Topband: How do we get more people on Topband?

[MIKE PASKEURIC]

At the SARA  Stillwater Amateur Radio Assn. club we put up 300 foot ladder line center fed zepps for new members that pay the cost of matterial. (use n9inn 4 to 1 baluns and larger tuners) . I myself helped about 50 hams over 8 or 10 years. We call it MAP program.  Member Assistance Program. Some of the guys meet on 1902 at 8PM central and some of us contest.Just getting people in the club started really helps and they get more involved later and more active because some of them are not very mechanical and all. 
  Every little bit helps. Plus the antennas can be tuned for 10 to 160M. Some have shorter Zepps but at 170 feet long and shorter it gets tricky.

Mike
N0ODK
73
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: alan eshleman<mailto:oakame at yahoo.com> 
  To: topband at lists.contesting.com<mailto:topband at lists.contesting.com> ; Brian Moran<mailto:brianmo at yahoo.com> 
  Sent: Saturday, October 17, 2009 2:29 PM
  Subject: Re: Topband: How do we get more people on Topband?


  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<mailto:brianmo at yahoo.com>> wrote:

  > From: Brian Moran <brianmo at yahoo.com<mailto:brianmo at yahoo.com>>
  > Subject: Topband: How do we get more people on Topband?
  > To: topband at lists.contesting.com<mailto: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
  > 
  > 
  > 
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