Re: Topband: 160 conditions
Thanks for coming back to me, Tom. The only reason I knew the band was open is that I was sitting on 1821.0 listening for S01WS who had been spotted there. Apparently he was gone because, Eric NO3M, asked if the frequency was in use and then started calling CQ. I was surprised to hear HB9CAT come back to him with a good signal. I need HB9 on 160 CW, so I decided I would try calling CQ at 1820.2 KHz. HB9CAT never answered me, but you and a whole string of other stations in the UK answered, all with very good signals. I wish my RX situation was better (I was just using the TX antenna). A couple of stations called near the end of the opening, but I wasn't able to pull out their their full callsigns. 73, Mike W4EF. On 12/15/2019 12:54 AM, Tom Boucher wrote: It's nice to hear the band back in good shape again after a few years. Big CW signal from W4EF in CA this morning along with ZL3IX, also a string of JAs/HL earlier this week. Let's keep the 160 CW activity up! 73, Tom G3OLB _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 160 conditions
Yes, agree with Tom. I came on late but conditions were excellent. Unusual to hear West Coast so strong here. Things are improving. Richard G3OQT > On 15 Dec 2019, at 08:54, Tom Boucher wrote: > > It's nice to hear the band back in good shape again after a few years. Big > CW signal from W4EF in CA this morning along with ZL3IX, also a string of > JAs/HL earlier this week. > > Let's keep the 160 CW activity up! > > 73, > Tom G3OLB > _ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 160 conditions
They were all worn out from the NAQP, which included a mob and a lot of good results on 160. :>)) 73, Guy K2AV On Sun, Jan 13, 2019 at 5:26 AM Tom Boucher wrote: > > Outstanding sunrise conditions at 0800 today on top band. FM5BH on 1818 KHz > S9+. ZL3IX on 1826.5 long path peaking S8/9 on my meter. > > RBN skimmers showing excellent path to USA but very little other activity. > Come on guys, turn that computer off and plug the key in! > > 73, > Tom G3OLB > _ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 160 conditions
On the NOAA website "Space Weather Enthusiasts," they show, among other things, the solar wind speed and magnetic field details. Reports of great conditions on 160 seem to be most common when the solar wind speed is low -- in the low 300s or high 200s -- and the Bz component of the magnetic field is 0 or a low positive number. At the moment, the wind speed is 295 and Bz=0. Does that match other people's experience? Art Delibert KB3FJO From: Topband on behalf of Tom Boucher Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2019 5:25 AM To: 160 reflector Subject: Topband: 160 conditions Outstanding sunrise conditions at 0800 today on top band. FM5BH on 1818 KHz S9+. ZL3IX on 1826.5 long path peaking S8/9 on my meter. RBN skimmers showing excellent path to USA but very little other activity. Come on guys, turn that computer off and plug the key in! 73, Tom G3OLB _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 160 Conditions
For the record books, and to further the study of 160m propagation, it is interesting to note that last night was NOT exceptional here at ve6wz. In fact, I was at the radio most of the night and only worked S51V during a 5 min. peak, and then the band was gone to EU. Most of the night was spent listening to NA working EU that I could not copy. I was very disappointed since the solar wind and high latitude K were both low which indicated good conditions, but at this QTH I was shut out. Clearly this opening was not a blanket covering "all" of NA. Perhaps this suggests that there are "local" or maybe "patchy" ionosphereic conditions that will limit openings to certain areas while otherwise the the band remains open across the continent. It could simply be my northern latitude, but Tree and others are even further west and apparently had a good opening. At ve6wz, the best EU propagation on 160 was Dec 16 and 17 with 15 EU in the log those evenings. This season has been very poor on the lowbands compared to the last 3 years. Each winter season, beginning in September, I start a new DXCC count on each band...I don't think DXCC will happen this year on 160m. For the last 3 years, DXCC has been worked easily on 160m. ( I have a chart at the bottom of this page: http://www.qsl.net/ve6wz/dxcc.htm summarizing the lowband counts over the last 11 years) Lets all hope for another NA opening tonightespecially one which extends northward into VE6!!! 73, de steve ve6wz. > Yes, last night (~0500Z) conditions were about as good as I've heard > them here this season. As many have commented, conditions on 80 and > 160M have been unusually poor this season. But 80M seemed to have > awakened a week or so ago and 160M now seems to be following suit. ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: 160 Conditions
On 2011-12-28, at 10:32 AM, Joe Giacobello, K2XX wrote: > Yes, last night (~0500Z) conditions were about as good as I've heard > them here this season. As many have commented, conditions on 80 and > 160M have been unusually poor this season. But 80M seemed to have > awakened a week or so ago and 160M now seems to be following suit. Hi Guys, Well THAT certainly figures...! The best night of propagation on the band in a L-O-N-G time, & Mother Nature (no doubt aided & abetted by some guy named Murphy...?) decides to dump an all day mix of heaVY wet snow & rain, followed by a flash-feezing, here in southern "VE3" land! The Beverage wire is encircled in a wrap of frozen slush & ice almost 1" thick, & actually dropped some 4' from one its supports...everything else is radically "mis-tuned"... Oh well, everyone here WAS pining for a "...white Christmas". My advice...? Be careful what you wish for, because it just might come true (even after-the-fact!). ~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: 160 Conditions
Yes, last night (~0500Z) conditions were about as good as I've heard them here this season. As many have commented, conditions on 80 and 160M have been unusually poor this season. But 80M seemed to have awakened a week or so ago and 160M now seems to be following suit. 73, Joe K2XX On 12/28/2011 6:28 AM, Tom Boucher wrote: > Who says top-band conditions are in the doldrums? 160 was really singing this > morning and signals from the mid-west and west were like I've never heard > them. In under an hour at 0500Z, 30 US stations and 17 states worked. Jim > N7JW (UT) was knocking the calibrated S meter of my K3 up to 20 over and > Randy W6OAR (CA) was over the 9 when we worked. > > The evening of 6th December was also something else with 26 JAs worked and > many more heard in the pile up. > > Let's hope these conditions continue! > > 73& HNY > Tom G3OLB > ___ > UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK > > > - > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2012.0.1901 / Virus Database: 2109/4708 - Release Date: 12/28/11 > ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
