Topband: ty aftermath

[Milt Jensen]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <W7lr at aol.com>
To: <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 11:14 AM
Subject: Topband: ty aftermath

-SNIP-

> On the chance thing, one night out  of two weeks doesn't seem like
> much of an interest in 160. For example, the  TZ crew was on almost every
> night, all night.

-SNIP-

> 73 Bob W7LR

That is the FIRST thing I learned from WA6CDR when I was invited to go on
the XZ1N and XZ0A expeditions.  The 2nd thing was you have to be there for
at least 4 weeks to go through a complete lunar cycle and have the
opportunity to achieve at least one opening to ALL possible areas.  This
manner of operation mitigates the effects of propagation AND local operating
conditions.  This means having a station DEDICATED to Topband operations and
having it manned continuously from before sundown to after sunup, for the
entire duration of expedition.  This means learning each night what you need
to try/change the next day to enhance the possibilities for the next night.
It takes a LOT of time and effort to make a DXpedition station successful on
Topband; ie., operate all night and construct, install, modify, add to, etc.
the antennas all day.

Keep in mind that it was exactly this mindset and manner of operation that
accomplished the 160 Meter World Record Q count for DXpeditions, and Zone 26
contacts for many, many 2nd, 3rd and 4th tier stations worldwide.   We often
chatted among ourselves that we had worked every bedspring station in EU and
JA.  AND, it was done at the very peak of the solar cycle.

The magnificent opening to North America occured on the very last night of
the operation.  That night would never have happened had we chosen to
diassemble our towers on our own.  Instead, we chose to expend more money
and hire a tower crew to travel the 500 miles from Bangkok, come to the
island, and take the towers down.  Just so we could put in one more night on
Topband.  As we left the island on the boat, just four hours after the last
Q's on Topband, we were watching the Thai crew climb the towers to begin the
disassembly.

Robin and I are still in the "work everday, long hours" mode of living but
we anticipate our wives and other life situations allowing us to do a few
expeditions during this sunspot cycle low.  It will be this same mindset and
dedication to 160 Meters that we will employ, no matter where we go.  We
encourage other DXpeditions to establish this same "Modus Operandi" for
Topband, go prepared to implement it, and then just DO IT!!!!!!!

73 de Milt, N5IA