Re: Topband: DX Window
With electronic log submission easy to enforce, just invalidate any QSOs by W/VE run stations in the window. That's not practical to enforce via logs because some participants may be using radios that have no connection to the computer other than the key line. 73 Charlie, N0TT ___ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com
Re: Topband: DX WINDOW
Carol, N2MM Rule 6.1 for the ARRL 160... The segment 1.830 to 1.835 should be used for intercontinental QSOs only. Note that it says should be. IMHO, following the suggestion just makes the contest more fun for everyone. Charlie, N0TT On Sat, 1 Dec 2012 00:54:30 -0500 Carol Richards n...@comcast.net writes: That so called dx window on 160m does not exist...It hasn't existed for many years. Carol ___ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com ___ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com
Re: Topband: Outing The Scofflaws...but check UR radio
I can only figure one possible how someone is exactly on PTOS Fx and repeated keep calling directly on the DX Transmit frequency and that is that they have their radio set split and then reversed it while still listening to both frequencies simultaneously. This way they would hear the DX call but not know they were actually transmitting on the calling frequency. Gents, Some radios, like the IC775, have a nasty surprise when the radio is operated in the split mode. As I remember it, when the receive VFO is set on the DX freq, it supposed to be turned off/attenuated while transmitting. True, it's down about 50db. The surprise is when the attenuated signal is run through a KW amp along with the normal TX freq. There's enough signal transmitted on the DX station's freq to easily cause QRM!! It gets worse when on say, 10m. 73, Charlie, N0TT ___ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com
Re: Topband: Stew Perry Warmup this weekend
QRP will work if most of the country is clear of storms, otherwise it can be tough copy at the stormy end!! Looks like it might be stormy/noisy toward the right coast on Saturday night. 73, Charlie, N0TT On Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:43:53 -0600 James Rodenkirch rodenkirch_...@msn.com writes: Hopefully lots of QRP entries, like myself - looking forward to a fun event and sure hope to work lots of ya! 72, Jim R. K9JWV From: t...@kkn.net Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2012 08:03:10 -0700 To: cq-cont...@contesting.com; topband@contesting.com Subject: Topband: Stew Perry Warmup this weekend The Stew Perry Topband Distance Challenge warm-up is coming tomorrow. Full rules and results are available at our new web page http://www.kkn.net/stew/ Hope to hear you on 160 meters tomorrow. 73 Tree N6TR ___ Remember the PreStew coming on October 20th. http://www.kkn.net/stew for more info. ___ Remember the PreStew coming on October 20th. http://www.kkn.net/stew for more info. ___ Remember the PreStew coming on October 20th. http://www.kkn.net/stew for more info.
Re: Topband: [TowerTalk] How Do I Schedule a Freight Pick-Up?
On Sat, 25 Aug 2012 11:22:00 -0400 Larry lkn...@nc.rr.com writes: I did this several years ago (1984?). I assume the situation is the same now that when the truck shows up at your door with your tower YOU have to unload it. I was somewhat lucky and tied the tower (75 footer weighing about 800 lbs) to a tree and drove the truck out from underneath the tower. Part way through I hooked the tower balance point to an engine hoist and was able to move it around (I was on smooth concrete). What a PITA to have a tower or anything else delivered that way. I've specified, as part of the deal, that unloading must be providedno exceptions. If they can't, then use another service. 73, Charlie, N0TT 73, Larry W6NWS -Original Message- From: Bill Gaines Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2012 8:21 AM To: towert...@contesting.com Subject: [TowerTalk] How Do I Schedule a Freight Pick-Up? On June 29 my LM-470d was destroyed in a wind storm. I immediately started looking here and elsewhere for a suitable replacement. I found a couple but both were on the left coast and both indicated the buyer would have to arrange shipping. I have since found others closer to me but still the same thing about me doing the leg work on locating a shipper. I finally decided to replace the old tower with a new one also being shipped from the west coast. My reasoning was that since they do this full time they must have shippers waiting at their door to pick things up and haul away. I am told by the manufacturer that the tower is completed and is awaiting pick up by a trucking company. I have been told this story several times nowwaiting on a company to come to pick it up. My question is this. Where do I go to find a flat-bed truck that will pick this tower up in California and bring it to me in Ohio? There simply must be a reasonably quick way to get this done. Bill AD8P ___ ___ TowerTalk mailing list towert...@contesting.com com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk ___ ___ TowerTalk mailing list towert...@contesting.com http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Soldering in the wild!
I use a standard propane torch equipped with a large copper soldering tip. It's an attachment that fits on the end of the torch, and is secured with a small thumb screw. 73, Charlie, N0TT On Sat, 4 Aug 2012 13:22:42 -0400 Kenneth Grimm gr...@sbc.edu writes: After suffering through our infamous derecho here in Virginia, I find that I've got a* lot* of repair work to do on my beverages. Most of the breaks are in 450 ohm window line, located in remote areas and will require soldering. My non-AC electric soldering equipment seems to have been lost in the last move and I need to outfit myself with a wireless soldering device! I would be interested in what you use and if you are satisfied with the results. Thanks. 73, -- Ken - K4XL BoatAnchor Manual Archive BAMA - http://bama.edebris.com ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Beverage strain auto-disconnects
Hi Paul, My Beverages run through forest. Falling trees caused many wire breaks and high maintenance until I started using strain disconnects at all ends. I use a fuse link of #18 soft copper wire between the end insulator and the support pole/tree. That's good. Better than having to splice a wire or worse, ladder-line! For the Beverage connection to the transformer, termination, or reflection transformer (most are WD1A reversible type), I've been using 1/4 blade connectors. This allows the Beverage to fall and simply unplug itself from the boxes. In 4 years using this system I have not had to splice a single wire, and they have been down MANY times. My concern is those blade connectors, which turn an ugly mottled black within a year after installation. I'm not sure if this is a real problem or an imagined one. The Beverages still work but I'm concerned about possible BCI or other crud being generated in these connections. Does anyone have a better idea for disconnects to protect Beverage wire and boxes from destruction? For connections to boxes, 5-way binding posts on the box and solder-type banana plugs on the wires work well. Fill the posts with Vaseline then insert the plug, squeezing out the excess. That will help provide a gas-tight/water-tight connection. If the posts ever need cleaning on the inside, use a cotton swab chucked in a portable electric drill and some metal polish. 73, Charlie, N0TT ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Detuning transmit antenna in receive
A previous edition (and maybe the current one) of the Low Band DXing book has several methods of detuning TX antennas...might be worth a look. Some can be done right in the shack. 73 Charlie, N0TT On Sun, 17 Jun 2012 13:37:55 -0700 Bob K6UJ k...@pacbell.net writes: I am very interested in this subject, I am trying to figure out how to detune my 160 inverted L.I am using a flag antenna for receive and unfortunately it is only about 50 feet from the base of the L.By itself the flag works very well at reducing the local electrical noise, (which luckily it is coming from only one direction) When the L is strung up it the flag is useless, it reradiates the noise like mad. I'm hoping to learn more solutions on detuning xmit antennas during receive from the group. Wouldn't it be nice if all we had to do was ground the feedline to the xmit antenna during receive ? sigh I guess the idea is to make the xmit antenna non resonant anywhere near the operating freq during receive. Bob K6UJ On Jun 17, 2012, at 8:03 AM, W2XJ wrote: There is no single solution for detuning an antenna it depends on electrical length. For verticals a quarter wavelength or less it is common to have a contactor between the network and the radiating element and open the connection to float that element. This is the practice in commercial directional arrays where some tower are not used in a day or night mode. This does not work well on taller towers and I do not know offhand how it would work with the T. It is easy enough to model in EZNEC. On 6/16/12 3:02 PM, Shoppa, Tim wrote: OK, several folks came back and recommended detuning my transmit antenna in receive. Certainly any receive antenna I have is going to be in the shadow of my transmit antenna, a 130-foot flat-top about 85 feet up, fed against ground. (Really it's an 80 meter doublet fed with ladder line. I tie the ladder line together at the bottom and feed against ground.) Trying to figure out what detune is. I match the transmit antenna to 50 ohm coax with a L network at the bottom. If I want to detune, then I can open up the connection between the antenna and the L network at the bottom? Unhook the L or C in the L network? Short out the antenna where it comes into the L network? I could rig up a relay contact to do any of those. Tim N3QE ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: LED lamp noise on Topband
Gents, LED lamp noise is being discussed on the RFI relector. Those of you who have HS or Broadband internet will want to look at this!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8zMhjXcmoA 73, Charlie, N0TT ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: Antenna phasing - 9-circle RX array
Hi Gents, I want to confirm some phasing For those of you who have ON4UN's LBDXg book, 5th (latest) edition *AND* who are very familiar with phasingplease take a look at the schematic of the 9-circle RX array at the bottom of page 7-44. Notice that T2 is being fed from H4. Should T2 be fed from H3 instead, and then H4 feed H6 directly? 73 and thanks, Charlie, N0TT ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Metal Enclosure
Dan In his book, Vertical Antenna Handbook, Capt. Lee has some enclosures, one of which is a large ammo can, available at just about any Army Surplus store. Water/WX proof!! 73, Charlie, N0TT On Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:30:36 -0800 (PST) Dan Bookwalter n8...@yahoo.com writes: I am totally reworking the feed system on my Inv-L... I have decided that I would like to use a large metal enclosure depending on cost. I need something about 20L x 16W x 8D. Anyone have a good source or a better idea ? Dan N8DCJ ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Hi-Z Delay lines and new amps for four square
2) I have four of the new amplifiers which I understood to be waterproof but there are two holes in the back of each amplifier case which seem to open to the inner chamber. Are these new amplifiers really water tight? Doug, I don't know about those particular amps, but it's good practice to have two, *small* vent holes, in the bottom of the cases to allow ventilation to prevent build up of condensation. One hole does not provide for cross-ventilation, thus the two holes. 73, Charlie, N0TT ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: 0-Degree Hybrids - resistor tolerance
Gents, Assuming 75-ohm inputs, what's the tolerance of the 150-ohm balancing resistor used on a 0-degree hybrid combiner such as the one shown in ON4UN's LBDXing book, Fifth edition, page 7-23, figure 7-24? Thanks, Charlie, N0TT ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Receiver Frontend Protector?
If not, what does everyone else use for a receiver frontend protection? Scott, I use a front end saver. Homebrew from CQ Magazine, Feb 1997. I think Far Circuits still sells a circuit board for that, but it's a simple device to build, so perfboard will work too. 73, Charlie, N0TT ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: RF attenuators
On Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:01:56 -0600 Tod t...@k0to.us writes: Jim is correct. You can look in the ARRL Handbook for resistor combination that will give you the attenuation you desire while keeping the impedance at a suitable value. 73, Tod, K0TO FWIW...there's also a rather old, but very useful book posted on the net that has tables and formulas for resistive attenutators and a lot of other things. The file is ~3.59 m/b in size. http://136.159.225.44/AlliedData.pdf 73, Charlie, N0TT ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
