Topband: VK0M on 160m

Steve HA0DU ha0du at dx.hu
Fri Aug 31 14:43:45 EDT 2012


Larry,

Only 86% of the respondents said they need P5 on Top Band, so some 
forgot to mark this and that... I know from W4ZV that North Americans 
worked VK0/M on 160 SSB quite frequently in the 80's (VK0GC), but I 
doubt anyone from Europe worked him.

As far as I know from our correspondence, Trevor VK0TH used a low dipole 
antenna on 80 meters, and even on a three element Yagi at 45 meters up 
he was very very weak.

VK0/M is 18,000 kilometers from Europe. If anyone wants to try 160 DX 
from there, an amplifier is a must. The modern solid state amps are 
lightweight so should not be a huge problem. I will be happy to lend my 
low-band FET amp (which has already been used from A35, FW, 6W) to the 
next Macca operator.

73 Steve HA0DU

On 31/08/2012 13:10, Larry Gauthier (K8UT) wrote:
>
>> But as far as I know, nobody has worked Macca from Europe
>> on 160m during the last 30 years? I hope I'm wrong.
>
> [CAUTION: Shameless plug follows]
>
> In the 2012 Topband Most Wanted Survey (which ends today!) includes
> responses from 154 Europeans. Of those, 21 indicated that they do not
> need VK0/M on 160m.
>
> Not filled out a survey yet?  http://survey.hamdocs.com/index.php?sid=11389
>
> -larry (K8UT)
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Jari Jussila
> Sent: Friday, August 31, 2012 5:03 AM
> To: Steve Ireland ; topband at contesting.com ; vk3pa at vk3pa.com
> Subject: Re: Topband: VK0M on 160m
>
>
> Steve ...
>
> I'm don't know the full history of VK0M 160m activity. But as far as I
> know, nobody has worked Macca from Europe on 160m during the last 30
> years? I hope I'm wrong.
>
> I was in an active contact with the last operator on the island, Trevor,
> VK0TH. He didn't mention anything about any HF rhombic antenna and he
> would surely have used it if it would have been possible. I remember him
> saying that most of the big antennas had been removed for environmental
> reasons. He, in fact, even had some problems to keep the old vertical
> that was left behind by earlier operators not speaking about erecting
> any temporary new antennas. The situation reminds the situation on
> Prince Edward & Marion Is., ZS8, were the big rhombic antennas have been
> removed for same reason.
>
> The old multiband vertical that Trevor used broke at the end of his
> operation and can not be repaired. Trevor used a long wire the last
> weeks and we could work him even on 80m CW.
>
> Trevor used the longwire also on 160m and worked a couple of VK's and
> ZL. He was heard even in KL7 and in Scandinavia but no QSO's were made
> outside VK/ZL.
>
> As far as I understand, there's absolutely no amateur antenna on the
> island at the moment.
>
> I would suggest that VK3PA or his friend contacts Trevor, VK0TH; to get
> good advise for the antennas. If you want, I can provide you with his
> new VK-email address.
>
> Cu no 160m
>
> Jari, OH2BU
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 26.8.2012 13:24, Steve Ireland wrote:
>> Hi Allan
>>
>> In the past I am pretty sure the radio amateurs who have taken up the
>> radio
>> technician position on Macquarie Island have had some access to the
>> commercial antennas used on the island and used them on 160m.  My memory
>> (which isn't always good) is that there is an HF rhombic, which has been
>> loaded up on 160m as an end-fed wire type antenna.
>>
>> In the past, the problem seems to have been for the operator to find
>> time to
>> actually operate ham radio much.  My impression is that the job is really
>> full-on.
>>
>> If your friend can get hold of a Spiderbeam 17m fiberglass telescoping
>> pole
>> to take with him, then that could support an quarter wave inverted-L
>> antenna, with a sloping top.  If someone could make up a K2AV folded
>> counterpoise (and matching transformer) that could be rolled up and also
>> taken with him, then the operator would have a fair 160m signal.  As
>> the FCP
>> would only be 33 feet long, ANARE may let him put this up?
>>
>> I guess if there are enough amateurs who were interested in 160m
>> operation
>> from VK0M and everyone put in a few dollars each, so these items could be
>> purchased for your friend to take with him, that may be worth a go.
>>
>>
>>
>> Vy 73
>>
>>
>>
>> Steve, VK6VZ
>>
>>
>>
>> --------------
>>
>> Message: 4
>>
>> Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2012 17:50:09 -0500
>>
>> From: vk3pa at vk3pa.com
>>
>> Subject: Topband: VK0M
>>
>> To: topband at contesting.com
>>
>> Message-ID:<20120824175009.ivu1k3pvtccsosg4 at webmail.opentransfer.com>
>>
>> Content-Type: text/plain;     charset=ISO-8859-1;     DelSp="Yes";
>>
>>        format="flowed"
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi all, hve a ham friend going to VK0M.He will be mainly cw, es he is a
>> "gud" op can handle dog piles hi hi.. his main Q is wot type of Ant is
>> best
>> ? he can not hve radials or wires up in the air
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
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