Topband: 3B9C to KA6W

[Milt Jensen, N5IA]

OK,

Here is the list, compiled so far from various posts, that are in an
approximate 300 mile diameter area of central and SE AZ and extreme SW NM.
There may be others.

N7DD, W9NGA, KJ7WY, N7US, KC7V, W7KW, N7RT, W8AEF, W7MCO, N5IA and Dave AB7E
to whom it appears the honor of longest path distance belongs.

 The PHX area stations are all approximately the same distance I am from
Rodrigues.  The Tucson are stations are on the order of 80 miles farther
than us.  W9NGA in Green Valley extends that another 20 miles or so.

I received an E-mail this morning from Dave, who explains his location as
being just two miles from the Mexican border, south of Sierra Vista.  That
puts him about 112 miles farther than I am and about 10 miles farther than
NGA in Green Valley.

Only someone in the Nogales area or Yuma area could exceed Dave's
accomplishment (other than Mexico or So Cal which we know hasn't happened).
Here is a copy of his E-mail.  He says 12 miles, but it really is 112 miles
farther from my place.  The description of his antenna and what he did to
set up his station and make the Q are what makes the pursuit of TopBand
contacts so exciting.

 -------------------------
Hi, Milt.  You probably don't remember me, but I met you several years ago
... I think it was at Field Day somewhere but it could have been some place
else.  I also chatted with you a few times at Ft. Tuthill back when.

It wasn't until I saw your comment (forwarded to me by K7ZB) on the Top Band
Reflector about who might have the longest 160M QSO with 3B9C that it
occured to me that I might have.  I used to live in Phoenix but retired a
couple of years ago and my wife and I are now building a house south of
Sierra Vista, Arizona, about 2 miles from the Mexican border.  GeoClock
tells me (using my exact latitude and longitude as determined by my GPS)
that my path to 3B9 is 11,430 miles.  I don't think 12 miles difference from
your path should be enough for bragging rights, but if my path is only 12
miles longer than yours you probably beat N7DD in Tucson, which is a lot
further north of me than 12 miles.

I worked them at 0140z on the 25th, but heard them strongly (S-4 to S-7 on
the meter) from about 0120z until exactly 0203z.  I was using a full-sized 2
element wire yagi strung across a canyon above my lot at the south end of
the Huachuca Mountains.  The strings supporting the two elements are each
about 700 feet long and the center of the yagi is about 170 feet above the
bottom of the ravine, although the canyon is very V-shaped and the ground is
a bit closer to the ends.  A plus is that the terrain continues to slope
away eastward at more than a 20% grade for several hundred feet, and then
between 10% and 15% for the next mile or so.  The beam heading of the array
points about 80 degrees true bearing but the lobe is broad enough that it
apparently still covered 3B9 OK.

I had to load my gear (756Pro and 400 watt Ameritron amp) into my truck and
drive up as close as I could get to the antenna, which still took 500 feet
of coax.  Some day I'm hoping to run some ladder line to my house but until
it is finished I have to make do.

Hope to see you again sometime.  73,

Dave   AB7E
-------------------------------

Everyone deserves kudos for being ready and making this one happen.  73 to
all.  Milt, N5IA