Topband: re" Saga of NP2J (very long)
Oh Dan ! ! ! I was right there with you buddy, as you told your story, I could see in my mind's eye, stuff that's happened to me like that too. Just last year I raised my ZS6BKW (which is SO2R Radio #2's only antenna) up by a fair margin, only to see the taller mast collapse some weeks later. I , too, had used "too thin" of a mast in 1 section. I had deep snow and cold as my problem, not heat, so quickly cobbled something together for the winter (now the thing was lower than before.erg) and then fixed it back to normal height in the spring. Thanks for sharing this story of yours. Know that we've all (or most of us that are willing to admit it anyways) been there. CU (all of a sudden!) in CQWW SSB. I am (temporarily) down to 1 left hand, (and I am right handed) so it's gonna be a slow affair this weekend. L Mike VE9AA Mike, Coreen & Corey Keswick Ridge, NB _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: EU condx report, Pre-Stew and 7P8 at VE6WZ
What a difference a few nights make. Last night I logged 45 EU, and could have worked more had I not watched a TV show with the xyl. Some extremely strong EU signals into VE6 last night, and the 7P8 pileup was lit-up with EU callers. I was very happy to work 7P8RU last night on TB, since I was shut-out from both S9OK and 3DA0. During the Pre-Stew the trans-polar EU path was very muted and I only worked 13 EU, and 2 JA. I’m pretty sure I could have worked 60 or more if we had the prop like last night. In fact last year I placed #1 in the Pre-Stew, but I worked 70 EU, 13 JA and a few OC. I’m pretty sure that will be the first and only time I ever win a global DX contest. But in order to be competitive with the east coast, we need both a good trans-polar EU opening and a good Asia-OC run to get those points. So far this season since Aug 1, I have had 225 EU CW QSOs on 160m, with 71 unique callsigns. For the same 3 month period last year, I worked 412 EU with 155 unique callsigns, so perhaps conditions are down a bit this year? However, I have been able to work into EU almost every night since late August…usually OK1CF or DL8LAS. It seems this season there have been few “strong” openings. Here is the VE6WZ 160m EU CW list so far this season. This is the “who's-who” of the most active on 160m CW ranking: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RiodAQYiuzDshoA-7i-_Ck7j0EJ8QtVb/view?usp=sharing Personal musings on 160m propagation and activity: There are those who like to contest There are those who like to add to the DXCC total There are those who like to call CQ and work any DX, anytime…... My observation is that this season the band has been very unstable. With the exception of VERY few nights, the QSB has been fast and deep with signals peaking for 20-30 seconds and then gone below the noise for minutes at a time. Checking RBN spots for only a few minutes will likely make you conclude the band is dead. I am CQ on 160m almost every night, sometimes for an hour or more at time. Without calling CQ I would probably have worked only a small fraction of the 225 QSOs this season. OK1CF, DL8LAS, OZ7YY and LY7M are almost always QRV and calling CQ. Even when not at the radio, I can check the Flex waterfall and see what 160m CW traces are showing up, and dash to the radio. As Roger G3YRO has noted a “few” times, sometimes there is limited NA activity on 160m CW. The fact is, I used to call CQ a lot on 40m and 80m, but I don't do that much anymore. Those bands now seem a bit mundane and less exciting so I’m not inclined to be active there. That is probably the case with many of the NA ops on 160m, especially on the EC where EU is very common and easy to work, and watching a good TV show is more interesting than working the “same old guys” every night! Unless it’s a new DXCC, it seems most ops, (even in EU based on listening to all the strong EU callsigns in the 7P8 pileup last night) have little interest in “plain-old” DXing. Its common to hear guys say “oh, yeh I heard him on last night, but I don't need him”. And for sure there is a very large number of ops that are only waiting for the next contest. Nightly DXing is not a normal activity. It’s a big hobby and there is room for us all. For some reason I still find it exciting to hear those weak EU signals just bubbling up above the noise. Any DX on TB is DX even if I've worked him 50 times. If you like CW and working DX on 160m, get on the band and start calling CQ if you can. Just because the band seems “dead” you might be surprised how many calls you get when the DX gets your QSB peak. The Joe Taylor mode benefits a LOT from this effect because there are so many guys calling “CQ”…..every 15 seconds for hours! There is simply a better chance of catching that QSB peak. There is a lot of DX to work on 160m CW (well maybe not “new ones”), and remember that the old saying really is a true fact: “If no one calls CQ, then no one will be working any one” 73, de steve ve6wz _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Saga of NP2J (very long)
Hello Dan, I love reading these stories. I guess I like it when man overcomes adversity! It is amazing the mistakes that are made when you are also tired and "rotten, reeling, and rolling in the gutter" (To paraphrase Steve Allen) The good news is that you finally got it working. I spent a fair amount of time last night calling 7P8RU on 160 with my amplifier in standby. I had all of 35 watts output. I was wondering why I wasn't having much luck! (I was also tired!) 73 Dave K1WHS On 10/26/2021 11:20 AM, Dan Flaig NP2J wrote: "SAGA OF NP2J" (apologies to CE0XA: see 1965 QST: "Saga of CE0XA" ) (My "Elmer" was W8ZCT (later W8ON) Gene Liggett (SK), a member of CE0XA, First San Felix Operation) or "What a week of Screw ups!" ** Well,this story is the kind that you usually keep to yourself. Who wants everyone to know all the dumb stuff you did in order to sooth a case of Contest withdrawals and chill a 105 degree fever of "Topband Disease" I run a pair of phased Inverted L's each about 60 or so feet high. One of the two verticals is near edge of the hillside I am on and it catches a lot of wind so I take it down for Hurricane season. (See May 2021 CQ magazine page 18 for picture of vertical) Most of the bad Tropical storms we get are late in the year; September thru early November. So I was waiting as long as possible to put the vertical back up. The Saga begins: Monday: I had a 70 foot mast built up laying on the ground, with the 1000+ feet of rope for guy wires ready to go! The bottom of the mast is 2.5" thick wall tubing, tapers down to 1.25" Uses 4 sets of four guy ropes. Tuesday: The big day: Time to raise the mast up in the air! I decided to use a falling derrick approach to raising the mast. I use 30 feet of old 3" Telrex Boom material for either a gin pole or pole for falling derrick method. I am on a hillside so the guy wires are at different elevations. So when raising a mast you have to constantly be adjusting guy lengths as the mast is raised. Well, I raised the mast about half way up and I didn't have a guy tightened up properly (Big Mistake #1) So, a gust of wind swung the mast side ways and the mast fell into the "Bush" that covers most of my lot. So much for all that work. Went inside, grabbed the Rolling stones "Some Girls" disk and fired up: "WHEN THE WHIP COMES DOWN" BTW during this time frame the weather was horribly hot and muggy. It had been raining off and on, just often enough that the humidity was horrible. 15 minutes outside working and you are soaked with sweat. After an hour or two you are just completely drained and exhausted, Wednesday and Thursday: Both days were spent untangling the mess of rope and wire tangled in the 15 foot high bush. Sweat. Sunburn. More Sweat. Even more sweat. Go inside and jump in cold shower. Remove small Tan-tan leaves stuck all over sweaty body. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Fun. Friday: OK, ready to try again! Learning from big mistake #1, I kept the guy wires tight as I raised the mast Got the mast up about 80% of the way up. BAM Mast broke in half and came crashing down. Back inside Jam to "THE WHIP COMES DOWN".again Analyzing what happened, I had mistakenly used a piece of 2" tubing in the middle of the mast that was a piece from an old HyGain beam and it was not standard .058" wall thickness. There was a critcal guy attachment point where this thin walled tubing was used. SNAP!!! (Big Mistake #2) Now around about this time I am questioning my sanity. Is it really worth it? What a crazy hobby... Time for another Stones tune: "Shattered". But, My Elmer, Gene W8ZCT's favorite saying was: "Keep plugging away" His other favorite saying was: "A BIG SIGNAL is a LOT of work" (Back in 1971 when I was 13 years old, I helped Gene put up a full size rotary 80 meter dipole up 135 feet. He knew a thing or two about big signals) Saturday (Contest Day): At this point was about to say the Hell with it I must be crazy (XYL probably thinks so, but she is keeps it to herself, hi!) I haven't gotten this thing up all week... how can I get it up now? And if I do, I'll probably be too tired to operate...hi! But,the weather was getting better, the rain had stopped and the air wasn't so thick. The Gods were cooperating, weather wise! W8ZCT's words haunted me: "Keep plugging away" "A big signal is a lot of work" So I decided not to give up after so much effort. Why quit when this close to finishing?? (Even if you are totally exhausted, dehydrated and delerious) "Keep plugging away" "A big signal is a lot of work" Mast got up in the air at 5PM local time (2100z) Quickly put up the elevated radial, hooked up the coax cables and phasing line to the switch box. ( Big Mistake #3: Biggest mistake of them all!!! Didn't check one
Topband: Stew Perry Contest
Well conditions were rather poor on Saturday night . . . Also didn't hear many of the usual big signals on the band. Roger G3YRO _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Saga of NP2J (very long)
Dan Thanks for sharing and even taking the time to write this up, as that takes time. We have ALL been there in so many ways and so many times. I wish we would all share those stories as they are a learning experience. As my Grade 12 Physics Teacher said (back in 1975 or so) and I remember the time and place and it just stuck: "Failing is a learning experience" Truer words have never been spoken. 73, Mike va3mw On Tue, Oct 26, 2021 at 11:21 AM Dan Flaig NP2J wrote: > "SAGA OF NP2J" > > (apologies to CE0XA: see 1965 QST: "Saga of CE0XA" ) > (My "Elmer" was W8ZCT (later W8ON) Gene Liggett (SK), a member of CE0XA, > First San Felix Operation) > > or > > "What a week of Screw ups!" > > ** > > Well,this story is the kind that you usually keep to yourself. > > Who wants everyone to know all the dumb stuff you did in order to sooth > a case of Contest withdrawals > and chill a 105 degree fever of "Topband Disease" > > > > I run a pair of phased Inverted L's each about 60 or so feet high. > One of the two verticals is near edge of the hillside I am on and it > catches a lot of wind so I take it down for Hurricane season. > (See May 2021 CQ magazine page 18 for picture of vertical) > Most of the bad Tropical storms we get are late in the year; September > thru early November. > So I was waiting as long as possible to put the vertical back up. > > > > The Saga begins: > > Monday: > > I had a 70 foot mast built up laying on the ground, with the 1000+ feet > of rope for guy wires ready to go! > The bottom of the mast is 2.5" thick wall tubing, tapers down to 1.25" > Uses 4 sets of four guy ropes. > > > Tuesday: > > The big day: Time to raise the mast up in the air! > > I decided to use a falling derrick approach to raising the mast. > I use 30 feet of old 3" Telrex Boom material for either a gin pole or > pole for falling derrick method. > > I am on a hillside so the guy wires are at different elevations. > So when raising a mast you have to constantly be adjusting guy lengths > as the mast is raised. > > Well, I raised the mast about half way up and I didn't have a guy > tightened up properly (Big Mistake #1) > > So, a gust of wind swung the mast side ways and the mast fell into the > "Bush" that covers most of my lot. > > So much for all that work. > > Went inside, grabbed the Rolling stones "Some Girls" disk and fired up: > "WHEN THE WHIP COMES DOWN" > > > BTW during this time frame the weather was horribly hot and muggy. > It had been raining off and on, > just often enough that the humidity was horrible. > 15 minutes outside working and you are soaked with sweat. > After an hour or two you are just completely drained and exhausted, > > Wednesday and Thursday: > > Both days were spent untangling the mess of rope and wire tangled in the > 15 foot high bush. > Sweat. Sunburn. More Sweat. Even more sweat. > Go inside and jump in cold shower. Remove small Tan-tan leaves stuck all > over sweaty body. > Repeat. > Repeat. > Repeat. > Fun. > > Friday: > > OK, ready to try again! > > Learning from big mistake #1, I kept the guy wires tight as I raised the > mast > Got the mast up about 80% of the way up. > > BAM Mast broke in half and came crashing down. > > Back inside Jam to "THE WHIP COMES DOWN".again > > > Analyzing what happened, I had mistakenly used a piece of 2" tubing in > the middle of the mast > that was a piece from an old HyGain beam and it was not standard .058" > wall thickness. > There was a critcal guy attachment point where this thin walled tubing > was used. > > SNAP!!! (Big Mistake #2) > > > Now around about this time I am questioning my sanity. > Is it really worth it? > What a crazy hobby... > > Time for another Stones tune: "Shattered". > > > But, My Elmer, Gene W8ZCT's favorite saying was: > > "Keep plugging away" > > His other favorite saying was: > > "A BIG SIGNAL is a LOT of work" > > (Back in 1971 when I was 13 years old, > I helped Gene put up a full size rotary 80 meter dipole up 135 feet. > He knew a thing or two about big signals) > > > Saturday (Contest Day): > > At this point was about to say the Hell with it > I must be crazy (XYL probably thinks so, but she is keeps it to > herself, hi!) > > I haven't gotten this thing up all week... how can I get it up now? > And if I do, I'll probably be too tired to operate...hi! > > But,the weather was getting better, the rain had stopped and the air > wasn't so thick. > The Gods were cooperating, weather wise! > > W8ZCT's words haunted me: > > "Keep plugging away" > "A big signal is a lot of work" > > So I decided not to give up after so much effort. > > Why quit when this close to finishing?? > (Even if you are totally exhausted, dehydrated and delerious) > > "Keep plugging away" > "A big signal is a lot of work" > > Mast got up in the air at 5PM local time (2100z) > > Quickly put
Topband: Saga of NP2J (very long)
"SAGA OF NP2J" (apologies to CE0XA: see 1965 QST: "Saga of CE0XA" ) (My "Elmer" was W8ZCT (later W8ON) Gene Liggett (SK), a member of CE0XA, First San Felix Operation) or "What a week of Screw ups!" ** Well,this story is the kind that you usually keep to yourself. Who wants everyone to know all the dumb stuff you did in order to sooth a case of Contest withdrawals and chill a 105 degree fever of "Topband Disease" I run a pair of phased Inverted L's each about 60 or so feet high. One of the two verticals is near edge of the hillside I am on and it catches a lot of wind so I take it down for Hurricane season. (See May 2021 CQ magazine page 18 for picture of vertical) Most of the bad Tropical storms we get are late in the year; September thru early November. So I was waiting as long as possible to put the vertical back up. The Saga begins: Monday: I had a 70 foot mast built up laying on the ground, with the 1000+ feet of rope for guy wires ready to go! The bottom of the mast is 2.5" thick wall tubing, tapers down to 1.25" Uses 4 sets of four guy ropes. Tuesday: The big day: Time to raise the mast up in the air! I decided to use a falling derrick approach to raising the mast. I use 30 feet of old 3" Telrex Boom material for either a gin pole or pole for falling derrick method. I am on a hillside so the guy wires are at different elevations. So when raising a mast you have to constantly be adjusting guy lengths as the mast is raised. Well, I raised the mast about half way up and I didn't have a guy tightened up properly (Big Mistake #1) So, a gust of wind swung the mast side ways and the mast fell into the "Bush" that covers most of my lot. So much for all that work. Went inside, grabbed the Rolling stones "Some Girls" disk and fired up: "WHEN THE WHIP COMES DOWN" BTW during this time frame the weather was horribly hot and muggy. It had been raining off and on, just often enough that the humidity was horrible. 15 minutes outside working and you are soaked with sweat. After an hour or two you are just completely drained and exhausted, Wednesday and Thursday: Both days were spent untangling the mess of rope and wire tangled in the 15 foot high bush. Sweat. Sunburn. More Sweat. Even more sweat. Go inside and jump in cold shower. Remove small Tan-tan leaves stuck all over sweaty body. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Fun. Friday: OK, ready to try again! Learning from big mistake #1, I kept the guy wires tight as I raised the mast Got the mast up about 80% of the way up. BAM Mast broke in half and came crashing down. Back inside Jam to "THE WHIP COMES DOWN".again Analyzing what happened, I had mistakenly used a piece of 2" tubing in the middle of the mast that was a piece from an old HyGain beam and it was not standard .058" wall thickness. There was a critcal guy attachment point where this thin walled tubing was used. SNAP!!! (Big Mistake #2) Now around about this time I am questioning my sanity. Is it really worth it? What a crazy hobby... Time for another Stones tune: "Shattered". But, My Elmer, Gene W8ZCT's favorite saying was: "Keep plugging away" His other favorite saying was: "A BIG SIGNAL is a LOT of work" (Back in 1971 when I was 13 years old, I helped Gene put up a full size rotary 80 meter dipole up 135 feet. He knew a thing or two about big signals) Saturday (Contest Day): At this point was about to say the Hell with it I must be crazy (XYL probably thinks so, but she is keeps it to herself, hi!) I haven't gotten this thing up all week... how can I get it up now? And if I do, I'll probably be too tired to operate...hi! But,the weather was getting better, the rain had stopped and the air wasn't so thick. The Gods were cooperating, weather wise! W8ZCT's words haunted me: "Keep plugging away" "A big signal is a lot of work" So I decided not to give up after so much effort. Why quit when this close to finishing?? (Even if you are totally exhausted, dehydrated and delerious) "Keep plugging away" "A big signal is a lot of work" Mast got up in the air at 5PM local time (2100z) Quickly put up the elevated radial, hooked up the coax cables and phasing line to the switch box. ( Big Mistake #3: Biggest mistake of them all!!! Didn't check one detail, too big of hurry to get on the air) Ran inside to check SWR, SWR OK!!! Time to get on the Air!!! Got on, Band was noisy, signals were weak, rates were terribly low I just thought conditions were bad, QRN bad etc.(QRN was S7 to S9+) I guess I must of been badly dehydrated, low on some vital nutrients or some such thing as I kept getting cramps in my hands. Sometimes just touching the keyboard would cause my hand to cramp in pain. Kept drinking fluids and ate some chili while operating and the cramps finally disapeared. The
Re: Topband: elevated radials question
Thanks to all of you who replied to me with a lot of information to digest. I believe I will improve my existing on-ground radial system as a starting point, see if I can switch over to a T-top vertical between two trees instead of my current inverted J over the top of one tree. And, of course, try to improve my RX situation. Hope to work you all on 160m soon. 73 de Greg N3ZL On Mon, Oct 25, 2021 at 12:04 PM Greg Davis wrote: > Hello Topbanders, > > I just got my 160m antenna back up after being off the band for a while, > just in time for the pre-Stew this past weekend. It is an inverted "J" with > I'd estimate 90ish feet more-or-less vertical over the tallest tree in my > back yard. I've got a decent number of on-ground radials laid down from > previous years, but I plan to add some elevated radials this season. > > There are a few things I'm not sure of. Do I raise the base of the vertical > to the height of the elevated radials -- 48" inches or so? Do I leave it on > the ground and slope up from the base of the vertical to reach the elevated > height a short distance away? Is there any reason not to combine a mix of > on-ground and elevated radials? > > Thanks in advance. > > 73 de Greg N3ZL > _ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband > Reflector > _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Magnetic Loop Height Question
On 10/25/2021 8:32 AM, W7TMT - Patrick wrote: I'm looking to improve my receive situation on 160. Given the numerous limitations to my location it appears my best chance of seeing any improvement might be a small loop. All of the designs specify a minimum height of above ground. The DXE version suggests 5 foot as a minimum and other designs are similar. Any thoughts on what that number would be if we are talking about super conductive ground below it, in this case saltwater? Any other considerations with a loop over seawater? Thanks for your time. 73, Patrick, W7TMT Hi Patrick: You had a great signal during the recent Stew Perry; love that salt water. Since you asked about loops, I will plug mine: http://n6rk.com/loopantennas/NCJ_loop_antenna_N6RK.pdf All this loop (or any other one) does is allow you to null out a single noise source. If your noise problem is such that you have a dominant noise source, they can be useful. I don't know where you got that there is a minimum height above ground. W3LPL actually says NOT to raise up the loop, for complicated reasons I won't go into here. I don't even think being over salt water matters. A loop is basically a phased pair of verticals; verticals love salt water. For receiving, the trouble with salt water is similar to the trouble with my high conductivity clay: it propagates all local noise VERY well. What has worked here is to put up a low dipole to reject some of the vertically polarized noise. Maybe two (choose one) of them at right angles. They do unfortunately receive vertical noise off the ends. BTW, a Beverage is a non-starter over salt water, as is well known. Another thing that helps is having a good SDR like my Flex 6700 with very narrow (down to 50 Hz) non ringing CW filtering. Hope to work you again in the big Stew! 73 Rick N6RK _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
