Topband: Operations...

[Bill Cromwell]

Hi,

I have been slowly wading into the 160 meter CW waters since the Stew.
I'm retired and don't really have a schedule. I am up early
mornings...listening well before sunrise at "oh dark thirty" and
sometimes in the evenings. I sometimes do hear other hams on 160 calling
for DX from the US or on SSB. I presently have only CW capability on
160. I have been calling CQ more and it occurred to me to look at the
reverse beacon network. There were no hits this morning after calling
from 12:35Z to 12:45Z and again from 13:15Z to 13:30Z (just around local
sunrise) after taking the big dog for a walk. I looked at the list of
stations and found only two of them covering 160 and neither in North
America. I would have been thrilled to hit their receivers with my 35
watts but no real surprise there. I was at 1809 and 1808 when I called.
Maybe their receivers were set for some other part of the band..perhaps
for DX.

It occurred to me that somebody may have heard my 80 meter harmonic so I
looked to see who might be in reasonable range on 80 meters and I found
one station I might expect to hear a weak signal from me on 80 (if I
have a problem). NIL <smile>. My 80 meter harmonic is in the "phone
band", though. Obviously I can hear harmonics with my own receivers
sitting only inches from the transmitter. I'll watch RBN for that,
anyway. I know from the Stew that my station is getting results. I'll be
trying a call early mornings and into the evenings as many days as I can
to try and find the most productive times. I'm not a "DX hound" but I
have certainly enjoyed chewing the rag with DX hams.

73,

Bill  KU8H