TopBand: Where to go next?... J8 favourite!

Wed, 29 Oct 97 20:14 +0100

Dear reflectors,
maybe you remember that some weeks ago I asked for suggestions where to go next 
into the caribbean.
Thanks for the lot of mails and there was J8 St. Vincent the absolute 
favourite...
Just trying to get a flight there, plan to stay there between dec 20 and jan 10.

But would like to ask your help/hint for following subjects:

- ant
- rtty software
- QTH
- topband RX

- antenna: had planned to bring my 60ft vertical which I had in Mayotte. Thats a 
guyed vertical alu pole with insulated mount, and a SG-231 automatic tuner 
attached to it.
About 4 different length wire radials added and everything looking like ground 
connected as well...
Very comfortable, no (hand) tuning required, but...
- loss due to poor ground
- very bad pattern on higher bands (a friend of mine has checked with EZNEC)
Have heard about 'elevated' radials, whats that? And maybe a good idea to attach 
a small beam to the top of the antenna, would be a capacitance hat for the low 
bands as well... Where to find a VERY lightweight beam?
Maybe somebody has a better idea for a lightweight but nice DXped antenna. But 
please keep in mind, we're only two people and weight is THE problem (thats why 
I'm running 100 watts only)...

- rtty software: using the PTC2 from SCS for PACTOR and RTTY. But have the 
'Plusterm' terminal software only. Are looking for something better (like 'CT'?) 
to be used with the PTC2 for RTTY, which allows fast logging/fast QSOs in a 
DXped mode.
Any idea?

- last, QTH:
of course as on nearly all caribbean islands, all major hotels are on the west 
(leeward) coast. Poor propagation, there's a big mountain rising just beneath 
the coast, between the QTH and almost the rest of the world...
Until now, have not yet found a QTH on the windward (east) coast. Have also not 
yet found something up in the mountains with free view.
Maybe somebody knows somebody who knows somebody who has an idea about a 
suitable place...

- topband RX
Will bring the IC-706MK2 with 250Hz CW filter and a DSP (the PTC2 is to be used 
as Audio DSP as well). Any ideas for improvement? 

In Mayotte, had only a DX-70 with the standard (AF) CW-Filter and heard nearly 
nothing but noise...

Thanks for your help and hope to hear you soon from over there. If somebody of 
you knows about other mailing lists, please feel free to forward my mail to 
other lists as well, as it's not only concerning the topband.
Volkmar
 DF2SS

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