Hello Top-Banders, Today's Wall Street Journal had an article on serious (fanatical) audiophiles in Japan who have their own utility poles (and transformers) installed to ensure that they get the cle
Bruce, I often use an 18 m Spiderpole with two loading wires, sloping out from the tip at about 60 degrees. I use 18 gauge insulated wires and run 1500 W. I have not seen any signs of overheating. Cu
Some EU stations were S7 in Miami last night, Unfortunately, noise on my TX antenna was also S7. George AA7JV Tom W3TA The band has been open for DX from Europe almost every night this week . . . so
I was out in the Bahamas for the CQWW160 contest from C6AGU. Both before and after the contest I got up to work JA-s at sunrise. There was definite peak in signals. The peaks started just at sunrise
Rick, I built two DHDL-s last week for the 160 m contest from C6AGU. One was pointed towards EU and the other one towards NA/JA. The EU one was longer at 19 m vs. 16 m for the NA one. The two antenna
Roger, You did something great by stirring up people to get on the air. It was partly the participation that's created the "good conditions". 160 m almost always has some propagation. I often call CQ
David, I very much enjoyed our simple QSO last night. Ignore the idiots who are reduced to being pests. They happen to turn up everywhere. By the way, the QSO was very useful: I was testing the new 1
Guy, Your's is about as complete an explanation as it gets. I only would like to add one aspect (which is covered by the reference to antenna efficiency) but is perhaps worth pointing out. Opinions o
Dave, For those of us who like CW, it will always be the preferred mode. FT8 may lower the DXCC threshold; perhaps it should be counted differently. But FT8 is opening 160 m to hams with limited faci
Greg, In concert with HA7RY (Tomi), one night I was monitoring OH8X while the monster Yagi was still up. At Tomi's QTH (in Hungary) it was very loud. I could barely copy it in FL. I worked EU station
The vertical near the sea will benefit from in-phase reflection (which is additive) of the vertically polarized radiation. That is probably worth 3 to 6 dB, depending on the angle, etc. Ground losses
Hello TopBanders, KH1/KH7Z will be active on 160 from Baker Island from June 27 to July 6 (note that dates are tentative and may change -- please visit http://baker2018.net/ for updates). Given the t
Rob, You are right about the timing not being good, but it is way too late now to postpone the operation. Most of us are already in the Pacific or on a plane, the boat is being loaded, etc., etc. Thi
Jim, We will be on FT8 extensively on many bands, but only when we can operate concurrently with CW (and SSB). We will only have one 160 m antenna. Also, the CW and FT8 frequencies are very close to
Dear Top Banders, Here is a brief descriptionof the recent Baker Island (KH1/HK7Z) 160-meter operation. Among the numerouslimitations the USFWS placed on us, being only allowed on the island in June
Dear OM, The ones I have worked, I heard their signals, and they are in the log. That's real. George, AA7JV Hi George ! UY5VA and US4EX - tven in winter and summer they listen only on the Internet !
Jim, Those 120 QSO-s were all NA and SA DX! Hard to do on TB in July! Also, we were not using the DXpedition mode, which is faster. FT8 is here to stay, but so what? No need to "buy into it". The fac
Dave, The "Fat" TX antenna worked pretty well towards the N - NW. Also, by the early mornings I was able to turn up the TX power to 1400 W, as the other CW stations went off the air. So, Ukrain, whil
JC, Tim, The 80 m antenna was not only not over the salt water, it was far more shielded to the NE by the berm at the top of the beach. Maybe that is why it produced weaker signal in NA. 73, George A