We have been improving our 160 m set up every day. We have added more ground
wires that connect the TX antenna base to the water and have built a very
effective RX antenna. Now we can comfortable hear most callers.
Last night we got on 160 first around 0530. There were a few NA, callers.
Most had 100% QSB: going from 5 CPY to nothing in seconds. Got back on TB
around 0830. Signals were much steadier with a slow but continuous stream of
NA callers. TS noise started up around 0900 and got steadily stronger all
night. (This noise comes from T storms in the Solomons, Papua and Indonesia,
reaching us after their SS. It gets progressively worse as the night
progresses.
We are at the 1000 TB QSO mark. Given the fact the Aug is about the worst
time of the year for 160, this is OK. There would be many more in the log if
callers used better tactics:
1. Send your call twice. We need narrow filter settings because of the noise
(we are on the Equator). Unless you are "tail-gating" it takes time for us
to tune the RX to the caller's frequency. Often we only get the last few
letters of the call ... and then wait. If we CQ again, another caller will
jump in and the first caller will lose the Q. This happens a lot. If you are
tail-gating -- calling on the last Q-s frequency -- once is enough!
2. There are callers who are not hearing us. We keep on replying with no
result. Probably most people listening on our TX frq can hear this taking
place. Sure, QSB and QRM will often make two or three attempts necessary.
But there have been some to whom I have replied to dozens of times over many
hours. They are just causing QRM and wasting their time as they will not
make into the log by accident.
3. Insurance QSO-s are perfectly justified. But they make no sense the
third, fourth -- and sometimes the sixth time. If we are not busy, a dupe
call is welcome as it reassures us that the band is still open. But when
there is a pile up, a third insurance Q just takes someone else's Q.
4. JA-s tend to have this habit (not all, TKS). It springs from good
intentions, but... When calling they send their call only once. We often
catch only part of it, just like in point 1. But once we reply with the
correct call. they then come back sending their call three times. This gets
us to the next point:
5. The ideal sequence is: CQ N5J UP -- N4xx N4xx --- N4xx 5NN -- 5NN TU --
TU. Sending the call ahead of the 5NN can create doubt under difficult RX
conditions. Sending 5NN is really a confirmation that tells the operator
that the callsign is correct. The TU further confirms that the QSO is good
and can go into the log. Less is more!
6. For NA callers: JA callers have an all-water path to us and are often
louder. They start coming in after 1000 Z, some with astonishingly strong
signals. Plan you time accordingly: waiting for your SR-bump may not be
worth it if it puts you in competition with stronger (and numerous) signals.
7. Actual signal reports are very welcome. (Even the 339 ones.) They help us
adjust to the conditions.
We will keep coming on around 0500 for a short time -- there is a tiny
chance of working EU. And then come on again around 0830 ahead of NA SR.
During the next few nights we will also work FT8 F/H. It seems that
SuperFox, which has been very effective on other bands, it not as good under
poor conditions on TB. Hence F/H.
TKS for all the calls and GL,
George,
N5J
On Wed, 14 Aug 2024 11:40:34 -0400 WW3S wrote:
A couple of mornings ago, they were ESP, maybe 339 when sending UP, for maybe 90 seconds or
so…..this morning I got in the shack around 0900z and they were 449/559 with peaks to 579 or
so, I worked them easily with an inv l and 1000w or so from NW PA…..tu George and team for
the new one !!! They were in there solid until my SR…..
Sent from my iPad
On Aug 14, 2024, at 10:57 AM, Ron Spencer via Topband <topband@contesting.com>
wrote:
Was listening last night (8/14) to N5J pound out CQs on 1828.5. Hats off to the
folks operating for their patience and dedication to 160. The rate, at least
while I was listening, was pretty low. Certainly not what most dxpeditions are
after. But George and crew continue to spend quality time working hard to pull
out Qs in this very noisy time for 160. THANK you to all the ops for 160 and
all the other bands too. WELL DONE!!!
Ron
N4XD (portable 5 in DM64 right now)
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