stew/   
   If you're reading this, then you're also perfectly capable of 
driving your browser to the address above and understanding more about The Stew 
Perry Top Band Distance Challenge.
 


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Topband: Stew Perry/Lowband Jack from VK6VZ

[Steve Ireland]

G’day 

Been leaving 160m mostly here to Kev VK6LW and Phil VK6GX, while I operate on 
“VHF”, as Phil calls 10m.

However, I try not too miss a Stew Perry and the fall LBJ is normally an 
excellent one here in terms of propagation.  

I got out of bed and CQed and listened to noise for a couple of hours from 
1530Z (hoping to catch European sunset prop), then dozed for a couple of hours 
and came back on an hour before VK6 sunrise and CQed and listened to noise 
until the sun came up.

I am ashamed to admit that was so discouraged and sleepy that I watched a crime 
drama on TV in the evening instead of catching the North American sunrise. 😉

Think it is the first SP ever for me when I have been on and not made a single 
contact. Guess that is sunspots for yer. Back to ‘ten’ for me.

Hope someone somewhere did a lot better!

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ (operating as VL6T)




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Topband: The Stew Perry Low Band Jack/solar conditions on 160m

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

It was great fun to do the Low Band Jack over the weekend.  Conditions were 
very spotty/spotlighty, typical from here at this point in the solar cycle.

Only 15 QSOs in the log, with two Aussies (VK6GX and VK3IO, the latter of who 
would have been more active but for high QRN), eight Europeans and five USA. 

Several W5 stations were heard at S5/6 but neither Phil or I could raise them, 
suggesting either one-way prop or receive antennas pointing away from us. 

As Phil VK6GX warned me before the LBJ, there was nothing heard west of the 
Rockies, with the skip going out as far as K1LT in eastern OH and K0DI in FL. 
This type of prop has been present recently, during Phil’s regular visits to 
160m.

My 160m signal/reception isn’t as good as it used to be, owing to swapping the 
single-band inverted vee dipole at 90 feet into a inverted-U doublet at 50 
feet, which also functions as a Half Square on 80m and is a super DX antenna 
for contesting. 

I was very interested to read Steve VE6WZ’s reports on how DX contacts over the 
North Pole have diminished for him, as solar activity has increased.

In VK6, most of our DX comes in from either the east/north east (USA/Caribbean) 
and west/north west (Europe/Africa).  Polar propagation (N/S) is there for us 
at sunspot minimums but doesn’t result in much DX.

Ironically for us here, often the rarest DX is worked relatively close to 
sunspot maximums, owing to being east-west in direction, where prop is 
generally encouraged by solar activity. Over the last 30 years, this has for 
me, for example, included 6Y5, ZF2, VP5, V3, CN, 3V8, 5A and SU. 

I was taught about this propagation ‘anomaly’ many years ago by Mike VK6HD (SK) 
and it seemed weird, until I looked at an azimuthal map of where the true 
directions of the various population centres were located from my relatively 
remote location.  It is all about geography and geometry.  😉

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ


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Re: Topband: working 'long' distances on 160m

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Roger

These days I usually only get on 160m for the various Stew Perry TBDCs.  They 
are still fun but my internal time clock has changed and no longer enjoy 
getting up regularly at sunrise to work Europe on 160m!   My most used band 
these days is 10m, which has sensible operating hours. 😉

However, VK6 is still well represented on 160m by Kev VK6LW and Phil VK6GX. Kev 
is a night owl and will get on for European sunset, while Phil is an early bird 
and still operates at VK6 sunrise.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ (VL6T in contests)


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Topband: Working 'long' distances on 160m

[Steve Ireland]

G’day all

Some food for thought.

Like Roger G3YRO and others who were teenage UK radio amateurs in the 
1960s/1970s I grew up radio-wise on 160m. In those days, the holy grail was to 
work across the Atlantic from UK/Europe.

Nowadays, living in Western Australia, it seems quite funny to think that 
working from Europe to into the east coast of North America is something that 
is still considered as real DX working on topband, as the distance is not 
relatively long and there is no shortage of stations (in theory!) at either 
end.  

Back in the late 1960s/early 1970s, UK stations (and others in Europe) could 
only legally use 10W DC input, so working this distance was really difficult 
and thus ‘serious DX’. However, as the 1970s progressed, there were TL-922 
linear amplifiers in use at various G-DXers (but of course, ahem, never on 
160m). 

Some years after this, 400W output became both legal and commonplace below 
1832KHz in the UK.

Anyhow, my point is that the distance from Europe/the UK to east coast USA is 
relatively short – from the UK’s Newcastle Upon Tyne (where Roger lives) to New 
York is about 3,330 miles (about 5,360 km)  as the crow flies. 

This is a very similar distance from Perth, Western Australia to Auckland, New 
Zealand – but no serious Southern Hemisphere topband DXer would consider a 
contact between VK6 and ZL1 as a DX contact. 😉

On the other hand, Perth to Newcastle Upon Tyne is 9,056 miles (14,574 km) 
while New York to Perth is 11,613 miles (18,690km). That to me is DX. But 
Australia (Perth in particular) is a long way away from anywhere else.

All a question of perspective, history and where you live I guess.  😉

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ/G3ZZD/VY2LF

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Re: Topband: Inverted V vs inverted L

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Peter (and the reflector)

As George AA7JV/C6AGU says: 'It depends on a lot of things: ground 
characteristics, number of radials, height of radials and the overall 
height available.'


I'd add your geomagnetic latitude (not the same as actual latitude) may 
also be a factor.


Here in south-western Australia, an inverted-V dipole at 90 feet high 
will usually beat an inverted-L at the same height on 160m. This appears 
to be because of the very poor ground conductivity in the far field.


Mike Bazley VK6HD (SK) was the most experienced 160m DXer in Australia 
and had around 260 countries confirmed when he passed away some years 
back. At his last QTH in Albany he built an inverted-L with an 80 to 90 
feet vertical section and, painstakingly, over the course of a year, put 
down a full size ground screen of 132 radials, each of a quarter-wave 
length long.


This antenna enabled him to add about three new countries in Central 
America (which could not hear him on the Inverted V dipole he also had) 
but most of the time his inverted V dipole at 90 feet was up to two 'S' 
points better. After a couple of years, Mike took the inverted-L down 
because of its mostly poorer DX performance.


Now, this kind of result is highly unusual, but just seems to be the way 
things work in VK6. I suspect that the inverted-L is going to work 
better for you, but as George says, 'there is only one way to tell: try it'.


Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ (inverted-U dipole at 60 feet - wire goes 66 feet up, 132 
foot along, 66 foot down )


Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2020 13:02:26 -0400
From: GEORGE WALLNER
To:
Subject: Re: Topband: Inverted V vs inverted L
Message-ID:
Content-Type: text/plain;charset="utf-8"; format="flowed"

Peter,
It depends on a lot of things: ground characteristics, number of radials,
height of radials and the overall height available.
Generally, over average-to-good ground and with 32 or more radials, the
inverted L will perform better for DX at anything up 100', most of the time.
If you can put an inverted V higher than 100', you may get a better antenna,
especially if your QTH is over poor soil and you have only a few radials.
Really, there is only one way to tell: Try it.
Ultimately, having both will give you the best performance.

I know this is not very helpful, but ...
73,
George,
AA7JV/C6AGU


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Re: Topband: A Bit of Zone 2 History Was Made Last Week

[Steve Ireland]

G'day

As Mike VE9AA has indicated there have been several excellent Zone 2 
operations in the past from the Point Amour lighthouse in Cape where the 
operators have had a good 160m setup. Unfortunately despite the 
operating teams kindly making skeds with me, we've had no success. Mike 
VK6HD SK also tried skeds with temporary well-equipped stations 
operating from Labrador on 160m without success.


After many years of both of us chasing Zone 2, Mike finally managed a 
QSO with a temporary VE2 (during a CQ 160 CW contest, I think?) station 
operating just inside the Zone 2 boundary in Quebec.


There is a nice little overlap between sunset here and sunrise in VO2 at 
this time of the year (now VO2 sunrise is at 1128Z, whereas VK6 Perth 
sunset is at 1054Z) but despite this my attempts in the past 
during/around the CQ WW CW have still been negative. Maybe it has just 
been conditions, but it is certainly seems a harder path to Z2 Labrador 
than Z2 Quebec.


All that being said, I'd love to try a sked again on 160m with a VO2 
station prior to the CQ WW CW. Dave VE9CB (of VO2AC) and I are good 
mates so maybe this is possible one day.


Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ


On 10/11/2019 1:00 am, topband-requ...@contesting.com wrote:


WRT to Steve's comments, I am*very*  surprised that few VK's have worked
Zone 2.

In recent memory VO2AAA/VO2AC have put on 2 pretty big 160m contest
expeditions from the Point Amour Lighthouse in Labrador with exceptional
antennas and huge signals into NA and EU.(and elsewhere)
In recent memory VO2AAA/VO2AC have put on 2 pretty big 160m contest
expeditions from the Point Amour Lighthouse in Labrador with exceptional
antennas and huge signals into NA and EU.(and elsewhere)


Mike VE9AA/VO2DX.etc.

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Re: Topband: A Bit of Zone 2 History Was Made Last Week

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Miriam (and Jeff)

Congratulations on your mini-DXpedition to Zone 2 - and it is good to see 
someone is thinking of us in the Asia/Indian Ocean/Pacific area.

In common with most topbanders any in this area, one of the two remaining zones 
I need on 160m after 24 years of operation from here is Zone 2, so I hope you 
and Jeff will go back one day. ;-)

I am guessing you went to/near the southern boundary of Zone 2 in Quebec - 
which is the best - possibly the only area - where it is possible to work into 
this part of the globe. Over the years I have listened for just about every 
DXpedition that operated on 160m from Zone 2 and I have only ever heard one - 
which was from this area. Despite the efforts of many from VO2, not a peep was 
heard from here.

I should add that I am a CW operator.

In the past there have been several longtime topbanders in the US who have 
appreciated how difficult it is to work some zones from this part of the world 
and made special efforts to work us on their DXpeditions.

I would particularly like to pay tribute to your husband Jeff, George W8UVZ, 
Bob K4UEE and Jerry WB9Z. However, this kind of knowledge and effort has become 
unusual - which is why I'd like to thank you particularly on our behalf.

Here's hoping someone will go to the Zone 2 part of Quebec for the upcoming CQ 
WW CW or the CQ 160 CW.

It'd also be nice if there was a DXpedition to Zone 12, in particular Easter 
Island or San Felix (CE0) who did a heap of 160m CW at times that suited the 
Asia/Indian Ocean/Pacific area - now that'd make a good holiday destination for 
some topbander. ;-)

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ (also G3ZZD and VY2LF)

 


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:

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Re: Topband: The DXpedition FT8 quandary

[Steve Ireland]

G'day

FT-8 is so much less labour and operator skill-intensive than CW/SSB that it 
has a fatal attraction for DXpeditions - more people can be worked more easily 
and more quickly.

Added to this, "He who holds the gold makes the rules" and DXpeditions mostly 
hold the gold as we want to work them. 

So if increasing numbers of DXpeditions are intending to use FT-8 on 160m what 
can we CW/SSB ops do about it to turn this around? 

To start with, we can stop using FT-8 at all in our day-to-day 160m operation. 
The less stations there are on FT-8 on 160m the less temptation/likelihood 
there is of a DXpedition using FT-8 it - particularly if all the 160m stations 
with good transmit and receive antennas aren’t using it.

Perhaps even more important – and we come back to the gold metaphor - when you 
make a DXpedition donation – and please do so - clearly state you are 
interested in 160m CW/SSB and do not use FT-8.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

>They ain't gonna work me.? I'm with you.? Did the FT-8 last summer for around 
>400 Qs...that was quite enough.? If I don't make 200, 300 countries because I 
>don't FT-8, so what?
KH7XS



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Topband: A view of FT-8 on 160m from a DX perspective

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

It has been interesting to read the recent debate about the use of FT-8 on 
160m. I think we have been considering its use in purely technical terms – and 
its growth really isn’t quite that simple.

Why do people use FT-8 – to work more DX. If more stations from relatively rare 
parts of the world with small amateur populations – such as VK6/Zone 29 - use 
FT-8 then more stations from the more populous regions of the world will use it 
to improve their DXCC count.

However, if sought-after DX stations choose not to use FT-8, then less stations 
who chase DX will use FT-8.  The more of us DX that starts using it, the more 
it will get used – it is as simple as that. 

Neither VK6GX or myself – the most active 160m DX ops here - use FT-8, so if 
you need VK6/Zone 29, then CW (or occasionally, SSB) is your best hope of a 
QSO. 

Now, the elephant in the room.  As we all know, amateur radio is not always 
quite amateur radio – and has always been this way.

Some stations from relatively rare, poor parts of the world where large amounts 
of contacts and the subsequent revenue from QSLing is important to their 
lives/lifestyle may choose to use FT-8 to increase their contact rates – a 
perfectly legitimate choice. 

Some stations from relatively rare, wealthier parts of the world where large 
amounts of contacts and the subsequent revenue from QSLing/QSLing is not 
important to their lives/lifestyle may choose not to use FT-8 – a perfectly 
legitimate choice also.

When the sunspots increase and working long distances becomes easier again, 
FT-8 may become part of the general digital landscape again – but only if those 
stations from rarer countries do not continue to use it in increasing numbers.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

PS I never look at what is going on on 1840 because I don’t care. ;-) 


 

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Re: Topband: Dual RX SDR receivers (diversity capable)

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Bjorn

If you are interested, I have a dual Softrock 160m SDR receiver (two receivers 
in one diecast box) that was built up about ten years ago or so for diversity 
reception, using Alex VE3NEA’s Rock 2.0 diversity version – see 
http://www.dxatlas.com/Download.asp.

Owing to family/business pressures I never got around to using it. My 
recollection is JC N4IS may have built up something similar?

The receiver is just sitting on a shelf here and I am happy to part with it. 
Also have a M-Audio D44 professional soundcard that was going to used with it.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ 

Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2019 16:18:47 +0100
From: Bjorn SM0MDG 
To: Topband 
Subject: Topband: Dual RX SDR receivers (diversity capable)
Message-ID: 
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Hi gang,

Are there any resources out there listing (and comparing) dual RX SDR 
receivers? I am interested SDR receivers with dual independent RX channels 
synchronised primarely for diversity RX.

73 de Bj?rn,
SM0MDG
SE0X


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Topband: The answer to PL-259 soldering/reliability problems

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

About five years I discovered this fool-proof and brilliant way to solder 
PL-259s invented by Bill Maxon N4AR who taught this to Tim K3LR. Tim uses this 
method throughout his contest station and did a great job of documenting it – 
see http://www.k3lr.com/engineering/pl259/ and it has totally changed my angry 
and worried attitude towards soldering PL-259s.

The key component is Amphenol 83-1SP connectors. The connector body is silver 
and the shell is nickel and you can buy them from Mouser or DX Engineering.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

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Re: Topband: Vertical antennas aren't always best for DX everywhere - the facts

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Frank (and Rick)

Somewhere I have a map of the lines of geomagnetic latitude superimposed on a 
Mercator projection of the world, but I can’t find it right now.  Unlike the 
ruler-straight lines of conventional latitude, geomagnetic latitude lines 
wander across the world like a collection of snake tracks. 

As a result of how geomagnetic latitude snakes across the globe, a comparison 
can’t be directly made between similar geomagnetic latitudes in the northern 
and southern hemispheres – where Tom W8JI lives is probably very different to 
me in terms of the closeness of his geomagnetic latitude to the electron 
gyro-frequency.  As Carl K9LA points out, the geomagnetic latitude relates to 
polarization and involves the ordinary and extraordinary waves that propagate 
through the ionosphere, and how 160m is affected by being close to the electron 
gyro-frequency.

About 10 to 15 years ago, Carl, Nick Hall-Patch VE7DXR and Bob NM7M (SK) (also 
a physicist like Carl, as I’m sure you recall) helped Mike VK6HD (SK) and I to 
understand why our horizontal cloud-warmers outperformed efficient vertical 
antenna systems in SW WA. 

You are quite correct, the Fresnel zone where I live (the mostly far field 
region where ground gain is developed) has very poor conductivity. And, to 
repeat your point as this is not as widely known as it should be, poor Fresnel 
Zone conductivity has very little impact on the performance of horizontally 
polarized antennas, while having a major impact on vertically polarised ones.

While the Fresnel (far field) zone of my location, is basically rock (granite 
and ‘coffee rock’), Mike’s final location beside the Kalgan estuary appeared to 
have much better Fresnel zone conductivity, with less rock than me and, in 
around half the compass directions, salt water.  However, his inverted-L with 
an 80’ vertical section over 120 buried quarter-wave radials at Kalgan 
performed only marginally better than our previous attempts at vertical antenna 
systems did. 

On this basis, I came to the conclusion that the dominant problem was likely to 
be the geomagnetic latitude issue, rather than poor conductivity in the Fresnel 
zone – which it certainly is also an issue here. 

To investigate this further, I sought out the opportunity to operate directly 
by the sea here with a good vertical antenna. After much paperwork, I managed 
to get permission to operation from the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse, which is 
40m-plus high and on a narrow finger of land surrounded by sea for over 300 
degrees.

In a Stew Perry TBDC in the early 2000s, with the assistance of my friend Phil 
VK6PH, we put up a full-sized quarter-wave wire vertical on the most seaward 
side of the lighthouse, less than 60 metres from the sea. This was fed against 
a quarter wave counterpoise and the feeder decoupled with a large ferrite choke 
to stop common mode effects.  On the other side of the lighthouse was an 
inverted vee half-wave dipole. Both antennas were supported from the lighthouse 
balcony (at about 40m!) and detuned when not in use. An Yaesu FT-1000MP was 
used, running less than 100W

Unfortunately conditions were poor during our evening time into North America, 
but at about three hours before sunrise the 160m band opened into Europe.  
Right from this point, the vertical was slightly down on the inverted vee by a 
few dB, but I would always call on the vertical first and then switch onto the 
inverted vee if I got no response.  All the way until just after sunrise, the 
inverted vee outperformed the vertical, mostly raising the stations who did not 
hear us on the vertical.

The only time this situation was reversed was when 160m started to go out as 
the sun started to rise and I had by then switched over to just calling 
stations on the inverted vee. 

After about five minutes of this, the Europeans I could still hear were not 
coming back to me anymore.  Out of curiosity, I switched to the vertical – and 
found I could still raise a few of them.  I recall vividly the last QSO with a 
CT1 using the vertical about 20 minutes after sunrise, exchanging 559 reports.

The crazy thing is that the vertical appeared to be doing exactly what a dipole 
is known for doing on 160m in the northern hemisphere in some cases – extending 
the sunrise opening. However, this was the only time the vertical outperformed 
the inverted vee. 

As far as I know, Mike VK6HD never experienced this phenomenon when he was 
comparing his inverted-L quarter wave antenna against his inverted vee dipole.  
However, my vertical antenna was directly adjacent to the sea, surrounded by 
sea, which may have helped.

The final event was highly interesting, but did not sway me into repeating the 
experiment the following year when I also operated from the lighthouse in the 
Stew Perry TBDC.

The fact was the inverted vee had been responsible for 80 to 90 per cent of my 
QSOs  - can’t remember exactly how many – while the vertical had only accounted 
for

Re: Topband: Vertical antennas aren't always best for DX

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Jerry

Thanks so much for posting that excellent article – I had forgotten about it! 
For those who want to understand more about geomagnetic lat/long and 
gyrofrequency effects on 160m, it is just about the best article I ever came 
across – and shows why 160m is truly THE ‘magic band’. 

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ


Date: Sat, 24 Nov 2018 08:25:07 -0600
From: K4SAV 
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Vertical antennas aren't always best for DX
everywhere - the facts
Message-ID: <5bf95f43.2060...@charter.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed

Here is an interesting pdf document including information on the effects 
of Earth's Electron Gyrofrequency on 160 meters.

The 160-Meter Band: An Enigma Shrouded in Mystery
http://solar.spacew.com/cq/cqmar98.pdf

Jerry, K4SAV




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Re: Topband: Vertical antennas aren't always best for DX everywhere - the facts

[Steve Ireland]

 
for three or four.

Mike VK6HD, Phil VK6GX and I are not the only ones to have experienced the 
“verticals aren’t always best for DX” situation here. About five to ten years 
ago, I understand a group of German DXers came here and operated in the CQ WW 
CW (I think). 

The group operated from the the Northern Corridor superstation VK6ANC/VK6NC, 
using a quarter wave vertical on 160m. After disappointing results, one of the 
ops (Mar DL3DXX, I think) recalled Mike, Phil and I used inverted vees at 90 to 
110’ and suspended a inverted vee dipole as high as they could and changed over 
to using this. My understanding is then they found they could work a much 
larger amount of DX stations on 160m.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ 







What Steve and Nick VE7DXR were referring to is the geomagnetic latitude in 
relation to polarization - not ground conductivity. 

This involves the ordinary and extraordinary waves that propagate through the 
ionosphere, and how 160m is affected by being close to the electron 
gyro-frequency

From: donov...@starpower.net 
Sent: Friday, November 23, 2018 12:56 AM
To: Topband reflector 
Subject: Re: Topband: Vertical antennas aren't always best for DX everywhere - 
the facts

Hi Rick and Steve, 

Steve's QTH is almost directly north of the south geomagnetic pole.
His  latitude is approximately 32 degrees south geographic latitude
and approximately 43 degrees south geomagnetic latitude.   His QTH
is at approximately the same geomagnetic latitude as the Georgia
in the northern hemisphere.

http://sdnet.thayer.dartmouth.edu/aacgm/aacgm_calc.php#AACGM

I can't comment on the actual horizontal vs. vertical polarization
experience of topband operators in the Georgia.; however, W8JI lives
in Georgia and his experience with a very high horizontally polarized
dipole was mostly unfavorable compared to his 4-square vertical
array.   Georgia probably has reasonably good soil conductivity.

My suspicion is that the soil in the Fresnel zone of Steve's vertical
antennas  (the mostly far field region where ground gain is developed)
has very poor conductivity.  Poor Fresnel Zone conductivity has very
little impact on the performance of horizontally polarized antennas.

AM broadcast antenna engineers who have worked in VK6 may have
some experience with soil conductivity impacts on the effectiveness
of AM broadcasting antennas in that area.

73
Frank
W3LPL














From: "Richard (Rick) Karlquist" 
To: "Steve Ireland" , n...@n4is.com, 
donov...@starpower.net, "Topband reflector" 
Cc: "Dave Olean" 
Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2018 3:40:10 PM
Subject: Re: Topband: Vertical antennas aren't always best for DX everywhere - 
the facts

Holy YMMV. Thanks for your great posting of what most of us didn't know
(I know I didn't).  Do you have any numerical data concerning the ground
conductivity in VK6 vs the VK east coast?  The conductivity at my
QTH is around 30mS, so obviously you are in an alternative universe
by comparison.  I am trying to separate out ground conductivity vs
geomagnetic latitude.  Isn't the VK east basically at the same
latitude as VK6?  It would be interesting to try a vertical on
the beach on the Indian Ocean in VK6.  This would presumably eliminate
the ground conductivity issue, leaving only the geomagnetic stuff.

73
Rick N6RK

On 11/22/2018 1:49 AM, Steve Ireland wrote:
> Hi JC
> 
> In my experience, here in the southern hemisphere and relatively close 
> to the equator, I wish that "Vertical TX antenna is the only way to work 
> DX on topband!"
> 
> Unfortunately vertical antennas mostly don't work here well where I am 
> in south-western WA - there is too much ground loss in the far field and 
> poor geomagnetic latitude for them.
> 
> When I lived in the UK and was G3ZZD (1971 to 1989) , I used verticals, 
> inverted-Ls and inverted-tees over elevated radials exclusively for 
> low-band DXing. It was very disappointing to find that when I moved into 
> the Perth Hills in 1995 and got back on 160m that verticals didn't work 
> like they did at my previous QTHs in the UK.
> 
> Mystified by this situation, I contacted Dr Nick Hall-Patch, a 
> radio/physics scientist at a university in British Columbia, who 
> explained the wonders of geomagnetic lat/long to me - and pointed out at 
> my geomagnetic lat/long a (mainly) vertical polarised antenna might only 
> break even with a (mainly) horizontal antenna, even if the ground 
> conductivity was good.
> 
> Mike VK6HD, who was my mentor on 160m, had learnt about the favouring of 
> our location for predominantly horizontal polarisation many years before 
> - and, after trying a raft of inverted-Ls and various ways of 
> shunt-loading his tower, settled on using a flat-top d

Topband: Vertical antennas aren't always best for DX everywhere - the facts

[Steve Ireland]

Hi JC

In my experience, here in the southern hemisphere and relatively close to 
the equator, I wish that "Vertical TX antenna is the only way to work DX on 
topband!"


Unfortunately vertical antennas mostly don't work here well where I am in 
south-western WA - there is too much ground loss in the far field and poor 
geomagnetic latitude for them.


When I lived in the UK and was G3ZZD (1971 to 1989) , I used verticals, 
inverted-Ls and inverted-tees over elevated radials exclusively for low-band 
DXing. It was very disappointing to find that when I moved into the Perth 
Hills in 1995 and got back on 160m that verticals didn't work like they did 
at my previous QTHs in the UK.


Mystified by this situation, I contacted Dr Nick Hall-Patch, a radio/physics 
scientist at a university in British Columbia, who explained the wonders of 
geomagnetic lat/long to me - and pointed out at my geomagnetic lat/long a 
(mainly) vertical polarised antenna might only break even with a (mainly) 
horizontal antenna, even if the ground conductivity was good.


Mike VK6HD, who was my mentor on 160m, had learnt about the favouring of our 
location for predominantly horizontal polarisation many years before - and, 
after trying a raft of inverted-Ls and various ways of shunt-loading his 
tower, settled on using a flat-top dipole or inverted vee dipole as high in 
the air as he could get it. Independently, Phil VK6GX (formerly VK6ABL) went 
a similar journey to Mike and also settled an identical philosophy for 160m 
antennas.


As outlined in my tribute on Mike's QRZ.com page, when Mike moved to his 
final QTH, near Albany, on several hectares besides the Kalgan River 
estuary, he finally thought he had found a location where a vertical would 
work. Over about 18 months, he laid down a full-size broadcast ground screen 
of 120 quarter wave radials and put up an inverted-L with an 80 feet 
vertical section over it. He compared this very carefully against an 
inverted vee dipole at 90', which was detuned/shorted when the vertical was 
in use.


Mike then embarked on 18 months of testing - and much to his disappointment 
discovered that the inverted-L was mostly up to two 'S' points down on the 
inverted vee dipole.  The only times the vertical was better was 
occasionally over one and half hours before sunrise - and similarly it could 
sometimes be better over one a half hours after sunset.


The good news is once in a blue moon the vertical would work better than the 
dipole on long distance DX - and enabled Mike to work P4 (Aruba) and HC.


Almost entirely the rest of Mike's 260+ countries on 160m were worked on 
flat-top or inverted vee dipoles.


After another year or so, Mike quietly took the inverted-L down - and 
concentrated instead on improving his 160m reception through the use of 
Beverage antennas.


For many years, Mike and I were treated by several knowledgeable 160m DXers 
as being either incompetent or deluded about a simple horizontal cloud 
warmer being better than a vertical in south-western WA.  I used to get 
angry about it, but Mike (who was older and wiser) would just laugh and say 
let those in the rest of the world have their own beliefs about what 
actually happens where we live.


If the books in English on 160m antennas and operating had been written in 
VK6, rather than in high latitude USA and Europe, they would say very 
different things about verticals, along the lines of: "Don't torture 
yourself." ;-) Note also that verticals seem to work just fine in the rest 
of Australia on 160m, but not in relatively coastal south-western VK6


Practically for me, verticals of all kinds are occasionally useful at this 
QTH in working middle distances around 1,000 to 5,000 km, such as in the 
western Pacific. Later this year, I'll carry out the switching arrangements 
so I can use my 160m doublet as a top-loaded vertical, but I'm not expecting 
much in the way of good results, except at these distances (in which I've 
already just about worked all the countries there is ;-)).


By the way, I have a ground screen of over 30 x 30m radials and a K2AV 
counterpoise over them - for all the good they (don't) do me. If I was back 
in Kent as G3ZZD they would do very well for me.


Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ (also G3ZZD and VY2LF)




-Original Message- 
From: n...@n4is.com

Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2018 8:38 PM
To: 'Steve Ireland' ; donov...@starpower.net ; 'Topband reflector'
Cc: 'Dave Olean'
Subject: RE: Topband: Vertical and horizontal polarized antennas in the same 
space (was Propagation improves from VK6 into Europe)


Hi Steve.

You are 100 % right, the V works like a top hat for a vertical TX antenna.

I it simple to detune any vertical TX antenna. Vertical TX antenna is the 
only way to work DX on topband!


You may ask about the inverted V or low dipole, they are not 100% 
horizontal, ac

Topband: Vertical and horizontal polarised antennas in the same space (was Propagation improves from VK6 into Europe)

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

One way to get around the problem Frank W3LPL outlines below is to have one 
general/TX 160m antenna that you switch between vertical and horizontal 
polarisation.

If you can get up an inverted-V or flat-top dipole at 60 to 120 feet and feed 
it with open wire that runs away from the antenna feedpoint vertically, the 
feeders can be switched at ground level (using a double pole vacuum relay or 
similar) so they are shorted and fed against a counterpoise/ground system, with 
a separate coax feeder/matching unit.

For many years an east coast VK friend used this system, where he had a 
‘shallow’ inverted vee 160m doublet about 90 feet high and took the open wire 
feed to ground. The inverted vee made a great capacity hat to the shorted open 
wire feeder/vertical radiator and I think he used to tune this against his 
ground system using an L-network or a series capacitor

I also recall KK4TR – and several others – successfully using similar antennas. 

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ   

---
Corollary:  You can't have too many antennas except when they 
interfere with each other which they often do on Topband where
a wavelength is approximately 500 feet...


Even on 20 meters, the pattern of a Yagi is noticeably degraded
when it points through another 20 meter Yagi or tribander 500 feet
distant or more.


Fortunately most Topband receiving antennas don't interfere with
each other -- except at extremely close spacing -- because their
mutual impedance is negligible.  But transmitting antennas and
other antenna-like radiators such as power lines -- even 1000 feet
away or more -- can significantly degrade the directivity of
Topband receiving antennas.


73
Frank
W3LPL




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Re: Topband: Poor conditions in 2018 so far for working VK6 to NA long path

[Steve Ireland]

G'day Dave (and all)

Your observation that the low sunspot numbers does not bring good conditions 
to 160m definitely holds for VK6.


Mike VK6HD told me he had observed this over several sunspot cycles when I 
first became active on 160m from VK6 in 1995.


Most of the best DX conditions I've experienced here has been a few years 
before or after the sunspot peak. Without checking the log, I'd guess the 
actual peak has been better than the minimum here.


This may have something to do with the fact that the most important paths 
here are more easterly-westerly than north-south.  When I lived in the UK, I 
always remember working heaps of African and South American stations on the 
low bands at the sunspot minimum - which were, of course, north-south paths.


Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ


...While I have only been QRV on TB
since 1987 (many of you have me beat by two decades or more), I have gone
through several sunspot cycles.  The old adage that low sunspot numbers
bring good conditions to 160m does not necessarily seem to hold true.
... 73. . .Dave, W0FLS

-Original Message----- 
From: Steve Ireland

Sent: Monday, November 12, 2018 7:32 PM
To: Topband reflector
Subject: Topband: Poor conditions in 2018 so far for working VK6 to NA long
path

G'day

With the exception of last Sunday I've been on 160m for east coast NA sunset
from 7/11/18 until 12/11/18 to try to give out some ‘long path’ contacts
with USA/VE.

Although there has been some spotlight propagation into Europe (today was
Southern Europe/North Africa and S01WS for a new country) the LP into North
America has seemed to be non-existent
so far.

2017 and 2016 were definitely better, with my recollection of LP openings
present on several mornings during this period.

My reference point is if I can hear or work Jeff VY2ZM, then I know there is
a chance of working into NA further south.  Every morning I regularly check
Jeff's transmitting frequency - and during the aforementioned period I
haven't heard Jeff once!

Since Jeff started his station on PEI, we have worked on 160m many times -
and on SSB at least once - and usually I can hear him virtually daily at
this time of the year.  This year is definitely the worse I can recall since
I first came on 160m from VK6 back in 1995.

I guess the take-away message is 2018 is a very bad year but east coastal NA
stations don't give up hope that a LP QSO is possible (but perhaps not this
season).

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

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Topband: Propagation improves from VK6 into Europe

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

Although there was no LP prop into NA today, I had the best European 
propagation since 1 November, working 12 Europeans. 

The prop was very much spotlight, favouring Italy, Serbia, Hungary and Greece 
(SV1EOG/7 was a genuine 589), but I did work R8, OH and SM as well.

Let’s hope 160m can surprise us in the next few days.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

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Topband: Poor conditions in 2018 so far for working VK6 to NA long path

[Steve Ireland]

G'day

With the exception of last Sunday I've been on 160m for east coast NA sunset 
from 7/11/18 until 12/11/18 to try to give out some ‘long path’ contacts with 
USA/VE.

Although there has been some spotlight propagation into Europe (today was 
Southern Europe/North Africa and S01WS for a new country) the LP into North 
America has seemed to be non-existent 
so far.

2017 and 2016 were definitely better, with my recollection of LP openings 
present on several mornings during this period.

My reference point is if I can hear or work Jeff VY2ZM, then I know there is a 
chance of working into NA further south.  Every morning I regularly check 
Jeff's transmitting frequency - and during the aforementioned period I 
haven't heard Jeff once!

Since Jeff started his station on PEI, we have worked on 160m many times - and 
on SSB at least once - and usually I can hear him virtually daily at this time 
of the year.  This year is definitely the worse I can recall since 
I first came on 160m from VK6 back in 1995.

I guess the take-away message is 2018 is a very bad year but east coastal NA 
stations don't give up hope that a LP QSO is possible (but perhaps not this 
season).

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

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Re: Topband: Working LP from VK6 to the USA - season approaches

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Mark

Great to hear from you - will definitely be looking for you. This week I've 
been chasing Z23MD (without luck so far), but done the odd CQ on 1831.5 after 
SR - my SR is currently about 2120Z..

The first couple of weeks in November is usually the best time for LP – and, as 
Roger N1RJ has pointed out, if you look at the midpoint between (after) my 
sunrise time and (before) your sunset time, this is when signals generally 
peak.  The openings usually last for two to five minutes at best, but signal 
strengths can be strong – last year on 7 November I worked several east coast 
NA stations LP with strengths peaking S7.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ


From: Mark K3MSB 
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2018 3:25 AM
To: vk...@arach.net.au 
Cc: topBand List ; k...@myfairpoint.net 
Subject: Re: Topband: Working LP from VK6 to the USA - season approaches

Hi Steve

I'd be delighted to take a crack at working you.


Last April Phil VK6GX heard my CQ and answered me,  but I was unable to hear 
him.   I was beating my head against the table,  and for some added salt in the 
womb...N0FW was telling me "Mark, he's answering you".Argh!   The RBOGS 
just didn't do that job that time!

Today was a gorgeous fall day here in southeastern PA and what better way to 
spend it than by installing a HI-Z 3 in the back yard!The mounts and 
antennas are "planted" and look great (though my wife may not quite agree).
The electronics box will have to wait until the final mowing of the yard, and I 
hope that will be tomorrow.

With business constraints,  I'm targeting Nov 10th to have the HI-Z 3 on the 
air and all radials run for the INV-L.

That's the plan and we all know how plans go

73 Mark K3MSB









On Tue, Oct 30, 2018 at 10:02 PM Steve Ireland  wrote:

  G’day

  After retiring earlier this year, I’ve managed to retrain (at least 
temporarily) my body to get up at 5am again for the pre-sunrise period here 
during November. 

  When not chasing DX to boost my DXCC total, I’ll spend time CQing on 1831.5, 
particularly in the 15 to 20 minute period after sunrise, looking first for 
EU/Africa and then North America long path.  

  I know there a number of east coast USA stations for who it is easier to work 
VK6/Zone 29 long path rather than trying for a contact at their sunset.

  Vy 73

  Steve, VK6VZ

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Topband: Working LP from VK6 to the USA - season approaches

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

After retiring earlier this year, I’ve managed to retrain (at least 
temporarily) my body to get up at 5am again for the pre-sunrise period here 
during November. 

When not chasing DX to boost my DXCC total, I’ll spend time CQing on 1831.5, 
particularly in the 15 to 20 minute period after sunrise, looking first for 
EU/Africa and then North America long path.  

I know there a number of east coast USA stations for who it is easier to work 
VK6/Zone 29 long path rather than trying for a contact at their sunset.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

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Topband: Tributes to VE1ZZ

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

There have been some great tributes on the reflector to Jack Leahy VE1ZZ – 
really enjoyed them all – and a special thanks to Jeff VY2ZM for his extensive 
one, especially the part from Carl Leahy.

Of all the 160m DXCC QSLs I’ve collected over the last 23 years in VK6, the 
most valued one is from Jack.

RIP cobber.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ 

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Re: Topband: 160m polarization and elevation angles

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Jim

The omission of  the words ‘inverted vee’ in front of ‘dipole’ for Tom W8JI’s 
antenna up 300 feet high was a slip of the keyboard at my end! I used to work 
Tom regularly back when he had the antenna up and helped him with comparative 
signal reports. 

When he was doing signal comparisons, Tom never used to name the particular 
antenna he was using at any one time, so as to remove the possibility of any 
psychological bias that might occur if the station he was working happened to 
favour a particular type of antenna.  Each antenna Tom used was only referred 
to as ‘Antenna 1’ or ‘Antenna 2’ and he told me he also used to switch the 
designations around.

As you say, an inverted-vee dipole is definitely inferior to a flat-top dipole. 
From memory, I recall John ON4UN found by modelling that a 90 degree inverted 
vee in the broadside direction was around 1 to 1.5dB down on a flat top dipole 
at the same height as the inverted vee’s apex – and the radiation angle of the 
latter was slightly higher, owing to average height of the latter being less. 

While 1 to 1.5dB might not mean much on the upper bands, on noisy 160m it might 
make the difference in being above (or below) the noise at a DX station. 

All that being said, my main point was that a combination of latitude 
(reasonable high) and low soil conductivity in south-west VK6 mean that the 
losses of predominantly vertically polarised antennas are such that a 
predominantly horizontally-polarised antenna is better.  My present 
inverted-vee dipole has its apex at 90 feet, but I’d swap it like a shot for a 
flat-top at 90’ if the yard-size here allowed.  

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ (also G3ZZD and VY2LF)

##  W8JI  never had a dipole up  300 ft.   He had an inverted  VEEup  300 
ft.  I believe the enclosed angle was far less than 90 degrees. 
You require  2 x 300  ft towers to string up a 160m dipole at  a height of 300 
ft.  W8JI  only had  1 x  300 ft tower at the time.  
  Tom,  N6BT is adamant that a rotary dipole  will outperform an inverted vee  
by 6 db, with the apex of the Vee  at the same height as the rotary  dipole. 
N6BT  also claimed the  rotary dipole would have a 14 db  FS on DX signals. 

##  Years ago,  I heard these 2  fellows on from Oregon. One of them had up his 
new  F12  160m  rotary dipole,  mounted on top of his  120 ft tower. 
This  160m rotary dipole  was aprx 102 ft long, and used  LL wires both  
above..and below the main trunk section.  The fellow was using a MFJ-259
at the time, and those things  wont work below  1800 khz.   The rotary dipole 
was resonant below  1800 khz.They finally got it sorted out..and resonated 
it 
at the low end of 160m band.   2:1  SWR BW  was aprx   18 khz.  IE:  + /-  9 
khz..   Relays  have to be used to  switch band segments about.   
The very 1st  DX station he worked was a  4X4  on CW. go figure.   Trying 
to work  EU  from the west coast  on  160M is a tough nut to crack. 

##  If using an inverted vee..and say oriented N-S. then move the legs  so 
they are now  E-W,   I never saw any difference, minor at best, but that was on 
80m,
and also 40m. and in both cases, the re-orientation of the legs was done 
fairly quickly.   I believe the baluns I used at the time were flaky at best... 
 BN-86  junk. 

##  Other than the fellow in ORE,  I never heard about anybody else using a 
loaded rotary dipole on 160m.   I have heard several rotary dipoles on both 80m 
 and also 40m.
The 80m rotary dipoles that I have heard on the air  had pretty substantial 
signals if oriented broadside in my direction.   When the bands were lousy, and 
signals were weak, the
fellows with the 80m rotary dipoles were  way ahead of the fellows with the 
inverted vees. I never did find out what the RX noise level was like with 
the 160m  rotary   dipole 
in Ore.  

Jim   VE7RF   


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Re: Topband: 160m polarisation and elevation angles

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

Thanks to Carl K9LA for his excellent insights – as always – in how 160m prop 
works.

Having been active on 160m from Western Australia for some 23 years, once thing 
I’ve learnt is that in south-western Western Australia and at a latitude of -31 
degrees or so, with the poor soil conductivity we have here, is that antennas 
that have predominantly vertical polarisation are sadly poorer for DX working 
than those that are predominantly horizontally polarised.

That is why Mike VK6HD (SK), Phil VK6ABL/6GX and I all have predominantly used 
flat-top or inverted vee dipoles. 

Equally as Tom W8JI found that his dipole at 300’' feet high (to quote Guy 
K2AV) “would never beat a commercial-AM-BC-quality vertical and radial field, 
and only infrequently would equal it”, Mike VK6HD spent at least a year making 
A/B comparisons between an inverted vee dipole (at 90 feet) and a quarter-wave 
inverted-L with a 85’ vertical section over 132 x 132’ radials and found that 
mostly the inverted vee dipole was ‘'2 ‘S’ points better than the inverted L on 
both receive and transmit.  

Mike also found that infrequently, prior to around one and a half to two hours 
before sunset here – and after one and a half hours after sunset, the inverted 
L was better than the inverted vee.

After about two years of consistently getting the same results , Mike took the 
quarter wave inverted-L down.

After entirely using vertical/inverted-L antennas in the UK as G3ZZD for DXing 
on 160, 80 and 40m, I was initially shocked about how poorly they worked in the 
lower south-west of WA.  My earth system here currently is around 30 x 66 to 
100 foot long radials and I’ve also used a large number of counterpoise 
systems, including the excellent K2AV one.

My results here have mirrored Mike’s – consistently and over the solar cycles.

Les Moxon G6XN once said the best thing to do was to try both horizontal and 
vertically polarised antennas wherever you live and use which worked best.  I 
think Les’ advice is still very relevant. ;-)  

PS As Luke says, summer in VK is a much more interesting time to work 160m than 
the winter.  Clearly, everything is upside down, down here. 

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ (licensed as G3ZZD in 1971)

From: Carl Luetzelschwab 
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Topband: 160m polarization and elevation angles
Message-ID:

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Polarization - As Jerry K4SAV stated, the electron gyro-frequency plays an
important role on 160m since our ionosphere is immersed in a magnetic field
- it also affects ionospheric absorption and refraction. For those of us at
mid to high latitudes, vertical polarization on 160m is *theoretically*
optimum since it couples the most energy to the limiting polarization at
the entrance to the ionosphere. I 

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Topband: V31 to VK/ZL

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Iain

I am one of the lucky VKs who have worked V31 Belize on 160m – V31YN on 
03/01/2005 at 1217Z (very near his sunrise I think). The operator was Gerd, 
DJ4KW and my recollection he was running 100W (from a very good location).

I guess the answer to your question is there has been very little serious 160m 
operation from V31 in a very long time and working VK/ZL is pretty hard from 
there anyway. I am sure Mike VK6HD (SK) also worked Gerd.

In theory it should be easier to work the east coast of VK from V31 than VK6, 
as the path is somewhat shorter. I am sure the east coast VK and ZL topbanders 
would love a shot at working you before/after the Commonwealth Contest.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ/G3ZZD 

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Topband: Good long path opening from VK6 to NA

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

It has been a pretty poor season here so far, with conditions after VK6 sunset 
into North America at/before sunrise well down on last year. However, this 
morning the band opened well into eastern North America.

Jeff VY2ZM was 569 at 2100Z (14 minutes before sunrise here) peaking a couple 
of minutes after my sunrise at 599, during our QSO.  

After a internet message from John W1FV (MA) to try for a QSO, we worked easily 
– after a number of years of trying – at 2127Z with reports of 559 both ways. 
At the end of the QSO John peaked 589 and I was then QSOed by Roger N1RJ (ME) 
56-79 and Dick W1ZC (NH) 579.

Long path QSOs with the USA on 160m only occur rarely from here – I’ve had 
about 15 in 22 years – but really get the adrenaline going when they occur. 
This was a really good opening – and the A Index was 32 and the K index 6.

What a strange band is the topband!

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

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Re: Topband: Green Hornet SK

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

Sad to hear from Jim K1PX that Bob W3GH has gone SK. He was a superb 160m op 
and used to work him regularly from the mid-1990s onwards.  

There are some CW ops that can just slip their call into a pile-up as neatly as 
a playing card falling through a gap in the floorboards and Bob was one of 
those. His timing was just about perfect – one cleverly timed short call and 
Bob was through.

RIP Green Hornet - and thanks for the memories.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ 


From: Jim Monahan 
To: "topband@contesting.com" 
Subject: Topband: Green Hornet SK
Message-ID:


Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Bob was a contester and an avid Topband operator.

RIP

http://hamgallery.com/Tribute/W3GH/


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Re: Topband: A way to keep old school modes vibrant alongside FT-8

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Vince

Definitely  not - I was being dead serious (but, as I'm Australian, 
interspersing what I said with attempts at humour).  

The part of the post I made from which you made the extract is about the ARRL 
getting its DXCC awards program updated to match the emergence and fast growing 
popularity of the inaudible digital modes, which have a huge communications 
advantage (10 to 15dB) over CW, SSB and the older digital modes such as RTTY 
and PSK31.

We have an 'apples and oranges' situation here and the best way to keep the 
peace between people who use traditional audible modes and those that have 
embraced the new inaudible digital technology is to have separate DXCC awards.  

Put yourself in the place of someone who has spent 40 years getting 300 
countries on topband SSB/CW. Being considered in the same category as someone 
who is using inaudible new wave digital modes to potentially achieve the same 
total is unlikely to endear the former to the latter!  

For the sake of 'peace in our time', let's get separate DXCC categories. Dinghy 
or yacht sail boats don't compete in the same race categories as motor boats - 
and this is the situation we currently have.   

By the way, it is not that I don't enjoy FT-8 - as my first email said, I like 
be able to decipher radio signals using my ears - which is why I've never used 
RTTY, AMTOR, Packet Radio and any WSJT modes including FT-8. 

I did used PSK31 a few times on 20m when it first came along because it was an 
interesting technical challenge to do so, but then lost interest. As the beat 
poets used to say, "it's just not my bag."

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

---
Not sure of to think of this. Was it another veiled dig at a mode you don't
enjoy?
A way forward to keep 'old school' modes
vibrant alongside FT-8? (long)
73 de Vince, VA3VF

On Thu, Oct 26, 2017 at 9:43 AM, Steve Ireland  wrote:

>
> This 'new wave' digital award could have a new cool, 21st century-looking
> certificate (are holograms 21st century?) , would give new wave digital
> operators the chance to be among the first to get this award and would also
> give the ARRL DXCC program the chance to potentially get some extra revenue
> in issuing these awards.  Of course, all the contacts would be submitted
> electronically. ;-)
>
>
>
> Vy 73
>
> Steve, VK6VZ/G3ZZD
>

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Topband: A way forward to keep 'old school' modes vibrant alongside FT-8? (long)

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

Thanks very much to all those who contributed to the thread following my ‘FT8 - 
the end of 160m old school DXing?’ post. Here is a summary of what appeared in 
my ‘In Box’.

First, special thanks to CJ Johnson WT2P for bravely giving the ‘new school’ 
perspective and actually taking radio, in FT-8 form, into his workplace . As CJ 
says, FT-8 is just another natural progression of the hobby, which actually 
appeals to the ‘20-somethings’ we need to join us (and who just happened to be 
brought up with lots of screens rather than cardboard loudspeakers and bakelite 
headphones). Vive la difference!

In regard to the emails received via the reflector  or privately, there were 
three things that came through very loud and clear (actually deafening).

1. There are lots of long-time, old-school topbanders (and 6m users) like me 
who enjoy chasing weak signal DX on CW and SSB and are now worried about the 
future of this activity because of the current high usage rates of FT-8 on 
those bands. Always better when you aren’t alone!
---
2. We can band together and do something about this - the solution for us old 
school ops who want to keep CW and SSB vital on the two magic bands is to go 
back to first principles – lots of CQing, tuning the band regularly and 
answering CQs – rather than just watching our bandscopes and DX clusters.  We 
all know that only activity breeds more activity. Duuh! (I feel really stupid 
now).

As JC N4IS said:

”With the computer our habits are different. Nowadays we turn [to] the PC first 
and if we see a spot or a RBN entry we try to call We should [go] back to 
call[ing] CQ for the fun to work someone. Call CQ five times and then turn your 
computer on, every day. If all of us do it once a day, the band will be fun 
again.”

We’ve all got CW memory and/or voice keyers – if we don’t want to actually CQ 
manually, we can use them for lots of daily CQing and make sure we answer 
anyone who calls us. 

We also need to answer those who we hear calling CQ to keep the band alive, 
even if we worked them the day before – as we did in the older, less hurried, 
more polite days of yore. 

3. The ARRL could be encouraged to change the DXCC program and add a new 
mode-specific category for the evolving ‘new wave’ (i.e. WSJT) family of 
digital modes, where contacts can be made with stations that are basically 
inaudible (i.e. as Hans SM6CVX suggested, where the signal levels are –1dB or 
more below the noise). 

To keep the peace with existing DXCC holders, one potential solution is those 
traditional modes which generally need audibility – typically CW, SSB, RTTY  
and PSK-31 – would count for the long-standing Mixed mode, but the inaudible 
‘new wave’ digi modes would not. 

However, the growing and evolving family of inaudible ‘new wave’ digital modes 
could have a whole, bright, shiny new DXCC category to themselves, for which 
all the current WSJT modes and their evolving, successor modes would count.  

This ‘new wave’ digital award could have a new cool, 21st century-looking 
certificate (are holograms 21st century?) , would give new wave digital 
operators the chance to be among the first to get this award and would also 
give the ARRL DXCC program the chance to potentially get some extra revenue in 
issuing these awards.  Of course, all the contacts would be submitted 
electronically. ;-)

Another different but related idea came from Mark K3MSB  - why not ask the ARRL 
to consider awarding band-specific DXCC awards with mode endorsements (i.e. 
160M DXCC-CW,  160M DXCC-FT8,  40M-Digital, 17M-SSB etc).

If we want to get this kind of change to the ARRL’s DXCC program, then as Mark 
suggests we need to make our voices heard. This could be simply done by 
creating an electronic petition to the ARRL signed by as many current members 
of the DXCC program as possible, clearly spelling out what sort of change the 
petitioners think is needed. There is a great website which can be used for 
this purpose -   see https://www.change.org/start-a-petition – and it should be 
easy to publicise a petition of this kind, using reflectors. 

For many years I was involved in administrating amateur soccer and have 
experience of using electronic petitions as a means of showing an 
administrative body the level of support for specific changes to the way the 
game is run.  In my experience, electronic petitions are a viable way to get 
rules changed these days. Some people hate them, but BIG petitions actually do 
get results.

Hope the above summary of ideas was of interest. Please excuse me now and I’ll 
get along to the low end of 160m, start doing something practical like CQing 
and stop worrying about the demise of old school radio (which I’ve probably 
greatly exaggerated).

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ/G3ZZD


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Topband: FT8 - the end of 160m old school DXing? (long)

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

As a committed (yeah, that’s probably the right word - complete with white 
jacket that laces up at the back) topbander since 1970, I’ve never been so 
intrigued and disturbed by anything on the band as the emergence of the 
Franke-Taylor FT-8 digital mode.

For me, radio has always been all about what I audibly hear. I love all the 
sounds that radio signals make - and even miss the comforting sound of Loran 
that I grew up with around 1930kHz as a teenager in south-east England. Yeah, I 
am one sick puppy.

With the emergence of high resolution bandscopes through SDR technology over 
the last decade, I embraced that as it meant that I could find what DX stations 
I wanted to hear and contact quicker and more easily (and, in particular, 
before those stations who didn’t have the same technology). 

It was really exciting and enhanced the sensual experience of radio by being 
able to see what I could hear (and no dinosaur me, I was an SDR fan boy!).

During this period, there has also been an extraordinary development in digital 
radio modes, in particular by Joe Taylor K1JT. 

As a topbander I could see that these modes in which you ‘saw’ signals through 
the medium of computer screen or window as being a remarkable technical 
achievement, but had relatively little to do what I and the vast majority of 
active radio amateurs practiced as radio on 160m, as it had nothing to do with 
the audible.

The good thing was that I could see that good old CW and Silly Slop Bucket (you 
can see where my prejudices lie) that I like to use were still the modes of 
choice for weak signal DX topband radio contact as these fancy digital modes 
were either very slow or, if they weren’t, were not good at dealing with 
signals that faded up and down or were covered in varying amounts of noise.  

While some amateurs seemed to have lost the pleasure of actually hearing 
signals in favour of viewing them on their computer screens, I felt secure that 
these digital modes were just a minor annoyance and any serious DXer or 
DXpedition was never going to seriously going to use them, particularly on my 
first and all-time love topband, for other than experimentation.

Then, out of the blue, along comes FT-8. Joe and Steve Franke K9AN have quietly 
created the holy grail of digital operation with a mode that can have QSOs 
almost as fast as CW and SSB and over the last eight weeks 160m DXing has 
changed, perhaps for ever. 

Where once there were a few weak CW and SSB signals (I am in VK6, which is a 
looong way from anywhere with a population so we only ever hear a few), I can 
see that the busiest part of the band is 1840 kHz – FT-8 central.  On some 
nights I can see FT-8 signals on the band but no CW or SSB.

There are countries I’ve dreamed for 20 years of hearing on 160m SSB/CW (for 
example, KG4) regularly appearing on DX clusters and I can see the heap of FT-8 
activity on my band scope. 

Frustration sets in and I even downloaded the FT-8 software but, when it comes 
down to it,  I just can’t use it. My heart isn’t in it.  

My computer will be talking to someone else’s computer and there will be no 
sense of either a particular person’s way of sending CW or the tone of their 
voice (even the way some my SSB mates overdrive their transceivers is actually 
creating nostalgia in me). The human in radio has somehow been lost.

I think back to my best-ever 160m SSB contact with Pedro NP4A and I can still 
hear the sound of his voice, his accent, when he came up out of the noise and 
to my amazement answered me on my second call, with real excitement in his 
voice. Pure radio magic!

So I am sitting here, feeling depressed and wondering if overnight I have 
become a dinosaur and this is the beginning of the end of topband radio as I’ve 
always enjoyed it.  

Now, over to you other topbanders, especially those who have dabbled with FT-8 
and live in more populous areas. Has the world really turned upside down and 
what do you think the future holds? 

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ/G3ZZD


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Topband: DXing on 160m from Indonesia

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Anton

Welcome to topband! For many years, Jo YC0LOW was a beacon on 160m from 
Indonesia, but sadly became a ‘silent key’ a few years ago.  However, Jo wrote 
a very good blog on his 160m operations which you can find here – see 
http://topbanddxdiindonesia.blogspot.com.au/

Jo used both horizontally and vertically polarised antennas at different times 
and I think you will find his experiences very interesting.  His blog is 
written in Indonesian but can be easily translated into other languages, using 
Google Translate.  The blog also contains information about other Indonesian 
stations who use 160m, who would be able to tell you about their experiences in 
antennas on the topband.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ 

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Re: Topband: LU5OM shortened dipole (inverted vee) doing a nice job

[Steve Ireland]

G’day 

One of the great myths about 160m is that low angle radiation is always needed 
to work DX on the topband. The other is that almost any kind of vertical 
antenna will always beat a relatively low (in terms of a wavelength) horizontal 
one for 160m DXing.  It all depends on where you live.

The best advice I was ever given on antennas was by Les Moxon G6XN, who 
suggested that some locations predominantly suit a particular type of 
polarisation and one should always try both. Even better, if possible, have 
both a horizontally polarised and a vertically polarised antenna for your 
favourite low-band – and switch between them regularly. 

In Western Australia, our ground conductivity is so poor that on 160m even 
vertical antennas over as full-size ground screen lose so much signal in the 
far-field that a ‘cloud-warmer’ dipole under a quarter wave length high will 
outperform them.  This situation isn’t helped by the south-west of WA having a 
geomagnetic latitude that suits horizontal antennas at least as well as 
vertical ones.

Mike VK6HD, Western Australia’s greatest topband DXer with around 260 countries 
confirmed, found a simple inverted vee dipole about 100’ high generally 
outperformed his quarter-wave inverted-L with an 80’ vertical section over 132 
quarter-wave radials.  

Similarly, in VK6 I have tried a heap of different vertical antennas, over a 
variety of high-quality elevated and buried radial systems, and have always 
come back to using dipole antennas, of a similar height to that used by Mike 
and my friend Phil VK6GX. In my case, this has resulted in 236 countries 
confirmed. 

If you have losses in the far field from poor soil conductivity, all the 
radials in the world and a full-size vertical can’t fix this. ;-)

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ/G3ZZD (topbander since 1971)


I wondered about the inverted-L. My guess is that it had a poor ground
system.

73, Mike
www.w0btu.com

On Jul 17, 2017 9:22 AM, "K1FZ-Bruce"  wrote:


There are always exceptions.

A few years ago there was someone that had a inverted V that  worked well
for DX.
It was found that it was feed with open wire feeders that acted as a
vertical antenna  with top loading.

If  your antenna works well be happy.   Ham radio is a great hobby.



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Topband: VK6LK SK

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

Very sorry to hear of the passing of Robin VK6LK. The passion of Robin and his 
great friend Mike VK6HD for lowband DXing was an inspiration to me when first 
arriving in Western Australia in 1989. The old SSB DX window just below 3.8MHz 
at local sunrise won’t sound quite the same – Robin’s presence there was as 
regular as clockwork for most of the last quarter of a century. 

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

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Topband: Report on trying to work Long Path from Western Australia into USA

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

Thanks to all those in eastern USA who have been listening for my signals on 
the long path for the last five or six days – it is much appreciated.

Unfortunately I’ve become ill in the last day or so with a stomach virus and 
this is currently stopping me from getting on the band around my sunrise 
(2115Z). Hopefully I will feel better towards the end of the week and can have 
a try for a few more days.  Of course, it is pretty late in the season to work 
LP now, but it has been fun to try. 

At this end, despite excellent to reasonable conditions into Europe on most 
days – on two occasions European contacts were made up to 35 minutes after 
sunrise, which is extraordinary for south-west VK6 - LP propagation into NA has 
been poor and I have yet to hear a NA signal. Such is the topband!

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ





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Topband: Working LP from USA to VK6

[Steve Ireland]

G’day all and Happy New Year

Conditions have been great into Europe over the last few days, making me think 
LP QSOs into North America ought to be possible again after my sunrise 
(currently 2115Z). Usually the openings occur from sunrise until about 15 
minutes after.

To show how far LP can be worked from VK6, Mike VK6HD once worked Jeff K1ZM LP, 
when Jeff was living in New York. I also recall Mike was heard considerably 
farther east (maybe into W3 or W8?).

If anyone in eastern NA would like to try for a LP QSO, I shall be on/around 
1832 most mornings for the next ten days.  

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

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Re: Topband: YC0LOW SK

[Steve Ireland]

G’day all

Like Greg ZL3IX, I want to pay a tribute to Jo YC0LOW (SK), who obtained 160m 
DXCC no #1455 back in 2008.

Until Jo became ill some several years back, he was actively on a daily basis 
on 160, from a location that was both electrically noisy and had tropical QRN 
on a scale that most of us have never experienced.  Mike VK6HD (SK) and I would 
have worked Jo on an almost daily basis for about a decade in the late 
1990s/early 2000s.  Like clockwork, Jo would be on every day, at his sunrise 
and sunset, listening and calling CQ DX for several hours.

Jo loved getting DX QSOs, but his small suburban block, modest antennas (he 
used a low inverted vee dipole and very small inverted-Ls/verticals for 
transmit and small loops for rx) and tropical location meant that they were 
relatively few and far between.  However, he was always cheerful and positive, 
innovative and loved 160m and being part of the DX gang.  

Most of all Jo was persistent – and I was absolutely delighted for him when he 
made DXCC. To be honest, I never thought he would because of his location, but 
Jo just kept on chipping away until he made it – a true topbander.

Jo may well be the only YB station who has ever made DXCC on 160m – and he 
really earned it!  

RIP in peace, cobber – I shall miss hearing your signal.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ



From: yd1jz@gmail.com
Sent: Wed, 28 Sep 2016 22:22:26 +0700
To: n...@inbox.com
Subject: YC0LOW SK

Hello OM Pres,

Hope you are doing fine.?

Would like to inform that our dear friend OM Jo - YC0LOW has passed away this 
afternoon in Jakarta at 10:30 hrs UTC.?

Please kindly inform as well this sad news to Top Banders community as 
Indonesia amateur radio is really missing one of our good brother who indeed 
have dedicated his life in 160 M.?

Thanks for your assistance.?

Best 73

Joz YD1JZ


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Topband: Spotlights can be very small

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

It has been interesting to read about the spotlight propagation being 
experienced by USA operators chasing VP8STI.  In my experience the size of a 
spotlight can be very small – 50km or less perhaps.

Back in November 1998, just prior to the CQ WW Contest, Mike VK6HD and I were 
trying to work Kenny 6Y5/K2KW at our local sunset.  This is a very difficult 
path, due east and with only a few minutes overlap in VK6 sunset and 6Y5 
sunrise.

In those days, Mike and I lived apart 25 km apart – me in Glen Forrest and Mike 
due south of here in Bedfordale. On 22 November, Mike and I were on for our 
sunset (only a few tens of seconds apart) and Mike heard and rapidly worked 
Kenny at solid RST 559 on 160m. To my dismay, I heard absolutely nothing of 
Kenny’s signal.

The following night, I came on for sunset and was amazed to hear Kenny coming 
through at a solid 559 and we worked relatively easily, thanks to USA stations 
giving me a clear shot.  On phoning Mike ten minutes later, he said he could 
not hear a trace of Kenny’s signal that night – mirroring my experience of the 
previous night.

The Forrest Gump analogy of the box of chocolates (‘you don’t know what you’re 
gonna get’) is exactly right for 160m.  Herb’s analogy of sunlight leaking into 
a closet, how much depending on how far the door is open, also seems a pretty 
good way of explaining how the spotlight prop on 160m can work.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ
 

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Topband: Ooops - Good reason for multiple Stews/Stew Beef

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

Oops. I meant from Western Australia the time between the Spring and Autumn (in 
southern hemisphere terms) equinoxes is by far the best time to work into North 
America and Europe, i.e. during our spring, summer and autumn.  Yes it as noisy 
as all hell, but the prop is there.

However, while the southern hemisphere winter (June, July and August) is very 
poor for VK6 stations to work across into the northern hemisphere, the east 
coast of Australia (in particular, VK3, 4, 5 and 7) can work across the equator 
into North America regularly during this time. 

Despite what the commonly used Mercator Projection map of the world shows, 
Australia is as about as big as the continental USA – and eastern Australia has 
very different propagation to Australia’s ‘left coast’, as the USA’s east coast 
does in comparison to its west coast.  

My recollection of what the great Stew himself wrote in his newsletters (and my 
general experience) is that around the equinoxes is the best time to work 160m 
for just about everyone worldwide.  

I think four Stews is just perfect for increasing activity levels and 
attracting DX, but if we were ever to talk about two, IMHO think these being 
close to the two equinoxes would be the fairest solution.  

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

From: Steve Ireland 
Sent: Friday, January 01, 2016 8:58 AM
To: topband@contesting.com 
Subject: Good reason for multiple Stews

G’day

As a long-time supporter of the Stew Perry TBDC and donor of Royal Flying 
Doctor Service caps, it has been great fun reading the various responses to the 
Boring Amateur Radio Club’s innovation of the Spring Stew. Owing to the 
organisers’ sense of fun, even the criticism was funny and fun to read!  

One of the great things about the Stew Perry (or any contest for that matter) 
is that it gives us a chance to operate for a whole night-plus and experience 
conditions over this period – and learn.  

This year was no exception – I’ve never experienced an all-night pipeline into 
the Baltic in 20 years of 160m operation from Western Australia and to be able 
to observe how the strength of the pipeline ebbed and flowed was fascinating.

A Spring (northern hemisphere) Stew is going to be very interesting experience 
and I look forward to it.

Rick N6RK (I think) made a good point about southern hemisphere conditions.  In 
VK6, the period between spring and autumn equinoxes is the best time by far for 
working into Europe and North America, but it is the noisiest half of the year 
by far.  We have many thunderstorms and the general atmospheric noise level is 
high.  Please run QRO in the Stew so we can hear you all ‘down under’/’down 
south’ – that will help to maintain/increase participation.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ   



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Topband: Good reason for multiple Stews

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

As a long-time supporter of the Stew Perry TBDC and donor of Royal Flying 
Doctor Service caps, it has been great fun reading the various responses to the 
Boring Amateur Radio Club’s innovation of the Spring Stew. Owing to the 
organisers’ sense of fun, even the criticism was funny and fun to read!  

One of the great things about the Stew Perry (or any contest for that matter) 
is that it gives us a chance to operate for a whole night-plus and experience 
conditions over this period – and learn.  

This year was no exception – I’ve never experienced an all-night pipeline into 
the Baltic in 20 years of 160m operation from Western Australia and to be able 
to observe how the strength of the pipeline ebbed and flowed was fascinating.

A Spring (northern hemisphere) Stew is going to be very interesting experience 
and I look forward to it.

Rick N6RK (I think) made a good point about southern hemisphere conditions.  In 
VK6, the period between spring and summer equinoxes is the best time by far for 
working into Europe and North America, but it is the noisiest half of the year 
by far.  We have many thunderstorms and the general atmospheric noise level is 
high.  Please run QRO in the Stew so we can hear you all ‘down under’/’down 
south’ – that will help to maintain/increase participation.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ   



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Re: Topband: QRP

[Steve Ireland]

G'day


What has happened to the topband conditions the last couple of decades?


As a topbander from 1969 (first as an SWL and then licenced as G3ZZD in 
February 1971, running 9W DC input to a 5763) I'd even go as far as to say 
one word and agree with Tom W8JI:


Noise.

Topband always been about managing to get your signal above the noise at the 
other end of a path and the enemy (with the exception of those who suffered 
from Loran broadcasts) has always been 'noise'.


Back in the 1960/1970s in England my enemy was 405-line buzz from the 
time-base of nearby televisions, but the magnitude of noise was so much 
lower then.  In my surburban location, I suffered from a 'horrendous' S3 
noise level on 160m, whereas my friend G4ACW who lived on a small farm was 
only noise limited by that generated inside his WW2 TCS 12 receiver.


In regard to antennas, I think we've actually got better at building earth 
systems.  Sure, as Rob says, we might have got older and tireder when it 
comes to digging radials but we know a heck more about building an efficient 
earth system than we used to.  I still have nightmares about my first earth 
system - five three-foot earth stakes, each two inches apart, and two 50' 
radials - when I think about how much better a simple W1BB quarter wave 
counterpoise run under the antenna, or a modern K2AV counterpoise would have 
been.


Still, the low inverted-L (20' vertical section) and 'earth' did get me a 
599 report from Czechoslovakia - his noise level must have been really low!


We've come a heck of a long way in fighting noise - and we needed to in 
order to continue to have fun on 160m when dealing with huge man-made noise, 
including that from our own transmitters.


Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ




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Topband: VK and QRN

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

For those who are wondering where the VKs have gone on 160m, the answer is we 
have had high levels of QRN for the last two weeks- plus.  Whenever I have 
turned on at sunset or during the evening, the needle is hitting S9+ with 
static crashes. Looking at the evening news weather map, it has been the same 
across the country.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

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Re: Topband: RFI and lots of it

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Jim (Murray)

Jim K9YC is absolutely right - I live in a similar situation to you and the 
problems have been markedly improved by getting the grounding and bonding to 
earth improved around the house - wish I had taken Jim's advice years ago. 
House earths are often very simple at best and whilst they may be good 
enough to save your life, they are often not good enough in terms of RF.


Have a look at Jim's book (there are some great diagrams) and get an 
professional electrician in to beef up/improve the house earth/improve the 
equipment bonding.


The likelihood is you win both ways - probably be safer and the RF noise 
will be lower.


Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

On Sun,10/25/2015 8:59 PM, Jim Murray via Topband wrote:

Tomorrow I will walk the line and see if I can come up with anything.


Jim,

I STRONGLY suggest that you check out grounding and bonding in your home
before looking for noise sources. Poor or missing grounding and bonding
will bring noise into your home, so you need to get that right FIRST.

73, Jim K9YC 



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Re: Topband: ADC Overload from MW transmitters

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Jim

Clearly in a large US city, there is going to be a whole larger degree of 
difficulty than here. 

Perth is still pretty much a small city in world terms, with a population of 
about 2 million. In addition to the ABC transmitters, we have about half a 
dozen other transmitters, but only two of these have signals of any size – 6PR 
(10kW) and 6IX (2kW), with the former of these putting in the largest signal to 
me, with its transmitter/antenna on the banks of the Swan River estuary about 
15km away.

When I used my HPSDR, originally I had no filtering in front of the ADC and had 
some overload problems on 160m from the local BC stations. However, a simple 
Chebyshev HPF got rid of this. Later when I added the Alex bandpass filters, 
which are part of the HPSDR design, there was no longer any need for the HPF.

The main point, as Phil says in his post, is that the amount of protection an 
ADC is going to need will vary widely, depending on factors such as local AM BC 
transmitters and how strong they are. In my case, all I had to do was to use 
the general coverage facility of the SDR to look at the medium wave here, see 
which of the signals were largest and look for a suitable HPF design 
accordingly .

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ



> That's typical of medium-size cities in the US for high power broadcasters, 
> but major cities typically have twice as many. Both large and medium-size 
> cities, as well as smaller ones, typically have 6-10 stations in the 5kW 
> range, and more in the 1kW range. Chicago is typical of a large city (like 
> New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco) -- it has 50kW on 670 kHz, 720 
> kHz, 780 kHz, 890 kHz, and 1,000 kHz. There's also a daytime only station 
> with 50kW on 1160 kHz. Cincinnati is typical of smaller cities like 
> Indianapolis, Detroit, Minneapolis, Cleveland, St Louis, and New Orleans, 
> with 2-3 50kW stations and many smaller ones. Cincinnati 50kW stations are on 
> 700 kHz and 1530 kHz. 

I grew up in a small town in WV, with three 5 kW stations within two miles on 
800 kHz, 930 kHz, and 1470 kHz. 

Bottom line -- there's a lot more broadcasting in the US than in most 
countries. 

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Topband: ADC overload from MW transmitters

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

For those topbanders, who have medium wave stations nearby and are thinking 
about trying a DDC/DUC SDR, you may find the comments below from Phil 
VK6APH/VK6PH (in answer to a query on the Apache Labs reflector a few years 
ago) of interest.

Phil lives line of sight from the Australian Broadcasting Transmitter 
installation in the northern suburbs of Perth. There are three AM transmitters 
there which run 24 hours a day, seven days a week:  
6PB at 10 kW on 585 kHz; 6RN at 20 kW on 810 kHz; and 6WF at 50 kW on 720 kHz, 
so this is a very demanding situation for the various DDC/DUC transceivers, 
including the HPSDR, that Phil uses/designs. 

HPSDR users on topband include Greg ZL3IX and Luke VK3HJ.

--
“Unlike conventional superhets the presence of strong in-band and
out-of-band signals is not necessarily a concern as long as these do not
instantaneously add and overload the ADC.

In fact signals below this level actually improve the overall performance
by adding "dither" to the ADC input.

However, as pointed out by others, once ADC overload has occurred then it
can't be undone with post processing.

The presence of very high signals in the MW broadcast band can be an issue
for some users. In general a HPF will provide enough attenuation to
prevent these signals overloading the ADC.

However, there are still a few issues. When developing the Alex filters
for HPSDR I found that at signal levels of > 0dBm even 2" diameter toroids
would produce measurable IMD products. In which case air wound inductors
would be necessary. The size of these would prevent them being included
in the same enclose as the rest of the radio. Placing these in a separate
enclosure also prevents clocks etc from the radio being picked up.

The issue of MW broadcast overload may not be such an issue when operating
on the HF bands. This depends on the performance of the HF antenna well
away from its intended operating frequency. In my case, I live in
line-of-site from a MW broadcast station. Unless I use a wide band active
loop antenna, or operate on 160m, then I don't require any filtering
before the attenuator/preamp/ADC.

The signals adjacent to the 40m band in Europe have incredible signal
strengths. Depending on the band noise floor an attenuator many be all
that is needed to prevent these signals from causing ADC overload and
still provide an acceptable S/N for the wanted signals. If not, then a high
Q preselector is required.

My experience with supporting hundreds of HPSDR users is that there is no
universal solution. Each users faces a different set of circumstances.

It would appear that the natural frequency response of the *majority* of 
users antennas (plus ATU if used) allows operation on the HF Bands without
the need to use an attenuator or other filters.

Designing a front end that will be overload proof in all circumstances
would be not be cost effective. In which case providing flexible support
for the selection of external filters is the best approach and the one
that HPSDR and Apache have taken.

All of the software that supports HPSDR and Apache products provides an
indication of ADC overload. The KISS Konsole and cuSDR PC software also
displays the entire spectrum from 0-55 MHz so the user can see exactly
what frequency band(s) is responsible for any overload.

73 Phil...VK6APH

--
Enjoyed the recent discussion about ADC overload with DDC/DUC SDRs, in 
particular the number of contributors and the increasing degree of knowledge 
about ADC overload that now exists. 

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

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Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 154, Issue 7

[Steve Ireland]

None of the below has anything to do with overload from local transmitters.

:)


Or did I miss that part?


Dear Tom

Yes I think you did - but never mind.  :) I've put the part of the post just 
below.



For about 18 months I used the HPSDR transceiver alongside a ?benchmark?
Elecraft K3 in contests and for DXing, alongside keen contester/DXers
VK6LW (about 3km away) and VK6DXI SK (about 30km away) running full power
on Topband and the other bands.  I could work equally close (within 500Hz)
to Kevin and Mirek on the HPSDR as I could on the K3.


Of course, I was talking about using a DUC/DDC in a single 
transmitter/receiver urban/semi-rural station setting on a quarter to half 
an acre block, which is the setting in which the vast majority of people who 
subscribe to this reflector would be using a transceiver.


I take it that by 'local transmitter' you mean operating a DUC/DDC SDR 
transceiver in a multi-multi contest station environment and the RF 
immunity - or lack of - each station from the others.


There are a few relatively wealthy, clever, dynamic people like yourself in 
the United States and Europe on this reflector who have built up multiple 
operator, multiple transceiver stations on multiples of acres and use them 
in contests, which is undoubtedly wonderful.  However, by and large, we 
don't have this kind of station in  Australia and I have absolutely no 
experience (and to be totally honest, not a lot of interest) with what would 
happen if DDC/DUC transceivers were used in this situation.


However, if I had the intelligence, the energy, spare time and financial 
resources to run a multi-multi station like you, I'd be regularly evaluating 
(and reevaluating) the latest SDR hardware, in regard to how they perform in 
this environment in order to maintain my competitive edge.


I always enjoy our exchanges. :)

Kind Regards

Steve, VK6VZ



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Topband: Amendment to reply to SDR Mythbusters - ADC Overload myths debunked

[Steve Ireland]

Oops – I should have said:

“The brick-wall sided constantly variable filtering provided by the fully 
digital HPSDR and its associated OpenHPSDR software and the way this filtering 
handled noise in comparison to the K3’s crystal roofing filtering made the 
HPSDR a superior radio for weak signal DXing – simply put, I could read S2/S3 
signals on the HPSDR in a 50Hz bandwidth that were unreadable on the K3.”


Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ


---



>From Stu, K6TU
 
As with any technological change, there are many myths, past truths or part 
truths that get repeated endlessly and out of context by those frightened or 
challenged by the change.
 
Software defined radios are no exception to this in the world of Ham Radio.
 
Steve Hicks, N5AC and the VP of Engineering at FlexRadio has posted an 
excellent explanation and bust of the ADC overload myth on the FlexRadio 
community.  You don?t need to be registered on the community to read this 
excellent write up:
 
 
https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/adc-overload-myths-debunked?utm_source=notification&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new_topic&utm_content=topic_link
 
 
 

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Re: Topband: SDR Mythbusters - ADC Overload myths debunked

[Steve Ireland]

G’day all

As someone who has extensively used a digital down conversion/digital up 
conversion transceiver (original HPSDR) on the Topband, it is good to see this 
myth being debunked publicly as much as possible. Another station who has used 
an HPSDR even more extensively than me on Topband is Greg ZL3IX, who may be 
interested in commenting.

For about 18 months I used the HPSDR transceiver alongside a ‘benchmark’ 
Elecraft K3 in contests and for DXing, alongside keen contester/DXers VK6LW 
(about 3km away) and VK6DXI SK (about 30km away) running full power on Topband 
and the other bands.  I could work equally close (within 500Hz) to Kevin and 
Mirek on the HPSDR as I could on the K3.  

The brick-wall sided constantly variable filtering provided by the fully 
digital HPSDR and its associated OpenHPSDR software and the way this filtering 
handled noise in comparison to the K3’s digital filtering made the HPSDR a 
superior radio for weak signal DXing – simply put, I could read S2/S3 signals 
on the HPSDR in a 50Hz bandwidth that were unreadable on the K3.

The only problem for me is that using computers day in, day out at work, I 
loathe using them for radio and hate spending my evenings fiddling around with 
software, so the HPSDR has finally gone (mind you, so has the K3 – loved the 
radio but hated the audio and went and bought an old Orion 2 which sounds waaay 
better to my ears).  

DDC/DUC radios handle strong signals as well as the best of analogue radios – 
the only question for topbanders is whether you like their ergonomics and the 
whole idea of having a digital radio.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ


---



>From Stu, K6TU
 
As with any technological change, there are many myths, past truths or part 
truths that get repeated endlessly and out of context by those frightened or 
challenged by the change.
 
Software defined radios are no exception to this in the world of Ham Radio.
 
Steve Hicks, N5AC and the VP of Engineering at FlexRadio has posted an 
excellent explanation and bust of the ADC overload myth on the FlexRadio 
community.  You don?t need to be registered on the community to read this 
excellent write up:
 
 
https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/adc-overload-myths-debunked?utm_source=notification&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new_topic&utm_content=topic_link
 
 
 

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Topband: Zone 2 on 160m

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

Over the last 20 years I’ve been slowly working my way towards 40 zone WAZ on 
the topband – 37 down and three to go – zones 2, 12 and 13.

Please, does anyone know if any lowbander is planning activity from zone 2 over 
this season, particularly from the VE2 part of the zone.  

In the past I’ve heard at least one zone 2 station from near the zone 4 and 5 
borders, but the stations that have operated from the VO2 coastline have been 
too far north for me too hear them. 

Any information about lowbanders who operate from zone 2 would be much 
appreciated!

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

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Topband: 40 hours on topband from VK6

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

During the last 40 hours I’ve been giving the band a bit of a workout from VK6. 
Prior to this, family and work commitments and heaps of unseasonable QRN has 
made spending time on the band before this pretty difficult. 

Yesterday’s sunrise brought FT4TA peaking at sunrise but unworkable through the 
huge European pileup for those of us who live around the Indian Ocean/Pacific 
Rim. 4O3M was an enormous signal here and one of the first Europeans I heard 
work the FT4. European signals were in for a few minutes and then out again, 
which seems typical of 160m from here when solar activity is relatively high. 
However there were enough good signals to make me think I should get up very 
early (4.30am local time) more regularly to catch the sunrise and some European 
DX. 

This morning’s hour before sunrise brought poor conditions into Europe from 
here but similar prop to yesterday from here to FT4TA, who seemingly hadn’t got 
much prop at this time into Europe either. As a result, the FT4 was in the log 
at 2105Z and they then went QSX 1822 after to work Japan.  Hope some Japanese 
and Korean topbanders got in the FT4TA log today!

Tonight the band was open into the south-eastern USA quite nicely for about an 
hour after VK6 sunset.  Myself and Steve VK6IR had a good time from our QTHs 
working mainly into AL, NC, VA, plus a few stations further north in WV and PA. 
Jon AA1K was his usual dependable signal in here. QSB was very heavy and 
towards the end of the hour signals would pop out of the noise for a few 
seconds, hit an S5 and then quickly fall back down. This made working stations 
hard, but by the end of the hour 23 North American stations had made it into 
the log, including one VE3.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

 



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Topband: The Stew from the Australian 'left coast'

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

Unfortunately for those in the south-west of Western Australia, such as Phil 
VK6GX and myself, the ‘Pre-Stew’ was a total wash-out, owing to lightning which 
lasted for the duration of the contest.  Both of us were already to go but the 
static crashes were well over S9 and it was downright unsafe to operate.

This kind of weather is very unusual for spring in WA and is more reminiscent 
of late summer. 

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ   

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Topband: Band coming alive again at the Indian Ocean fringes

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

Nice 579 signal from W1AW/7 from AZ in the last few days, with a few of the US 
callers audible as well. The topband seems to be waking up from its winter 
slumber from here in the northern hemisphere direction.

Hope to get more active again around local sunset once the calendar turns over 
to September. 

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

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Topband: VK3ZL SK

[Steve Ireland]

Bob was an amazing bloke – totally committed to what he loved. He also had a 
great sense of humour and of proportion about life in general and what was 
really important – and was always good for a chat.  

When it came to home construction, Bob was an artist and his power amplifiers 
were masterpieces (he built me one for 6m).

Sincere condolences to Jeannie. Ooroo Bob, rest in piece.   

Steve, VK6VZ

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Topband: Budget high-performance topband transceiver

[Steve Ireland]

G’day 

I’ve enjoyed the recent discussions about the best cost-effective transceiver 
for use on 160m. Thought there were a couple of other ideas to throw into the 
pot on this topic.

For those on a serious budget, the Icom IC-751A and the Kenwood TS-830S are 
still excellent performers on 160m for $500 or less – and can be found with 
500Hz filters in two IFs if you are lucky.  The IC-751A is also a great 
receiver for the 630m band and DX listening to NDBs. 

For those topbanders like Barry N1EU who are interested in SDR, the latest 
version of the PowerSDR/OpenHPSDR software and its associated firmware places 
the coding involved with CW generation inside the main FPGA associated with the 
HPSDR/Hermes/ANAN radio.  The radio’s sidetone is generated completely in the 
FPGA and is not sent to PowerSDR, so there should be zero latency between a key 
press and the radio’s sidetone appearing.

I haven’t tried this software on my HPSDR yet, but am looking forward to doing 
so, as this improvement apparently removes the last hurdle for a SDR 
transceiver to be a truly attractive alternative to the K3 etc for a serious CW 
DX/contest operator.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

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Topband: VK6HD - Obituary and Guest Book

[Steve Ireland]

For those on the topband reflector who knew Mike VK6HD , there is a brief 
obituary at:

http://www.westannouncements.com.au/obituaries/thewest-au/obituary.aspx?n=michael-bazley&pid=164252808#fbLoggedOut

and a guest book where you remember Mike and pay your respects at:

http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/thewest-au/guestbook.aspx?n=michael-bazley&pid=164252808&cid=full

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ
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Topband: VK6HD SK RIP

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

For all those many who Mike VK6HD (‘Mick’) gave the first CW contact with Zone 
29 and/or Australia on the topband over the years, but never had the pleasure 
of meeting of him, here is something to give you the flavour of what he was 
like in person. 

Very tall, about 6’ 4” I would guess, with a deep friendly voice and a very wry 
sense of humour. Mike, originally G3HDA as most will know, originally worked in 
catering but when he came to Australia decided to use his huge ability at 
numbers. He became a lecturer in accounting at a Perth university and such was 
his ability as a teacher that he was asked to write at least one textbook on 
his particular area of expertise. I think Mike was head of the accounting 
teaching department at the university when he retired.

Mike was happy to share his amazing knowledge of radio and propagation if you 
were inquisitive about those things and was an excellent teacher in this area 
too. He taught me about openings and paths around the globe that I never 
thought existed and just about everything about the topband that I know.  Me 
being poorer than him at getting up in the morning, Mike would phone me if a 
new country was on the band. I simply don’t think I would have made DXCC on 160 
without his help and encouragement.  

At the time of his passing, Mike had at least 255 countries and 39 zones worked 
on 160m, which is likely to stand as the highest score on the band from 
Australia forever. That being said, he would be delighted if someone passed his 
total, which is the mark of the man.  

An abiding memory in the Ireland family is our daughter Hannah sitting with me 
and Mike when she was about 18 months old, soothed by that deeply friendly 
voice.  I shall miss him a lot.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ
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Topband: Receive antennas from 5X

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Dave

Greetings from Western Australia!

I had a number of contacts on 160m with Paul Wyse 5X4F during the later half of 
the 1990s.  Paul had a great signal on 160m with only a 240’ dipole at 36’, fed 
with open wire, and 100W from a TS450S. He had no separate receiving antenna 
but could hear very well.

Based on Paul’s success, my guess is that a dipole with as high central point 
as you can get it is going to be the best rx and tx antenna from where you are. 
 Unfortunately vertically polarised antennas aren’t always the best on 160m, 
particularly when you are near the equator and the ground conductivity is 
marginal.   Freshwater and mud can be quite disappointing in this regard.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ



_
Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: why the DX doesn't always work split. Especially on the lowbands

[Steve Ireland]

G'day

 

I have had a number of 'food for thought' responses to my original email
about the perspective from the DX end of a pile-up.  The one from Paul N1BUG
below has made me re-think my current way of operating. It is always good to
see things from another's perspective.

 

If the DCX conditions are good, outside of contests and if there is room,
look for VK6VZ working split.

 

Perhaps receiving 'UP 1' will mean me sending 'AGN AGN' less.  ;-)

 

Vy 73  

 

Steve, VK6VZ

 

 

>Perhaps a comment from the other side of that same opening?

 

I called Steve a few times that morning but stopped because even with a 200
Hz filter and audio peaking it was difficult to hear when he came back to
people through the callers. They were spread out some but it only takes a
couple who call too long or with questionable/unfortunate timing to make
things difficult when the DX is S7 and the callers are 20 to 30 over S9.

 

Steve had a relatively small pile (10 callers at a time?) of reasonably well
behaved DXers. For me it was marginally OK working simplex but I very likely
might have missed it once or twice had he come back to me. I heard Steve
answer a few stations who did not copy him right away due to the other
callers (I'm assuming, because there were others still calling and they
subsequently seemed to hear him just fine when in the clear). That may have
slowed his potential QSO rate somewhat but not drastically. With a few more
callers or a couple who are particularly eager it can easily go from that to
total chaos.

 

Of course there are times when there isn't enough space on the band for all
DX with multiple callers to go split.

 

73,

Paul N1BUG

 

___
Stew Perry Topband Distance Challenge coming on December 29th.

Topband: Subject: Re: Why the DX doesn't always work split? Especially on the low bands

[Steve Ireland]

G'day all and a very merry Christmas

 

It has been interesting reading the comments about DX stations on 160m
generally not working split. I thought having the perspective from someone
who is generally perceived as 'DX'.

 

One of the main reasons I don't usually need to work split is that
topbanders are such good CW operators!  In general, people calling me know
to use spread out a bit in my receiver passband.  Like most I generally use
400Hz CW filtering and calling about 200Hz away from the main 'wolf pack' is
a good way of grabbing my attention as I scan the pack using the RIT.
Calling on the exact same frequency as another caller is not a good idea.

 

Sending your call twice is always a good idea, even if there doesn't appear
to be any other callers.

 

The reason for the latter is that the main problem for us down in the
southern hemisphere in copying callers is usually the QRN level, rather than
QRM from stations all calling at once exactly the same frequency. 

 

On the 16 December, there was a nice opening into the eastern USA with
signals to S6, but the static and general atmospheric noise was about the
same level - a common phenomenon.  As it is summer in the southern half of
the world, it is REALLY noisy!  I ended up asking for heaps of repeats
mainly because of the noise.

 

The end result is after operating 160m during summer for 17 years, my
(57-year old) hearing is about as good as a longtime drummer in a heavy
metal band.

 

AGN.AGN.

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ

 

 

   

___
Stew Perry Topband Distance Challenge coming on December 29th.

Re: Topband: DX window

[Steve Ireland]

...and that loss of the DX window is sadly, dear readers, why you will
seldom hear DX stations outside of Europe and North America CQing on 160m in
the CQ contests.

We 'search and pounce' and the loud Eu and NA superstations who can hold a
frequency benefit. For those not blessed with a four-square or a big
vertical and lots of watts (i.e. the vast majority), this means looking for
us outside of a contest is the way.

Bit of a shame really, but that's (so-called) progress.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

SNIP:

"That so called dx window on 160m does not exist...It hasn't existed for
many years."



___
Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com

Topband: Response to W8JI's comments about using a K2AV folded counterpoise at VK6VZ

[Steve Ireland]

G'day

 

Tom wrote a number of comments about my nice results with a 3/8 wave
inverted-L fed against a K2AV folded counterpoise back on 26 August. I went
into hospital a few days later for a routine operation but ended up with
pneumonia and then influenza, so never got the chance to reply.  

 

Those who are interested in the FCP performance may find the discussion
below food for thought:  

 

 

>> VK6VZ: Having read about the K2AV folded counterpoise, which I could
mount along one side of the half acre block here, I decided to (once again) 

>> try a Marconi antenna.  With the counterpoise in this position, I put up
a 3/8 wave inverted-L antenna with a 100-foot vertical section (the 

>> antenna is 100-foot up, 100-foot out, similar to that used by K2AV).

 

>W8JI: So you had multiple verticals before that disappointed you, always
had more success with an Inverted V.

 

Absolutely.  Quarter wave, 166' and three-eighth wave Marconi antennas with
45 - 50' vertical sections were used over a fifty-radial W3ESU/K8CFU
mini-poise (old topbanders will know about this) in one backyard location
(1997 - 1999). From another backyard location (2000/2002?), a quarter wave
Marconi-T with a 66' vertical section was used, over thirty 60' to 100'
radials. 

 

All the Marconi antenna systems worked OK, but not as consistently well as
an inverted vee half-wave dipole at 90' locally or on intercontinental DX
(and all other continents are a long way from Perth).  Still early days, but
the 3/8 wave Marconi and K2AV FCP are looking like the best 160m antenna
ever from here.

 

>W8JI: Now you have a new antenna in a new spot with a new counterpoise that
also, because of lengths, has considerable horizontal component.

 

Yes.  But remember that all my previous Marconi antennas with the exception
of the Marconi-T had considerable horizontal components.  Most had 100'-plus
horizontal sections.  Also, the sizes of the vertical sections of the
previous Marconi antennas were limited by where I could put a sizeable
circular-ish/squarish radial field under the antenna.  

 

As the K2AV is simply 66' long and takes virtually no space in the two other
planes, all of a sudden on my limited block I can get up a really
seriously-sized vertical section.  

 

>W8JI: I know this might ruffle some feathers, but when we want to evaluate
a counterpoise change, we really should change only the counterpoise and the
antenna should not freely allow horizontal component. Otherwise we really
don't know what part really did what.

 

As per my previous comments and original email, the places where I could put
up a radial screen limited the size of the vertical section of my Marconi
antenna.  The FCP frees me to put up a Marconi just about anywhere where I
want in the yard - with the biggest amount of vertical section in it. The
whole point of my original post was that using the K2AV counterpoise meant
that I could use a much improved Marconi antenna - in both the length of the
vertical section of the antenna and the height of the horizontal part of the
antenna.

 

I think it is far more positive/practical for people with small yards to
simply re-evaluate how they could use a K2AV FCP to improve their antenna
system as well - by relocating the latter.  

 

>W8JI: Now you have a 100 ft long horizontal up 100 feet fed by a vertical
wire that might not even be radiating much if it is near a tower.

 

My antenna system can be described in so many different ways - your way
sounds pretty negative.  I don't care how anyone describes it though -
because it works so well for me. ;-) The tower has been prepared so it is
well and truly detuned from 160m.  My ground-wave reception and signal has
gone through the roof - ask the local VK6 160m ops.

 

>W8JI: I changed the front tires to new economy six plies, fuel tank shock
mounts, changed a fuel filter, and repaired the fuel tank crack on my
tractor, and the new front tires let me mow twice as far on a tank of fuel.
:-)

 

Jeez Tom, sorry about that mate. Luckily I found the crack in my tractor's
fuel tank and could then afford some better injectors - now she takes less
fuel and pulls a bigger load.  ;-)

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ

 

___
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Re: Topband: VK0M on 160m

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Jari

Good to hear from you.  I have just got out of hospital after contracting
double pneumonia, so haven't replied before.

I am sure you are right and the big HF rhombic has been removed from VK0M
for environmental reasons.  Also, as you say, Trevor, VK0TH, is the best
authority about what has happened recently on Macquarie Island.

Even from VK6, I still need VK0M on 160m.  When Trevor was on the island, I
heard VK3 and VK7 stations working him on 160m at least twice, but couldn't
hear him.  

The reality is that VK0 Macquarie is likely to be much harder to activate
than VK0 Heard Island in the future, owing to it being so hard to get
permission to operate from there for environmental reasons.  I personally
was hoping that Cordell Expeditions would go there, rather than going back
to Heard.  ;-)

I work in fisheries and about eight years ago, put forward a research
proposal that would have put me on Macquarie Island for several weeks.
Unfortunately the proposal didn't receive the go-ahead.  ;-)

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ
 

-Original Message-
From: Jari Jussila [mailto:jari.juss...@oh2bu.pp.fi] 
Sent: Friday, 31 August 2012 5:04 PM
To: Steve Ireland; topband@contesting.com; vk...@vk3pa.com
Subject: Re: Topband: VK0M on 160m


I was in an active contact with the last operator on the island, Trevor, 
VK0TH. He didn't mention anything about any HF rhombic antenna and he 
would surely have used it if it would have been possible. I remember him 
saying that most of the big antennas had been removed for environmental 
reasons. He, in fact, even had some problems to keep the old vertical 
that was left behind by earlier operators not speaking about erecting 
any temporary new antennas. The situation reminds the situation on 
Prince Edward & Marion Is., ZS8, were the big rhombic antennas have been 
removed for same reason.

The old multiband vertical that Trevor used broke at the end of his 
operation and can not be repaired. Trevor used a long wire the last 
weeks and we could work him even on 80m CW.

Trevor used the longwire also on 160m and worked a couple of VK's and 
ZL. He was heard even in KL7 and in Scandinavia but no QSO's were made 
outside VK/ZL.

As far as I understand, there's absolutely no amateur antenna on the 
island at the moment.

I would suggest that VK3PA or his friend contacts Trevor, VK0TH; to get 
good advise for the antennas. If you want, I can provide you with his 
new VK-email address.

Cu no 160m

Jari, OH2BU





___
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Topband: Using the K2AV folded counterpoise at VK6VZ - oops

[Steve Ireland]

There is a small correction necessary - see the text highlighted in CAPITALS
below. Unfortunately, living relatively close to the equator, there is very
little DX signal propagation on 160m after sunrise/before sunset (only about
+15 minutes/- 15 minutes) and this seems high angle.

 

---

 

G'day

 

Here is some encouragement for those of you who are thinking of trying the
K2AV folded counterpoise.

 

Back in January my Kenpro KR400 rotator finally gave out after about 18
years of misuse (which included turning a 40-10m homebrewed 2-element quad),
resulting in a total rebuild of the VK6VZ antenna system.  

 

For the last 17 years or so, I've mainly used inverted-vee and inverted-U
type dipole antennas on 160m, as much experimentation with Marconi shortened
vertical and inverted-L antennas had been very disappointing.  The best of
the antennas, a Marconi-T with a 66-foot vertical section over about 30
60-foot to 100- foot radials, had proved relatively ineffective in
comparison to an inverted vee dipole at 90', with the former usually two 'S'
points down on the dipole to stations in Europe and the USA.   

 

Having read about the K2AV folded counterpoise, which I could mount along
one side of the half acre block here, I decided to (once again) try a
Marconi antenna.  With the counterpoise in this position, I put up a 3/8
wave inverted-L antenna with a 100-foot vertical section (the antenna is
100-foot up, 100-foot out, similar to that used by K2AV).

 

So far the results with the 3/8 wave inverted-L (tuned via a series
capacitor to get rid of the inductive reactance) and the folded
counterpoise, fed via K2AV's isolation transformer balun (I bought the
commercial Balun Designs one) have been startling to say the least.   

 

For the first time with a Marconi antenna from this location, I can work
just about anything I can hear with similar reports, the feeder/common mode
isolation is such that I have virtually no pick-up of the humungous amounts
of noise generating devices in the VK6VZ household through which the feeder
passes and the antenna is good on local ground wave signals, high-angle DX
signals right on sunset/sunrise AND ON LOWER ANGLE DX WELL AFTER SUNSET/WELL
BEFORE SUNRISE. 

 

Having a 100-foot rather than a 66 foot vertical section is clearly a big
help in the performance of this antenna - and the only reason I have this
nice large vertical section is because of being able to site the antenna in
a position where it would have been impossible to put down a radial field.

 

The previous 12-year old radial field (hopefully still about 75 per cent
intact) lies about halfway along the horizontal part of the inverted-L
antenna and is probably helping the signal.  However, by itself, it never
worked anything like as good as the folded counterpoise (and its isolation
transformer).  

 

A big 'thank you' goes to Guy K2AV and Jack W0UCE for developing the FCP
system and for their advice in helping me get the antenna system going.  I
owe you blokes a beer!

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ 

 

   

___
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Topband: VK0M on 160m

[Steve Ireland]

Ooops, I should have said the FCP would 66-feet long - bad case of brain
fade late in the day... ;-)

 

---

 

Hi Allan

 

In the past I am pretty sure the radio amateurs who have taken up the radio
technician position on Macquarie Island have had some access to the
commercial antennas used on the island and used them on 160m.  My memory
(which isn't always good) is that there is an HF rhombic, which has been
loaded up on 160m as an end-fed wire type antenna.

 

In the past, the problem seems to have been for the operator to find time to
actually operate ham radio much.  My impression is that the job is really
full-on.

 

If your friend can get hold of a Spiderbeam 17m fiberglass telescoping pole
to take with him, then that could support an quarter wave inverted-L
antenna, with a sloping top.  If someone could make up a K2AV folded
counterpoise (and matching transformer) that could be rolled up and also
taken with him, then the operator would have a fair 160m signal.  As the FCP
would only be 33 feet long, ANARE may let him put this up? 

 

I guess if there are enough amateurs who were interested in 160m operation
from VK0M and everyone put in a few dollars each, so these items could be
purchased for your friend to take with him, that may be worth a go.

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ  

 

 

 

___
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Topband: Using the K2AV folded counterpoise at VK6VZ

[Steve Ireland]

G'day

 

Here is some encouragement for those of you who are thinking of trying the
K2AV folded counterpoise.

 

Back in January my Kenpro KR400 rotator finally gave out after about 18
years of misuse (which included turning a 40-10m homebrewed 2-element quad),
resulting in a total rebuild of the VK6VZ antenna system.  

 

For the last 17 years or so, I've mainly used inverted-vee and inverted-U
type dipole antennas on 160m, as much experimentation with Marconi shortened
vertical and inverted-L antennas had been very disappointing.  The best of
the antennas, a Marconi-T with a 66-foot vertical section over about 30
60-foot to 100- foot radials, had proved relatively ineffective in
comparison to an inverted vee dipole at 90', with the former usually two 'S'
points down on the dipole to stations in Europe and the USA.   

 

Having read about the K2AV folded counterpoise, which I could mount along
one side of the half acre block here, I decided to (once again) try a
Marconi antenna.  With the counterpoise in this position, I put up a 3/8
wave inverted-L antenna with a 100-foot vertical section (the antenna is
100-foot up, 100-foot out, similar to that used by K2AV).

 

So far the results with the 3/8 wave inverted-L (tuned via a series
capacitor to get rid of the inductive reactance) and the folded
counterpoise, fed via K2AV's isolation transformer balun (I bought the
commercial Balun Designs one) have been startling to say the least.   

 

For the first time with a Marconi antenna from this location, I can work
just about anything I can hear with similar reports, the feeder/common mode
isolation is such that I have virtually no pick-up of the humungous amounts
of noise generating devices in the VK6VZ household through which the feeder
passes and the antenna is good on local ground wave signals, high-angle DX
signals right on sunset/sunrise and on lower angle DX well after
sunrise/well before sunset. 

 

Having a 100-foot rather than a 66 foot vertical section is clearly a big
help in the performance of this antenna - and the only reason I have this
nice large vertical section is because of being able to site the antenna in
a position where it would have been impossible to put down a radial field.

 

The previous 12-year old radial field (hopefully still about 75 per cent
intact) lies about halfway along the horizontal part of the inverted-L
antenna and is probably helping the signal.  However, by itself, it never
worked anything like as good as the folded counterpoise (and its isolation
transformer).  

 

A big 'thank you' goes to Guy K2AV and Jack W0UCE for developing the FCP
system and for their advice in helping me get the antenna system going.  I
owe you blokes a beer!

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ 

 

   

___
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Topband: VK0M on 160m

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Allan

 

In the past I am pretty sure the radio amateurs who have taken up the radio
technician position on Macquarie Island have had some access to the
commercial antennas used on the island and used them on 160m.  My memory
(which isn't always good) is that there is an HF rhombic, which has been
loaded up on 160m as an end-fed wire type antenna.

 

In the past, the problem seems to have been for the operator to find time to
actually operate ham radio much.  My impression is that the job is really
full-on.

 

If your friend can get hold of a Spiderbeam 17m fiberglass telescoping pole
to take with him, then that could support an quarter wave inverted-L
antenna, with a sloping top.  If someone could make up a K2AV folded
counterpoise (and matching transformer) that could be rolled up and also
taken with him, then the operator would have a fair 160m signal.  As the FCP
would only be 33 feet long, ANARE may let him put this up? 

 

I guess if there are enough amateurs who were interested in 160m operation
from VK0M and everyone put in a few dollars each, so these items could be
purchased for your friend to take with him, that may be worth a go.

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ  

 

--

Message: 4

Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2012 17:50:09 -0500

From: vk...@vk3pa.com

Subject: Topband: VK0M

To: topband@contesting.com

Message-ID: <20120824175009.ivu1k3pvtccso...@webmail.opentransfer.com>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; DelSp="Yes";

  format="flowed"

 

Hi all, hve a ham friend going to VK0M.He will be mainly cw, es he is a
"gud" op can handle dog piles hi hi.. his main Q is wot type of Ant is best
? he can not hve radials or wires up in the air

 

 

 

___
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Topband: Direct down conversion HPSDR transceiver kit

[Steve Ireland]

G'day

 

As some on this reflector will know, Greg ZL3IX and I both use High
Performance Software Defined Radio or 'HPSDR' transceivers on 160m, which
have direct down (rx) and direct up (tx) conversion SDR architectures.  This
is the architecture chosen by FlexRadio for its new 'Signature' range.

One of the problems for those lowbanders who are interested in trying the
HPSDR has been the difficulty in obtaining all the necessary PCBs.  This has
now been got round by the introduction of a single board full-duplex
multi-mode transceiver board called the Hermes, which covers 160m to 10m and
is available from the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Group (TAPR) -
 http://www.tapr.org/kits_hermes.html.
Hermes is basically the Mercury  ,
PennyLane  , Metis
  and Excalibur
  HPSDR boards rolled into one and
communicates to an associated PC via 100T/1000T Ethernet. 

For those lowbanders who like 'bleeding-edge' radio, Hermes has the
following features: 

*   Supports 7 fully independent receivers (sharing the same antenna -
and with suitable PC software) 
*   Each receiver can display 48/96/192kHz of spectrum 
*   Blocking Dynamic Range about typically 125dB) 
*   Transmit and receiver image rejection > 110dB 
*   Transmitter two-tone 3rd order IMD of -50dBc on 20m @ 400mW output 
*   500mW RF output on 160 - 10m amateur bands, 350mW on 6m 
*   Built-in high performance preamp, with a noise floor typically
-135dBm in 500Hz 
*   Software-selectable 31dB input attenuator in 1dB steps 
*   Full QSK operation (performance dependant on associated PC and
control software) 
*   Stereo audio outputs at line and headphone levels 
*   In-built 1W stereo audio amplifier for directly driving speakers 
*   Direct, de-bounced connections for a Morse key (straight or iambic)
and PTT 
*   Low phase noise (-140dBc/Hz @ 1kHz at 14MHz) 122.88MHz master
clock,which can be phase-locked to an internal 10MHz TCXO or external
frequency reference 
*   Direct ribbon cable interface to Apollo
  15W power amplifier, low
pass filters and automatic ATU or Alex 
Antenna switch, HPFs and Tx LPFs 
*   Ethernet interface supports fixed, APIP or DHCP IP address 

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ

  

___
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Topband: Antarctica QSOs

[Steve Ireland]

G'day

 

It has been interesting reading about the QSOs with Antarctica.  Probably my
most best 160m QSO ever was on 9 July 1999, when, along with Mike VK6HD, I
worked Mike Fokin, R1AND from Novolazarevskaya Base, Antarctica, just before
sunrise here.

 

You may ask what was surprising about this QSO, as Antarctica shouldn't be
difficult from Australia.  R1AND was on the far side of Antarctica from VK6
- and subject to the usual huge propagation problems in getting a signal
across a polar area.

 

I think Mike 6HD had also heard and worked R1AND also a week or so earlier.
Neither of us ever heard R1AND's signal again on 160, despite him being
quite active.

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ

 

___
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Re: Topband: Length of inverted-L antenna for use with K2AV counterpoise

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Guy

 

Thanks for the reply - most interesting and helpful.  I like your conversion
idea for the 450' ohm ladder line - like open wire line here too.

 

I did have an 160m inverted-L antenna here with a Moxon-type counterpoise
about ten years ago and it was a very useful antenna.  However, your
counterpoise idea looks like a definite improvement and it would be good to
have a choice of polarization here again.  Most of my 160m DX has been
worked with a cloud-warmer inverted-vee dipole antenna just before sunrise
or just after sunset, but the old inverterted L was better on middle
distances, particularly out into the Pacific, and there are some countries
that I still need out there.  

 

I shall have some fun building one of your counterpoises in the New Year
(and an inverted-L to go with it)!   

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ

  _  

From: guyk...@gmail.com [mailto:guyk...@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Guy Olinger
K2AV
Sent: Saturday, 10 December 2011 1:04 AM
To: Steve Ireland
Cc: w0...@nc.rr.com; topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Length of inverted-L antenna for use with K2AV
counterpoise

 

Steve, the length of the wire is your choice, with consequences in the
tuning realm.  

 

The simple solution is to only use the wire on 160, and VARY THE LENGTH of
the wire to achieve a minimum SWR or zero reactance at 1.825, or your choice
of center of resonance.

 

If the length is fixed (your choice) and the radiator is really short you
will need a series inductor, and really long a series capacitor, with a feed
Z that depends on the length and configuration of the wire.

 

For the simple solution, neither the series inductor or cap is used, and the
length is pruned for resonance, just like a dipole. This resonant length
will vary, depending heavily on the environment, type of dirt, just like a
dipole.  It will also produce a Z that is decent for transmission across 50
ohm coax, and if not close enough to 50 ohms as is, is easily handled by
whatever tuner may be in the shack.

 

Obviously we don't have reports from several hundred people who have done
this, but the simple solution seems to work out something a little longer
than a quarter wave, though it is clear from the small sample so far, that
this varies a lot on how one is able to get the wire up.

 

Mine is 3/8 wave, up 90 and out 105, and I use a series vacuum cap to tune
it.  I also use a 4:1 isolation transformer to up-convert the 90 resonant Z
to 360 ohms to match 424 feet of Wireman #554 "450" window line.  This is
obviously not the "simple" solution.  

 

What you do in addition to the isolation transformer and the FCP is just as
variable as it ever was.

 

73, Guy.  

 

___
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Topband: Length of inverted-L antenna for use with K2AV counterpoise

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Jack

 

One question in regard to your drawing of the 160m antenna you use with
K2AV's FCP counterpoise.  Are you using a resonant quarter wave antenna
(i.e. about 132' total length) with the counterpoise, or an extended
inverted 5/16 or 3/8 wave antenna?  I am guessing the former, but am also
wondering if you have tried to use the latter, tuned with a series capacitor
to remove the inductive reactance at the feedpoint.

 

In the drawing, the length of the horizontal top section of your inverted-L
is given (84.5 feet), but not the length of the vertical bottom section.

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ

 

 

___
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

Topband: Dimensions of K2AV folded counterpoise

[Steve Ireland]

Hi Guy

 

Your folded counterpoise idea sounds excellent.  About 12 years ago, I built
a miniature quad antenna for 7MHz that used folded capacitive loading to
make two elements, each with sides around 20', using techniques pioneered by
G3FPQ.

 

During the course of this experimentation, I learnt that it was possible to
make relatively low-loss capacitive loading using folded wires (bent back on
themselves) if a minimum spacing was observed.  The miniature 40m quad
antenna, mounted at 20 metres high, was a very effective antenna. 

 

At 7MHz, this minimum spacing transcribed to about 0.005 of a wavelength, or
about 9 inches (23 cm).  Scaling this up to 1.8MHz, this gave a spacing of
about one metre between the folded wires and I built my late father Ossie
G0TYJ a very effective folded 160m antenna and counterpoise that fitted into
a very small space, using this technique.

 

I would be very interested - as am sure other users of this reflector would
be - on what spacing you use between the folded wires on your counterpoise
system.  If you have found you can use a spacing of less than a metre
between the wires, this would be good news to myself and others!  One metre
spacing was rather cumbersome.

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ (ex-G3ZZD)

 

 

---

Guy, K2AV wrote:

 

SNIP

 

>Remember that the current entering the FCP is set by the radiating

wire because the apparent series resistance in the FCP is so low

relative to the radiation resistance of the vertical radiator.  The

FCP's beginning current would be the same amplitude as the beginning

current on the two radials. Set our imaginary power drive to get one

ampere at the base of the antenna in both cases.

 

Counting FCP segments 1 through 5.  33 feet per segment.  Directions

used are for illustration only.

 

1: center to 33 feet east

2: 33 feet east back to center

3: center to 33 feet west

4: 33 feet west back to center

5: center to 33 feet east and end insulator.

 

Segments 2 through 5 carry the typical cosine current curve of a 0 to

90 degrees quarter wavelength. This is enforced working backward from

the end insulator.  Segment 1 has the cosine of -22.5 degrees to 0

degrees. The current max is at the connection between segments 1 and

 

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

Topband: JD1BME Minami Torishima QSL card for 160m

[Steve Ireland]

G'day 

 

Back in January 2007, along with a number of other topbanders, I worked
JD1BME on Minami Torishima.  My recollection is that the operator's only QSL
route was via the JARL Bureau.  Despite sending several QSLs, including two
direct to the bureau (which is one of the most reliable bureaus in the
world), I have been unable to get a QSL card in return.

 

Please has anyone had any luck with this one?

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ

 

 

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

Topband: Possible solutions to misuse of web connected receivers for boosting DXCC scores/QSO totals

[Steve Ireland]

G'day

 

Thanks to all who wrote to me directly and via the reflector in support of
my previous email about making the distinction between web connected
receivers and the real benefits of SDR technology for low-band weak signal
operation 

 

If the application software that was available for Software Defined Radio
use had an audio delay feature that could be turned on by the owner, then
clearly this would be a huge help in enabling radio amateurs to connect
receivers to the internet in a manner so it would be hard to use them for
making unethical DXCC contacts. I guess the trick would be to convince the
software developers who write the applications, in particular PowerSDR, to
include this feature in their software.

 

If the president of the ARRL (and perhaps presidents of the RSGB and other
powerful societies such as the Japan Amateur Radio League) publicly wrote to
the main SDR software application development bodies/companies and pleaded
for this feature to be included to help with potential DXCC misuse, then
this might be the spur they need.

 

That being said, the issue is clearly an ethical one, in which technology is
being misused. Whatever technology has been developed by humans, the less
ethically inclined have always misused it. Clear and clever rules are
usually the only way to (largely) stop this.

 

Looks to me like the ARRL simply need to review their DXCC rules and bring
them up to date with the internet and what it enables radio amateurs to do. 

 

This is definitely my last word on this subject. ;-) Take care and see you
on 160 sometime.

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ 

 

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

Topband: Web-connected receivers/real benefits of SDR technology

[Steve Ireland]

G'day all

 

It is very interesting (and sad) to read the emails from Thor TF4M and
Brendan EI6IZ about how some have misused their web-connected receivers.
Note that I used the term 'web-connected receiver' rather than SDR.  What a
disappointment that the access privileges kindly granted by these amateurs
(and others) to their receivers, which are connected to really well-designed
and performing antennas, are being misused by some in order to cheat and
unethically boost their QSO/DXCC totals.   

 

As a long-standing proponent of SDR (software defined receiver) technology
versus conventional superheterodyne technology, I think it is important to
make the distinction between the fact that these receivers just happen to
use SDR architecture and the fact that they are web-connected.  It is the
fact that these receivers can be accessed via the web that makes them open
to misuse, not simply because they use SDR technology. 

 

The reason that I am making this simple but obvious point is because there
are a small but vocal minority of radio amateurs who seem to regard anyone
who uses SDR technology as somehow likely to push the ethical boundaries in
how they use it - a perception that makes me disappointed and annoyed.   

 

For some time I used a Mercury HPSDR (digital down conversion) receiver and
found it could resolve weak CW and SSB signals in noise that my (fantastic)
Elecraft K3 superheterodyne cannot, owing to the latter's use of crystal
filtering which means that noise pulses are distorted by the filtering and
thus render weak signals harder to understand than on a SDR receiver that
uses purely digital filtering.

 

This SDR technology is ideal for 160m operation (just ask Greg ZL3IX, who is
one of the few topbanders who use a SDR digital down conversion/up
conversion transceiver, which he has built himself).  It would be shame that
this technology gets a bad name owing to its ability to be web-connected,
when it particularly lends itself to weak-signal low-band operation and can
offer some real relief for those topbanders who are noise-inflicted.

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ

(Joint author with VK6APH of the Software Defined Radio section of 9th/10th
editions of the RSGB's Radio Communication Handbook) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Topband: Summer Stew Perry

[Steve Ireland]

G'day

 

Phil VK6GX and myself were both active in the 'Summer Stew' over the
weekend.  Phil did a lot more hours than me but I was active for about two
and a half hours after VK6 sunset yesterday.

 

Only made five QSOs but the best was with KL7RA (QRA BP40) at 1003Z and N6RO
was heard up to 559, although I couldn't raise him, so there was propagation
into western North America from here.  Unfortunately the All Asia contest
seemed to have soaked up most of the activity.  

 

Active on 160m during this time was DU1/JJ5GMJ, who has an excellent signal
and hears well, for those stations who need the Phillipines. 

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ (OF88)

 

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

Topband: Recommendations on high-power 1:1 balun for 1.8MHz that shows high-Z to RF wanted

[Steve Ireland]

G'day

 

I am the process of replacing the existing 1:1 high-power current balun on
my 1.8MHz inverted vee dipole and would ideally like the replacement to have
something approaching 5,000 ohms impedance at 1.8MHz.   As a result I have
been looking for information about the impedances of some of the more
popular, reputable baluns on 1.8MHz on the web, but without success.  

 

One of the major candidates under consideration is the DX Engineering
DXE-BAL050-H10-A - if anyone has measured the impedance of this balun at
1.8MHz, I'd be delighted to hear of what the results were.  Any
suggestions/recommendations as to which 1:1 high-power balun to buy or build
that displays a 5,000 ohm impedance or so on 1.8MHz would also be much
appreciated.  

 

Thank you.

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ

 

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