Topband: Working 'long' distances on 160m

[Steve Sacco NN4X via Topband]

How much has the noise floor increased between the 1960's and today?

Hearing/working EU on TB is *always* a treat for me.


73/DX

Steve

NN4X



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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2022 15:12:59 +0800
From: Steve Ireland 
To: "topband@contesting.com" 
Subject: Topband: Working 'long' distances on 160m
Message-ID: <10560e$4pa...@rpt-glb-asav6.external.tpg.com.au>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

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

Sent from Mail for Windows 10



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Topband: TB Open From U.S. 7/27 Evening

[Steve Sacco NN4X]

Just a reminder that Top Band is not dead.

Friday evening, 7/27, I worked EV5o at 01:10 (7/28/2019 UTC) on 1.840.  
I heard him well into his sunrise.  After the QSO with EV5o, I spend 
some time CQing, and although I heard no replies, using PSKReporter, I 
saw that my CQs were decoded by ZS1LS, SM0MEM, and EA8BFK.


So keep an ear out on 160M, and let loose some CQs so people know you're 
there.  You never know what can happen.



73,

Steve

NN$X


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Re: Topband: JA's came in droves today on 160

[Steve Sacco NN4X]

Ed -

I wasn't around back then, but I'd imagine the exact same thing was said 
when CW began to replace spark gap, and when SSB began to supplant AM.


Just something to think about.

73,

Steve

NN4X


1. Re: JA's came in droves today on 160 (Edward Sawyer)



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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2019 13:27:16 -0500
From: "Edward Sawyer" 
To: 
Subject: Re: Topband: JA's came in droves today on 160
Message-ID: <01cd01d4b992$982c2260$c8846720$@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;   charset="us-ascii"

Such is the new trend.  No offense to KV4FZ whatsoever but if you provide
the easy path.most will take it.  The only way to affect the "easy way out"
is to not provide it.

  


I remember year's ago doing CQ WW CW ABLP as C6ARS in 2001.  I ended the
contest on 15M running a couple of hundred JAs. I thought, this is amazing
because I am just as loud from W1 and I couldn't imagine having so many JA
stations call.  Clearly they are much more DXers than full contesters - most
of them.  Still feel that way today.  I have heard piles of JAs calling
right before a contest only to dry up in the contest.

  


Its fascinating that the above has now shifted to FT8 vs the more
traditional modes in just DXing.  Herb, it would be a very interesting
experiment to shift to CW mid pile-up and see if the group stays with you to
catch the DX opening or does it dwindle to nothing.  I am guessing it goes
to nothing despite the opening.  But would love to hear.

  


FT8 is changing the "easiness factor" in DXing.  And like technology
assisted driving, once that genie is out of the bottle it ain't never goin
back.  Just try and find an actual stick shift in a new car - almost
impossible.  Why?  It doesn't mesh with the computer driving the car.

  


73

  


Ed  N1UR



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Re: Topband: Found my K9AY by WX0B AX-AYl-4 unit

[Steve Sacco NN4X]

I concur with Tim's comment, below.  With a K9AY loop array, you're 
really pointing the null much more than the forward lobe.


Additionally, I've noticed that when there is high angle QRN (generally 
T-storm activity from wherever), my K9AY loop array is not especially 
useful, and I can't get a null on the noise in any of the four 
directions.  Without that kind of noise source, it works well.   It's 
not as good as my 700' Beverage, but I'm glad to have it available.


73,

Steve

NN4X


On 1/29/2019 12:00 PM, topband-requ...@contesting.com wrote:

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3. Re: Found my K9AY by WX0B AX-AYl-4 unit (Lloyd - N9LB)
  
  




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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2019 06:54:37 -0500
From: Tim Shoppa 
To: terry burge 
Cc: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Found my K9AY by WX0B AX-AYl-4 unit
Message-ID: 
Content-Type: text/plain;   charset=utf-8

We should not think of a K9AY as having a sharp forward peak. You won?t be able 
to tell NE from E easily. However they have a very good and useful backwards 
null which is deep.

The loops do not have to be perpendicular. Point the loops in directions that 
give you the most useful nulls.

My K9AY loop is right under my TX antenna and near some chain link fence. And 
it is hung from and runs through trees. It works great! If I point it NE, the 
W4?s drop into the noise. If I point it SW, the W1?s drop into the noise.

Tim N3QE



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Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 190, Issue 26

[Steve Sacco NN4X]

Concur WRT VP6D on Top Band last evening!

They were putting in a very FB signal into Florida at 03:00Z, and I was 
able to work them without too much effort with 200 watts.


73,

Steve

NN4X

EL98jh




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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2018 18:05:46 +
From: John Crovelli 
To: "topband@contesting.com" 
Subject: Topband: VP6D Monday Night @ P40W
Message-ID:



Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

The VP6D ops were really terrific last night.  Listened to them for two hours.  
They cleaned the table to EU.


Worked them from P40W with 100w and 55 foot tall vertical dipole.  A definite 
thrill!


RX was better on NE beverage here too as someone else mentioned ... perhaps 
because that is the direction with with least noise or perhaps my 800' beverage 
doesn't have much front to back.  They peaked as high as an honest S-9 on my 
K3S at times but averaged S-7 for long periods.  Whatever they've managed to 
put up for a TX antenna is very effective - I know they've been fighting wind 
and rain.


Love Top Band!


John W2GD a.k.a. P40W this week








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Topband: VP8STI 2016-01-23

[Steve Sacco NN4X]

VP8STI was workable - and working - 160M -  into the US/NA 2016-01-23 
around 05:00 Z.


For the first time w/ VP8STI, my K9AY loops actually could detect them - 
I heard them approximately equally well in the SW and SE directions, but 
I was also copying them on my vertical.  I was also able to listen to 
them on my NE Beverage, which probably goes to show that, sometimes, 
it's about removing QRN as much as anything.


They went into my log at 15:02Z; as it was late, I didn't stick around 
much after that to see how long we had prop.


Now to work them on 10M.

73,
Steve
NN4X
EL98jh



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Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 157, Issue 19

[Steve Sacco NN4X]

Perhaps, later in the declining sunspot cycle, there will be a remote 
duct in Hawaii.  :-)


73,
Steve
NN4X

> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2016 10:38:40 -0600
> From: "Joel Harrison" 
> To: "Tree" 
> Cc: "160" 
> Subject: Re: Topband: Strange propagation
> Message-ID:
> <63b07b3e158e411b18bb8f3a911b4f05.squir...@just120.justhost.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain;charset=utf-8
>
> Sounds very much like the propagation associated with the "remote" duct !
>
> 73 Joel W5ZN
>
>
>
>> Very interesting hearing some strange openings this morning on topband.
>> Seems there is some path between the pacific Northwest and sporadic 
places

>> around the country with some kind of "duct".  I heard one callsign -
>> licensed in Oklahoma - that was 35 db over S9 calling K5P. This is the
>> same signal strength as a local station about 5 miles from me.
>>
>> The fact that it was two hours after sunrise in Oklahoma is interesting.
>>
>> Too bad K5P was not hearing him.
>>
>> 73 Tree
>> _
>> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband

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Topband: Gentleman's Band

[Steve Sacco NN4X]

I've only been on 160M for a few years, but am always impressed by the 
level of civility and sportsmanship.


It was demonstrated again last evening, during the contest: G5W was 
calling CQ beneath W2GD.  I called G5W, and W2GD QSY'ed off a bit to let 
that QSO happen.


That would likely not happen on any other band.

73,
Steve
NN4X

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Topband: 160M Condx 29 Dec 2011

[Steve Sacco NN4X]

I wandered into the shack overnight to discover excellent conditions 
into EU.

The overall noise level was very low, and I was able to work LY, LA, SM, 
HA, G, F and PA with only 100 watts around their sunrise (between 05:57Z 
and 07:06Z).

Interestingly everyone was about 559, and I received the similar reports 
in return.

As previously noted, it's been a poor season for 160M; I'm glad I was 
able to get on the band for the first time last year, when the pickings 
were better.

73 and HNY to all,

Steve
NN4X


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