Topband: High and low angles

[Michael Tope]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rick Karlquist" <richard at karlquist.com>
To: "Earl W Cunningham" <k6se at juno.com>
Cc: <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2005 3:30 PM
Subject: Re: Topband: High and low angles


> I have a very low horizon (maybe 1 or 2 degrees) but
> K6SE/lake nearly always beats me 1 on 1 in a pileup,
> with my 90 ft vertical.  I am 300 miles north of the lake.
> 
> Rick N6RK

Not very scientific, but when I was operating portable during the 
CQ 160 CW contest looking across about 15 miles of saltwater
to the west, I was finally able to hear the "ZL/DIGI" signal on 
1818.5 that everyone but me always seems to hear. It was in 
fact quite loud at the saltwater QTH. Also at my home QTH, I 
usually just hear a faint heterodyne on 2310 KHz from the Alice 
Springs BC station. At the saltwater QTH, the Alice Springs
BC station was S9+10 dB and armchair copy even on AM. 
The antenna was a 45 ft top loaded vertical with 25 100ft 
radials placed about 100ft from the waters edge. I think 
conditions were good that weekend, but still I was impressed 
by how loud signals form the west were coming in. 

73 de Mike, W4EF/6...............................................