Re: Topband: Operations...
There is nothing more aggravating than listening to somebody calling cq over and over and never listening. so you can give them a call. you give them a couple of dits to try and get them to listen and they just keep on calling GR. ED that grumpy ol fart K8OT In a message dated 12/22/2011 8:10:54 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, wrcromw...@gmail.com writes: Hi, I've had several useful suggestions including moving a short way up the band. I already knew hams in other countries don't have the same frequency allocations we do. I was trying to stay out of the way for the DX chasers (and the DX). Maybe I just got some bad advice about that. I'm going to start using a little more range of motion in my wrist on that VFO. I have been staying below 1810. There were some comments about a too long string of CQs. I don't like long CQs, either but 6 to 10 isn't all that long (I've heard some that ran to 30 or 40 (or more)) and when the fish are scarce you have to move the bait more. I'm going back to my 3X2 and see if that helps. I am, however going to still sip my coffee and pet the dog between strings . 73, Bill KU8H ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Operations...
Hi, I've had several useful suggestions including moving a short way up the band. I already knew hams in other countries don't have the same frequency allocations we do. I was trying to stay out of the way for the DX chasers (and the DX). Maybe I just got some bad advice about that. I'm going to start using a little more range of motion in my wrist on that VFO. I have been staying below 1810. There were some comments about a too long string of CQs. I don't like long CQs, either but 6 to 10 isn't all that long (I've heard some that ran to 30 or 40 (or more)) and when the fish are scarce you have to move the bait more. I'm going back to my 3X2 and see if that helps. I am, however going to still sip my coffee and pet the dog between strings . 73, Bill KU8H ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Operations...
On Thu, 2011-12-22 at 05:20 -0500, Jon Zaimes AA1K wrote: > Since in Europe and Asia the band typically starts at 1810 kHz it's > possible those RBN's don't scan below there. > > 73/Jon AA1K > Hi Jon, I tried again this morning from 11:00 Z for a little more than 15 minutes. I have been sending a long string..up to 10 CQs and signing twice. I pause and tune a little up and down, sip my coffee, scratch the dog's ears, and go again. I have it that "my" part of the band for casual, non-DX ragchewing is that same bottom 10 kc of the band so that's where I am trying. I try to get between 1808 and 1809. I can get pretty close but I don't take amateur grade tuning dials too seriously - except the xtal calibrator that keeps me inside the band. I check that against WWV often. I believe this morning I was operating very close to 1808.5 kc but maybe it was only 1808.49213875 kc . QRN and broadcast crud was around S4 this morning so weaker signals would have been tough to dig out. I haven't been hearing very much activity in the mornings. I did hear some SSB further up the band and a W2 calling CQ for DX. I'm not DX for him so I kept quiet. I was on last night too but not until after our dinner party and it was almost 10 PM local time. Lots of hams in my small propagation radius were likely already in bed. I will probably try a little earlier in the evening when I can..maybe tonight. I'm rounding up parts for a Switching/patch panel so that I can change my antenna from it's series configuration on 160 to L for 80 and 40. It's cumbersome to make the change at the moment with lots of opportunities for errors (Murphy ya know). I need to be able to change that antenna more easily and also select different antenna and radio combinations. I have a different receiver that stands up much better to the broadcast band crud and I only need to make some wiring mods to accommodate T/R switching. Happy holiday season and Merry Christmas to all. I hope all of you are enjoying your families and friends during this multiple holiday season. 73, Bill KU8H ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Operations...
Since in Europe and Asia the band typically starts at 1810 kHz it's possible those RBN's don't scan below there. 73/Jon AA1K On 12/21/2011 9:07 AM, Bill Cromwell wrote: > Hi, > > I have been slowly wading into the 160 meter CW waters since the Stew. > I'm retired and don't really have a schedule. I am up early > mornings...listening well before sunrise at "oh dark thirty" and > sometimes in the evenings. I sometimes do hear other hams on 160 calling > for DX from the US or on SSB. I presently have only CW capability on > 160. I have been calling CQ more and it occurred to me to look at the > reverse beacon network. There were no hits this morning after calling > from 12:35Z to 12:45Z and again from 13:15Z to 13:30Z (just around local > sunrise) after taking the big dog for a walk. I looked at the list of > stations and found only two of them covering 160 and neither in North > America. I would have been thrilled to hit their receivers with my 35 > watts but no real surprise there. I was at 1809 and 1808 when I called. > Maybe their receivers were set for some other part of the band..perhaps > for DX. > > 73, > > Bill KU8H > > ___ > UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK > ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Operations...
On Wed, 2011-12-21 at 08:33 -0600, Sam Morgan wrote: > I'll probably get many saying the following just isn't true > > but I can't ever (last 5 yrs) remember hearing a cw ragchew on 160m > all I ever hear is the big gun CQ DXer's on CW > and being antenna/power limited, using the same TX antenna for RX > I never even hear who they are talking to. ---snip--- Hi Sam, I have been listening to 160 at various times of the day and night for several months while getting old gear overhauled enough to go on the air and then an antenna that will accept RF. There is a lot of the DX machine thing that you mentioned and I have heard a very few foreign stations from the south (Canada is only a few miles away and a lead pipe cinch). I have also heard some ragchews on 160 CW. Sometimes I have heard both sides. If we get on and call CQ..like Eddy does..we can have some rag chew QSOs. If we only listen to the CQDX ops it ain't gonna happen. Your comments are partly true . We can change that. 73, Bill KU8H ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Operations...
I'll probably get many saying the following just isn't true but I can't ever (last 5 yrs) remember hearing a cw ragchew on 160m all I ever hear is the big gun CQ DXer's on CW and being antenna/power limited, using the same TX antenna for RX I never even hear who they are talking to. I did manage the T32C guys, but that was a credit to their excellent operating skills and RX antennas! I do often participate in a morning SSB group that covers much of WTX of course I have to run the amp to do that, but that's ok and I have made two JT65 contacts in the last 2 weeks (new mode for me) that about covers my 160m ops from my city apartment in WTX. YMMV -- GB & 73 K5OAI Sam Morgan On 12/21/2011 8:07 AM, Bill Cromwell wrote: > Hi, > > I have been slowly wading into the 160 meter CW waters since the Stew. > I'm retired and don't really have a schedule. I am up early > mornings...listening well before sunrise at "oh dark thirty" and > sometimes in the evenings. I sometimes do hear other hams on 160 calling > for DX from the US or on SSB. I presently have only CW capability on > 160. I have been calling CQ more and it occurred to me to look at the > reverse beacon network. There were no hits this morning after calling > from 12:35Z to 12:45Z and again from 13:15Z to 13:30Z (just around local > sunrise) after taking the big dog for a walk. I looked at the list of > stations and found only two of them covering 160 and neither in North > America. I would have been thrilled to hit their receivers with my 35 > watts but no real surprise there. I was at 1809 and 1808 when I called. > Maybe their receivers were set for some other part of the band..perhaps > for DX. > snip > anyway. I know from the Stew that my station is getting results. I'll be > trying a call early mornings and into the evenings as many days as I can > to try and find the most productive times. I'm not a "DX hound" but I > have certainly enjoyed chewing the rag with DX hams. > > 73, > > Bill KU8H ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: Operations...
Hi, I have been slowly wading into the 160 meter CW waters since the Stew. I'm retired and don't really have a schedule. I am up early mornings...listening well before sunrise at "oh dark thirty" and sometimes in the evenings. I sometimes do hear other hams on 160 calling for DX from the US or on SSB. I presently have only CW capability on 160. I have been calling CQ more and it occurred to me to look at the reverse beacon network. There were no hits this morning after calling from 12:35Z to 12:45Z and again from 13:15Z to 13:30Z (just around local sunrise) after taking the big dog for a walk. I looked at the list of stations and found only two of them covering 160 and neither in North America. I would have been thrilled to hit their receivers with my 35 watts but no real surprise there. I was at 1809 and 1808 when I called. Maybe their receivers were set for some other part of the band..perhaps for DX. It occurred to me that somebody may have heard my 80 meter harmonic so I looked to see who might be in reasonable range on 80 meters and I found one station I might expect to hear a weak signal from me on 80 (if I have a problem). NIL . My 80 meter harmonic is in the "phone band", though. Obviously I can hear harmonics with my own receivers sitting only inches from the transmitter. I'll watch RBN for that, anyway. I know from the Stew that my station is getting results. I'll be trying a call early mornings and into the evenings as many days as I can to try and find the most productive times. I'm not a "DX hound" but I have certainly enjoyed chewing the rag with DX hams. 73, Bill KU8H ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
