Topband: Seeing the light

[rick darwicki]

Starting in about 1975 I tried every sort of ground mounted 35' high 160 vertical I could put up without scaring the XYL or having the city cite me.

Most of the first versions didn't get me east of the Mississippi. When I finally got to work the big guns on the east coast, typically the winner of each ARRL section in the listings, for the first few years I found many I could copy S-9 before my SS and even 2-3 hours after SS but that would not answer me.

Over about 25  years, I filtered my logs and found many stations that I worked consistanly within a 15-20 minute window in the ARRL and CQ 160 contests. I started keeping a list and didn't bother calling them until they were in my "window".  Calling CQ I never had to use the stacking feature in N1MM. For me JAs have two peaks that last about 5-20 minutes most nights.

Why I consider all the difficulties of 160 FUN amazes me, but then working a VK once with a single transistor TX on 20 meters was too, so there you go.  

RTTY on a few weekends might hurt the "serious" stations with their 6-8 1000 foot beverages and full size four square antennas, but hey, they can operate during the week when you can't find a signal to save your life........ and have the band all to themselves.

The other option is to join the fun.  

I opt for the Government trick, let's have one 160 RTTY only contest and see how it goes then ease into the other major contests. 

After a few years every contest will have 160 permitted with special awards and points for 160 contacts. 

After that only 160 contacts will count for DXCC and WAS. 

Then all county hunting adwards must be on 160 PSK.

Finally only spread spectrum signals will be permitted.

If you want to beat yourself up, right now working 10 meters is just as hard as 160 :-)

Rick, N6PE

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Remember, Some things are not worth doing well