Re: Topband: Lightning QRN season?

You can always fire up on AM on 1945 Tuesdays at 830PM East Coast time. Get a chance to see how effective all those antennas weve been discussing recently really play. http://greyhairnet.org/ Carl KM1H - Original Message - From: "James Rodenkirch" To: "Charlie Cunningham" ; ; "'Mik

Re: Topband: Zo of an individual CAT5 twisted pair

On 8/13/2013 2:00 PM, Tom W8JI wrote: Balanced lines, by system definition, are where a line has equal and opposite voltages from each conductor to "ground" or to space around the conductors and between the conductors, along with equal and opposite currents in each conductor. Actually, the ba

Re: Topband: Lightning QRN season?

On 08/13/2013 02:56 PM, James Rodenkirch wrote: Heck, got on 160 yesterday morning and called CQ -- had a nice chat with W7CB near San Luis Obispo, CAwonderful copy on both ends, he with a KW and me with 30 watts. Go figure - two guys on Top Band at the same time IN the summer!! Albe

Re: Topband: Effect of trees- tree appreciation

It's very handy to have a close-by RBN node that can hear us on 160 in the daytime. This allows us to evaluate our signal independent of night-time variations in propagation. Note that the figure is signal to noise, not signal strength. So sometimes we will have a varying signal to noise report,

Re: Topband: FW: Lightning QRN season?

Well, because it's winter in VK, Jim, I expect that they have a better shot at hearing YOU!! Charlie -Original Message- From: Topband [mailto:topband-boun...@contesting.com] On Behalf Of James Rodenkirch Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 6:08 PM To: Charlie Cunningham; 'John Harden, D.M.D.'

Re: Topband: FW: Lightning QRN season?

Well, I work JAs with QRP power, Charlie, but that's during our fall/winter season so I expect every drop of power I can muster out of my little HF Packer Amp will be needed for KH6, or JA OR VK during this time of year - Hi Hi > From: charlie-cunning...@nc.rr.com > To: rodenkirch_...@msn.com; j

Re: Topband: FW: Lightning QRN season?

I think not, Jim! Check out John's profile on QRZ.com! Still, If I could work VK3 from NC with 100w, I expect that you have a shot from UT with 30w. Mine was NOT an easy QSO, and yours may not be either, but if you have been working JA with 30W, you certainly have a shot at VK/ZL, Good luck! 73

Re: Topband: Zo of an individual CAT5 twisted pair

And then, of course, there's the old-fashioned "bazooka balun" or "sleeve balun" often seen as the lower 1/2 of a vertical coaxial dipole - such a balun also has a planar equivalent that can be implemented on printed-circuit structures. BTW - it also seems to me that a conventional transformer ca

Re: Topband: FW: Lightning QRN season?

With power between 30 and 100 watts, John?? > Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 16:26:07 -0400 > From: jh...@bellsouth.net > To: rodenkirch_...@msn.com > CC: charlie-cunning...@nc.rr.com; topband@contesting.com > Subject: Re: Topband: FW: Lightning QRN season? > > We have wrked into VK often this summer.

Re: Topband: Cat 5

Ahhh, the branches aren't that important; trim the Roots... ;-) 73, geo - n4ua On Tue, Aug 13, 2013 at 5:14 PM, wrote: > So if I use Cat 5 cable to feed a tree against loaded radials, should I > trim the branches into an Inverted-L shape or a T-shape? > > Just kidding :) > > 73 Steve K0SR > >

Re: Topband: Vertical vs inverted L question/opinions

G3JEJ uses an inverted L, although I forget its dimensions. He has one of the most consistent signals from across the pond at my QTH. FWIW. 73, Joe K2XX Dave G4GED Tuesday, August 13, 2013 3:04 AM It's popular because relatively few operators have the

Topband: Cat 5

So if I use Cat 5 cable to feed a tree against loaded radials, should I trim the branches into an Inverted-L shape or a T-shape? Just kidding :) 73 Steve K0SR _ Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: Zo of an individual CAT5 twisted pair

For broadband RX antennas you want the transformer to be broadband. For isolation from the primary to the secondary you want low capacitance. An autotransformer could be used as BALUN, balances input and unbalanced output, it could be broadband, but has no isolation. Technically an autotransfo

Re: Topband: FW: Lightning QRN season?

Well, it's winter "down under" - good quiet time for them to hear us! :-) -Original Message- From: Topband [mailto:topband-boun...@contesting.com] On Behalf Of John Harden, D.M.D. Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 4:26 PM To: James Rodenkirch Cc: Charlie Cunningham; topband@contesting.com Su

Re: Topband: FW: Lightning QRN season?

We have wrked into VK often this summer. 73, John, W4NU Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID James Rodenkirch wrote: >My intention, this summer, Charlie, is to hear and work one if those >VKs.Have worked many KH6s and JAs but in the winter months so, yes, one or >two of them "in t

Re: Topband: FW: Lightning QRN season?

Well Jim, when it's summer here, it is winter in VK/ZL and the rest of the southern hemisphere! Good luck! I expect you'll snag one if you stick with it! 73, Charlie, K4OTV -Original Message- From: Topband [mailto:topband-boun...@contesting.com] On Behalf Of James Rodenkirch Sent: Tuesda

Re: Topband: FW: Lightning QRN season?

My intention, this summer, Charlie, is to hear and work one if those VKs.Have worked many KH6s and JAs but in the winter months so, yes, one or two of them "in the log" over the summer months would be a HUGE plus as well! 72, Jim Rodenkirch K9JWV > From: charlie-cunning...@nc.rr.com >

Re: Topband: Lightning QRtopband season?

I worked G3JMJ 8-13-2013 at 0352 UTC with 5-8-9 reports both ways. This was just a short time after a posted W1AW was very weak. Spotlight communications ??? Here on the Maine coast 'Fish Net Beacons' were numerous, some very strong- 73 Bruce-K1FZ www.qsl.net/k1fz/beveragenotes.html - Ori

Re: Topband: Lightning QRN season?

Barring unforeseen complications, I should be back on the air in a few days. I plan on calling CQ after my sunset and if I can wake up early enough (I'm working 12 hour days and very tired) prior to my sunrise. I may be limited to 100 watts temporarily, as my amplifier was having issues before

Topband: FW: Lightning QRN season?

Worked the VK3 with 100w from the FT-757GX I had at that time. Antenna - Inverted L. -Original Message- From: Charlie Cunningham [mailto:charlie-cunning...@nc.rr.com] Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 3:10 PM To: 'James Rodenkirch'; 'mstang...@comcast.net'; 'Mike Waters' Cc: 'topband' Subjec

Re: Topband: Lightning QRN season?

Keep that up, Jim, and you may hear some KH6 or other Pacific islands in the morning. Years ago, I worked VK3 one summer morning, when I didn't have time to tune up the amp and didn't want to alert other locals who were just down the band. Stick with it! 73, Charlie, K4OTV -Original Message--

Re: Topband: Lightning QRN season?

Heck, got on 160 yesterday morning and called CQ -- had a nice chat with W7CB near San Luis Obispo, CAwonderful copy on both ends, he with a KW and me with 30 watts. Go figure - two guys on Top Band at the same time IN the summer!! Albeit not DX, will wonders never cease?!?!?! Jim R. K9

Re: Topband: Lightning QRN season?

Unfortunatly that's right, but not for all. Before going on Internet, I always check 1802.5 to see if W1AW is coming through...and if I hear it, I move up and give some CQ's, otherwise I go back in the sack. For sure I can confirm that this season has been the worst one in over 20 years of Topb

Re: Topband: Lightning QRN season?

Sad, but true. Folks don't seem to listen much anymore. Seem to prefer being "spoon-fed" DX from Internet packet clusters. Charlie. K4OTV -Original Message- From: Topband [mailto:topband-boun...@contesting.com] On Behalf Of mstang...@comcast.net Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 1:42 PM To

Re: Topband: Lightning QRN season?

Mike, I find the problem is that most operators today spend most of their time surfing the Web or chatting on varios social groups (like Yahoo Groups!). They gripe about lousy conditions or the lack of stations instead of just getting on the air and listening or giving a call. Like it or not,

Topband: Use of CAT 5 cable to feed a Beverage

I have just been given a 1000' roll of shielded CAT 5 cable of seemingly high grade. I would like to feed a far away start point to a 900 foot Beverage but not exactly sure on how this will work. Do I tie all cross pairs together? I understand there will be a need to have a small toroid to ma

Topband: Baluns?

No apology at all from here for piling on prior postings. This really needs to drubbed into hamdom's collective consciousness. Folks want things to be simple: no long paragraphs, no big words, no long versions allowed, executive summaries only, no details. Some things actually are simple that way

Re: Topband: Zo of an individual CAT5 twisted pair

On 8/13/2013 5:07 AM, Shoppa, Tim wrote: A transformer that is connected such that it is UNbalanced on one side and BALanced on the other, and connected that way on purpose, is not a balun? A transformer is a transformer is a transformer. For more than a century, we have used plain, ordinary

Re: Topband: Zo of an individual CAT5 twisted pair

Yes, that's a complicated matter. The name and the function can get very confused if you don't know what you are doing. Any transformer can change the voltage from the primary to the secondary and the impedance follow the square of turn ratio. How you connect the transformer is an application. How

Re: Topband: Lightning QRN season?

On 08/12/2013 11:29 PM, Mike Waters wrote: Frankly, I think many hams are just too lazy (maybe disinclined is a better word) to try and copy weak signals buried in the noise. To me, that's what's the most fun about this hobby. That's why I loved working 144.2 MHz, the challenge. And I managed to

Re: Topband: Zo of an individual CAT5 twisted pair

A transformer that is connected such that it is UNbalanced on one side and BALanced on the other, and connected that way on purpose, is not a balun? Tim N3QE - Original Message - From: Jim Brown [mailto:j...@audiosystemsgroup.com] Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 03:16 AM To: topband@conte

Topband: Antw: Re: Lightning QRN season?

Hi Mike, You're right of course, but some of us small-backyard-suckers suffer from summer season gremlins:) - Neighbors (and/or YL/XYL) sitting in their garden 17/7 object to your visual TX antenna (even a wire) - All 35 backyard-radials are coiled up and hidden from may 1st till oct. 1st - St

Re: Topband: Zo of an individual CAT5 twisted pair

On 8/12/2013 2:10 PM, JC N4IS wrote: 50/75 BALUN Thanks for the detailed post, Carlos. BUT -- please let's use the right words to describe things so that people understand what you're describing and how it works. I strongly suspect that at least some of those things you are calling a "balun"

Re: Topband: Vertical vs inverted L question/opinions

On 11/08/2013 23:15, Herb Schoenbohm wrote: Why is an inverted "L" apparently so popular on 160 when it wastes so much RF as a cloud warmer? It is so easy converting an inverted "L" into a Marconi T. It's popular because relatively few operators have the space or facility for two tall strong