Re: Topband: K9ay loop not performing

Yes Rob, my TX vertical feedpoint was closer to 7 ohm before it being transformed to 50 ohm by means of a auto transformer style bottom coil and tap. I have used a big fat relay with massive silver contacts, (it was used in a UPS to switch battery banks)  but with the actuator coil wires fed

Re: Topband: K9ay loop not performing

I use a a relay to disconnect to the vertical portion just above the bottom matching coil, keeping all else connected.  I do not understand why  the shield should be disconnected ? If it carries RF back it could be decoupled by ground rods to shield or chokes.Bu if he top section is open

Re: Topband: [cwops] Topband season looking good

I meant to say first NA for this year! On ‎Friday‎, ‎October‎ ‎5‎, ‎2018‎ ‎08‎:‎46‎:‎06‎ ‎AM‎ ‎SAST, Raoul Coetzee via Groups.Io wrote: Managed my first NA this morning around my SR on 160m.I worked Bob, W9EWZ in Wisconsin (CW of course) Raoul ZS1C_._,_._,_Groups.io Links: You receive

Topband: Topband season looking good

Managed my first NA this morning around my SR on 160m.I worked Bob, W9EWZ in Wisconsin (CW of course) Raoul ZS1C _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband

Re: Topband: PY1RO

Sad to hear about PY1RO,he was my first PY on 160m many years ago.RIP ZS1C On Sunday, May 6, 2018, 8:27:17 PM GMT+2, Roger Parsons via Topband wrote: From the Daily DX today: "PY1RO, Rolf Rasp, passed away yesterday after suffering from a heart attack. He had

Re: Topband: what does it take to get on new band 600 meters

I have been playing with a few ideas, one was to mix a 6 Mhz Xtal oscilator output with a 6.474 MHz signal from my ft817 (into a small 50 ohm load)the difference, 474 KHz was amplified with tubes (valves for the UK ) and I ended up driving an old 813.Why? because I wanted a job for the tubes

Re: Topband: FT8: Making it too easy?

I would like to know if FT8 also uses the same "Deep Search" as JT65.If it does, read this and decide if it is for you. JT65, is it doing what we want it to do? | | | | JT65, is it doing what we want it to do? | | | Raoul ZS1C On Thursday, October 26, 2017, 8:36:27 PM GMT+2,

Re: Topband: TZ4AM

I agree! And not everybody have space for good RX antennas.And even if we can install a good RX antenna in limited space, cheap Chinese products are making it worse, it  is a struggle to hear anything. The other problem is, I use at least 600 watts on 160m, and some EUs try to work you with a

Re: Topband: LDEs, witches and magicians

Dear Dr Ostwald,  Even though I have not experienced any echoes on HF,I think I will keep an open mind.We cannot even explain a weak force like gravity completely, after many years of ongoing research.Who are we to say that  LDS  belong in  fairy tale?  :-)After all, we are receiving echoes of

Re: Topband: Front End Filters

surely it is important to have the correct loading on the crystal,  just connecting a crystal in the antenna path is not so good?It seems good loading is around 1-3k. Merry Christmas to all.Raoul ZS1C  From: K1FZ-Bruce To: topband@contesting.com; Dave

Re: Topband: 160 Meter Radio Propagation Prediction Table

Africa is not part of their world? I thought so, as my radio also seems to say I live  in a Black 160m hole.:-) bTW Where is Mos?  kind regards,Raoul ZS1C From: James Rodenkirch To: Top Band Contesting Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2016 3:22

Re: Topband: VK0EK confirmation

Ouch...I made a contribution while they were in Cape Town and we had a good evening with the crew and the team in the Cape  Royal Yacht club and after I worked them, I contributed another $10.00Now before you blast me as a cheap skate Jim, with our our exchange rate you may multiply that with

Re: Topband: Receive loop observations

Rick wrote:>With a>circumference of 20 to 40 feet on 160 meters, the null is only >10 or 15 dB deep. I use a medium wave  BC station about 10miles away from as a reference to check my 160m loop, (the loop is reasably broadband but no good on 80m) they are about 4 Degrees East off me and with a

Topband: VP8STI last night - Report from Cape Town

The pattern in ZS the last couple of nights was the same:Nada till about 23:30 UTC, then they would come out of the noise or just above the noise. Although the distance is not that long, (abt 4300Km ), it seems the path is only in "good" darkness for a short while. (It is of course summertime

Re: Topband: Strange propagation

Well said Herb! Raoul ZS1C From: Herbert Schoenbohm To: topband@contesting.com Sent: Friday, January 15, 2016 3:14 AM Subject: Re: Topband: Strange propagation Jim,   Artificial insemination is advanced technology also but pray tell me that it is more fun. 

Re: Topband: strange propagation

Herb, I am with you on this one.I know my 160m dxcc will ,one day, go to trash. Thats ok.At least I worked for it, you know, it took me a long time to get your call in the qrn, and I was a green horn! from a small lotwith a great ambition.Now that is more valuable to me than anything

Re: Topband: Antenna Question

Hi Jim and all, I have been using a 16m vertical (T vertical ) with a limited amount o radials. My property is only 41m by 20m , so very limited space for antennas, radials etc. I got dxcc on 160m which many will say is easy, wait to try and get 300 countries etc.Well, this was my own little

Topband: Tree Conductivity

  I am well aware that I may be flamed (again) for starting something, but I found this article where the conductivity of sap wood and hard wood is measured. It seems if I read it correctly, that with this specific trees and soil conditions, the results are quote:and 594 ± 55.5 the heartwood

Re: Topband: tree losses

I found this and at least it makes a good old read.   http://www.rexresearch.com/squier/squier.htm     regards, Raoul ZS1REC From: Tom W8JI w...@w8ji.com To: Topband topband@contesting.com Sent: Monday, August 5, 2013 4:53 PM Subject: Re: Topband: tree losses

Re: Topband: Prince Edward and Marion Islands, ZS8

I managed to work David on 160m ssb, it is sort of in my backyard. But even then, the qso was not easy. I gave him a CW key before he left but I doubt if he will try to use it. There are always a team on Marion Island but since about four years ago, they are not allowed to add any more antennas

Re: Topband: gentlemen's band

This is really good! Let us try to keep it that way by example. Raoul ZS1REC From: Mark Lunday mlun...@nc.rr.com To: 'N7DF' n...@yahoo.com; topband@contesting.com Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2013 4:26 AM Subject: Re: Topband: gentlemen's band Wonderful.  It

Re: Topband: Need help to improve DX on 1/2 acre lot from CA (k...@juno.com)

I agree with most, but be careful not to be louder on TX than you can RX!  Easy to achieve from a small lot with loads of qrn and qrm, ask me. Allso there is a point where your ouput power flat top, and dont show any reward. I think Top W8JI found the same years ago. Still, you you can have lots

Topband: LoTW, Ground mounted 1/2 wave etc.

Like most of us I have been reading and trying to absorb the excellent technical information in this group, but really, personal attacks and comments should be avoided. Or is this simply normal, a reflection of what is happening on the bands too? I hope this comes to an end, I would hate to

Re: Topband: Vertical Array Over Uneven Ground

Here in South Africa we always had the imperial system till somewhere in the middle sixties and before that we changed from pounds to decimal Rand and cents. It was met with some resistance but soon everybody got used to it. As I have a British lathe and milling machine in my garage /workshop,

Re: Topband: ZS4PB -SK

Sad indeed. Thank you for the info Bernie. Pieter also belonged to Boland Ameteur Radio club at one stage and his distictive voice will be missed. RIP Pieter Raoul ZS1REC From: Bernie van der Walt ber...@internext.co.za To: topband@contesting.com Sent:

Re: Topband: Antarctica

Ditto, De ZS1REC, Raoul From: donov...@starpower.net donov...@starpower.net To: topband@contesting.com Sent: Friday, June 1, 2012 3:53 AM Subject: Re: Topband: Antarctica Worked        R1ANN DXCC        ANTARCTICA (13) Date        2005-04-03 Mode       

Re: Topband: Wellbrook receive loop performance

I would not be too quick to dismiss small magnetic receiving loops from consideration for DX work. I used a coax diamond loop, 5 feet on a side, on a rotator at 20 feet, prior to trying larger wire loops. The small loop enabled many contacts in Europe from my West Coast city lot. The signals

Re: Topband: Noise problem question

I use a FT817  set to 1.830 and walk through the house, bringing the small antenna close to any suspect object to check for noise, anything can be checked that way lamps,washing machine, TV signal decoders, computers, game boxes etc. But alas,the neighborhood noise increased a lot and is making

Topband: California Visit

Dear all, not to waste your time and bandwidth, I will keep it short. I had to change  my departure flight  from Cape Town to California to a day later, and as a result my Wednesday off day was cut. Very little time indeed to meet friends here, but at least  I will visit Al Baker, W5IZ, Dallas,

Re: Topband: Boring / Not So Boring Report

George wrote: quote: Poor conditions have been the subject of a number of recent postings. Conditions may have been relatively poor for most us, but Carlos, N4IS, has been enjoying remarkable success during the past three months. From noisy Florida he