ARRL DX CW - K-index
frenaye at pcnet.com
frenaye at pcnet.com
Tue Feb 20 05:18:27 EST 1996
During the recent ARRL CW DX contest the usual WWV flux, A and K numbers were
not reported every three hours on the local PacketCluster. I wondered what
the weekend's K-index numbers were so it might explain a few things - like
why we only had a total of 25 QSOs during the 08-09-10Z hours on Sunday
morning (and that was with 160-80-40 all looking and CQing!). Remember that
during the CQWW CW last fall the K-index was 0 or 1 for the entire weekend
(we were spoiled!). With the K-index in the 2-3 range the paths over the
pole sure go downhill!
Planetary K-index
2/18
00-03Z 2
03-06 1
06-09 2
09-12 2
12-15 2
15-18 2
18-21 3
21-24 3
2/19
00-03Z 2
03-06 3
06-09 3
09-12 2
12-15 1
15-18 0
18-21 1
21-24 2
Information retrieved from:
http://www.sel.bldrdoc.gov/planetary_k.html
Also check out:
gopher://proton.sel.noaa.gov:70/00/lists/geomag/AK
Another interesting thing is that we worked more stations from LA-SM-OH-UA on
80 meters than on 40 meters, though for almost all of the rest of Europe we
had more QSOs on 40 than 80. Actually, we had more QSOs on 160 than on 40
from 04-07Z the first night, and from 01-07Z the second night! I guess the
MUF really did drop below 7 MHz as ON4UN noted, and then the geomagnetic
activity (K-index) made it worse.
73 - Tom
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail: frenaye at pcnet.com
Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box 386, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone: 860-668-5444
>From n3rr at cais.cais.com (Bill Hider) Tue Feb 20 06:33:51 1996
From: n3rr at cais.cais.com (Bill Hider) (Bill Hider)
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 1996 01:33:51 -0500
Subject: N3RR SOA HP ARRLDXCW SCORE/soapbox
Message-ID: <199602200633.BAA02576 at cais.cais.com>
ARRL INTERNATIONAL DX CONTEST -- 1996
Call: N3RR Country: United States
Mode: CW Category: Single Unlimited
BAND QSO QSO PTS PTS/Q COUNTRIES
160 86 258 3.0 43
80 165 495 3.0 64
40 330 987 3.0 74
20 403 1209 3.0 83
15 81 243 3.0 44
10 4 12 3.0 1
--------------------------------------
Totals 1069 3204 3.0 309 = 990,036
This represents only 30 hours of operating due to my getting sick Saturday
AM and sleeping through the 20M EU run on Saturday AM. I hope I can put in
a full-time effort in the SSB CONTEST in 2 weeks.
Great fun though on the low bands. Thought either my 781 broke or the 15
meter antenna fell down when I heard others working EU and I couldn't hear
them! 10M was dismal. Looks like we'd better get used to it though. Still
a couple years away from working the JAs on 10M from W3!!
The 40-2CD performed very well and the FORCE 12 EF-180A rotatable dipole
performed flawlessly. Some of you recall that I've had some trouble with
the EF-180A in the past. Well, the FORCE 12 guys came through with a
modification kit which, after installation, fixed the problems I've had.
WA3WJD and I installed it on December 31st and the antenna has been
performing flawlessly ever since. This CONTEST was the acid test!
No TVI complaints this weekend either. That's very positive! I hope I
don't get any during the SSB effort!
CU IN THE PHONE PILEUPS!!
73!
Bill, N3RR at CAIS.COM
Bill, N3RR
n3rr at cais.com OR n3rr at cais.cais.com
/ / / / /
/---/-|-/-/-/
/ / |/ / /
| >>>>>>>>> Tower #1 (Heavy-duty AB-105, 134ft):
|
|
| 160M = Inverted "V" @ 134 Ft
| 80M = EF-180A @ 149 Ft (on mast
w/mast twister)
| 40M = 40-2CD (W6QHS ++) @ 134 Ft
(on ring rotor)
| 20M = 205CA (W6QHS++) @ 100 ft
(on ring rotor)
| 15M = 155CA (W6QHS ++) @ 109 Ft
(on ring rotor)
| 10M = 105CA @ 141 Ft (on mast
w/mast twister)
Tower #2, Hg-52SS, 52 ft crankup:
A-4S w/40M dipole element
Rig: IC-781/IC-4KL
PC: 486 DX2/66 clone
RX Antennas: NE 8-Slinky Beverage
NE, S, E, W EWEs (160/80)
>From Fred Hopengarten" <k1vr at k1vr.jjm.com Sun Feb 18 08:12:40 1996
From: Fred Hopengarten" <k1vr at k1vr.jjm.com (Fred Hopengarten)
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 1996 03:12:40 EST
Subject: Nye Viking Tuners
Message-ID: <3126df7d.k1vr at k1vr.jjm.com>
On Fri, 16 Feb 1996 12:56:52 -1000, "Jim Reid"
<jreid at aloha.net> wrote:
> ordered a Viking MB-V-A 3kW tuner.
> Really think I'd like to get
> the pi-network of the Viking design, a la the old Johnson
> Viking Matchbox design fame
I faced the same issue, and also felt that the two Johnson
Matchboxes that I own are unsurpassed in construction and
acapability.
I tried a Dentron that promised 160 meter coverage, but it
got too warm at 1500 watts on 160 CW. So I bought a used
Nye Viking MB II.
In the end, I had to add something like 200 pf to one
position of the five position switch, in order to make the
SWR drop to 1:1. W1FV helped me select the correct amount
of capacitance from my doorknob collection. He pencilled a
few numbers on the back of an envelope and then said: Do
you have any clip leads? That's how I came to learn what a
true contester is -- a believer in clip lead engineering!
We didn't even warm up the soldering iron until the clip
lead phase was over.
I also had to add a balun, as the original unit had only
been used to tune coax lines, and I intended to put it to
use on a balanced feedline on 160.
--
Fred Hopengarten K1VR
Six Willarch Road * Lincoln, MA 01773-5105
home + office telephone: 617/259-0088 (FAX on demand)
internet: k1vr at k1vr.jjm.com
"Big antennas, high in the sky, are better
than small ones, low."
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