I managed to get through in ARRL 160, but not this weekend.
tnx Mike / K5JR (fmr W5JR) Alpharetta GA > On Feb 1, 2022, at 13:03, w3...@roadrunner.com wrote: > > Jim, I said the same thing in the ARRL 160 contest. I heard DPM loud > and clear and called my head off...to no avail. And he wasnt coming > back to anyone. Assumed his QRN/M problems must be monumental. > > But this time he came back on the third call. Go figure. > > -----------------------------------------From: > topband-requ...@contesting.com > To: topband@contesting.com > Cc: > Sent: Tuesday February 1 2022 12:04:13PM > Subject: Topband Digest, Vol 230, Issue 1 > > 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. Re: CQWW160MDX-CW Contest summary for W3HKK (OH) > (w3...@roadrunner.com) > 2. Antenna check for V31XX (cqtestk...@aol.com) > 3. Re: Antenna check for V31XX (Wes) > 4. Re: Antenna check for V31XX (Mike Smith VE9AA) > 5. Re: Antenna check for V31XX (Don Kirk) > 6. Re: Antenna check for V31XX (Don Kirk) > 7. Re: Antenna check for V31XX (Jim Brown) > 8. Re: K9AY RX antenna (HP) > 9. Really Frustrating (Roger Kennedy) > 10. Antenna check for V31XX (Roger Kennedy) > 11. Square "loop" antenna for 160 (Radio KH6O) > 12. Re: Antenna check for V31XX (FZ Bruce) > 13. Re: Antenna check for V31XX (Jan Erik Holm) > 14. New 9 circle PCB with CMCs (VE6WZ_Steve) > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2022 18:50:36 +0000 > From: w3...@roadrunner.com > To: "'topband@contesting.com'" > Subject: Re: Topband: CQWW160MDX-CW Contest summary for W3HKK (OH) > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > Fri night rates in Ohio were below average but open to EU. Sat night > was slow with few signals as the night progressed, and 51 dupes. :< > > My 3830 summary: > > W3HKK: 18:45 hrs OTA 694 Q's ( plus another 51 dupes (6.9%) that dont > count of course) =57 Sections + 36 DX entities - Score: 186,744 pts. > ( > the 4th highest score out of my seven CQWW160CW log submissions.) > Struggled to achieve a contest rate of 35 Q's/hr, with a high rated > of > 108/HR early on Friday night. > > =================================================================== > > STATION: IC7610 - Acom 1000 amp - N1MM+ Logging software - cw buddy > memory keyer/memory/real time keyboard supplementing the 8 cw > memories > in the 7610. > > TX ANTENNA: No radials! This year I failed to lay out my 26 x 100 ft > radial system before the wx turned too cold to do so. So I was > running > 700w into a 1/4 wave 160m INV-L with a vertical leg of 52 ft, and the > 78 ft of wire sloping down to the E, ending about 15 ft above ground. > > The only RF ground for the INV-L was a single 8 ft copper clad steel > ground rod dating to 2009, plus of course the earth beneath it. A 50 > ft black walnut tree was my antenna support. Ohio loam conductivity > must be pretty good! > > That means the L puts out a slightly stronger signal to the W. And as > usual, I have very good results towards the US West Coast, working > many CA (19) & AZ(8) stations in particular. . > > RX ANTENNA: SAL 30 ( four short delta loops 30 ft tall, > electronically rotatable in 8 directions.) > > CONTEST CATEGORY: Single Op - High Power ( 700w) - Assisted > > CONDITIONS: FRIDAY night was about average, with some decent openings > into EU. And many strong US sigs, but not as many of them. ie My best > actual hourly rate in 2022 was about 65% of my Personal Record Year > of > 2020; and my score was also about 65% of my Personal Best Year of > 2020 > - which happened to be at the solar minimum. My 2022 average contest > rate ( total Q's divided by total hours OTA) was a humbling 35/hour > due eto the very slow 2nd night. It was hard work to say the least. > > SATURDAY night had MUCH slower rates, and far fewer - and weaker - > sigs. Required a lot of searching and pouncing to separate fresh meat > from stations already in the log. But still, I was called 51 times by > stations who had already worked me. Since its always faster to just > work the dupes than try to explain that theyre a dupe, you just work > them and move on. At one stretch Sun morning, almost 50% of my CQ > replies were dupes. So I switched to S&P. > > As sigs thinned out, many were just above the noise, requiring agile > fingers on the eight direction SAL30 RX antenna, switching from W to > E, N to S, and directions in between. The 20 db F/B often made all > the > difference. > > SS CYCLE: : With the bottom of the SS cycle now history, Ole Sol was > again throwing out particles that tended to mask Top Band signals > passing through the ionosphere, by adding 20 dB or more attenuation. > > DX: Hams in the northern latitudes complained about poor to > nonexistant conditions this year. I heard no Scandanavian stations, > and few German stations among the central, eastern and southern > European stations coming through. > > I saw a few JA spots but heard nothing. And it took two days of > trying to work KL7SB, the Alaska contest station, and even then they > were barely above the noise floor when I worked them Sun morning > around 6 am. Only two KH6 stations got in the log, also with very > weak > signals. And the ZL and VK spots were few and far between - again > with > none heard in Ohio. > > COVID 19: continued to quite adversely affect the number of > DXpeditions OTA from places like Africa, the Pacific, S.A., and C. A. > etc. > > PS EARLY RETURNS: W3HKK LOG PLACEMENT IN 3830 - AS OF 9:30AM TODAY > (MONDAY): > > 164th in World among ALL logs submitted > > 64TH PLACE IN THE US: AMONG ALL LOGS SUBMITTED IN EVERY CATEGORY. > > 35TH PLACE IN THE US IN MY CATEGORY: AMONG ALL LOGS SUBMITTED ( > US-HP-ASSISTED). > > 6TH PLACE AMONG ALL 8 LAND LOGS. > > de Bob W3HKK > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2022 20:13:00 +0000 (UTC) > From: cqtestk...@aol.com > To: "topband@contesting.com" > Subject: Topband: Antenna check for V31XX > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > After? putting down 3600 yard staples to install 55 radials 130 ft > for my 100 ft wire vertical with a 30 ft L I was ready for the 160 > test.? For RX I used an SAL-30 which performed well at my old QTH in > KH6. > The only other V3 station was V31MA who has an excellent location > close to the water with a great take off to W/K and EU, but ran LP, so > it was hard to compare on the RBN.? I'm curious how the antenna > performed as i finished the radials right before the contest and > really didn't have a chance to check it out on the air.? I had quite a > few EU and many JAs that were there but I couldn't copy them as they > were in the mud. > Any comments on the signal/condx would be appreciated. > 73? Bill K4XS/V31XX > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2022 13:57:07 -0700 > From: Wes > To: topband@contesting.com > Subject: Re: Topband: Antenna check for V31XX > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed > > I worked you before and during the contest.? You were 5NN :-) > > Don't ask what you really were, but I have a really modest station, > so you were > doing something right.? TS-890, KPA500 and an inverted-L, 55 ft > vertical, the > rest horizontal (only 18 on ground radials).? I receive on the TX > antenna and > still hear better than I get out.? I just did a low-key S&P > operation.? 107 Qs, > six JA, one UA0, one BY, two XE, two HI, one ZF and you. > > I spent most of my time playing Band/Slot Bingo with TO6S.? If the > stats don't > change, I was No. 1 in Zone 3 and No. 3 in the world from my S. AZ > sandbox. > > Wes? N7WS > >> On 1/31/2022 1:13 PM, cqtestk4xs--- via Topband wrote: >> After? putting down 3600 yard staples to install 55 radials 130 ft > for my 100 ft wire vertical with a 30 ft L I was ready for the 160 > test.? For RX I used an SAL-30 which performed well at my old QTH in > KH6. >> The only other V3 station was V31MA who has an excellent location > close to the water with a great take off to W/K and EU, but ran LP, so > it was hard to compare on the RBN.? I'm curious how the antenna > performed as i finished the radials right before the contest and > really didn't have a chance to check it out on the air.? I had quite a > few EU and many JAs that were there but I couldn't copy them as they > were in the mud. >> Any comments on the signal/condx would be appreciated. >> 73? Bill K4XS/V31XX >> >> _________________ >> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband [1] - > Topband Reflector > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:18:03 -0400 > From: "Mike Smith VE9AA" > To: > Subject: Re: Topband: Antenna check for V31XX > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Bill, > > I was not QRV this w/e.dealing with high winds, snow, and life. > > Any reports you get will be anecdotal, but...if you go to this link: > http://beta.reversebeacon.net/analysis/ > /> > punch in the date you are interested in (I used Jan 31rst) and then > punch in > V31XX, then add V31MA > you can see in graphical gory detail how they did at individual > skimmers all > around the world, spot by spot. > > I'd cut and paste some graphs here, but the reflector won't allow > graphics > or attachments. > > I selected 4 or 5 different skimmers (one at a time..and only one > date at a > time) > > Seems they very much held their own with operating at a 12dB or > whatever > deficit against you. > > Let us know what you think is going on. > > 73 Mike VE9AA > > Mike, Coreen & Corey > Keswick Ridge, NB > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2022 16:30:10 -0500 > From: Don Kirk > To: cqtestk...@aol.com > Cc: "topband@contesting.com" > Subject: Re: Topband: Antenna check for V31XX > Message-ID: > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > Hi Bill, > > You should still be able to compare yourself to V31MA using the RBN > data. > Just find out how much power V31MA was running and compare it with > your > power level in units of dB. Then you can use the RBN data to compare > your > signal to V31MA as long as you subtract the dB difference in power > from the > V31MA data. > > Hope that makes sense. > > 73, > Don (wd8dsb) > > On Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 3:13 PM cqtestk4xs--- via Topband < > topband@contesting.com> wrote: > >> After putting down 3600 yard staples to install 55 radials 130 ft > for my >> 100 ft wire vertical with a 30 ft L I was ready for the 160 test. > For RX I >> used an SAL-30 which performed well at my old QTH in KH6. >> The only other V3 station was V31MA who has an excellent location > close to >> the water with a great take off to W/K and EU, but ran LP, so it > was hard >> to compare on the RBN. I'm curious how the antenna performed as i > finished >> the radials right before the contest and really didn't have a > chance to >> check it out on the air. I had quite a few EU and many JAs that > were there >> but I couldn't copy them as they were in the mud. >> Any comments on the signal/condx would be appreciated. >> 73 Bill K4XS/V31XX >> >> _________________ >> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband [2] - > Topband >> Reflector >> > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 6 > Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2022 16:37:00 -0500 > From: Don Kirk > To: cqtestk...@aol.com > Cc: "topband@contesting.com" > Subject: Re: Topband: Antenna check for V31XX > Message-ID: > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > Hi Bill, > > I misunderstood, it looks like V31MA was running low power, so you > would > have to subtract off the difference in dB from your RBN data to see > how it > compares with V31MA. > > Don (wd8dsb) > >> On Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 4:30 PM Don Kirk wrote: >> >> Hi Bill, >> >> You should still be able to compare yourself to V31MA using the RBN > data. >> Just find out how much power V31MA was running and compare it with > your >> power level in units of dB. Then you can use the RBN data to > compare your >> signal to V31MA as long as you subtract the dB difference in power > from the >> V31MA data. >> >> Hope that makes sense. >> >> 73, >> Don (wd8dsb) >> >> On Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 3:13 PM cqtestk4xs--- via Topband < >> topband@contesting.com> wrote: >> >>> After putting down 3600 yard staples to install 55 radials 130 ft > for my >>> 100 ft wire vertical with a 30 ft L I was ready for the 160 test. > For RX I >>> used an SAL-30 which performed well at my old QTH in KH6. >>> The only other V3 station was V31MA who has an excellent location > close >>> to the water with a great take off to W/K and EU, but ran LP, so > it was >>> hard to compare on the RBN. I'm curious how the antenna performed > as i >>> finished the radials right before the contest and really didn't > have a >>> chance to check it out on the air. I had quite a few EU and many > JAs that >>> were there but I couldn't copy them as they were in the mud. >>> Any comments on the signal/condx would be appreciated. >>> 73 Bill K4XS/V31XX >>> >>> _________________ >>> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband [3] - > Topband >>> Reflector >>> >> > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 7 > Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2022 13:38:50 -0800 > From: Jim Brown > To: topband@contesting.com > Subject: Re: Topband: Antenna check for V31XX > Message-ID: > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed > >> On 1/31/2022 12:13 PM, cqtestk4xs--- via Topband wrote: >> Any comments on the signal/condx would be appreciated. > > I had no problem hearing you, Bill, never heard V31MA. > > And LU8DPM is either seriously deaf or doesn't want to work US. > > 73, Jim K9YC > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 8 > Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:03:12 -0500 (EST) > From: HP > To: Pete Smith N4ZR > Cc: topband reflector > Subject: Re: Topband: K9AY RX antenna > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > While listening on your RX ant try opening and shorting the feedline > to your TX antenna -I bet there is a big change in RX signal and F/B > on a given station will change . > > My model of a 2 el active rx array pattern when I change the > impedance presented to the center of my inv vee shows that if that > impedance at center of the inv vee is not above 500 ohms -it will > seriously destroy the two el pattern. ( For quick look I did it for > real part -have not looked at pattern degradation vs reactive loads > since my feedline to the inv vee happens to be a half wave long .) > > Hank K7HP > > ----- On Jan 31, 2022, at 7:10 AM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote: > > My K9AY loop (the commercial version from Array Solutions) seems to > be > kind of an indifferent performer. I believe it is set up properly. > and > I've laid down a radial under each side of the loops, but while it > shows > some directivity on high-end broadcast stations, 160M directivity is > limited to nil, signal strengths are rarely better than my > inverted-L, > and the adjusting the termination seems to make very little > difference. > Any hints? > > -- > 73, Pete N4ZR > Check out the new Reverse Beacon Network > web server at. > For spots, please use your favorite > "retail" DX cluster. > _________________ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband [5] - Topband > Reflector > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 9 > Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2022 23:05:37 -0000 > From: "Roger Kennedy" > To: > Subject: Topband: Really Frustrating > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Well we had another bad storm this weekend here in the NE of England > (80mph > winds) . . . > > Just 10 minutes before the start of the CQ160 my Topband Aerial came > down ! > > I don't ever come on to enter these contests, but do see what DX I > can work > . . . > > Although I gather conditions weren't that great? > > Anyway, got the Aerial back up today, so see some of you on the band > again > soon ! > > 73 Roger G3YRO > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 10 > Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2022 23:15:40 -0000 > From: "Roger Kennedy" > To: > Subject: Topband: Antenna check for V31XX > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Well you were S4 on the meter on 21st Jan over here Bill . . . and > most NA > stations were only S5 that night, so conditions were poor. > > Were you using the same aerial then? > > Roger G3YRO > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 11 > Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2022 18:22:23 -0800 > From: Radio KH6O > To: topband > Subject: Topband: Square "loop" antenna for 160 > Message-ID: > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > Colleagues, > > I have to live with CC&R homeowner restrictions. I plan to erect a > disguise > wire antenna around the perimeter of my roof; total length will be > about > 190 feet. Elevation will be about 20 feet above ground and will be > fed with > 150 ohm twin lead.* > > My question is: Should this be a continuous loop or should the point > opposed the feedline be terminated with an insulator, thus giving two > 95-foot legs? > > 73, > Jeff KH6O > Naval Air Staiton Point Mugu, CA > > * 150 ohm twin lead: It consists of two parallel lengths of 75 ohm TV > coax > with the copper braids soldered together at each end; the inner > conductors > act as a parallel feedline. See the ARRL Antenna Book, August 2000 > edition, > for details. > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 12 > Date: Tue, 01 Feb 2022 02:21:03 +0000 > From: "FZ Bruce" > To: "'topband@contesting.com'" > Subject: Re: Topband: Antenna check for V31XX > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > Hi Roger, > On this last day on January you are the only European that had signal > enough to hear and work.Propagation very poor but we had a good QSO. > Thanks73Bruce-K1fz > > -----------------------------------------From: "Roger Kennedy" > To: topband@contesting.com > Cc: > Sent: Monday January 31 2022 6:15:45PM > Subject: Topband: Antenna check for V31XX > > Well you were S4 on the meter on 21st Jan over here Bill . . . and > most NA > stations were only S5 that night, so conditions were poor. > > Were you using the same aerial then? > > Roger G3YRO > > _________________ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband [6] [1] - > Topband > Reflector > > Links: > ------ > [1] http://www.contesting.com/_topband > /> > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 13 > Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2022 08:18:10 +0100 > From: Jan Erik Holm > To: topband@contesting.com > Subject: Re: Topband: Antenna check for V31XX > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed > > LU8DPM have had a receiving problem for years. Seems > like he is unable to do something about it so the rest > of us just have to run more power to work him. > > / Jim SM2EKM > >> Den 2022-01-31 kl. 22:38, skrev Jim Brown: >>> On 1/31/2022 12:13 PM, cqtestk4xs--- via Topband wrote: >>> Any comments on the signal/condx would be appreciated. >> >> I had no problem hearing you, Bill, never heard V31MA. >> >> And LU8DPM is either seriously deaf or doesn't want to work US. >> >> 73, Jim K9YC >> _________________ >> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband [7] - > Topband Reflector > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 14 > Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2022 09:00:39 -0700 > From: VE6WZ_Steve > To: topband reflector > Subject: Topband: New 9 circle PCB with CMCs > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Hello fellow DXers, > > Today I uploaded a YouTube video describing my new 9 circle combiner > board PCB design that has small Murata SMD CMCs on each RG-6 feedline. > > I include PCB file links to download in both KiCad format or a zipped > Gerber folder if you want to build your own. A BOM and an image of the > schematic is included as well. > This is the 9-circle array that was designed by John W1FV. > > I review why we need these CMCs, I talk about these small Murata > chokes and some VNA tests I did and how these same units can be used > as Magic-T?s. > The new design also has a pin-out for the vcc and relay control > lines, has the option for gas discharge tubes on the vcc and control > lines, and the board has a slightly larger footprint than my previous > designs so its its easier to access the F-connecters for field > installation. > > The evaluation is still on-going at VE6WZ, but the board tested very > well in the shop with the VNA, and I used it this weekend for the CQWW > 160m test and it performed well. > > I know there are many that ?don?t like? to watch a video, and I may > build a PDF document, but in my ?prior life?, all I did was make > technical/ scientific documents and I?d rather not do that anymore. > It?s much easier to say things quickly in a video. If a picture is > worth a 1,000 words, then a video is worth a million. > > https://youtu.be/lVW1CmrzP7c [8] > /> > 73, de steve ve6wz > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > Topband mailing list > Topband@contesting.com > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/topband > /> > > ------------------------------ > > End of Topband Digest, Vol 230, Issue 1 > *************************************** > > > Links: > ------ > [1] http://www.contesting.com/_topband > [2] http://www.contesting.com/_topband > [3] http://www.contesting.com/_topband > [4] http://beta.reversebeacon.net > [5] http://www.contesting.com/_topband > [6] http://www.contesting.com/_topband > [7] http://www.contesting.com/_topband > [8] https://youtu.be/lVW1CmrzP7c > > _________________ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _________________ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector