Re: Topband: 160M DX Conditions
I always look at the lightning activity in my target area of interest, to get an idea of what their local QRN is like, and of course to see where the noise is coming from in my region. I’ll also ask on the ON4KST Low Bands Chat if the frequency I am calling CQ on is clear at the other end. I expect there to be quite a bit of thunderstorm QRN locally this evening, and probably through the weekend, but will have a listen regardless. Lightning & Thunderstorms - Australia (blitzortung.org) is what I use for checking where the lightning is. 73, Luke VK3HJ. Sent from Mail for Windows From: Roger Kennedy Sent: Friday, 17 December 2021 2:19 AM To: topband@contesting.com Subject: Topband: 160M DX Conditions The only other thing I would say about this is that Propagation on 160m is often quite one-way . . . So just because you can hear a station, doesn't mean that they will copy you! I often work the same DX stations . . . when conditions are "normal" we exchange similar signal reports . . . but sometimes they are much stronger with me . . . sometimes I am much stronger with them. Anyway, hope to work lots of you in the SP Contest this weekend ! 73 Roger G3YRO _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 160M DX Conditions
I just happened across an ARRL article yesterday that said that OTH radar QRM is terrible (worse by far than anything else) in IARU Region 1. Are there any on 160? If so, that might explain some of the problem. There are now about 800 active OTH radar installations, mostly in Russia but in other countries too. 73 Mike W0BTU On Thu, Dec 16, 2021, 3:54 AM Ian Fugler wrote: > I have witnessed this several times and it seems to be on the increase. I > often listen on 160m and hear quite a few DX stations answering a CQ from > an > EU station, but apparently not being heard. It must be frustrating for the > DX station. > _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: 160M DX Conditions
The only other thing I would say about this is that Propagation on 160m is often quite one-way . . . So just because you can hear a station, doesn't mean that they will copy you! I often work the same DX stations . . . when conditions are "normal" we exchange similar signal reports . . . but sometimes they are much stronger with me . . . sometimes I am much stronger with them. Anyway, hope to work lots of you in the SP Contest this weekend ! 73 Roger G3YRO _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 160M DX Conditions
Hi, Mike I have witnessed this several times and it seems to be on the increase. I often listen on 160m and hear quite a few DX stations answering a CQ from an EU station, but apparently not being heard. It must be frustrating for the DX station. I am, though, fortunate to have dedicated rx aerials including 1000 foot beverages and live in a rural area. Generally, the background noise levels here in the UK are awful and make life very hard on the lower bands. Thanks for the 160m QSOs and season's greetings, Ian G4iiY -Original Message- From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces+zen90387=zen.co...@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Mike Smith VE9AA Sent: 15 December 2021 02:02 To: topband@contesting.com Subject: Re: Topband: 160M DX Conditions Roger, I think you're getting out alright but RX may be a little lacking or perhaps it was just overly noisy in Ol Blighty last night. Called you last night after a couple Midwest USA stations gave up. Probably around 0040z or thereabouts. You were solid. Finally got 1 QRZ, then you just started calling CQ right away after giving me enough time to send my call 2-3 more times. I called 2 CQ's just afterwards a few kcs up the band and lit up 18 skimmers from G through VE6(right at SS in VE6), so I know I was getting out. I am not the loudest signal on the band, but I do "ok'. Legal limit to an inverted L type of antenna. GL with your CQing. Hey, I tried ! 73 de Mike VE9AA - Conditions have been pretty good this week . . . and there has also been quite a few NA stations coming on the band. (I usually come on for about an hour at 00.30Z, as that seems to be when propagation is best, based on received signal strengths on NA RBN stations) Although it's hard to be sure, but it seems that my slight Antenna improvements after putting my Dipole back up after the terrible gales we had over here have made my Tx signal a little stronger. (basically this involved putting a taller mast at one end, to get it about 10 feet above of the trees that have grown taller over the past decade, and were getting near the wire - I'm pretty sure this causes loss due to absorption by the trees). Roger G3YRO Mike, Coreen & Corey Keswick Ridge, NB _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector -- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 160M DX Conditions
On 12/15/2021 4:53 PM, Roger Kennedy wrote: they are a huge source of noise if you live in the city. Most of the developed world has gotten a couple of orders of magnitude noisier over the past couple of decades. Blame switch-mode power supplies, other power control electronics, solar power systems, and all sorts microprocessor-based stuff. Here in the former colonies, I'd bet that the average home today has a couple of dozen noise sources. 73, Jim K9YC _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: 160M DX Conditions
Well the problem is that I just live in a normal house in the city, with a normal-sized garden ! So no room for Beverage Antennas - and even my TX Antenna (a half-wave Dipole) doesn't fit within my own property. My only separate RX antenna is a homebrew Loop tuned to 160m up in the loft. I just do the best I can from a very ordinary QTH. Another big problem here in Britain is that Internet Broadband is mainly delivered using the old overhead copper telephone wires, which radiate terrible hash all over the lower bands. These are starting to be replaced with fibre-optic cables, but until they are, they are a huge source of noise if you live in the city. 73 Roger G3YRO -- Roger, I think you're getting out alright but RX may be a little lacking or perhaps it was just overly noisy in Ol Blighty last night. Called you last night after a couple Midwest USA stations gave up. Probably around 0040z or thereabouts. You were solid. Finally got 1 QRZ, then you just started calling CQ right away after giving me enough time to send my call 2-3 more times. I called 2 CQ's just afterwards a few kcs up the band and lit up 18 skimmers from G through VE6(right at SS in VE6), so I know I was getting out. I am not the loudest signal on the band, but I do "ok'. Legal limit to an inverted L type of antenna. GL with your CQing. Hey, I tried ! 73 de Mike VE9AA _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 160M DX Conditions
On 12/14/2021 6:01 PM, Mike Smith VE9AA wrote: I am not the loudest signal on the band, but I do "ok'. And you're one of the NA stations closest to EU. You're the same distance from me as you are to G, and it's an all water path, not over the AU zone. From here, Roger is 5,200 miles through the AU zone. 73, Jim K9YC _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 160M DX Conditions
Roger, I think you're getting out alright but RX may be a little lacking or perhaps it was just overly noisy in Ol Blighty last night. Called you last night after a couple Midwest USA stations gave up. Probably around 0040z or thereabouts. You were solid. Finally got 1 QRZ, then you just started calling CQ right away after giving me enough time to send my call 2-3 more times. I called 2 CQ's just afterwards a few kcs up the band and lit up 18 skimmers from G through VE6(right at SS in VE6), so I know I was getting out. I am not the loudest signal on the band, but I do "ok'. Legal limit to an inverted L type of antenna. GL with your CQing. Hey, I tried ! 73 de Mike VE9AA - Conditions have been pretty good this week . . . and there has also been quite a few NA stations coming on the band. (I usually come on for about an hour at 00.30Z, as that seems to be when propagation is best, based on received signal strengths on NA RBN stations) Although it's hard to be sure, but it seems that my slight Antenna improvements after putting my Dipole back up after the terrible gales we had over here have made my Tx signal a little stronger. (basically this involved putting a taller mast at one end, to get it about 10 feet above of the trees that have grown taller over the past decade, and were getting near the wire - I'm pretty sure this causes loss due to absorption by the trees). Roger G3YRO Mike, Coreen & Corey Keswick Ridge, NB _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: 160M DX Conditions
Conditions have been pretty good this week . . . and there has also been quite a few NA stations coming on the band. (I usually come on for about an hour at 00.30Z, as that seems to be when propagation is best, based on received signal strengths on NA RBN stations) Although it's hard to be sure, but it seems that my slight Antenna improvements after putting my Dipole back up after the terrible gales we had over here have made my Tx signal a little stronger. (basically this involved putting a taller mast at one end, to get it about 10 feet above of the trees that have grown taller over the past decade, and were getting near the wire - I'm pretty sure this causes loss due to absorption by the trees). Roger G3YRO _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 160m DX Conditions
Top Band has been generally disappointing from this end for some weeks now. Some NA still on our evenings, but they are experiencing increasing QRN. I’m not up for sunrise all that often here either. You can definitely keep your customer-facing role in Technology! I have been working with horses the past two decades, and they don’t insist on talking rubbish to me. Approaching my 58th birthday, and still going, but slowing down! I plan to be on a bit more soon. Please turn on some propagation to make it worthwhile! 73, Luke VK3HJ. Sent from Mail for Windows 10 From: Mark Lunday Sent: Monday, 3 May 2021 9:08 AM To: Roger Kennedy; topband@contesting.com Subject: Re: Topband: 160m DX Conditions Thanks for the update, Roger. Unfortunately, work is kicking my butt with 12 hour days and weekends because of Covid. I will be 57 this year, getting too old for this stuff. Not sure how much longer I can work in customer-facing roles in Info Technology. Maybe I need to take up a job that doesn’t follow me home...union plumbers make great pay and nobody wants to be a plumber or work with their hands anymore. Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef> From: Topband on behalf of Roger Kennedy Sent: Sunday, May 2, 2021 6:05:56 PM To: topband@contesting.com Subject: Topband: 160m DX Conditions Well DX Propagation continues to be pretty good most nights . . . Shame there's so few stations on to work ! Roger G3YRO _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 160m DX Conditions
Thanks for the update, Roger. Unfortunately, work is kicking my butt with 12 hour days and weekends because of Covid. I will be 57 this year, getting too old for this stuff. Not sure how much longer I can work in customer-facing roles in Info Technology. Maybe I need to take up a job that doesn’t follow me home...union plumbers make great pay and nobody wants to be a plumber or work with their hands anymore. Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef> From: Topband on behalf of Roger Kennedy Sent: Sunday, May 2, 2021 6:05:56 PM To: topband@contesting.com Subject: Topband: 160m DX Conditions Well DX Propagation continues to be pretty good most nights . . . Shame there's so few stations on to work ! Roger G3YRO _ Searchable Archives: https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.contesting.com%2F_topbanddata=04%7C01%7C%7C8f82038e9ea94fd7ae6708d90db69115%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435%7C1%7C0%7C637555900027864627%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000sdata=rao8FwiPqiVkZvESMO9VY0EORe%2Fja4m8VznESfI%2FwOc%3Dreserved=0 - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: 160m DX Conditions
Well DX Propagation continues to be pretty good most nights . . . Shame there's so few stations on to work ! Roger G3YRO _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
