Re: Topband: K1N On Line Log

Charlie, that's my point. The people who keep calling in the pile are AWARE that they may not have a QSO, that's why they keep calling. With all the intentional QRM on K1N, it's possible they were never even aware that K1N returned to them! And that can lead to accidental dupes not the fault

Re: Topband: Missing K1N 160m QSO records just uploaded to Clublog

I think the point was that if you NEVER saw your QSO in Clublog, work again. If you saw it in Clublog before it's still in the logs on the island, so you are OK. Kevin K3OX - Original Message - From: Doug Renwick ve...@sasktel.net To: Tree t...@kkn.net, Lloyd Berg N9LB

Re: Topband: ZS6BKW(G5RV) on 160m?

The ZS6BKW is really a quite different antenna than a G5RV. On 40, 20, 18, 12 and 10 meters, the feedpoint is close enough to 50 ohms to present a good match when properly trimmed . The coax is matched so the length of the coax is not important and losses are low ON THESE BANDS. It

Re: Topband: Brave New World

Sometimes it's more in how things are presented. The thing that struck me was how the ARRL looked at it was some kind of triumphant feat when it struck me as, ultimately, kind of sad. It was late in 2006 when it c ame out that the FCC would remove  the CW requirement  for HF operation in

Re: Topband: Brave New World

Actually Jim old boy, I have. I have been a Frankford RC member for 43 years and have operated from many M/M and M/S stations both in the US and as DX. I  have a good idea what goes into it and have helped troubleshoot problems, fix rigs and amps and helped with antennas (from the ground as I

Re: Topband: ZS6BKW(G5RV) on 160m?

Here is what  I would  do. First, build the proposed antenna, set it up at home with the coax connected directly to the ladder line at the bottom, the hot and ground each to one leg. Trim the ladder for lowest SWR on the low end of 40 meters (this should get 20,18,12 and 10 more or less

Re: Topband: ZS6BKW(G5RV) on 160m?

The ZS6BKW is really a quite different antenna than a G5RV. On 40, 20, 18, 12 and 10 meters, the feedpoint is close enough to 50 ohms to present a good match when properly trimmed . The coax is matched so  the length of the coax is not important and losses are low ON THESE BANDS. To be fair,

Re: Topband: ZS6BKW(G5RV) on 160m?

Mike, this is exactly the antenna I use here at the home QTH. Mine is set up as a 92 ft flattop and 42 ft feeder , one end at 50 ft the other at 25 ft (that's what I had to work with). I have a switching box at the bottom that has three modes: a)the ladderline is connected directly to the

Re: Topband: Top Band Antenna

You probably know this Rodger, but just in case... Radials are ESSENTIAL. As many as you can as long as you can make them (up to 1/4 wave) in as many  directions as i s possible. I staple mine down with lawn staples (I find them at home improvement stores) and after a year or so they tend to

Re: Topband: 2 wl loop, worth the effort?

Well Rob, if you read Gary's email, you will find that he is interested in communicating "...with the hams I daily keep in touch with in the 500-600 mile range." The loop may be a great antenna for this but not, as you say, so much for DXing.   But there is, in my view, a deeper issue here.

Re: Topband: ARRL 160CW Contest QRP Portable Op

What would be much more fair is to go by ERP. 5 watts from one of tho se sophisticated antenna farms may very well be stronger than 100w or even 600w from, let's say, a Butte rnut with a vestigial radial field. T he Butternut guy gets no consideration (in fact, generally he gets derision) but

Re: Topband: Stew Beef

"Back when the signal report was a real part of the exchange and contesters tended to exchange honest reports, a major contest could be an opportunity to determine how well your station got out" The days of "honest reports" in a contest? I am 63 years old, operated my first contest when I

Re: Topband: strange propagation

I keep hearing folks say that "stations are no longer licensed", but I can only find this in the FCC rules on the ARRL website: §97.5   Station license required. (a) The station apparatus must be under the physical control of a person named in an amateur station license grant on the ULS

Re: Topband: strange propagation

I would see this as analo g ou s to what happened in contesting. Originally, you could use 2 meter spotting nets to help "find"  multipliers, no problem. Eventually, f olks in less populated areas complained that this was disadvantageous to them and the contest sponso rs decided that use of

Re: Topband: VOA antenna farm

My suspicion is that the government saved tax dollars tearing it down this way. What's sad is that we are no longer interested in telling our story to the world through SW radio. Yeah, I know, "Da I nternet"...   Hard to believe that there wasn't some other way to save a buck than cutting

Re: Topband: Working Europe

"fuggedabout "decent rx antennas"   Jim, I think the two things are both necessary. We need to encourage then to get on, but emphasize the need for RX antennas. Without them, 160 is a hard sell. I have a buddy that has a perfectly viable TX antenna (better than mine, LOL) who never gets

Re: Topband: Clean AC Power

Well, I run 600 watts to a 40 up/90 horizontal "T" with about 30 radials and I can operate on 160 m with my "audiophile" stereo system on. No probs. 73 Kevin K3OX - Original Message - From: "Steve Piotrowski via Topband" To: topband@contesting.com Sent:

Re: Topband: Phone segment for EU stations on 75 meters?

Is there really a "no contest" zone in the European rules on 75 meters? Or is this just by custom? What they really need is a "no crank and crackpot" zone, but I digress... 73 Kevin K3OX - Original Message - From: "Henk Remijn PA5KT" To: topband@contesting.com

Re: Topband: DXE NCC-1 phasing box

I hope hams are not becoming strictly black box users. I also hope that there isn't a parallel being made between a licensed ham buying a piece of amateur equipment and some dude buying a Smartphone. In almost any technical environment, having info on how the product works and

Re: Topband: RX / TX antenna switching

A second for the RTR-1. Well built and reliable. 73 Kevin K3OX - Original Message - From: Herbert Schoenbohm herbert.schoenb...@gmail.com To: topband@contesting.com Sent: Thu, 22 Sep 2016 13:35:12 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Topband: RX / TX antenna switching I use the DX-Engineering RTR-1

Re: Topband: Copying IV3PRK in WA-State CN98

I think it's interesting that someone would give up an activity they enjoy because someone else does something they don't happen to approve of. This is just not limited to radio, I don't know how many times I have heard someone say something along the lines of "I am not going to (blank)

Re: Topband: 160 Antenna

Traditionally, the 80 meter dipole example you sited was the typical improvisation guys used to get on 160. How well it worked depended on how long and vertical the feedline was and a lot of luck, basically how close to a "T" top loaded vertical fed against ground it ended up being . But a

Topband: Info on modding 4 el HI-Z to 3 el HI-Z wanted

Anyone have any info? I have a 4 el unit but can only (maybe) accommodate a 3el triangle on my property. W hat would have to be done to the controller box etc.? 73 Kevin K3OX - Original Message - From: "Gary Smith" To: "Steven Jobes" Cc: Topband@contesting.com Sent: Friday,

Re: Topband: ARRL 160, was Re: Polarization on 160m

Errr... if the rules specify RAC sections (just like it specifies ARRL sections in the US) and VE9, VE1 and VY2 are one RAC section rather than three RAC sections, it sounds like your beef w ould be with the RAC... no? My assumption is that if RAC decided to break MAR up into NB, NS and VY2

Re: Topband: ARRL DXCC - 160 Meters - Station Location and Boundary

And this is easy to say when you have 5 acres in a semi-rural area, hi hi. As it happens, I do not use a remote RX (it shows!). But at my QTH I can barely fit a K9AY (though it's compromised by masts and other antennas that are necessarily close). I really dig working what DX I can on 160 but

Re: Topband: Use shunt fed tower

Well, my system here at K3OX is a "T" with a 40 ft vertical section and a 90 ft flat top. It sort of worked OK when I first put it up, but it works much more OK after about 32 random (to fit my 4 0 x 110 lot) radials were installed. It would work better yet if I had more and longer radials,

Re: Topband: W7YRV Roy's Increadable Antenna Farm

If you want to read about the early days of DXing and another super antenna farm, get a copy of "Don Wallace W6AM" by N6AW. Really fascinating to read about his antenna exploits and about long deleted DX entities. And about DXing when it was really a "savage art"... 73 Kevin K3OX -

Re: Topband: Directions to Bouvet

I should say, don't go via Duluth, Bucko... From Firesign Theater: BABE: Hey, Ralph! That's great fidelity on that FM! Nice tone! RALPH: You haven't heard nothing yet. I've got right here in this car, for your trans-Atlantic driving pleasure, this fully hallicrafted Sea-Master short-wave

Re: Topband: Directions to Bouvet

But don't go via Duluth, Bunky... 73 Kevin K3OX - Original Message - From: "Mark - N5OT" To: topband@contesting.com Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2019 6:06:16 PM Subject: Re: Topband: Directions to Bouvet Someone needed directions to Bouvet: Go south to to Tierra del Fuego and

Re: Topband: Satisfactory fiberglass pole for K9AY loop

I went to H ome D epot and bought a 23 ft extendable paint extens ion pole. It's been up for 8 years so far. The K9AY guys it just fine. Cheap, easy and available. Kevin K3OX _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Topband: DXwars over the years

I was licensed long enough ago that I have seen a ton of changes in Ham Radio, all of which were purported to make Ham Radio  "easy " and make the previous generation of Hams feel that their accomplishments were somehow being devalued. Here are a few... ARRL DX contest ending Quotas: "We

Re: Topband: WAR !

Packet radio ran unattended for most guys many years ago. I could be at the store and the DX callouts would come and my radio would acknowledge them. I don't remember this being illegal or immoral... 73, Kevin K3OX - Original Message - From: Joe To: Mark Lunday , Artek Manuals ,

Re: Topband: 160

"The dogs bark, but the caravan rolls on" -ancient proverb As I understand it, some of this discussion is based on the romantic idea that we old timers had it tough but today it's all easy and without real challenge. This charge is nothing new, so a little history might be in order. The

Re: Topband: Review of the last 1000 spots on 160m

Why weep? To me, it sounds like a lot of people got on and had some fun on the modes they felt were appropriate. Hey, at least they were actively on the air with Ham Radio. If I am going to weep, it's about all the licensed hams who are apathetic and never get on the air. But yes, the best

Topband: Contemporaneous

According to online dictionary, Contemporaneous: Existing or occurring in the same period of time. "Pythagoras was contemporaneous with Buddha" But, as it happens, neither Pythagoras nor the Buddha had to deal with important things like the ARRL DXCC program. :) 73, Kevin K3OX

Re: Topband: Which RX antenna is better?

On my small lot (130 ft by 50 ft, but it does have a house on it, hi hi) about the only half decent and flexible RX antenna I can manage is a K9AY. And it definitely helps most of the time, useful on 30 (once in a while), 40 (often), 80 (almost always) and 160 meters (almost always). But it's

Re: Topband: Summer Update & a Surprise

I didn't realize we were talking specifically about 160 meter DXCC listings (though this IS the Topband reflector, hi hi). Still, to get the countries that it takes to get high up on the 160 meter DXCC list will take a serious station and a lot of skill (of a different sort than CW, but skill

Re: Topband: 160: Digital only DXCC needed

"I said already last year. FT 8 and K1JT will kill our hobby. It takes away all efforts, challenge and personal touch." Read the W6AM book, get the West Coast DX bulletin compilation book and dig back to your efforts in the '60s and '70s (if you were around). Even without FT8, DXing is mega

Topband: History of DXing, was Re: 160

To me, the guys who really have a beef are the guys from after WW2 until the computer era. BTW, to give you an idea what I mean, I can most highly recommend the book W6AM, Amateur Radio's Pioneer. It's a fascinating book about an interesting and determined man and a legend in the annals of

Re: Topband: Summer Update & a Surprise

It already has them. Mixed is mixed (all modes including FT8, RTTY, SSB, AM, CW, etc), CW is CW, Phone is AM, SSB and FM, Digital is all digital machine modes (RTTY, FT8/4, JT65 etc). So if you are offended that DXCC is being "degraded" by FT8 contacts, just look/compare at the CW and SSB

Re: Topband: 160

I was shooting for somewhat interesting, so it's nice to hear that I made it all the way to semi-interesting! Mark, I am not sure why you felt compelled to defend your software expertise, but I don't think anyone intended to demean you in any way. If it came off that way, I apologize. Now I

Re: Topband: TI9A

Just time yours to coincide with his. :) 73, Kevin K3OX - Original Message - From: Thomas Hoyer via Topband To: w...@w0mu.com, topband@contesting.com Sent: Wed, 05 Feb 2020 15:39:05 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: Topband: TI9A Don't think the boss would like me taking a nap during the

Re: Topband: FT-8 Contest would be great for Topband

BTW, sign seen in a local traffic handlers shack back in the late '60's:"Everyone is welcome in my shack be you Ham Radio operator or Phone man."The more things change...73 Kevin K3OX - Original Message - From: kol...@rcn.com To: topband@contesting.com Sent: Fri, 10 Jan 2020 23:52:07

Re: Topband: FT-8 Contest would be great for Topband

It would seem that the new digital modes have re-invigorated ham radio, at least activity wise. But if ham radio is so fragile that it cannot sustain in the face of interest in a new mode, maybe it deserves to die. I personally don't think it will, it is and has always been a big tent...73,

Re: Topband: FT-8 Contest would be great for Topband

Another entry in the "Great American Humorist" contest. Very good! 73, Kevin K3OX - Original Message - From: Wes To: topband@contesting.com Sent: Sat, 11 Jan 2020 00:12:52 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: Topband: FT-8 Contest would be great for Topband CW, it's just like FT-8 but for men.

Re: Topband: New Modes, Systems, etc

It's easy to appreciate why many people - who are passionate about the hobby - get upset about some of the things they see as being very negative to the hobby. Here in Britain there were LOTS of well-respected Amateurs who were actively involved in Jamming the VHF Repeaters when they first came

Re: Topband: FT8 clutter on the DX Cluster

It should be mentioned that when rarer DX shows up they often use FT8 Fox/Hound on non standard FT8 frequencies so the cluster can be helpful to find these operations. And really, the equivalent of the CW/SSB op who doesn't constantly tune the bands is the FT8 op who doesn't constantly stare

Re: Topband: Tesla Powerwall and RFI

It stores power from your solar panels or from the grid and will power your home in an outage. I think it also does stuff like "time shift" power from cheaper off peak hours for use during peak hours. So it's a sort of complete home power control system... 73. Kevin K3OX - Original

Re: Topband: CQ Zones

That's just what Hal, an old FRC contest mentor said when he saw us operating at W3FRY multi-op CQWW CW back in the day with Electronic keyers (oh, the mendacity) and CT contest logger (horrors! a computer in the RADIO shack). What's wrong with paper logs and bugs? (though REAL HAMS used

Re: Topband: CQ Zones

Good news! The ARRL already does differentiate this. There is CW DXCC, PHONE DXCC, DIGITAL DXCC and MIXED DXCC. Everyone's QSL's/LOTW credits* count for only two of these maximum. You can do a little math and gloat to your heart's content! And if someone only has MIXED DXCC, you can assume

Re: Topband: The WD8DSB mini-flag antenna

I have read some negative info on the Malahit (the EBAY clones especially, the Russian originals seem better) but it might be OK for RFI investigations. N9EWO Review : Russian Malachite / Malahit DSP SDR (qsl.net) But I can recommend this: LAN-IQ SDR (Stand-alone SDR) (afedri-sdr.com) This is

Re: Topband: K9FD

Yeah. K1JT can shove that Nobel Prize where the sun don't shine... Seriously, he developed the mode, but it was the general Ham population that popularized it. They "voted" to operate that mode out of free will, many because folks with mediocre stations had very little opportunity to work DX at

Re: Topband: Remotes

Charlie, that was just about what I was thinking. Basically, 'twas always thus. I remember operating from a M/M contest station in the early '70s and one of the old timers, spying our non-memory keyers, commented that we aren't really sending CW ourselves, it was the little box filled with

Re: Topband: HEBA antenna

Look up “Crossed Field Antenna” on Wikipedia…   73, Kevin K3OX   -Original Message- From: Phil To: topband Date: Friday, 19 April 2024 12:57 PM EDT Subject: Re: Topband: HEBA antenna H 38 feet seems manageable 73 Phil, KBØNES On Friday, April 19, 2024 at 11:13:56