9V operations are similar to Jakarta, with huge noise problems in an urban
environment.
Over the past 15 years there have only been three or four 9V ops on 160. The
most successful was Bob 9V1GO who claimed 100 DXCC entities over a few
seasons. However, these were "internet assisted". He tried everything and
eventually ended up with a long wire sloper from his high rise apartment down
to ground level, using the building water pipes as a counterpoise. His efforts
took hundreds or even thousands of hours to achieve.
Another was Pete 9V1PC (SK) who tried an inverted L from a high-rise, with the
top section 30 feet above the roof and the vertical section sloping a bit down
to the ground. Noise killed him. He tried a 1/4 wave vertical from the roof on
a helium balloon but his neighbours threatened to report him to the police, so
he gave up after a few nights. Using 1KW he got out fine but could only hear S9
noise. He got many angry emails from ops around the world because he could not
hear them.
I was on a few years ago using a full length dipole above the roof, far too low
of course, but with 500 Watts it got out OK. Noise again was the problem. I
worked 40 DXCC entities but after many nights of listening to static I gave up.
Life is too short.
All of us have tried separate small loop receive antennas, both passive and
active, with only marginal improvements. Noise cancelling antennas don't work
due to the myriad of noise sources in built-up areas. Short Beverages are a
waste of time as well.
Bottom line is it is hardly worth bothering. After you have worked the few big
guns in EU and the JAs, Aussies and Russians on top band there is a quantum
leap to the rest of the world, all due to noise.
John 9V1VV
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