Hey topbanders, I am also every morning 2:30 UTC on 160m CW, check at first W1AW beacon 1802,5 Mhz. Signal is mostly clear RST 559. Than i call CQ and check RBN, the NA skimmer received me from 10-24dB. But no answer from NA stations. Conditions are not bad, so please listen more for DX from EU. vy 73 Andy DL8LAS
www.dl8las.de www.dl8las.com On Dienstag, 23 April, 2019 topband-request <topband@contesting.com> wrote: Send Topband mailing list submissions to topband@contesting.com To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/topband or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to topband-requ...@contesting.com You can reach the person managing the list at topband-ow...@contesting.com When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Topband digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Lack of NA Activity on CW (Roger Kennedy) 2. Re: Lack of NA Activity on CW (lennart.michaels...@telia.com) 3. Re: Lack of NA Activity on CW (Peter Sundberg) 4. Re: Lack of NA Activity on CW (uy0zg) 5. Re: Fresnel Zone (Emir Memic) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2019 09:16:30 +0100 From: "Roger Kennedy" <ro...@wessexproductions.co.uk> To: <topband@contesting.com> Subject: Topband: Lack of NA Activity on CW Message-ID: <BF4E50FA22DA4134B83EBE8FC8BC8A57@Packard> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I get that many stations only use FT8 these days (out of laziness?) . . . But there are plenty of Top Band DXers (like me) who would never ever use FT8 . . . but many of these people hardly ever come on the band ! It takes a pretty big setup to have a decent 160m DX station . . . what's the point in having invested all that time and money if the only time you ever come on the band is to work some DX-pedition?! Personally, what gives me a buzz is working ANY station on 160m more than a couple of thousand miles away. (it's the only band where that's actually an achievement). I don't care how many times I've worked that station before . . . and I also don't waste hours trying to get through a pile-up to work a DX-pedition station, as I'm really not bothered (I've usually already worked the island they're on anyway) It's becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy . . . If nobody makes the effort to come on the band on CW, there will be nobody on the band !! Roger G3YRO ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2019 10:25:24 +0200 From: <lennart.michaels...@telia.com> To: "'Roger Kennedy'" <ro...@wessexproductions.co.uk>, <topband@contesting.com> Subject: Re: Topband: Lack of NA Activity on CW Message-ID: <002501d4f9ae$1a2783d0$4e768b70$@telia.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Roger et al, I was on early this morning and even checked in on ON4KST. Called a few CQ DX on 1826.5 without response so back to bed. Yet I did see quite a few US callsigns on the chat. Perhaps they never check out? 73 all Len SM7BIC -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Fr?n: Topband <topband-boun...@contesting.com> F?r Roger Kennedy Skickat: den 23 april 2019 10:17 Till: topband@contesting.com ?mne: Topband: Lack of NA Activity on CW I get that many stations only use FT8 these days (out of laziness?) . . . But there are plenty of Top Band DXers (like me) who would never ever use FT8 . . . but many of these people hardly ever come on the band ! It takes a pretty big setup to have a decent 160m DX station . . . what's the point in having invested all that time and money if the only time you ever come on the band is to work some DX-pedition?! Personally, what gives me a buzz is working ANY station on 160m more than a couple of thousand miles away. (it's the only band where that's actually an achievement). I don't care how many times I've worked that station before . . . and I also don't waste hours trying to get through a pile-up to work a DX-pedition station, as I'm really not bothered (I've usually already worked the island they're on anyway) It's becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy . . . If nobody makes the effort to come on the band on CW, there will be nobody on the band !! Roger G3YRO _________________ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2019 10:17:20 +0000 From: Peter Sundberg <sm2...@telia.com> To: <lennart.michaels...@telia.com>, "'Roger Kennedy'" <ro...@wessexproductions.co.uk>, <topband@contesting.com> Subject: Re: Topband: Lack of NA Activity on CW Message-ID: <mailman.14.1556035203.29506.topb...@contesting.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed Let's ponder: FT8 - everyone is on ONE center frequency (passband) and their computer is transmitting every 15 seconds for hours on end, regardless if they are in contact with another computer or not FT8 - all the computers that are "hearing" other computers are making use of the built in 50 Hz filter in FT8 FT8 - computers "heard" are lined up and presented nicely sorted on the screeen FT8 - some computers that are not fully copied are still presented as "heard" by use of the "a priori" functionality FT8 - listening in by ear on 1840 it sure sounds like high activity CW - people call CQ on an unspecified frequency, sometimes with long interrupts CW - listeners can't easily surf the band and dig in the noise in 50 Hz bandwidth CW - without knowledge of who is where we need good signals to attract our attention and so we can start focusing CW - summer conditions vary, but one thing is for sure, the noise is certainly higher and many have taken their microscopes (receiving antennas) down for the season CW - many of us also have to live with a less effective TX antenna during the summer as we have to roll in our extensive radial field CW - the KST chat list a lot of interesting and capable stations but most of them don't transmit every 15 seconds CW - not all who are active announce themselves on KST Bottom line: CW - it sure would be easier for us to only monitor a specific world wide calling frequency, but this is not realistic CW - we have to accept that it is more difficult to do manual CW than single channel FT8 for reasons described above CW - if we transmit more we will be heard :-) CW - we are not lazy operators, we still love CW and continue to make noise whenever we can, despite the problems listed above CW - we take on a challenge, we don't give up CW- we look at the surrounding actors in a realistic way and realize what they are doing, duly noting that our table has better food CW - we fully admire our colleagues in the southern hemisphere for being there all the time during our prime season up north! CW is King! 73 Peter SM2CEW At 08:25 2019-04-23, lennart.michaels...@telia.com wrote: >Roger et al, >I was on early this morning and even checked in on ON4KST. >Called a few CQ DX on 1826.5 without response so back to bed. Yet I did see >quite a few US callsigns on the chat. Perhaps they never check out? > >73 all >Len SM7BIC > >-----Ursprungligt meddelande----- >Fr?n: Topband <topband-boun...@contesting.com> F?r Roger Kennedy >Skickat: den 23 april 2019 10:17 >Till: topband@contesting.com >?mne: Topband: Lack of NA Activity on CW > > >I get that many stations only use FT8 these days (out of laziness?) . . . > >But there are plenty of Top Band DXers (like me) who would never ever use >FT8 . . . but many of these people hardly ever come on the band ! > >It takes a pretty big setup to have a decent 160m DX station . . . what's >the point in having invested all that time and money if the only time you >ever come on the band is to work some DX-pedition?! > >Personally, what gives me a buzz is working ANY station on 160m more than a >couple of thousand miles away. (it's the only band where that's actually an >achievement). > >I don't care how many times I've worked that station before . . . and I also >don't waste hours trying to get through a pile-up to work a DX-pedition >station, as I'm really not bothered (I've usually already worked the island >they're on anyway) > >It's becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy . . . If nobody makes the effort to >come on the band on CW, there will be nobody on the band !! > >Roger G3YRO > > >_________________ >Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector > >_________________ >Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2019 14:29:44 +0300 From: uy0zg <uy...@mksat.net> To: Topband <topband@contesting.com> Subject: Re: Topband: Lack of NA Activity on CW Message-ID: <63c84756a384fdf4a29c0ed9846c7...@mksat.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Hi All Victor you need to stop listening to dx via the internet! When will you make an RX antenna? The availability and use of RX antennas is a great pleasure. Here is an example of the antenna Anatoly UT2XQ http://www.topband.in.ua/2019/04/22/ut2xq-antennas/ --- Nick, UY0ZG http://www.topband.in.ua Victor Goncharsky via Topband ????? 2019-04-23 10:23: > This is not always the case. I have noticed long openings to Caribbean > during last year 6m season with signal levels good enough for reliable > CW QSOs but only FT8 portion of the band was alive. > Will see what will happen this year. Top band game is almost over with > the last 3 new ones worked in April (but missed XR0) so 6m antenna is > on its way to the tower this week. > > > 73, Victor Goncharsky US5WE/K1WE (UW5W in VHF contests, ex UB5WE), P.E. > UARL Technical and VHF Committies > DXCC Honor Roll #1 (Mixed, Phone), 9BDXCC, 8BWAS > DXCC card checker (160 meters). > _________________ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband > Reflector ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2019 15:56:41 +0000 From: Emir Memic <emir.me...@emssolutions.at> To: Ray Higgins <ray.w...@gmail.com>, "topband@contesting.com" <topband@contesting.com> Subject: Re: Topband: Fresnel Zone Message-ID: <dbbpr08mb487006d532ce43d192f8eecb82...@dbbpr08mb4870.eurprd08.prod.outlook.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Ray, If we are talking about horizontal polarized antennas You cant be high enough on 80m/160m And there is no needs to think a lot about effects of fresnel zone on 160/80 Not even with 300m high tower Of course if there are no uphills around you .....but so far understand you That location is free with slight slope around In my mind its important to have flat or homogeny slope in desired direction Effect of excellent soil is not so critical for ground reflection if you are using horizontal polarized antennas! On other side for vertical antennas soil is more important but directly under the antennas and in closed flied! In simple words if you can have antenna in saltwater or very close to it put it in If you are far away from good soil with vertical (even 1 wavelength) you will need standard numbers of radials under the antenna! Iif you are on flat terrain with excellent soil you will need very large antenna on high tower to outperform 4SQ on 80m ! On 160m is non sense to even try something else than vertical or vertical arrays 73s Braco E77DX -- Emir Memic EMS SOLUTIONS K?hlergasse 12/3 1180 Wien +4369919227041 emir.me...@emssolutions.at -----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht----- Von: Topband <topband-boun...@contesting.com> Im Auftrag von Ray Higgins Gesendet: Donnerstag, 18. April 2019 16:49 An: topband@contesting.com Betreff: Topband: Fresnel Zone I have two questions about fresnel zone. I just purchased 22.5/ac near the ocean near Machiasport, ME. This is in the Northeast corner of Maine about 30 miles south of Eastport and a Lubec. This is going to be my personal Remote Contest station! I plan to be contesting from this new qth starting in 2020 but will be QRV by mid 2019 for testing. This qth is anywhere between 1-3 miles from the ocean or the bay, it sits on a high plateau 150? asl thats slopes in all directions to saltwater (peninsula) except N/NW. The property has a saltwater river and marsh that runs the perimeter from south to north favoring the NE direction, the marsh is only 50-100' wide and 1500-2000? away from the property. The land has a gradual slope to the marsh. My questions: 1.) Is the saltwater river bed/marsh wide enough to be an effective field in the Fresnal Zone? 2.) What is the wavelengths needed to be within the Fresnal zone of a river/marsh compared to an ocean? In this photo album (last pic) I have outlined the river saltwater marsh and property boundry from a google earth shot. https://photos.app.goo.gl/ui79t2jFo95b29et6 I?m only concerned about 80 and 160m in the Fresnal Zone. Any input would be welcomed. Thanks, Ray W2RE Sent from my iPhone _________________ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector ------------------------------ Subject: Digest Footer _______________________________________________ Topband mailing list Topband@contesting.com http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/topband ------------------------------ End of Topband Digest, Vol 196, Issue 22 **************************************** _________________ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector