Topband: 300 ohm twin lead for bidirectional Beverage antennas

I'm considering putting up two bidirectional Beverage RX antennas.  It appears that most of the recommendations for Beverages consider the close spacing of 300 ohm twin lead undesirable for reasons that are not entirely clear, but the consensus if far from unanimous.  I'd like to hear the

Re: Topband: Location of WF RX Antenna. Need Expert Advice

encies of interest using the flag, I wouldn't expect a problem. If your plan is a vertically polarized flag, than ignore the previous comments. -Steve K8LX On 7/29/2018 6:58 PM, Joe Giacobello, K2XX via Topband wrote: _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topba

Topband: Location of WF RX Antenna. Need Expert Advice

I am hoping to construct a Waller Flag RX antenna on a 56' Heights aluminum tower for 80 and 160M RX. The ideal location from aesthetic, RF and maintenance-of-a-civil -family-climate standpoints is midway (150' separation) between two existing LM-470 towers now separated by about 300'. One

Re: Topband: Noise on 160

Nick, I have been observing a similar signal for the past five months or so, but it's usually between 1837-39. I believe that I've also seen it drift above1840 on occasion, but I don't usually tune in that part of the band. I suspected it might arise from a local source or something in my

Re: Topband: 160m DX Activity Night

Roger, Don and Mark, although I haven't run across any station that openly rejects repeat contacts on 160M as Don has, I do have a practice of not responding to CQs from DX stations on 160M that I have already worked in the current season. I do, however, make an exception when I hear such a

Topband: Fwd: Re: VU2GSM webSDR use: A Clarification

review of the times and signal reports for all our QSOs strongly support direct, long haul reception. Again, I apologize for any ambiguity in my previous post. 73, Joe K2XX *From:* "Joe Giacobello, K2XX" <k...@swva.net> *Date:* Monday, January 15, 2018 10:37 AM *To:* Paul Christensen

Re: Topband: VU2GSM webSDR use

Like Paul, I seriously doubt that Kanti is using a remote receiver. I have worked him on 30, 40 and 80M and have had occasional correspondence with him regarding his relatively recently acquired Expert 1.3K amp. The signal reports he has given me seem appropriate for the times and band

Re: Topband: 20 40 meter vertical dipole

Dan, just my personal experiences. I once lived on the second floor of a garden apartment in central NJ. I was fortunate that a grove of local type trees was allowed to exist by the builders and was accessible outside my bedroom window. On Memorial Day at dusk, while most residents were

Re: Topband: 160 meter 1/4 vertical

Hi Herb, just curious. I presume that was essentially a full wave delta loop. How was it on 169M on receive? Compared to Beverage? Other? 73, Joe K2XX Herbert Schoenbohm Monday, July 3, 2017 7:00 PM Many have tried balloon or kite supported 5/8 wave

Re: Topband: RTTY Beacon 1790 KHZ

No information, but, FWIW, K2ORS used to be Jean Shepherd of WOR and Limelight fame. 73, Joe K2XX Joe Galicic Thursday, December 22, 2016 4:52 AM Heard WH2XDE/3 RTTY beacon this morning at 0950Z on 1790.9 KHZ ? Message was QSL via K2ORS@Verizon .net Also gave QTH

Re: Topband: SP conditions

I was only doing S so I was continuously tuning the band. Conditions here in SW VA were pretty poor. I only worked five EU stations, all in Eastern EU. They generally were good copy despite the QRN and showed up here around 0400Z. KV4FZ and NP2X were weak at first, but their sigs picked up

Re: Topband: IT9/LY5W

Sam, you were 57/89 here in SW VA for quite some time last night. What are you using for an antenna, etc. over there? The only other EU that I heard was G3JMJ, but he was only about S3. I was surprised that there weren't more EU stations coming through. 73, Joe K2XX Saulius Zalnerauskas

Re: Topband: Sprites

Bruce, I can't comment on the sprites, but I did observe the disappearance of what had been several, fairly strong EU sigs here around 0445Z and commented to W5XZ about it on the Low Band Chat. It seemed that there was a sudden drop-off, if not total disappearance, of all signals from EU.

Re: Topband: West coast into southern EU

Agelos, conditions appear to be very spotty. I was QRV at that time and the stations in the midwest (W8s and W9s) were working MD0CCE with ease while I was strucggling to hear him. He finally did come up out of the noise long enough to work him. There were also several other spots that were

Topband: The Sun That Did Not Roar (Article on Paucity of Sunspots in Current Cycle in NYT)

FYI: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/24/science/space/the-sun-that-did-not-roar.html?ref=global-home _ Topband Reflector

Topband: LU5DM or LU5FC or Both?

Last night, just before heading for bed at around 0400Z, I checked 160M and distinctly heard LU5DM calling CQ on 1834 KHz. I worked him and was quite delighted since I had never even heard LU on top band before. I proceeded to make out a QSL and envelopes, and then listened to1834 again

Re: Topband: rx array proximity to barbed wire fence

Jeff, I live on what was once a pasture with barbed wire fencing about 90' diagonally from one corner of the 4-square. I didn't worry about the fence when I first installed the array and it seemed to work OK. When I was having what turned out to be a hardware problem, I cut the barbed wire

Re: Topband: Delaware report

Jon, I'm usually using diversity reception here with a top loaded vertical and a Hi-Z 4-square. I have also noticed that lately the sigs are louder on the vertical, but it seems to vary from night to night. Conditions in general have been the best of the season during the past week or 10

Re: Topband: Boring Report - ZS1REC and 4Z1UF

Europe was coming through fairly well around 0500-0630Z here in SW VA last night, but there was lots of deep QSB. I copied G3JMJ (who was not copying me very well), DF2PY, LA4HIA, LA3ANA, DL1AWI, OZ7YY and others. While conditions seemed much poorer than several years ago, they were the best

Re: Topband: 706T on 160 and 80

Yea! Verily! OTOH, my audiologist would like to extend his heartfelt thanks for the increased business and income. 73, Joe K2XX 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

Re: Topband: Anybody has used Hi-Z for sale?

Ignacy, why is Hi-Z not selling? Has the patent issue resurfaced? 73, Joe K2XX On 1/6/2012 4:51 PM, Ignacy Misztal wrote: HI-Z is not selling so I am asking whether anybody has used Hi-Z for sale? All except HI-Z 8, for which I have no space. Ignacy, NO9E

Topband: Noise Problem Solved

Several weeks ago, I posted the following on the reflector regarding a noise problem I've had all season long: Regarding noise on 160M, I have been consistently observing all season long a broad signal, reminiscent of a plasma TV, centered around 1836 KHz. Since it seems to be on 24/7

Re: Topband: 160 Conditions

Yes, last night (~0500Z) conditions were about as good as I've heard them here this season. As many have commented, conditions on 80 and 160M have been unusually poor this season. But 80M seemed to have awakened a week or so ago and 160M now seems to be following suit. 73, Joe K2XX On

Re: Topband: 1820 BCB + My Problem Partially Solved

You said it, Tim! I started tuning around the AM band on Thursday and noticed that in addition to the spurious AM stations on 1840, there were several BC AM signals above 1610 KHz. They shouldn't be there. Then I noticed that my 4-square RX array had lost directionality. I use diversity

Re: Topband: 1820 BCB

There have been some interesting developments and observations regarding my noise problem on 1836 that I had mentioned in a previous message. (See below.) First of all, I'd like to thank those folks who responded to my post with some excellent suggestions. I started to search in earnest

Re: Topband: Noise problem question

A local TBér got back to me and, apparently, it's local to me. I have no idea what it is, but it might be someone's plasma TV. However, it's there 24/7, so that doesn't make sense. It's more or less centered on 1836 and is quite wobbly and varies in amplitude and frequency. It's about 2.5

Re: Topband: Counterpoise very interresting

Hear! Hear! 73, Joe K2XX On 11/22/2011 2:16 PM, Paul Christensen wrote: As long as we're providing testimony against a defendant who is now a SK, I can counter those assertions by saying L.B. was extremely helpful to me as I began learning EZNEC. I had consulted with him on many occasions

Re: Topband: T32C and 3D2R

T32C was quite easy copy here in SW VA just before SR. 3D2R came up out of the mud here just around SR. 73, Joe K2XX On 10/3/2011 10:07 PM, Mark Lunday wrote: Similar observations from US East Coast. I was able to work T32C and 3D2R on 40 CW and 80 CW during my gray-line this morning.

Re: Topband: MFJ-259B

Bruce, I don't just what you're using for a dummy load, but I have a 50 ohm resistor carefully mounted within a PL-259 to minimize lead lengths. I get about X=2. It's likely a matter of lead inductance and/or just accuracy limitations of the instrument when measuring reactance. 73, Joe

Re: Topband: Top Band INactivity

George, I couldn't agree more. At Z last night the band seemed pretty quiet with only DF2UU coming through at S4-5 at best. However, at around 0400Z it was as if someone had turned a switch. Unusually strong signals started coming out of Europe and the Near East. 4Z1UF, who is often

Re: Topband: Boring Report - December

Last year, I put up my first vertical for 160M and my very first QSO with it was JA on September 29. And though I have to admit to not being a dedicated early riser, this morning was the first time this season that I heard JA here in SW VA. Europe is generally pretty good here at around my