Topband: CW versus SSB

[wa4dou@excite.com]

Hi All,
  Now that we've been reminded that more signals can occupy a particular
bandwidth, if each of them is narrower, it seems like a good time to share
my experience.
  After nearly 40 years as a ham, i recently decided to try 160 meters. The
antenna requirement had always been a deterrant but i found an opportunity
to erect a temporary "sloper" with the top at 180-190 ft.(56-58 meters)
high, for the CQ WW 160 meter Contest. I operated both the cw and ssb
portions and ran 25 watts on cw and 100 watts on ssb. I think that
conditions were somewhat better during the cw weekend. However, with a 6 db
power advantage during the phone weekend, my results were much inferior
(less than 30 multipliers) compared to the cw weekend (44 multipliers). 
  I am reminded why, many years ago, i came to appreciate cw as a more
efficient mode of communications in dx'ing with less than optimum antennas
and lower power levels. Regardless of the exact number of cw signals which
can occupy a particular slice of spectrum, there can be no excapeing the
conclusion that its considerably greater than phone signals. And nowhere has
it been more obvious, that cw is more efficient than phone, in
communications effectiveness, than this 160 meter experience. 
  I think i can get interested in dabbling on 160, perhaps from low noise,
temporary locations, for an occasional contest. But for my main dx'ing, i
think i'll retire higher up in the bands! 
  73 de Roy WA4DOU





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