Re: Topband: Commercial 160 antennas?

Bill, Given the info that you have provided, it sounds like you don’t have “lots of room for almost anything” if the room needed is radial field in certain directions from the tower. And re guying the tower is out as well. My suggestion for a simple job, is to have someone climb the tower and

Re: Topband: Huge NA-EU opening last night

It was nice. There was a bit of flutter on the more northerly stations. Perhaps it is related to the recent solar storm. 73 Art NK8X ᐧ On Thu, Dec 31, 2015 at 10:11 AM, Tim Shoppa wrote: > There was a huge NA-EU 160M opening last night and I was surprised to work > 50

Topband: SPTBDC Scheduling

I agree that more SP160 events would be great. As mentioned, this would be more advantageous for those in the Southern Hemisphere, allow other opportunities if bad conditions occur for an annual event, etc. I think that the timing of the December Stew is very poor. Having it right near

Re: Topband: Huge NA-EU opening last night

I could hear that conditions were improving on 160M at 0400Z when CWT ended - my EU rate was great from 0400Z through 0700Z, and the super strong DL signals were in the 0500Z-0600Z window. I was very surprised so many Europeans were even awake. There were many fewer NA'ers CQ'ing, although a good

Re: Topband: Commercial 160 antennas?

On Thu,12/31/2015 4:43 AM, Ed Sawyer wrote: My suggestion for a simple job, is to have someone climb the tower and put a pulley and rope at the top. Very good idea. An inverted vee with a peak at 90 ft and the end of the antenna legs at least 50 ft off the ground will do a reasonable job

Re: Topband: 160M EWE Problems Part 2

Hi Mark, I would be curious if you are getting a significant S-Meter reading using the external preamp and testing with the antenna disconnected from the cable? If so, my guess would be that the Ewe pattern is terribly distorted by its surroundings, noise is coupling in from other sources - or

Re: Topband: Huge NA-EU opening last night

Hello Tim I am a "Johnny Novice" on Top Band; my best was 25 EU DX contacts the night before last night. That was the first time I was able to call CQ and have EU stations answer me! Last night I worked a few EU, but was playing with my EWE antenna. TB is indeed fun, and very challenging

Topband: 160M EWE Problems Part 2

Good Morning! Last night was the second night in a row with nice conditions between the east coast and Europe on 160M.I took the time to get a cup of coffee and spend a few hours comparing the Inverted-L and EWE, and recording my observations. All Inverted-L data was recorded with the Icom

Re: Topband: 160M EWE Problems Part 2

Hi Mark, I modeled your antenna last night, and have some comments. There is almost as much reactance as resistance at the feedpoint of your EWE based on your dimensions and termination resistor, but sounds like that's typical (per the ON4UN low band DXing book). The back null is also not as

Re: Topband: SPTBDC Scheduling

Gary K9MMS says (in part) “…I think that the timing of the December Stew is very poor. Having it right near Christmas when many people are busy with family get togethers makes it difficult or impossible…” I’ll have to respectfully disagree with my friend Gary/MMS there.

Re: Topband: Stew Beef

As per usual... It all depends on whose ox is being gored. 73, Bill KU8H On 12/31/2015 03:48 PM, Joe Wilkowski wrote: Well, since it is a public forum I have to side with Larry on this. I am a contester and enjoy mostly top band operating but I would have to agree that too much of a good

Topband: Good reason for multiple Stews

G’day As a long-time supporter of the Stew Perry TBDC and donor of Royal Flying Doctor Service caps, it has been great fun reading the various responses to the Boring Amateur Radio Club’s innovation of the Spring Stew. Owing to the organisers’ sense of fun, even the criticism was funny and fun

Re: Topband: SPTBDC Scheduling

I mostly agree with Mike VE9AA here. Like CQ WW CW which is often the weekend after Thanksgiving, my family's holiday schedule, my work schedule, and especially my kids' activities allows more "sleep buildup time" and "sleep recovery time" for more hours of participation in the weekend after

Re: Topband: SPTBDC Scheduling

"  I think that the timing of the December Stew is very poor.  Having it right near Christmas when many people are busy with family get togethers makes it difficult or impossible for some SP160 interested persons to participate." I'm Surprised that this hasn't come up before but possibly I

Re: Topband: Commercial 160 antennas?

I have to agree with Jim on this. At one time, I had both a 80M and a 160M inverted vee at the top of a 100ft tower. The location was on the top of a ridge and much better than average. While the 80M inverted vee was a very good DX antenna (could work JA's LP from SE PA at sunset), the 160M was

Re: Topband: SPTBDC Scheduling

*Flogging a dead horse* (alternatively *beating a dead horse*, or *beating a dead dog* in some parts of the Anglophone world) is an idiom that means a particular request or line of conversation is

Re: Topband: Stew Beef

Well, since it is a public forum I have to side with Larry on this. I am a contester and enjoy mostly top band operating but I would have to agree that too much of a good thing gets old quick. It used to be that you looked forward to the SP, but warm-ups, pre-warmups etc. seem to carry the theme

Re: Topband: SPTBDC Scheduling

"It’s specifically BECAUSE it’s just after Xmas that I can find some time to operate the Stew as I have a couple days off by then !" This is a good example of why it is impossible to please all of the people - ever. :-) Please note that the next Stew is on December 17th - so the opposite group

Re: Topband: Stew Beef

Four Stew Perry events is *not* going too far. Here's why I say that. The Stew Perry Topband Challenge --compared to other 160 CW contests-- is by far the fairest of all 160m CW contests. It was simply a stroke of genius, the way it is set up. Period. It is also shorter! If it were as long as