Topband: CQ 160
Gracious! I almost feel like I should apologize for sharing my 74-year old, "youthful" exuberance for having the weekend of my career on TB! To put things into perspective... 1. Since this is my 5th low-band / contesting season from this QTH in Rockingham County, Virginia, I thought everyone knew where I was located. I didn't mean to mislead, and certainly was not intending to stick it to my long-suffering W6 friends in any sort of boastful fashion! 2. Between 1983 and 2013 I worked 186 DXC on 160 from my tiny sandbox in Fresno, CA. However, it was 22 years, and only after installing a rotating flag, before I FINALLY worked my first EU! (OZ7YY). 3. From then on, QSOs with EU were few and far between, but one glorious night in Feb., 2009, I worked 17 EU in one evening. For me, truly amazing! So, how have things changed since the move to VA, and the enchanted East Coast? Over the weekend, during the contest, I worked HB0 for #224. 38 new ones in 5 years? Not bad, but not earth-shattering! Oddly, 3 were in OC, ones that I couldn't work from W6! 4. It was only this past December that I finally beat my Fresno record of 17 EU in one evening, with an amazing run of 23. With that background, please forgive me if I mistakenly thought that working 58 EU in one weekend meant that propagation was terrific! As for me and my meager station in FM08, you will have a difficult time proving otherwise! 73 es gud DX, Jim - WS6X P.S. You have my permission to assume some of the above was a bit "tongue-in-cheek"! _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: CQ160 Conditions
SOAPBOX: In my 36 years on TB, this was the best 160 weekend ever from my little pistol station! Worked 58 EU in 26 DXCC, 5 AF in 5 DXCC, and 6 SA in 5 DXCC. The band was so wide open, as the propagation shifted, I had a difficult time holding a frequency with full legal limit! Many West Coast and EU sounded like locals. EQUIPMENT: K3S in full diversity; AMP: ACOM 1500; TX ANTENNA: Inv-L, 62 feet vertical, 40 radials; RX ANTENNA: (rarely used the entire weekend) 2-el Hi-Z, Pixel Loop See my results on 3830. Thanks for all the Qs. Jim - WS6X _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: Condx for Stew Perry!
Topbanders, In spite of constant heavy QRN throughout the contest, I had a personal best for the number of EU worked in one evening/night. Before this weekend my best was 19 EU worked in a local evening / night. This weekend, Saturday evening from to 0514 when I went to bed, I worked 33 EU stations, representing 17 countries! Because of family comings and goings I didn't get out to the shack until about 2210. I turned on the radio and heard DR5X calling CQ! He was in the log after one call. I did a few minutes of S & P-ing to check out the band. At ~2230 I began calling CQ. The very first station to call me was UW2M! I knew it was going to be a good night! Generally, I don't like to call CQ on 160 because of my paranoia of being an alligator. But after 5 or so EU stations called, I got a new shot of "CQ-itis" and spent most of my time running. There were several stations I simply could not separate from the QRN, and I'm sure there numerous others that I never heard at all. So I apologize to those who tried but didn't make it. I experienced another first... A DK0 started calling "CQ test" zero-beat on my run frequency. I tried my best to shoo him with the "QRL, pse QSY" routine, all to no avail. He was loud enough that I could not have heard weak stations, so I moved on. How's that for humiliation? Giving up a run frequency to a DK while blasting with 1.5 kW!! Speaking of alligators... There were a few out there. One HB9 simply could not hear any of the EC major contest stations calling. On Sunday morning, near my SR, there was an N7 (with a WC grid locator) CQ-ng with a 20 over signal. I could not even get a hesitation from him!! Then there are the CQ Machines that don't pause long enough to even get a "WS" out the door! Once again, the SP proves to be a great contest. Thanks for all the Qs, and a special thanks to all whose patience allowed me to ride out the static crashes to get you in the log. 73 es HNY! Jim - WS6X _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: Condx on 160
This morning from - 0230 (Tuesday evening, local) conditions were interesting here in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. Early on I copied numerous Western EU working NP2J, and F6ARC was his usual beacon strength. Around 0200 I heard R3LA with a big signal and immediately turned on the linear. I got impatient with the 3 minute warm-up, so tossed my 85 Watt signal into the pile. Much to my surprise, he came back to me and gave me a 559. Twenty minutes later LZ1PM was booming in, and I easily worked him with a kW. Oddly though, Roger, G3YRO was a steady S4-5 throughout the evening, but I, and numerous others, could not work him. (I was using the full legal limit.) So from my end, conditions to EU seemed spotty. Pretty good to Eastern EU, not so hot to Western EU. From this QTH so far, this season has been a mixed bag. Many days of very poor condx, and several when Western EU was easy to work, but Eastern EU was missing. Zero days of wide open to EU condx. Keeping my fingers crossed... Jim, WS6X _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: ICE 402X BCB Filter
Anyone on this list interested in an ICE 402X BCB filter? Please contact me off list. Thanks - Jim, WS6X _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Historical note: Radial Depth
Radio Lumiere in Haiti lays the radials in 2' deep trenches to foil the copper thieves. Jim - WS6X _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: My first VK on 160M!
On Sat, 31 Mar 2018 18:10:08 -0400, Mark K3MSB wrote: "Huge day for me this morning After several years of trying, I worked my first VK on Top Band! Well, actually my first 2 Vks!!" >> First, congrats Mark, for your first VK on 160! We all know the feeling of stalking a station or country for many years, and the rush of finally making it! For me it was EY8MM. This is not to distract from your accomplishment in any way, but I would have to say, at SR that morning (local) was one of the best openings to the west since I've lived at this QTH in the Shenandoah Valley. I have worked both Ron and Luke multiple times, but to make the QSO always required a kW. That morning, about 20 minutes before SR, I could just begin copying the two VK3 signals. Right at my SR they both peaked at an honest S9! I had just fried my linear the night before, but hearing those 2 fat signals was too much to let pass without a try. I succeeded to work them both with 100 Watts. I only wish there would have been a bunch of other stations from that area active that morning! Which leads me to another observation... I have been intrigued by Roger's (G3YRO) comments about the lack of SR peaking at his QTH. I had observed that -- sometimes very dramatic -- peaking at local SR for decades in CA. There I lived in such a suburban noise bag, that I most often depended on the SR peaking effect to even make the Q. However, here in VA, I still see the same SR increases in signal strength. (Witness the above account of the VK3s.) I live way out in the sticks at a very quiet location. In fact, most of the time my Inv-L hears just as well as any of 5 RX systems I've used here. I see that SR peak to the west on both 80 and 160 almost every time the band is open. Since my location is so quiet, I am reasonably sure that what I'm observing is true increase in signal strength, not simply an improvement in S/N at SR. I also assume Roger is savvy enough to recognize the same. So, I'm curious... How does geographic location play into this effect? Roger and I are separated by ~17 degrees latitude. Is that a contributing factor? Why would this effect at a specific location (like G3YRO's) seem to change over the years? Thanks, and again, congrats Mark! Jim - WS6X _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: Speaking of Noises...
I too, am curious as to the source. I heard it for many years in Central California; hear it at my current QTH in Central Shenandoah Valley; and heard it last weekend at NR4M. I describe it as a scratchy sound, sometimes with a bit of tonality. Always 4 pulses (although I don't think I've ever heard the 4 followed by 3 as Bill describes.). I've never timed the interval between the groups of 4, but it is fairly infrequent. I'll hear it throughout the evening when I'm at the radio for long periods. It is loud enough on 160 here in VA that it will wipe out all but the strongest signals. I will have to pay more attention to details and record when I hear it. I wish I was better at phonics, but what I hear has distinct articulation: "Gugghk gugghk gugghk gugghk". 😊 Jim, WS6X 1. Speaking of noises... (Bill Tippett) Message: 1 Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2018 12:48:20 -0500 From: Bill Tippett To: topband Subject: Topband: Speaking of noises... Does anyone know the source of periodic wideband buzzes that sound like this: buzzz..buzzz..buzzz..buzzz (i.e. 4X then pause) buz..buz..buz (3X ~10 dB down). I believe this may be some sort of ionospheric sounder but I've heard this for decades, including when I was in Colorado. Hopefully someone knows what's generating this. 73, Bill W4ZV _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: on behalf of 4V1TL for TB reflector
-- Message: 10 Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2016 20:11:05 -0500 From: "Sam Harner" To: "Topband" Subject: Topband: on behalf of 4V1TL for TB reflector Message-ID: <8EADC4FCE1B641DDA64F0B6A6A920B98@sam03949ada7b6> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The QSL manager for 4V1TL and other RCH callsigns has always been W3HNK. Joe is an outstanding and wellknown QSL manager. To my knowledge W3HNK does not participate in LOTW. QSL directions for our portable calls are at the discretion of the operator. HH2/N3BNA via KA2AEV and 100% on LOTW. HH2/WS6X via WS6X. Not sure about LOTW at this time, === Correction: All QSL requests -- direct and BURO -- for HH2/WS6X go to EA5GL. I will have the log uploaded to LoTW shortly. Thanks - Jim, WS6X _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: Out-of-Turn Callers
-Original Message- It was interesting to me this morning to listen to the K1N operation attempt to put into their log some JA contacts. For the most part, NA stations stood by and allowed the process to go forward. However, one station in particular, even after being asked by K1N to standby as he was working JA only, persisted in calling. This is a request to KK6ZM to please listen to the instructions of the expedition operator. Your behavior most likely precluded a number of JA stations from being logged by K1N. This is NOT good. 73, and I hope everyone has good luck in making the grade with K1N on Topband. Milt, N5IA This is not a defense of KK6ZM -- I don't even know the guy -- but I can assure you, he was very much aware of what he was doing. Patrick was in the Low Band Chat Room for the duration of this morning's opening. He heard and understood the K1N request for JA only. He also heard ~20 JAs calling. After a few K1N calls for JA, they went back to an out-of-turn caller, K4xxx. After that, KK6ZM waited until he was sure K1N was not hearing the JAs before he threw in his call. He took a lot of cluster heat, but some of the Low Band Chat guys encouraged him to keep trying. (They also heard the JA callers who K1N was apparently not hearing.) As I said, I know very little about KK6ZM, but I DO know this... When I still lived in CA, on 160, he "out-heard" me 10:1. This morning he was hearing K1N and the JAs very well. He was not being a deliberate bozo. It was not until K1N rewarded the K4 for out-of-turn calling that he tried his luck. Say what you want to about KK6ZM. In my opinion, K1N shot himself in the foot when he didn't follow his own in instructions. Now for my little vent... Nah, it ain't worth it! :o) Jim, WS6X _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: Logged Date Question
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2015 08:26:58 -0800 From: Tree To: 160 Subject: Re: Topband: NE7D loaded tower I do have one question about remote operating... if I am on an airplane using this station during a contest - and travel over the international date line - what date do I put in the log? Cute question, Tree. Asking the question another way... If you were flying in an eastward direction, and the contest began on January 31, at , you quickly made 2 Qs, but at 0001 you crossed the IDL, would you have to wait nearly 24 hours to resume the contest? :o) However since you abide by a high ethical standard, and are operating a remote station, you would have known to abide by the UTC date of the remote QTH. 73 - Jim, WS6X _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: Keyclicks / AGC
Message: 4 Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:55:23 + From: "Shoppa, Tim" < tsho...@wmata.com > Is it possible... that what folks are attributing to keyclicks in the transmitter, are actually AGC artifacts in their receiver? === Of course it's possible. You can also add DSP NR, NB, etc. to the equation for false indicators. I for one am very sure that all those culprits are eliminated before I send (privately) a panadapter screen shot to the offending station. I can further attest -- the 3 WC stations mentioned earlier were indeed WIDE. The first mentioned looked like a Christmas tree on my P3. In addition, endless CQ-ing at 35 wpm kept the neighborhood pretty well "occupied." If done politely and with respect, most hams are appreciative of such feedback. Several years ago we had a K6 -- a 160 newbie -- tear up the band for over a year, before someone kindly mentioned it to him. Not only was he chagrined, but you could almost feel his pain when he asked, "Why did you wait so long to tell me?" I will never forget when I first started puttering around with PSK. One evening I had a VE7 send me a screen capture of my signal. It was the most horrible waterfall I had ever seen! I'm red-faced to this very day when I remember that image. Thank you, thank you, VE7 for putting me out of my (unknown, unintended) misery! Jim - WS6X There are several legal-limit contest stations within a few miles of me and I'm used to a strong-signal environment. And how it can pump AGC causing audible artifacts that are not in the transmitter. And I will generally disable AGC for anything but ear saving purposes. Why set AGC to make all signals sound the loudness as each other, or use AGC to make the noise be as loud as a signal? _ Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Need help to improve DX on 1/2 acre lot from CA
Message: 2 Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2013 12:49:44 -0800 From: Subject: Topband: Need help to improve DX on 1/2 acre lot from CA Hello All, First, I want to describe my problem. I have a 1/2 acre lot in the back property where I install my antennas. I live in the central valley of California which is only about 300 feet ASL. I do not live near the coast nor live in the "high desert ". Some facts regarding this station: 1. I still have not copied or worked into Europe. I have been on this band somewhat seriously for at least 5 years Hi Jeff, You will do well to scour the archives of this reflector, paying close attention to what your nearest neighbors are saying. While I enjoy complaining about living in "the black hole" as much as the next person, in reality, the SJV is not as bad as you might imagine. So what I write is meant to be an encouragement and to offer proof that all is NOT lost! My QTH is about 2 gallons of petrol south of you in Fresno, on a 120x120 city lot. My section of town is plagued with ever-present EMI, and of course, it comes from all directions. I have never had a multi-element TX antenna on 160 (only ever used half-slopers). I have never owned an amplifier capable of the full legal limit. I have no room for even a short Beverage -- although I have considered a short BOG. I made my first DX QSO on 160 in February 1984 (KL7GKY), so I have dinked around on 160 for a lot of years. It wasn't until the late 90s when my DXCC total had climbed above 50 that I began to think in terms of "possible." However, it wasn't until Christmas Eve, 2005 that I FINALLY heard -- and worked -- my first EU (OZ7YY)! In January of 2006 I installed a rotating flag, my first RX antenna. Since then I've used the K9AY for several seasons, I've used a 2-el phased short vertical system, I have tried a very low dipole bent in a U-shape, I also have a small loop. Has any of this ever produced a "night and day" difference? Not on your life. I can assure you of this: every one of these antennas at one time or another was the ONLY antenna that could hear a certain DX station. My 160M DXCC stands at 178 worked (165 confirmed) in 33 Zones. I have worked 36 EU countries on 160, many of them several times over. One glorious night in February, 2010, I worked 17 EU in the space of 4 hours. I have routinely worked the world (including EU) with 100 Watts. I have 22 countries on 5 continents in the log operating QRP. On the other hand, there have been evenings when I couldn't work your FM5 or KV4FZ with a kW to save my life. You will find that condx vary all over the map. Rick, N6RK, and Jim, K9YC (and others) hit the nail on the head... 160M is all about commitment: commitment to improve your TX antenna; commitment to put the time into the band so you understand how it will bite you in the kester; commitment to many, many, many long hours straining noise just to be sure you are at the radio when that once-in-a-lifetime moment comes your way! So... is Atwater the black hole of California? I doubt it! Can you realistically expect "night and day" improvements with a minimum of work? Not on your life! Can you realistically expect to earn DXCC on TB from a small lot? You better believe it! Of course, you better read and re-read the preceding paragraph! :o) Good Luck, Jim - WS6X 2. I hear a few Russians but they don't hear me. 3. I heard a FM5 last few nights peaking 559, called him countleesly with no QSO. My power is about 800 W on this band ( single 3-500 ). I am looking into finding a single GS35 amp for all bands on HFlove that tube. 4. I don't have the capacity to erect a full size radiator on this band although I am curious about the Titanix 160 vertical, what it is and is it worth looking into ? 5. I have read a lot about the K9AY RX loop. I have room for is antenna but before I construct one, what are your opinions ? 6. I also read about a 225 foot beverage run close to the ground as a RX ant. How does this compare to the K9AY loop ? 7. What is the best "short 160 vertical configuration" that has the best performance for working DX ? 8. You will notice I mentioned that I only run a single ground radial on each band. Would adding lets say 3 more Make the difference between night and day for TX or RX ? I think that's about it for now...73. Jeff K7XQ Atwater, CA. _ Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Very Nasty Noise
Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2011 17:20:42 -0800 From: "WS6X" Subject: Topband: Very Nasty Noise To: Cc: k2vco@gmail.com Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I am forwarding this request for a local friend, Vic, K2VCO. He recently started hearing an incredibly wide noise at 1.825 +/-. He can null it with his 2-element DXE active system, but doesn't know precisely where the null is pointing. === Thanks to all who responded here and off list. It appears that a better forum to handle such questions is the RFI list. Vic may have already solved the problem. As he thought about it, the noise coincided with a malfunction in a UPS. He replaced the battery and it started working again, but with an RF sniffer he found a very large noise signal on the line cord of the UPS. Thanks again. Jim, WS6X ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: Very Nasty Noise
I am forwarding this request for a local friend, Vic, K2VCO. He recently started hearing an incredibly wide noise at 1.825 +/-. He can null it with his 2-element DXE active system, but doesn't know precisely where the null is pointing. We suspect a new plasma TV in the neighborhood. Before Vic begins the painstaking routine of trying to locate the noise source, we thought perhaps someone in this group might recognize it, or could verify that it does look like a plasma TV. Vic has posted two screen captures from his P3 panadapter here: <http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/160noise.jpg> <http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/160noise1.jpg> If anyone has experience with plasma TVs, Vic would really appreciate your comments. Thanks, Jim, WS6X for K2VCO ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: 160m U shaped open loop
4. 160m U shaped open loop (vk...@vk3pa.com) Message: 4 Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 22:35:58 -0500 From: vk...@vk3pa.com Subject: Topband: 160m U shaped open loop To: topband@contesting.com Message-ID: <20110330223558.5al0a1d3284so...@webmail.opentransfer.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; DelSp="Yes"; format="flowed" Has anyone tryed a open loop U shaped rx antenna for TB We have no where to put in a RX antenna "but" the house block has 3 fence lines, 2 sides 160 ft long es the back fence 60ft wide. my idea is to run a wire around the fence line es feed it in the center of the rear run. how do I feed the center? its for rx on TB only!! === I have used this configuration for several years. I call it my "Low U-pole." It is a center-fed dipole with the legs bent into a U, mounted 5 feet above the ground. The feedpoint is centered along the southern property line (120 ft wide). At the two south corners the legs are bent to the north. I also have a rotating flag, and have used the 2-element K9AY system. As to be expected, the U-pole is noisier than the other RX antennas, but there are enough times in a season when used as one RX input with the K3 in diversity mode, or as a "noise" antenna feeding the Quantum Phaser, that the improvement in over-all RX justifies the few minutes it take to string it up each fall. There are moments each season when the U-pole hears better than anything else in the sandbox. I feed the U-pole with a choke balun. GL, Jim, WS6X ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
