Topband: strange conditions

[kd4e]

> I am a newcomer to 160M this season and, admittedly, am not using low 
> noise, directional antennas on receive, but I have observed what Larry 
> has described here.  Often I have heard other stations 100-200 miles 
> away from me hearing and working DX that I can't even copy via ESP.  Is 
> this typical for 160M?  In other words, are signals often received only 
> within a narrow geographic window?
> 73, Joe K2XX

My limited experience has taught me that it is
mostly related to your antenna system.

Sometimes a vertical hears what a horizontal will
not, sometimes the lower NVIS-type antenna hears
what the higher non-NVIS one (rare that anyone has
a non-NVIS 160M horizontal antenna) does not and
the opposite.

There may be other localized factors line-of-sight
to the particular opening that could impact reception
but what you describe sounds more like an antenna-
system driven experience than a minor geographic
difference.

Is there anything significant about your geographic
locations, e.g. water, mountains, heavy forestation,
industry, RFI more present at one location than the
other at certain times of the day?

Others may have different experiences but given
roughly similar antennas, feedlines, tuners, rigs,
and grounding systems you both should be hearing
most of the same stations.

-- 

Thanks! & 73, doc, KD4E
*Have a joy-filled New Year!*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Projects: http://ham-macguyver.bibleseven.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal:  http://bibleseven.com