Topband: The glory days of 160

[RK]

Yep, the glory days. Never having the chance to operate from the East Coast we 
Left Coasters in the earlier days of 160 were always struggling to compete 
and still do with the guys East of the Rockies.

Here are a few tid-bits from 35 years on Top-Band

just a few.................

Most seasoned operators will remember that the Japanese stations used to 
operate cross band listening down from 1905-1912 kHz to 1800-1825 kHz. During 
several competitions namely CQ 160 or ARRL 160 our scores would be reduced 
dramatically because of our massive JA runs of 100-200 QSO's which would have 
many unique calls. It was our bread and butter, we didn't have 50 countries 
at our doorstep. Personally when the band was open to JA I would operate 
Morse mixed with Kana Code to tell the JA's where to listen! :)

In the late 70's and early 80's the Late K6SE, Earl Cunningham was the only 
West coast station with more than one antenna element.

Lost in the shuffle of multiple moves was my old cassette audio tape from 
about 1983 with WA7OFH, K7IDX and others in the Puget Sound area of 
Washington experiencing LDE (Long Delayed Echoes of about 1 second)

I also remember VP8ANT coming through solid for almost 12 hours one winter 
night in 1981. Not only was the solid copy but it was a spotlight effect and 
very few others out side of the area could hear and work him.

In the 80's W7RM was the Multi-multi station to operate in the NW in ARRL DX 
or CQWW DX. Many fine operators, W7WA, K7WA, VE7CC, VE7SV, W7EJ, W7XR, N7ZZ, 
K7JA, KB7G (VR2BG) and myself worked on and operated there. In one particular 
CQ 160 I worked UK2RDX for a new country and first E. Europe station on 
top-band. Rush Drake came down the stairs in his stocking hat wondering why 
the old TL-250s were thumping the power supply... Rush had the card in one 
week! A few years later Charlie (K7NW) and Jean Shaffer of Seattle traveled 
to the Ukraine and Soviet Union. They paid a visit to the "Old Wind Mill" 
club station. The brought back a photo copy of the station 20 Watt operating 
license and a photo of the old Russian 20 KW PA! No wonder they were so loud!

73

Bob Kile- Ex WA7GCI, KG7D- same Old guy with recycled call - W7RH
DM35OS
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