> -----Original Message-----
> From: topband-bounces@contesting.com
> [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of K4RO
> Kirk Pickering
> Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 4:16 PM
> To: TopBand
> Subject: Re: Topband: frustration
>
> On Mon, Oct 29, 2007 at 07:19:36PM -0400, Tom McAlee wrote:
> > Until you operate down here, it is hard to understand why stations
> > thousands of miles away can hear you but stations in the Caribbean
> > cannot.
>
> I remember my first time ever at the key as DX from the Caribbean.
>
> After calling CQ around 1831 kHz or so, I soon had a little pileup.
> The static was beyond horrendus. I worked W4AN, and after
> our QSO, Bill spotted VP5/K4RO. The pileup grew bigger, but
> almost NONE of the calls could be pulled through the static.
> It was unbelievable.
I have become convinced that one must be brain-damaged
to sit sorting signals-from-static on Topband in the
Caribbean for extended periods. It's painful and
frustrating most of the time, with the occassional
satisfying interval.
I now have nine contest trips to PJ2T under my belt,
and I spend much of my non-contest operating time
there on 160.
On Curacao, on the transmit inv-L I typically have S9
noise with frequent crashes to +30 dB. On a really good
night, the noise is S7-S8, with crashes to only +20 dB.
The receive antennas (Beverages, flags, and now a DX
Engineering RX 4-square) help enormously, but during
the 2006 ARRL 160 Contest, I estimated that 40% of my
1185 QSOs were painstakingly pulled from the noise,
letter-by-letter.
I can't wait to get back down there in a few weeks!
73, Jeff K8ND
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