G’day
As a 160m DXer for almost 30 years from VK6 (238 countries worked and 39 zones
on CW/SSB) and with absolutely no interest whatsoever in using computer-decoded
modes, I have recently come to terms with the likelihood that I will never work
my 40th 160m zone.
This zone happens to be
Happy New Year topbanders!
As my cobber Phil VK6GX so aptly put it the Big Stew was a wipe-out down under.
To continue to look at it in surfing parlance, it could be said that the
propagation surf never got up beyond ankle height!
My only QSO was Ron VK3IO on Sunday evening here. He was so
Hello Lew (and Tree)
It is good to see your dainty fingers back on the keyboard, spruiking the Stew
Perry TBDC as only you can.
Tree does his best but he lacks your raconteur spirit. It is fitting he has
handed back the medicine wagon and the Dr Good hat to you for this year’s TBDC
finale
G’day
Been leaving 160m mostly here to Kev VK6LW and Phil VK6GX, while I operate on
“VHF”, as Phil calls 10m.
However, I try not too miss a Stew Perry and the fall LBJ is normally an
excellent one here in terms of propagation.
I got out of bed and CQed and listened to noise for a couple of
G’day
It was great fun to do the Low Band Jack over the weekend. Conditions were
very spotty/spotlighty, typical from here at this point in the solar cycle.
Only 15 QSOs in the log, with two Aussies (VK6GX and VK3IO, the latter of who
would have been more active but for high QRN), eight
Hi Roger
These days I usually only get on 160m for the various Stew Perry TBDCs. They
are still fun but my internal time clock has changed and no longer enjoy
getting up regularly at sunrise to work Europe on 160m! My most used band
these days is 10m, which has sensible operating hours.
G’day all
Some food for thought.
Like Roger G3YRO and others who were teenage UK radio amateurs in the
1960s/1970s I grew up radio-wise on 160m. In those days, the holy grail was to
work across the Atlantic from UK/Europe.
Nowadays, living in Western Australia, it seems quite funny to think
Hi Peter (and the reflector)
As George AA7JV/C6AGU says: 'It depends on a lot of things: ground
characteristics, number of radials, height of radials and the overall
height available.'
I'd add your geomagnetic latitude (not the same as actual latitude) may
also be a factor.
Here in
G'day
As Mike VE9AA has indicated there have been several excellent Zone 2
operations in the past from the Point Amour lighthouse in Cape where the
operators have had a good 160m setup. Unfortunately despite the
operating teams kindly making skeds with me, we've had no success. Mike
VK6HD SK
Hi Miriam (and Jeff)
Congratulations on your mini-DXpedition to Zone 2 - and it is good to see
someone is thinking of us in the Asia/Indian Ocean/Pacific area.
In common with most topbanders any in this area, one of the two remaining zones
I need on 160m after 24 years of operation from here
G'day
FT-8 is so much less labour and operator skill-intensive than CW/SSB that it
has a fatal attraction for DXpeditions - more people can be worked more easily
and more quickly.
Added to this, "He who holds the gold makes the rules" and DXpeditions mostly
hold the gold as we want to work
G’day
It has been interesting to read the recent debate about the use of FT-8 on
160m. I think we have been considering its use in purely technical terms – and
its growth really isn’t quite that simple.
Why do people use FT-8 – to work more DX. If more stations from relatively rare
parts of
Hi Bjorn
If you are interested, I have a dual Softrock 160m SDR receiver (two receivers
in one diecast box) that was built up about ten years ago or so for diversity
reception, using Alex VE3NEA’s Rock 2.0 diversity version – see
http://www.dxatlas.com/Download.asp.
Owing to family/business
G’day
About five years I discovered this fool-proof and brilliant way to solder
PL-259s invented by Bill Maxon N4AR who taught this to Tim K3LR. Tim uses this
method throughout his contest station and did a great job of documenting it –
see http://www.k3lr.com/engineering/pl259/ and it has
Hi Frank (and Rick)
Somewhere I have a map of the lines of geomagnetic latitude superimposed on a
Mercator projection of the world, but I can’t find it right now. Unlike the
ruler-straight lines of conventional latitude, geomagnetic latitude lines
wander across the world like a collection of
Hi Jerry
Thanks so much for posting that excellent article – I had forgotten about it!
For those who want to understand more about geomagnetic lat/long and
gyrofrequency effects on 160m, it is just about the best article I ever came
across – and shows why 160m is truly THE ‘magic band’.
Vy
: "Richard (Rick) Karlquist"
To: "Steve Ireland" , n...@n4is.com,
donov...@starpower.net, "Topband reflector"
Cc: "Dave Olean"
Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2018 3:40:10 PM
Subject: Re: Topband: Vertical antennas aren't always best for DX everywhere -
the
do me. If I was back
in Kent as G3ZZD they would do very well for me.
Vy 73
Steve, VK6VZ (also G3ZZD and VY2LF)
-Original Message-
From: n...@n4is.com
Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2018 8:38 PM
To: 'Steve Ireland' ; donov...@starpower.net ; 'Topband reflector'
Cc: 'Dave Olean'
G’day
One way to get around the problem Frank W3LPL outlines below is to have one
general/TX 160m antenna that you switch between vertical and horizontal
polarisation.
If you can get up an inverted-V or flat-top dipole at 60 to 120 feet and feed
it with open wire that runs away from the
have gone
through several sunspot cycles. The old adage that low sunspot numbers
bring good conditions to 160m does not necessarily seem to hold true.
... 73. . .Dave, W0FLS
-Original Message-
From: Steve Ireland
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2018 7:32 PM
To: Topband reflector
Subject
G’day
Although there was no LP prop into NA today, I had the best European
propagation since 1 November, working 12 Europeans.
The prop was very much spotlight, favouring Italy, Serbia, Hungary and Greece
(SV1EOG/7 was a genuine 589), but I did work R8, OH and SM as well.
Let’s hope 160m can
G'day
With the exception of last Sunday I've been on 160m for east coast NA sunset
from 7/11/18 until 12/11/18 to try to give out some ‘long path’ contacts with
USA/VE.
Although there has been some spotlight propagation into Europe (today was
Southern Europe/North Africa and S01WS for a new
l mowing of the yard, and I
hope that will be tomorrow.
With business constraints, I'm targeting Nov 10th to have the HI-Z 3 on the
air and all radials run for the INV-L.
That's the plan and we all know how plans go
73 Mark K3MSB
On Tue, Oct 30, 2018 at 10:02 PM Steve Irel
G’day
After retiring earlier this year, I’ve managed to retrain (at least
temporarily) my body to get up at 5am again for the pre-sunrise period here
during November.
When not chasing DX to boost my DXCC total, I’ll spend time CQing on 1831.5,
particularly in the 15 to 20 minute period after
G’day
There have been some great tributes on the reflector to Jack Leahy VE1ZZ –
really enjoyed them all – and a special thanks to Jeff VY2ZM for his extensive
one, especially the part from Carl Leahy.
Of all the 160m DXCC QSLs I’ve collected over the last 23 years in VK6, the
most valued one
Hi Jim
The omission of the words ‘inverted vee’ in front of ‘dipole’ for Tom W8JI’s
antenna up 300 feet high was a slip of the keyboard at my end! I used to work
Tom regularly back when he had the antenna up and helped him with comparative
signal reports.
When he was doing signal
G’day
Thanks to Carl K9LA for his excellent insights – as always – in how 160m prop
works.
Having been active on 160m from Western Australia for some 23 years, once thing
I’ve learnt is that in south-western Western Australia and at a latitude of -31
degrees or so, with the poor soil
Hi Iain
I am one of the lucky VKs who have worked V31 Belize on 160m – V31YN on
03/01/2005 at 1217Z (very near his sunrise I think). The operator was Gerd,
DJ4KW and my recollection he was running 100W (from a very good location).
I guess the answer to your question is there has been very
G’day
It has been a pretty poor season here so far, with conditions after VK6 sunset
into North America at/before sunrise well down on last year. However, this
morning the band opened well into eastern North America.
Jeff VY2ZM was 569 at 2100Z (14 minutes before sunrise here) peaking a couple
G’day
Sad to hear from Jim K1PX that Bob W3GH has gone SK. He was a superb 160m op
and used to work him regularly from the mid-1990s onwards.
There are some CW ops that can just slip their call into a pile-up as neatly as
a playing card falling through a gap in the floorboards and Bob was
ool' modes
vibrant alongside FT-8? (long)
73 de Vince, VA3VF
On Thu, Oct 26, 2017 at 9:43 AM, Steve Ireland <vk...@arach.net.au> wrote:
>
> This 'new wave' digital award could have a new cool, 21st century-looking
> certificate (are holograms 21st century?) , would give new wave digit
G’day
Thanks very much to all those who contributed to the thread following my ‘FT8 -
the end of 160m old school DXing?’ post. Here is a summary of what appeared in
my ‘In Box’.
First, special thanks to CJ Johnson WT2P for bravely giving the ‘new school’
perspective and actually taking radio,
G’day
As a committed (yeah, that’s probably the right word - complete with white
jacket that laces up at the back) topbander since 1970, I’ve never been so
intrigued and disturbed by anything on the band as the emergence of the
Franke-Taylor FT-8 digital mode.
For me, radio has always been
Hi Anton
Welcome to topband! For many years, Jo YC0LOW was a beacon on 160m from
Indonesia, but sadly became a ‘silent key’ a few years ago. However, Jo wrote
a very good blog on his 160m operations which you can find here – see
http://topbanddxdiindonesia.blogspot.com.au/
Jo used both
G’day
One of the great myths about 160m is that low angle radiation is always needed
to work DX on the topband. The other is that almost any kind of vertical
antenna will always beat a relatively low (in terms of a wavelength) horizontal
one for 160m DXing. It all depends on where you live.
G’day
Very sorry to hear of the passing of Robin VK6LK. The passion of Robin and his
great friend Mike VK6HD for lowband DXing was an inspiration to me when first
arriving in Western Australia in 1989. The old SSB DX window just below 3.8MHz
at local sunrise won’t sound quite the same –
G’day
Thanks to all those in eastern USA who have been listening for my signals on
the long path for the last five or six days – it is much appreciated.
Unfortunately I’ve become ill in the last day or so with a stomach virus and
this is currently stopping me from getting on the band around my
G’day all and Happy New Year
Conditions have been great into Europe over the last few days, making me think
LP QSOs into North America ought to be possible again after my sunrise
(currently 2115Z). Usually the openings occur from sunrise until about 15
minutes after.
To show how far LP can be
G’day all
Like Greg ZL3IX, I want to pay a tribute to Jo YC0LOW (SK), who obtained 160m
DXCC no #1455 back in 2008.
Until Jo became ill some several years back, he was actively on a daily basis
on 160, from a location that was both electrically noisy and had tropical QRN
on a scale that most
G’day
It has been interesting to read about the spotlight propagation being
experienced by USA operators chasing VP8STI. In my experience the size of a
spotlight can be very small – 50km or less perhaps.
Back in November 1998, just prior to the CQ WW Contest, Mike VK6HD and I were
trying to
close to the two equinoxes would be the fairest solution.
Vy 73
Steve, VK6VZ
From: Steve Ireland
Sent: Friday, January 01, 2016 8:58 AM
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Good reason for multiple Stews
G’day
As a long-time supporter of the Stew Perry TBDC and donor of Royal Flying
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
G'day
What has happened to the topband conditions the last couple of decades?
As a topbander from 1969 (first as an SWL and then licenced as G3ZZD in
February 1971, running 9W DC input to a 5763) I'd even go as far as to say
one word and agree with Tom W8JI:
Noise.
Topband always been
Hi Jim (Murray)
Jim K9YC is absolutely right - I live in a similar situation to you and the
problems have been markedly improved by getting the grounding and bonding to
earth improved around the house - wish I had taken Jim's advice years ago.
House earths are often very simple at best and
G’day
For those who are wondering where the VKs have gone on 160m, the answer is we
have had high levels of QRN for the last two weeks- plus. Whenever I have
turned on at sunset or during the evening, the needle is hitting S9+ with
static crashes. Looking at the evening news weather map, it
Hi Jim
Clearly in a large US city, there is going to be a whole larger degree of
difficulty than here.
Perth is still pretty much a small city in world terms, with a population of
about 2 million. In addition to the ABC transmitters, we have about half a
dozen other transmitters, but only
G’day
For those topbanders, who have medium wave stations nearby and are thinking
about trying a DDC/DUC SDR, you may find the comments below from Phil
VK6APH/VK6PH (in answer to a query on the Apache Labs reflector a few years
ago) of interest.
Phil lives line of sight from the Australian
None of the below has anything to do with overload from local transmitters.
:)
Or did I miss that part?
Dear Tom
Yes I think you did - but never mind. :) I've put the part of the post just
below.
For about 18 months I used the HPSDR transceiver alongside a ?benchmark?
Elecraft K3 in
G’day all
As someone who has extensively used a digital down conversion/digital up
conversion transceiver (original HPSDR) on the Topband, it is good to see this
myth being debunked publicly as much as possible. Another station who has used
an HPSDR even more extensively than me on Topband is
Oops – I should have said:
“The brick-wall sided constantly variable filtering provided by the fully
digital HPSDR and its associated OpenHPSDR software and the way this filtering
handled noise in comparison to the K3’s crystal roofing filtering made the
HPSDR a superior radio for weak signal
G’day
Over the last 20 years I’ve been slowly working my way towards 40 zone WAZ on
the topband – 37 down and three to go – zones 2, 12 and 13.
Please, does anyone know if any lowbander is planning activity from zone 2 over
this season, particularly from the VE2 part of the zone.
In the
G’day
During the last 40 hours I’ve been giving the band a bit of a workout from VK6.
Prior to this, family and work commitments and heaps of unseasonable QRN has
made spending time on the band before this pretty difficult.
Yesterday’s sunrise brought FT4TA peaking at sunrise but unworkable
G’day
Unfortunately for those in the south-west of Western Australia, such as Phil
VK6GX and myself, the ‘Pre-Stew’ was a total wash-out, owing to lightning which
lasted for the duration of the contest. Both of us were already to go but the
static crashes were well over S9 and it was
G’day
Nice 579 signal from W1AW/7 from AZ in the last few days, with a few of the US
callers audible as well. The topband seems to be waking up from its winter
slumber from here in the northern hemisphere direction.
Hope to get more active again around local sunset once the calendar turns over
Bob was an amazing bloke – totally committed to what he loved. He also had a
great sense of humour and of proportion about life in general and what was
really important – and was always good for a chat.
When it came to home construction, Bob was an artist and his power amplifiers
were
For those on the topband reflector who knew Mike VK6HD , there is a brief
obituary at:
http://www.westannouncements.com.au/obituaries/thewest-au/obituary.aspx?n=michael-bazleypid=164252808#fbLoggedOut
and a guest book where you remember Mike and pay your respects at:
Hi Dave
Greetings from Western Australia!
I had a number of contacts on 160m with Paul Wyse 5X4F during the later half of
the 1990s. Paul had a great signal on 160m with only a 240’ dipole at 36’, fed
with open wire, and 100W from a TS450S. He had no separate receiving antenna
but could hear
G'day
I have had a number of 'food for thought' responses to my original email
about the perspective from the DX end of a pile-up. The one from Paul N1BUG
below has made me re-think my current way of operating. It is always good to
see things from another's perspective.
If the DCX
G'day all and a very merry Christmas
It has been interesting reading the comments about DX stations on 160m
generally not working split. I thought having the perspective from someone
who is generally perceived as 'DX'.
One of the main reasons I don't usually need to work split is that
...and that loss of the DX window is sadly, dear readers, why you will
seldom hear DX stations outside of Europe and North America CQing on 160m in
the CQ contests.
We 'search and pounce' and the loud Eu and NA superstations who can hold a
frequency benefit. For those not blessed with a
G'day
Tom wrote a number of comments about my nice results with a 3/8 wave
inverted-L fed against a K2AV folded counterpoise back on 26 August. I went
into hospital a few days later for a routine operation but ended up with
pneumonia and then influenza, so never got the chance to reply.
that would have put me on Macquarie Island for several weeks.
Unfortunately the proposal didn't receive the go-ahead. ;-)
Vy 73
Steve, VK6VZ
-Original Message-
From: Jari Jussila [mailto:jari.juss...@oh2bu.pp.fi]
Sent: Friday, 31 August 2012 5:04 PM
To: Steve Ireland; topband
Hi Allan
In the past I am pretty sure the radio amateurs who have taken up the radio
technician position on Macquarie Island have had some access to the
commercial antennas used on the island and used them on 160m. My memory
(which isn't always good) is that there is an HF rhombic, which has
G'day
Here is some encouragement for those of you who are thinking of trying the
K2AV folded counterpoise.
Back in January my Kenpro KR400 rotator finally gave out after about 18
years of misuse (which included turning a 40-10m homebrewed 2-element quad),
resulting in a total rebuild of
Ooops, I should have said the FCP would 66-feet long - bad case of brain
fade late in the day... ;-)
---
Hi Allan
In the past I am pretty sure the radio amateurs who have taken up the radio
technician position on Macquarie Island have had some access to the
commercial antennas
There is a small correction necessary - see the text highlighted in CAPITALS
below. Unfortunately, living relatively close to the equator, there is very
little DX signal propagation on 160m after sunrise/before sunset (only about
+15 minutes/- 15 minutes) and this seems high angle.
G'day
As some on this reflector will know, Greg ZL3IX and I both use High
Performance Software Defined Radio or 'HPSDR' transceivers on 160m, which
have direct down (rx) and direct up (tx) conversion SDR architectures. This
is the architecture chosen by FlexRadio for its new 'Signature'
G'day
It has been interesting reading about the QSOs with Antarctica. Probably my
most best 160m QSO ever was on 9 July 1999, when, along with Mike VK6HD, I
worked Mike Fokin, R1AND from Novolazarevskaya Base, Antarctica, just before
sunrise here.
You may ask what was surprising about
Hi Jack
One question in regard to your drawing of the 160m antenna you use with
K2AV's FCP counterpoise. Are you using a resonant quarter wave antenna
(i.e. about 132' total length) with the counterpoise, or an extended
inverted 5/16 or 3/8 wave antenna? I am guessing the former, but am also
Hi Guy
Your folded counterpoise idea sounds excellent. About 12 years ago, I built
a miniature quad antenna for 7MHz that used folded capacitive loading to
make two elements, each with sides around 20', using techniques pioneered by
G3FPQ.
During the course of this experimentation, I
G'day
Back in January 2007, along with a number of other topbanders, I worked
JD1BME on Minami Torishima. My recollection is that the operator's only QSL
route was via the JARL Bureau. Despite sending several QSLs, including two
direct to the bureau (which is one of the most reliable
G'day
Thanks to all who wrote to me directly and via the reflector in support of
my previous email about making the distinction between web connected
receivers and the real benefits of SDR technology for low-band weak signal
operation
If the application software that was available for
G'day all
It is very interesting (and sad) to read the emails from Thor TF4M and
Brendan EI6IZ about how some have misused their web-connected receivers.
Note that I used the term 'web-connected receiver' rather than SDR. What a
disappointment that the access privileges kindly granted by
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