I think you can also easily correlate conditions to your RBN numbers to
particular Skimmers.
When I was getting on most mornings while here on Cayman Brac, I could call CQ,
look at the signal level as received by VE6WZ and N6TV and pretty much know how
good the conditions would be to JA from day to day.
For example, if I was about 7 dB at N6TV and 15 dB at VE6WZ it was not going
to be good. Add 10dB and it was going to be pretty good. If actually spotted
by JA Skimmer - big pileup.
73…Stan, ZF9CW
Sent from my iPhone
> On Oct 27, 2025, at 2:09 PM, ve6wz@shaw.ca wrote:
>
> Hi Jon,
> Yes, it makes sense that even domestic qasi-long range AM band conditions
> would be a good proxy as well.
>
> Another fun one to check for Asia opening is FEBC / HLAZ from Korea on 1566
> kHz.
> These guys are a real powerhouse with 250kW directional transmitter from an
> island just off the south coast of Korea.
> Most of our typical ham radios will tune down to the AM band. Perhaps a good
> one to check once and a while.
>
> As a matter of fact, 160m was very open to Japan and Korea this morning into
> VE6.
> Here is a recording of HLAZ 1566kHz from this morning. This is just before
> the top of the hour at 1000Z. The female gives the HLAZ ID.
> This is actually astonishingly loud considering it is the AM Broadcast band
> over 8,500 km from Korea:
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/15dA7rMqAVad-zH9Jvw_kfIUcRx9mJ_IH/view?usp=sharing
>
> There are many other Japanese and Chinese BCB stations that commonly make it
> into Alberta.
>
> Steve ve6wz
>
> ________________________________
> From: Topband <topband-bounces+ve6wz=shaw.ca@contesting.com> on behalf of jon
> jones <n0jk@hotmail.com>
> Sent: Monday, October 27, 2025 9:50 AM
> To: topband@contesting.com <topband@contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: Topband: VE6WZ RBN skimmers, and TB DXing from Alberta
>
> That is an amazing setup, Steve.
>
> Interesting on you AM BCB receptions "over the pole."
>
> I often copy 540 kHz CBC "Radio One Regina" on the car radio driving to work
> around 1130 UTC. Sometimes if strong it correlates with JA 160M openings.
>
> 73 — Jon N0JK
>
>> I have been asked a few times by private email about the VE6WZ RBN skimmers
>> so here is some detail about the RBN setup I have at my remote.
>
> If the band is open over the pole to EU, I will usually copy 500kW Moldova
> Vesti on 1413kHz , Lithuania Baltic 1386kHz or often the UK, and sometimes
> even 1kW Svalbard on 1485.
>
> 160m openings are often short, sporadic and far from predictable. "this 'aint
> 20m or 40m"!
> However, please know that ve6wz is ALWAYS watching the band!! That is why I
> will suddenly show up for a QSO even if I am not CQing. So please CQ if you
> have the time.......I will be watching!
>
> 73, de steve VE6WZ
>
>
>
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