Topband: How do we get more people on Topband?

[alan eshleman]

Top Band DXing requires real estate.  It's possible to get on 160 with a compromise antenna and 100 watts and work DX every now and then, but the full Top Band experience requires space for antennas and an amplifier.

I did not get serious about 160 until I moved from my postage-stamp-sized lot in Berkeley to my new QTH in semi-rural Sonoma County.  I have a little over an acre, surrounded by vineyards and pasture land.

From Berkeley, I worked KH6, JA, and a few other Pacific islands, but never even heard EU above the city noise.  Since moving, I have 111 DXCC entities worked on Top Band (though some operators, who shall be nameless, are slow to send the cards).

I think we're dinosaurs, albeit happy dinosaurs.  Perhaps others can say something more encouraging.

73,

Alan/K6SRZ

--- On Fri, 10/16/09, Brian Moran <brianmo at yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: Brian Moran <brianmo at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Topband: How do we get more people on Topband?
> To: topband at lists.contesting.com
> Date: Friday, October 16, 2009, 9:26 PM
> As the daylight shortens and it gets
> colder here in the northern hemisphere, I anticipate those
> nice evening openings on 160m.  Tuning across the band,
> most nights I hear many of the same calls that I've grown
> familiar with after a few seasons.  
> 
> It's great to say hi to Vlad, Kent, Kees, Tree, Carl,
> Roberts, Bob, and Bobby... and many other 160m folks with
> great signals, names I don't know because of the nature of
> 160m exchanges.  I've worked some DX folks over a dozen
> times. Do they really want to work me for the 16th time?
> Sometimes I listen for a while before actually responding to
> a CQ from a familiar call, to make sure they don't have
> anyone else to work. 
> 
> Lately, I've tended to just work calls that I've not worked
> before. I really look forward to contests and DXpeditions.
> Besides working on improving antennas, equipment,  and
> operating techniques, what do others do to keep topband
> 'fresh' and exciting?
> 
> Some stalwarts have been at this for years if not
> decades.  How can we get more people from all parts of
> the world on Topband?
> 
> -Brian N9ADG
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Topband mailing list
> Topband at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/topband
>