As far as the designation of TOPBAND@ CONTESTING.com , the second half of that is merely what domain was willing to support this reflector. There are many reflector associated to this domain,
-Charlie N1RR 401-742-7240 <(401)%20742-7240> 8AM - 9PM *E-mail*: n...@n1rr.com *Website*: www.n1rr.com *Youtube channel*: NovemberOne RomeoRomeo https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPDzEf57Ad80cVKOiLZLB7w/videos On Sat, Jan 6, 2024 at 1:35 AM Charles Morrison < charles.morrison.n...@gmail.com> wrote: > Bill, > For all that you are dealing with, along with the additional propagation > challenges that 160M brings, it is truly the toughest H.F. band to be suc > > When I started on 160M I did not have an amplifier that included 160M. I > cq'd and tried calling stations for 3 months one winter until conditions > were good enough to reach across the Atlantic with 100 watts. > > Success should be defined as what your expectations are.. > GL > -Charlie N1RR > > On Fri, Jan 5, 2024 at 8:33 PM Bill Cromwell <wrcromw...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> >> A note from the peanut gallery. >> >> This is topb...@contest.com >> >> I am on a postage stamp lot and the house & garage occupy approximately >> the middle one third. The frontage is not usable for antenna systems due to >> the underground utilities and overhead power lines. I am limited to >> compromise antennas for this band and those must be further compromised >> from published designs to fit into the space. I can be heard in Canada and >> the eastern United States. Most of the daily signals are for dx only. In >> some contests I can work a few stations on the north American continent. I >> can hear a lot of them but they don't hear me. I don't have an antenna for >> 160 at the moment and not a lot of motivation to put one up. Other bands >> seem more productive given these conditions. I would be satisfied with QSOs >> in the continental range but most are DX hounds and can't waste their time >> on more local rag chews. I am ready to just sign off from this list and get >> out of your way. Am I missing something? >> >> Happy New Year to all and... >> >> 73, >> >> Bill KU8H >> >> > On Jan 5, 2024, at 7:04 PM, VE6WZ_Steve <ve...@shaw.ca> wrote: >> > George, >> > >> > Yes. I fully agree that many ops don’t understand that RBN is NOT to be >> relied on. >> > >> > I operate 3 RBN skimmers, each on a different RX antenna, and auto >> switched for the RX antennas to follow the darkness DX path. >> > 2 of these are Broadside phased Beverage pairs. My QTH is a quiet rural >> location. >> > >> > However, the skimmer will only detect a very SMALL FRACTION of what I >> can hear with my ears. >> > If I look at my CW skimmer, often I can “see” the EU DX CQing, but the >> skimmer will not always decode it. >> > Many times I can work lots of EU, but never get a RBN skimmer decode >> from EU. >> > BUT, the opposite is also true. If I am getting EU RBN decodes, then >> the band is probably in very good shape. >> > >> > Either way, as George said, do NOT rely on RBN to determine if the band >> is open or not. >> > Just keep calling CQ. >> > >> > BTW…FT-8 will decode “deep into the noise” however, with the common >> very fast QSB on 160m, a big reason FT-8 seems to work better is the PC >> sends EVERY 15 seconds, for as long as the op lets the PC go. >> > Sometimes on CW, the QSB can be so fast, the QSO needs to be completed >> within 30 seconds, or the DX has faded into oblivion under the noise. >> > (That’s why we usually don’t have time on 160m CW for exchanging more >> than a signal report…..quickly!!) >> > That’s also why on CW we need to keep CQing into what seems like a dead >> band. The difference on FT-8, is the PC does the CQing for you. Yeah…that >> IS easier! >> > >> > >> > Steve, ve6wz >> > >> > >> >> Noise is up. >> >> 80 is becoming the new 160! >> >> >> >> Also, it is noise that is driving a lot of ops onto FT8. >> >> >> >> Another contributor is RBN! While RBN is great tool, most RBN RX >> antennas are poor on 160. Those that rely on a quick scan of RBN for 160 >> meter activity will incorrectly assume that the band is dead. >> >> >> >> In the past 10 years noise has gone up by something like 10 dB in many >> areas. What worked 10 years ago, no longer works today. We need to learn to >> live with it. Invest in better RX antennas and other noise reduction >> techniques. (Petition the FCC to increase the power limit by 10 dB :-) >> >> >> >> And keep calling CQ! >> >> >> >> 73, >> >> >> >> George, >> >> >> >> AA7JV >> > >> > _________________ >> > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband >> Reflector >> >> _________________ >> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband >> Reflector >> > > > -- > > -Charlie N1RR > > 401-742-7240 <(401)%20742-7240> 8AM - 9PM > > *E-mail*: n...@n1rr.com > > *Website*: www.n1rr.com > > *Youtube channel*: NovemberOne RomeoRomeo > > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPDzEf57Ad80cVKOiLZLB7w/videos > _________________ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector