Re: Topband: ARRL LOTW and More
Maybe because XE is in NA while Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Venezuela are not. And maybe, Mexican states are as important to Mexicans as US States and VE provinces are to their northern neighbors. http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namaps.htm Finding OX is considered a part of NA was an education. 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ARRL, GMCC, CW OPS, NAQCC ARRL TA On 12/18/2012 9:29 PM, W4TV wrote: There are those who don't like CQ's format, those who don't like the new ARRL 10 Meter format with Mexican States (why Mexico and not Brazil or Argentina, or Chile, or Venezuela?) - ___ It is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatsoever for supposing it is true. - Bertrand Russell
Re: Topband: ARRL LOTW and More
We should face a couple of facts. Budget wise ARRL is a very small outfit, serving a very small population. DXCC is just a fraction, and not a very vital fraction, of ARRL's efforts. What's probably more vital to the future success of Amateur Radio is not us reprobate dinosaurs with ohmygosh external HF antennae, if you'll permit me to generalize beginning with myself. Its the public service volunteer sector. Notice who gets the QST writeups, and who gets the once a year minority report. Nonetheless I rate the DXCC department first class bearing in mind their constraints. Some evidence: My CQWW CW QSO's are fully implemented in LoTW including QSL's from QSO partners who also uploaded. I made an online card submission 11 November. It was processed 30 November. (I/ve lost track whether 11 NOV is the day they received the cards, or the day I made the online submission). I made a LoTW submission on 13 November. It was processed and listed on the SAME DAY 13 November. On the down side my OK DX RTTY submission, uploaded 18 December 12 (for those sans calendars that's yesterday), is not in LoTW yet. Damn those Connecticut Yankees, they just can't seem to get anything done! Lest we forget where ARRL gets its funding. This gotta have it now mentality has only one solution. Those who think ARRL and DXCC operate in the Dark Ages need only send in substantial bequests and whatever problems there are can be fixed. -- 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ARRL, GMCC, CW OPS, NAQCC ARRL TA ___ It is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatsoever for supposing it is true. - Bertrand Russell
Topband: Fw: GAP VERTICAL QUESTION
My first antenna, still in use, on moving to CO is a GAP Titan, advertised to load up 80 thru 10 including WARC bands. The Titan is a bit shorter than Voyager, 28 feet or something like it. The advertising is correct, it loads up 180 thru 10. But wait. Is it effective on all those bands? No. On 80 its a dummy load. On 40 it works extremely well after I added a one foot extension to the bottom wire that encircles the antenna. In some cases it is the equal of my shorty HyGain 40 at 70 ft - which probably says more about the HyGain than the GAP. For the rest its better on the traditional bands than the WARC bands. It worked a lot of DX for me for the couple years it was my only antenna. Carrying my experience to the few feet taller Voyager, and from what I've been told by Voyager users, the ant will meet its spec which is to load up on the low bands. Expectation wise I'd expect it to be like the Titan. It loads up but is otherwise a dummy load. Maybe with a batch of radials it could be made to work as well as any other extremely short vertical or GP. Not to say there's anything wrong with GAP. My brother had up an R7 which he rated about like the GAP on bands both cover. Those multiband halfwave short verticals work but you get what you pay for. 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ARRL, GMCC, CW OPS, NAQCC ARRL TA On 12/12/2012 10:00 AM, topband-requ...@contesting.com wrote: With the prospect of downsizing and moving into senior housing in the future I am starting to look at vertical antennas that will allow me to continue this wonderful hobby.? I have heard some good things about the GAP series of antennas but the company says they do not need radials on most of them and that worries me.? Over the years I have become very skeptical about claims and the other BS put out by most companies ( maybe it is a function of age I dunno) so I wonder if these antennas really work.? The two antennas that I am interested are the Voyager DX for 160/80/40? and the Eagle DX for the rest of the bands. So my question is does anyone have actual experience with these antennas (especially the voyager) as compared to other antennas for a specific frequency.? Now guys .. I know you cant really compare a 6 element beam to a vertical of this kind but I am talking about a comparison that is realistic.. like how does it hear, tune, match get out compared to something like another vertical or a dipole up some reasonable distance. I sure hope this has not opend another can of worms.. some how I seem to do that .. private emails are ok..especially it the topic gets out of hand and we get a large volume of comments (Tree please dont shoot me before Christmas my wife will miss me.) ___ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com
Re: Topband: DX window
One sure way to open the DX window to DX is to blacklist us/ve who CQ there. At least temporarily. Which is what I do, just pass them by even when they're 40 over and I need the mult. Tough love. If there's a DX station nearby I'll surely try to work it, perhaps with a judicious VFO offset to make sure the DX can hear me. Not that I keep a list or anything. I don't. If they just keep CQn in the window I'll never work them. Sooner or later they'll find me up or down the band. A DL wondered how many DX can coexist in 5kHz. Not many. But its a lot more than is possible to work if US/VE are CQing in that 5kHz! Another noted there's no rule in terms of licensing structure about the window. True. Its been a gentlemen's agreement since way before I was first licensed. -- 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ARRL, GMCC, CW OPS, NAQCC ARRL TA ___ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com
Re: Topband: Patience in ARRL 160 Contest
I completely agree from the perspective of penalties. Lately I have taken to purposely not working stations where there is the possibility of working the wrong station or miscopy. The penalty imposed by organizers is greater than the missed Q. I ascribe to the system Tree suggests: CQ K6XT N6TR N6TR report K6XT report TU (test or call or whatever) The only time penalty is my QSO partner sending my call once. Then we both know who has been worked. Completely resolves the nearly colocated CQer and off frequency replier issues. 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ARRL, GMCC, CW OPS, NAQCC ARRL TA On 12/3/2012 7:38 PM, topband-requ...@contesting.com wrote: Actually what Ken sends me is: me: CQ TEST N6RK N6RK Ken: N6RK N6RO me: N6RO 5NN SV ken: 5NN EB or sometimes: 5NN EB KB:-) Ken's extremely strong signal tips me off as to who is calling, so I am used to this by now. Rick N6RK ___ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com
Re: Topband: 1820 spur
And southwest Colorado 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ARRL, GMCC, CW OPS, NAQCC ARRL TA On 11/3/2012 6:54 AM, topband-requ...@contesting.com wrote: Message: 16 Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2012 21:16:39 -0500 From: Mike Watersmikew...@gmail.com To: topbandtopband@contesting.com Subject: Re: Topband: 1820 spur Message-ID: CA+FxYXjfecCoOpu5xr_eTMXgp9aKHBxN=VQV=vvq3bv2zne...@mail.gmail.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 It can be heard in Japan and Canada?! Where could it be coming from? 73, Mike www.w0btu.com ___ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com
Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 119, Issue 4
There are multiple 910's around the country, its not necessarily the same one. Been audible for as long as I've been in CO. Googling am stations on 910KHz produced 38,100 returns. The first couple pages are all K/W stations, I didn't look beyond that. Likely every one of them can be heard somewhere on 1820. There should be, maybe is, a Worldwide freqs to avoid on 160 list for DXpeditioners, starting with even 10's. USA just one of many affected. 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ARRL, GMCC, CW OPS, NAQCC ARRL TA On 11/3/2012 10:00 AM, topband-requ...@contesting.com wrote: Message: 2 Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2012 09:38:35 -0700 From: Brucek...@myfairpoint.net To:topband@contesting.com Subject: Topband: Fw: 1820 spur Message-ID: 9DA33C113A6C4843AE776AF3BCED271B@k1fzPC Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1; reply-type=response Seems impossible, It has a wide coverage like a satellite. 73 Bruce And southwest Colorado 73 Art K6XT~~ It can be heard in Japan and Canada?! Where could it be coming from? ___ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com
Re: Topband: The use of digital modes on 160 metres
Tom, easily is a very parochial east coast point of view. Maybe from GA. Probably not in one lifetime from west of the Mississippi. Having noted that, let me go on to say the discussion has morphed from its origin of where to put digi modes to whether digi modes should be on [pick a band]. I'll continue to insist that 1835-40 is a really crummy choice for digimodes on 160. I'll also insist digimodes have every right to be on [pick a band] where its legal. One day in the not so distant future as I get even more cantankerous than at present I may be faced with that bent wire antenna in an old folks home, where I already qualify age wise. I want the capability to work DX on 160 after the hearing apparatus fails completely. A read it off the screen digimode may be just the answer. A word about transmitter adjustment. Separate from tx adjustment is the issue of receiver quality. I usually use a K3 which doesn't have many receiver issues. When K3 is out of service the spare is an IC706 which, by comparison, has lots of receiver problems. IMO receiver issues cause just as many problems on some digimodes as does tx adjustment - and many folks with the bent wire ant have its rig equivalent on the operating table. Is that bad? Of course not. Whether by choice or necessity we run what we brung. I'll guess that few have the interest, skill or equipment to make audio tx adjustments independent of the software IMD meter. We're stuck with it. Better to be imperfectly in the ballpark than to have no idea. 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ARRL, GMCC, CW OPS, NAQCC ARRL TA On 9/19/2012 7:43 AM, Tom wrote: A bit of bent wire can easily work 200+ countries on 160 on CW. Probably more so than on digital modes at the present time. ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 117, Issue 20
An additional issue for weak sig CW folks is the nature of digi operations. Digi operators don't always check for pre-existing activity. The result is the digi setup begins its 1 minute of howling, irrespective of some CW activity already in progress. No problem to the digi operator whose setup will mindlessly repeat until acknowledged. A deal breaker to the CW activity. Like Tom I neither endorse nor object to digi activity, except as it jams existing CW. I share his opinion that the frequency choice for digi activity could not have been more poorly chosen. 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ARRL, GMCC, CW OPS, NAQCC ARRL TA On 9/16/2012 10:00 AM, W8JI wrote: Message: 5 Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2012 03:25:01 -0400 From: Tom W8JIw...@w8ji.com To:topband@contesting.com Subject: Re: Topband: The use of digital modes on 160 metres Message-ID: F86C84D7C0764E30BDE23B7F70EAC56D@tom0c1d32a93f0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=UTF-8; reply-type=original While there may be many that disagree with me I love digital modes on 160. I primarily use JT65 and it has been one of the reasons that I have worked Japan and New Zealand on TB. I use it primarily when my hearing disabillity kicks in and my ears start ringing and I work CW the rest of the time. I can tell you that my ears do not like CW close to the noise floor. The frequencies and modes most used (so far as I have heard) are 1.836 6 for WSPR, 1.838 for JT65 and also 1.838 for PSK31. I'm not endorsing or objecting to the concept of digimodes on 160 meters, but whatever happened to the ARRL bandplan? http://www.arrl.org/band-plan-1 Our region sets digital modes as 1800-1810. 1835 up though around 1840 is used by CW as a DX CW work when the band is busy. I often try to stay above 1835 on CW during European propagation times to stay out of other people's hair when the band is very good and crowded with stations. The problem with digital modes, in my opinion, is they often are not generated and decoded properly. They are generally audio baseband signals converted up to RF by a normal cheap transceiver's SSB chain, and converted back down through the SSB receiver. This means most digital modes are subject to all the hum, noise, carrier suppression, opposite sideband suppression, and limited dynamic range of any SSB system. The limited dynamic range, caused by dumping encoded baseband audio into a SSB audio input and decoding through a SSB audio output, is why digimode people have such an affliction about power amplifiers. The transmitter system has all the issues of any SSB system. To cure the problem of IMD or maladies like hum, noise, or harmonic distortion inherent in any SSB communications system, they simply mandate making the signal weaker, so the inherent problems are buried in band noise. 160, because band layout is different than other bands, is a particularly unwise place to stick digimodes between normal SSB operations and weak signal CW operations. Had digimode positioning been planned by experienced 160 operators and people who understand SSB systems, instead of 160 novices or those unfamiliar with SSB system issues as they relate to dynamic range, digimodes would never have been placed in an existing DX communications band area between 1835 and 1840. The root of this problem is inexperienced people who just decided a 100Hz (or whatever) wide varying amplitude audio signal into a TX SSB port always comes out exactly 100 Hz wide without hum, noise, carrier, harmonic distortion, or other inherent SSB transmitter maladies. Worse of all, planning never considered the CW area of 160 is upside down, and the CW weak signal working band for the last 40 years primarily was 1825-1835+. From a purely technical standpoint, use of 1835 to 1840 is one of the worse ideas ever. This puts SSB transmitters down to 1835 or less dial setting, right in what was a weak signal area, usually in the hands of people who don't have a clue how the baseband-to-RF modulation and demodulation systems work. This is entirely different than 80 meters on up, where there is an incredibly wide buffer area for digimodes and weak signal work areas. On 160, lack of technical planning and experience with the band has now placed splattering or harmonic distorted signals, or placed common wiring design issues where people insist on running unbalanced lines grounded at each end between computers and the transmitter, right against (and into) two traditionally weak signal areas. Eventually this might evolve into a solution, but that might take years if it ever happens. What will happen if digimodes stay between 1835 and 1840 is the DX area near 1835 will get pushed downwards by headaches with less than paper-perfect SSB transmitters, and SSB DX will get pushed upward away from 1840 or less as the lower voice channel edge. What I stated above, which is factually accurate, is why so many people resent audio
Re: Topband: The use of digital modes on 160 metres
Exactly. And it applies to digi operators too, many of whom are not listening for CW or anything else in my very own personal experience. Their software is in control - who needs to look at a radio's S meter or, heaven forbid, actually listen to it? seems to be a common operating situation. Ergo jamming, intentional or not. Its also true that no CW contester I know of will sit on a freq for up to a minute (or even 10 seconds) waiting to see if someone's already using it. No doubt at all there's plenty of potential for conflict in the 1835-1840 area. Which returns me to my starting point of agreement with Tom about the unfortunate choice of that range for digi ops. Since I don't use SSB and find some other band in the 160SSB tests, I haven't had the pleasure you describe. IMO Tom's fruitful discussion would begin where can we move digi ops out of the 35-40 segment so there's reduced impact on activity preexisting since the dawn of creation, and do it such that the digi ops - many of whom probably also use CW and SSB on 160 - don't need to add more antenna switching or a separate antenna. A discussion about how regularly parts of the band are used for DX is, IMHO, specious. Obviously there isn't likely to be much activity til the band opens somewhere and a DX station shows up. PS: Lest anyone think I'm unduly biased, while not a regular I have used digital modes including JT65 on 160 and other bands. 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ARRL, GMCC, CW OPS, NAQCC ARRL TA On 9/16/2012 1:19 PM, Jim wrote: Jam existing CW? What about the SSB stations down around 1820 during a contest? NO ONE has the right to any frequency. Whoever gets there first and uses it takes priority. ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: DX Window
Out west in flyover country we rue the day. Tom is spot on. I too stay out of 30-35 for CQing so my western brethren can potentially hear something. Very unfortunate to have the 30-35 window, which many DX stations use, clobbered by a very few thoughtless W CQ'ers. I didn't realize recognition of the window is a has been. Out here, not the case. 73 Art K6XT~~ Allison, southwest CO Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ARRL, GMCC, CW OPS, NAQCC On 8/30/2012 5:13 PM, W8JI wrote: I try to stay above 1835 or below 25 as much as possible, because I think removing that clear area was a bad idea for stations distant from the coast, who have to listen through the NE wall. ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 114, Issue 3
Our (K6XT, XYL W0MOE) condolences to Mike's family. I really enjoyed chasing TB DX and being on chat with Mike. RIP OM. 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ARRL, GMCC, CW OPS, NAQCC On 6/1/2012 1:00 PM, topband-requ...@contesting.com wrote: On 6/1/2012 10:47 AM, HAROLD SMITH JR wrote: I have received word that Mike Elliot, KQ0B, passed away Wednesday afternoon. I have not received anyother information. In the last few years, Mike was very active on 160. He has always been very active on 80 thru 10 meters. Our prayers go out to his family. Price W0RI Sorry to hear that, Price. Back when I was more active, I remember Mike as being a perennial presence on the Lowband Chat. He was a very enthusiastic lowband DXer. RIP Mike W4EF... ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: 7O6T QRM
Or the hams, trying to be nice, who send sri or whatever on advice they're on the wrong VFO, thus creating more QRM. Well at least they're trying to be nice. Words of the day: Just SHUT UP and QSY. .just a dit or two just got a lot worse for us K3 users with the new AGC threshold firmware! But at least you EC guys are working them. We black holers have yet to hear more than a peep on 40, and nil on 80/160. -- 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. Even if I don't manage to work them on 160, my main complaint isn't with their operating but with the miserable clods who can't resist transmitting on their frequency. A special place must be reserved in radio hell for those who tune up on frequency. Almost as annoying are those who insist on sending just a dit or two on their frequency when I've got my headphones on and the AF gain turned way up. It's like someone just slapped me on my ears! I won't even mention the cretins who send up, up, up, up, up,,up thereby managing to QRM a couple of QSOs before they have vented their spleen. Enough grousing. 8*) We can always hope for better conditions and better behavior tonight. 73, -- Ken - K4XL BoatAnchor Manual Archive BAMA - http://bama.edebris.com ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: how to hear through static crashes?
This isn't necessarily a plug, and I have no pecuniary interest. Thankfully the K3 has an adjustable audio limiter, and also a hi/lo gain setting, for those of us who use these techniques listening thru static crashes. Previous rigs occasionally pasted my ears good no matter how adjusted. An audio gain issue with K3 and probably other newer rigs is they're so quiet on a quiet band I often am listening to, or even working, DX that is not moving the meter. Audio limiting is only partially effective on the occasional simplex caller (or jammer). Backed off RF gain, advanced AF gain contributes to this. 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. On 3/27/2012 1:00 PM, topband-requ...@contesting.com wrote: Message: 5 Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:14:06 -0700 From: Brucek...@myfairpoint.net Subject: Topband: how to hear through static crashes? To:topband@contesting.com Message-ID:3291D4CA6AFC445CB1835163AFA53796@k1fzPC Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1; reply-type=original - otherwise the static crashes will blow your eardrums out with the high AGC threshold. Years ago in the late 1990's, early 2000's when I was doing serious contesting I found a good remedy. An old ARRL handbook had a diagram of two diodes (one for positive peaks, the other for negative peaks) biased with batteries, plus variable pots, to clamp headphone audio for maximum confortable level. Built it up and worked well. 73 Bruce-K1FZ ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: 3C6A
I started that thread without a real thought of its applicability to 3C6A. Just pointing out the facts, ma'am as Jack might say. In fact 3C6A ops seem to be doing very well sticking with a call til its accurately logged. My own experience with them on 30M is instructive. I worked them twice (insurance since no online log) on 30M, both times weak with QSB and the usual QRM such that they had to reply twice, the second reply sending my call twice. A good job! 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. On 2/25/2012 6:06 AM, Eddy Swynar wrote: On 2012-02-24, at 4:47 PM, k6xt wrote: There's two sides to the DX Code of Conduct pictured on the site. One of them is our side, the callers. The other is the DX side. Referring especially to sticking with a partial call until its correct in the log, no matter the jamming level. Often what we hear is the DX gives up and moves on to one of the intentional QRM jammer incessant callers. A tactic guaranteed to increase the incessant caller activity level. Hi Guys, A look back through my late 1920's issues of QST magazine reveals a monthly column entitled, I believe, PREHISTORIC SIGNALS. Therein, for all to behold, were the specific call signs of stations heard during the previous month that had not pulled-up their bootstraps on the eve of newer, more stringent regulations from the then FCC regarding signal quality... These offenders were guilty of such things listed as raw AC on signal, extreme drift, excessive chirp, etc. etc. etc. The idea, obviously, was that offenders so outed would be inspired (shamed is more like it!) to re-vamp their transmitters, bringing them up to the then modern standards. I wonder if a similar such list of PREHISTORIC OPERATING STANDARDS might be in order to-day? DX-pedition operators know the repeated callers, the out-of-turn callers, etc. only too well---as do those of us on this side of the pile-up. Does working these offenders not, effectively, REWARD their prehistoric operating standards? Would it, perhaps, be better for the organizers of such DX treks to publish the call signs of REPEAT offenders on their web site, for all to see (including, hopefully, the offenders themselves)...? I don't know what general consensus might be on such an idea, but it's apparent that whatever excellent codes of DX conduct exist in the printed form on-line, in the various Amateur publications, etc., they are completely utterly lost upon a GROWING cadre of so-called DX'ers. Perhaps the time is nigh to stop relying upon the honour system to elevate standards, and to instead, cite poor operating standards etiquette in a public way...because things are hardly improving on the air, such as they are. ~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: 3C6A
Try 160 at 2300Z? What it will take is a daily dedication to the low bands (80 and 40 needed here as well) for as long as its dark in 3C0. 2300Z is still 90 minutes to sunset in CO and 3 hours on the west coast. Bearing in mind there's just two ops, that would mean a sharply decreased emphasis on daytime operation, converting it to sleep time. From what I've read and observed so far, it doesn't seem likely. Lots of folks who need 3C0 anywhere at all won't appreciate the suggestion. Bearing also in mind 3C0 hasn't been on low bands any time recently, the pile ups will be huge and unforgiving. It'll take real low band dedication to work thru them. It'll take even more dedication to work west US stations thru the EU and east coast curtains. There's two sides to the DX Code of Conduct pictured on the site. One of them is our side, the callers. The other is the DX side. Referring especially to sticking with a partial call until its correct in the log, no matter the jamming level. Often what we hear is the DX gives up and moves on to one of the intentional QRM jammer incessant callers. A tactic guaranteed to increase the incessant caller activity level. Well I don't know about the WF part but I'll surely be W'ing til they're in the log. Lets hope for the best, c'yall in the pileups. 73 Art ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: LOTW Participation
Like VE3XZ I like real cards. But, striking out for my goal of over 300 on each HF band, less 160 where I don't have enough goo nor enough years, I concluded the expense could be better directed toward making the QSO, than confirming it. My logger (DXLabSuite) shows in its packet application and its logging apparatus who is LoTW active. For non-low bands (40 and down) I don't seek to work non-LoTW users unless its relatively rare enough that I'd choose to send a card, or its an expedition I'll also work on the low bands. On the theory someone else will show up who is on LoTW. Or unless I just want to yak. As far as QSLs preserved for posterity it seems to me the family that keeps little postcards around as memorials, which mean just about nothing to the non hams except my Dad did this, are few and far between. I expect my QSL's and awards will be in the trash poste haste once my corpus lands there. Meanwhile things change. CQ mag has the Marathon. Getting involved in that, now I work anything. Total renewal every year, no QSLs required. Then GlobalQSL came along, taking some of the expense and most of the pain out of QSLing, for example, an entire contest log. Now it seems more like a balancing act between my personal goals, finance, and the electronic tools. Gotta run now. TU2T and 6O0N cards just came in the mail... -- 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: FW: Proper Decorum On The Gentleman's Band...
While that might be true for 30M, 160 is exposed to multiple modes including SSB. Various worldwide band plans. As W4TV points out antennas that, if worth their salt, are probably a lot narrower than the 30M band. Arguably, a lot more interest amongst those who have the requisite hardware. Much more difficult propagation, i.e. weak sigs with QRN, that is much easier to QRM (very often at my station a 30M DXpedition will be many dB stronger than the jamming). Plus 30 has no major and darn few minor contests to contend with. To me the comparison to 30M is like apples to donuts. They're both food but there ends the similarities. -- 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. This isn't as far fetched as it seems. Folks on 30m, which is only 50kHz wide [1], manage to rub along quite nicely: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/wadei/30m_band_utilization.htm Maybe something like this could serve as a model for top band. ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: OQRS
Fellow denizens I was just sending for TN2T QSLs via OQRS. A donation question arose due to the way I did this. I sent a TN2T donation on 17 Jan. Then, to complete the OQRS QSL process, today I sent another donation. It feels to me like the 17 Jan donation went directly to TN2T while today's went to fund the OQRS system. Heretofore I (perhaps naively) thought they were one and the same. Whatsay y'all? PS: Boo Hoo I only heard TN2T on TB once and nowhere near effective enough to work them. But did score on 80. No matter, except for 40 all new bandmodes. -- 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Topband Noise noise question (Mike Greenway)
Another good source for an ultrasonic (US) kit and a construction article is www.midnightscience.com, website of The Xtal Set Society. I built a receiver (about $150) on their instructions. It has been so successful our local very responsive power coop bought a $4500 commercial version. The power coop didn't make this investment out of gratitude for my discovery of numerous noise sources, although I did that with my combo IC706, VHF whip on the car, and US detector. They did it because they had a cost study done that concluded about 7% of their energy was going to ground via noisy leaks. Old infrastructure seems to be the primary culprit around here. The study prompted the employment of an engineer, an expensive receiver specifically intended to find leaks, and (after seeing mine in action) the US detector. Their commercial US detector is 30 times more expensive than my plumbers delight model, and perhaps twice more effective. Their receiver is a real asset. The noise engineer and I hook it to my antennas, note the pulse characteristics of the power leak, then are able to practically drive right to it. Some of the time anyway and given a pretty strong QRN signal. The bad news is no matter how successful I am new sources keep on coming on. Stuff breaks, the temperature varies, the wind blows, lightning strikes, the line crews over and under tighten hardware or install wrong, poles decay away and catch fire, birds fry - a never ending task. If anyone's interested in photos please email off the reflector k6xt at arrl dot net. -- 73 Art K6XT~~ near Allison Colorado Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: experimenting with inverted L
It most likely also means whatever Jimmy is connecting the radials to is probably not the actual antenna. This result just cannot be, if the radial system were connected to the radiating element. 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. On 12/1/2011 9:19 AM, topband-requ...@contesting.com wrote: Message: 5 Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:45:01 -0400 From: Herb Schoenbohmhe...@vitelcom.net Subject: Re: Topband: experimenting with inverted L To:topband@contesting.com Message-ID:4ed6b1ed.2020...@vitelcom.net Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Jimmy, Think of it this way...if the feed point resistance of your antenna is 12ohms, a low VSWR across the band, and fed with a 50 ohm transmission line, you have the equivalent of putting a 40 ohm resistor from your antenna connection to ground. This is all wasted power except for a few percent that is radiated skyward. 73, Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: slow speed contester
Great advice Rick. In my post I should have added something about eradicating every nonessential dit from the exchange. 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. On 11/24/2011 9:35 AM, Richard (Rick) Karlquist wrote: The biggest problem with working slow speed stations in the ARRL 160 is that I leave the frequency unattended for too long, and risk having an east coast station fire up his CQ machine. To mitigate this, the slow speed station should send the minimum number of characters: 5NN SV. Please don't send QSL, 73, BK, etc. Please don't wait several seconds before coming back to me. Be prepared for me to send TU as soon as I hear your section. If you can't copy my call at my CQ speed, send CALL?. Otherwise, I will send your exchange slow but assume you managed to copy my call despite the high speed. If sending with a straight key, please err on the high side of the 3:1 dash to dot ratio, and please leave appropriate spaces between characters and between RST and section. Conditions for QRS stations tend to be friendlier higher in the band and later in the contest. CU on the air next weekend when we Occupy 160 meters, hi. Rick N6RK ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: slow speed contester
Brian Contesters want to work everyone. No sane contester is going to ask why anyone enters. Get in there and enjoy yourself! If it takes a few tries to copy a call because they're speedy, that's OK. Another thing contesters want is new contesters. Myself I try to remember to slow down the keyer when responding to slow CW, thinking maybe the other fellow hasn't yet mastered the higher speeds. Just like me when I started out. Nobody's born with it. Similarly, contesters want their information to be copied the first time. Repeats are expensive time-wise. Another good reason to slow down to near the speed of the caller. Choose your calls wisely and you'll have a ball. The main thing is to jump in! While you're thinking about code speed please check out the CW Ops organization, cwops.org. CW Ops has a CW Academy whose purpose is to mentor folks at any level who want to improve CW speed and accuracy. The next 3 weekends are filled with CW contesting. Enjoy! -- 73 Art K6XT~~ Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. Brian wrote: Hi Folks: I'm a slow CW op (less than 10 WPM). Would it be worth my time to participate, or will my slow speed slow down other stations and while I add to the QRM? 73 Brian, KD6NRP ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
