TopBand: Fait Accompli!

[W0AH]

     My seasonal 160M goal, after putting up the new 90' top loaded, shunt
fed, tower in late August was to try to work 100 countries during the
"season."   This morning I worked N6MZ/KH9 for country #99 and this evening I
worked UA2BD for country #100 since September 1.  Thank you John, K9UWA, and
Earl, K6SE, for your antenna advise and guidance last summer. I will be adding
to the 32 radials as soon as the snow melts, adding another 10' to the tower
(perhaps with an antenna on top for top loading instead of the two 35' wires
I'm presently using) and adding another beverage or two for next season.  In
fact, I made my way through the two feet of snow and put up a temporary 330
degree beverage today.  
     I was able to work 70 countries during the 1995-96 season (I was not on
last season) with a northeastward slopping full wave loop, the western leg at
40' and the northern and southern legs slopping down a hill to the bottom leg
which was only 8' off the ground and 60 feet below the western leg.  This was
not a bad antenna in it's favored direction, NE and east.  In fact, I have not
heard any Europeans as loud on the vertical this year as I heard them, more
than once, on the FW loop two years ago.   I think, however, that is because
conditions were better two years ago. 
   During last September, I made many comparisons between the new vertical and
the FW loop.  The vertical was always at least as good on transmit and receive
as the FW loop and usually an S-unit better.   Therefore, I took the FW loop
down in October and made a beverage out of it.  I wonder if others agree that
conditions were better two years ago?   This season, however, we have had more
DXpeditions which has really made top band interesting.  I will continue to be
active until lightning season, perhaps calling DX stations I have already
worked on QRP and, of course, trying to work some new ones.  I think my DXCC
is now about 120 countries, and I will be getting QSLs out soon.
Doug  W0AH      central Colorado near Pikes Peak

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