Re: Topband: Wednesday 160m DX Activity Night

[WT2P - CJ Johnson]

Some of us in the W9 area now have to start contending with spring 
storms which raises the noise level considerably, and many folks are now 
beginning to take down 160 RX stuff ahead of summer. It may be a 
summertime lull, picking back up again in the fall


wt2p

--
WT2P
http://www.wt2p.com

On 3/29/2018 4:55 AM, Roger Kennedy wrote:

Well conditions seemed pretty good last night . . . my RBN reports were
certainly encouraging from several NA stations - one was even 49 dB over the
noise !

However, there was a distinct lack of activity - I stayed on from 0100Z for
nearly 2 hours, but only worked 9 NA stations.

Nothing like the dozens of stations that came on a few weeks ago when we
started these Wednesdays . . .

Come on guys !

73 Roger G3YRO

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Re: Topband: Wednesday 160m DX Activity Night

[WT2P - CJ Johnson]

I got back into the shack a little late for EU sunrise after the 
0300-0400z CWT but hope we had some good participation on 160.


73,

WT2P

--
WT2P
http://www.wt2p.com

On 3/1/2018 12:52 AM, W0MU Mike Fatchett wrote:

Activity was way down on FT8 as well.


On 2/28/2018 7:56 AM, Roger Kennedy wrote:

Conditions have been rather poor since the end of last week . . . (only
managed a few American contacts on the CQ WW SSB contest.)

However, I was on last night on CW and was Spotted, and received by 
NA RBN

stations.

But no actual Contacts !!

Hopefully there will be some activity tonight.

I shall be on by Z (for a couple of hours if there is activity . 
. . and

will also come on around 0500Z

Hope to see you on the band !

73 Roger G3YRO

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Re: Topband: Working dupes on a band

[WT2P - CJ Johnson]

I am in the process of building my first ever BOG (NE/SW) and hope to be 
more active on 160. Wednesdays right after the 0300Z CWT's are perfect, 
since I end CWT's on 160 anyhow. This is the first season I've attacked 
my "160 problem" and started getting new countries on CW. And even 
developed a ragchew friend on 1810.


73,

WT2P


On 2/1/2018 5:43 PM, Roger Kennedy wrote:

Sorry Jay . . . but not in a million years !

That's exactly what I wanted to get away from . . .

My suggestion of having a 160m DX Activity night every Wednesday was to get
people on the band to have PROPER QSOs !

Thank you for all the nice emails I've received about this . . .

Let's hope it goes from strength to strength.

73 Roger G3YRO

-
You guys shud try FT8 on 160..DX stations hear and decode everybody at the
same time - no QRM !! They then just work their way down the list...nobody
interferes with anybody else -everybody gets a chance...jay ny2ny 


Regards

Roger Kennedy
Wessex Radio Productions

Tel: 0191 250 2715
Website: http://wessexproductions.co.uk

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Re: Topband: The Future of Ham Radio

[WT2P - CJ Johnson]

(this is a non-topband related matter but I feel I must chime in -- 
mostly because if you scare away the next generation of topbanders, 
there won't be a topband)


I wish most of you (agree or disagree with the ARRL) were in attendance 
at the W9DXCC Convention this year where Tom spoke very powerful and 
thought provoking words about the "Next Generation Ham"


We as ham operators can sit around and lament all day about things that 
divide us, or you can get with the program to get new hams in.


How you work your awards or your contest operations, that's fine! I've 
won a total of *one* plaque in my ham radio "career". Yay. Woopee. Most 
of my friends are pissed at me for spending weekends in front of a radio 
(which is abstract to them) just to win wallpaper.


K1NZ who is younger than me hits the head on the nail with this post. If 
you really want to know what 20-somethings (and to be honest, myself and 
hams that grew up in the 90's) are thinking, read and re-read that post.


73,
WT2P

On 10/27/2017 12:03 AM, Nick Maslon - K1NZ wrote:

Hi all,

I apologize if this is not the place for this, but the recent FT8
discussion has gotten me to thinking. I'm one of the younger hams in the
hobby. I got my license and extra at 20 and am 26 now. I was semi-active on
the phone bands up until late 2015 when I moved into my current apartment
and put up a bunch of wire antennas. I have a G5RV, 30m dipole, and a 160m
L. Now, I am one to admit that I'm not all that proficient at Morse, but I
can fudge my way through a QSO. Because of this, I have almost exclusively
(outside of contests) turned to digital operating. I, personally have that
thrill of working a new one on whatever band regardless of mode, even if
it's a JT/FT mode. I just worked my first Bahrain on 40m FT8 tonight and
cracked a beer to celebrate.

My whole reason for writing this post is because of the "You can play in my
sandbox only of you play my way" mentality. I am referring to the JT/FT
modes if you want to be specific. I am lucky in that I rent from my uncle
who doesn't care what wires I put up. On the other hand, most people my age
are either living with their parents or are renting from people that will
not let them participate in the hobby. In addition, I'm part of the vast
minority of hams who got licensed before they were 40. I'll be blunt. It's
going to be hard to retain teens in this hobby. Once they find girls/boys
and go off to college, we might as well write them off for 20 years. This
is an old (wo)man's hobby. It requires disposable income. I've barely
cobbled together a station myself, but I'm limping along because of my love
for this hobby.

I hate to say it, but this whole mindset is why the youth of today are
turned off from ham radio. Why should I pump hundreds of dollars into a
hobby if I'm going to be greeted with "You need to learn CW" "FT8 is
ruining the hobby" "You're not a real ham because you didn't pass the code
test." I realize that new things involve change and that change is scary,
but can we please welcome people into the hobby, even though that future
isn't what is comfortable? Isn't is better to be using the bands than for
them to be sold off and forgotten? This hobby is extremely multi-faceted.
Can we please not judge and harass the people that want to get involved? I
guess the whole reason why I wrote this post is because I'm sick of the "DO
IT MY WAY" mindset. Can we please just get back to having fun and ignore
the politics?

73 es gud DX,
Nick K1NZ
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Re: Topband: More noise

[WT2P - CJ Johnson]

Those cheap Baofeng chargers also generate a lot of noise on 160. Was 
sitting here wondering why tonight my noise level was S6 when it was S2 
last night. Unplugged that piece of junk and noise is gone.



Makes me want to throw the whole thing away, caused me a good 1-2 hours 
of frustration.


wt2p

On 1/28/2017 5:14 PM, Mike Waters wrote:

LOTS of wall chargers are very bad. :-)

Often, making a toroid choke by wrapping about 14t of the cord around a
2.4" OD type 31 ferrite core will kill the noise.

73, Mike
www.w0btu.com

On Sat, Jan 28, 2017 at 3:33 PM, James Wolf  wrote:


Nook wall chargers are also very bad.
Jim - KR9U

It turns out the the XYL was using a new (aftermarket) charger for her
Galaxy Note 4 phone.  This one was really bad.


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