As far as the designation of
TOPBAND@ CONTESTING.com , the second half of that is merely what domain was
willing to support this reflector. There are many reflector associated to
this domain,
-Charlie N1RR
401-742-7240 <(401)%20742-7240> 8AM - 9PM
*E-mail*: n1rr@n1rr.com
*Website*: www.n1rr.com
*Youtube channel*: NovemberOne RomeoRomeo
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPDzEf57Ad80cVKOiLZLB7w/videos
On Sat, Jan 6, 2024 at 1:35 AM Charles Morrison <
charles.morrison.n1rr@gmail.com> wrote:
> Bill,
> For all that you are dealing with, along with the additional propagation
> challenges that 160M brings, it is truly the toughest H.F. band to be suc
>
> When I started on 160M I did not have an amplifier that included 160M. I
> cq'd and tried calling stations for 3 months one winter until conditions
> were good enough to reach across the Atlantic with 100 watts.
>
> Success should be defined as what your expectations are..
> GL
> -Charlie N1RR
>
> On Fri, Jan 5, 2024 at 8:33 PM Bill Cromwell <wrcromwell@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> A note from the peanut gallery.
>>
>> This is topband@CONTEST.com
>>
>> I am on a postage stamp lot and the house & garage occupy approximately
>> the middle one third. The frontage is not usable for antenna systems due to
>> the underground utilities and overhead power lines. I am limited to
>> compromise antennas for this band and those must be further compromised
>> from published designs to fit into the space. I can be heard in Canada and
>> the eastern United States. Most of the daily signals are for dx only. In
>> some contests I can work a few stations on the north American continent. I
>> can hear a lot of them but they don't hear me. I don't have an antenna for
>> 160 at the moment and not a lot of motivation to put one up. Other bands
>> seem more productive given these conditions. I would be satisfied with QSOs
>> in the continental range but most are DX hounds and can't waste their time
>> on more local rag chews. I am ready to just sign off from this list and get
>> out of your way. Am I missing something?
>>
>> Happy New Year to all and...
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Bill KU8H
>>
>> > On Jan 5, 2024, at 7:04 PM, VE6WZ_Steve <ve6wz@shaw.ca> wrote:
>> > George,
>> >
>> > Yes. I fully agree that many ops don’t understand that RBN is NOT to be
>> relied on.
>> >
>> > I operate 3 RBN skimmers, each on a different RX antenna, and auto
>> switched for the RX antennas to follow the darkness DX path.
>> > 2 of these are Broadside phased Beverage pairs. My QTH is a quiet rural
>> location.
>> >
>> > However, the skimmer will only detect a very SMALL FRACTION of what I
>> can hear with my ears.
>> > If I look at my CW skimmer, often I can “see” the EU DX CQing, but the
>> skimmer will not always decode it.
>> > Many times I can work lots of EU, but never get a RBN skimmer decode
>> from EU.
>> > BUT, the opposite is also true. If I am getting EU RBN decodes, then
>> the band is probably in very good shape.
>> >
>> > Either way, as George said, do NOT rely on RBN to determine if the band
>> is open or not.
>> > Just keep calling CQ.
>> >
>> > BTW…FT-8 will decode “deep into the noise” however, with the common
>> very fast QSB on 160m, a big reason FT-8 seems to work better is the PC
>> sends EVERY 15 seconds, for as long as the op lets the PC go.
>> > Sometimes on CW, the QSB can be so fast, the QSO needs to be completed
>> within 30 seconds, or the DX has faded into oblivion under the noise.
>> > (That’s why we usually don’t have time on 160m CW for exchanging more
>> than a signal report…..quickly!!)
>> > That’s also why on CW we need to keep CQing into what seems like a dead
>> band. The difference on FT-8, is the PC does the CQing for you. Yeah…that
>> IS easier!
>> >
>> >
>> > Steve, ve6wz
>> >
>> >
>> >> Noise is up.
>> >> 80 is becoming the new 160!
>> >>
>> >> Also, it is noise that is driving a lot of ops onto FT8.
>> >>
>> >> Another contributor is RBN! While RBN is great tool, most RBN RX
>> antennas are poor on 160. Those that rely on a quick scan of RBN for 160
>> meter activity will incorrectly assume that the band is dead.
>> >>
>> >> In the past 10 years noise has gone up by something like 10 dB in many
>> areas. What worked 10 years ago, no longer works today. We need to learn to
>> live with it. Invest in better RX antennas and other noise reduction
>> techniques. (Petition the FCC to increase the power limit by 10 dB :-)
>> >>
>> >> And keep calling CQ!
>> >>
>> >> 73,
>> >>
>> >> George,
>> >>
>> >> AA7JV
>> >
>> > _________________
>> > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband
>> Reflector
>>
>> _________________
>> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband
>> Reflector
>>
>
>
> --
>
> -Charlie N1RR
>
> 401-742-7240 <(401)%20742-7240> 8AM - 9PM
>
> *E-mail*: n1rr@n1rr.com
>
> *Website*: www.n1rr.com
>
> *Youtube channel*: NovemberOne RomeoRomeo
>
> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPDzEf57Ad80cVKOiLZLB7w/videos
>
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