Topband: Need help to improve DX on 1/2 acre lot from CA (kr6c at juno.com)

[Greg Chartrand]

Jeff,
Most every one of us has gone through your experience in the beginning so your not alone. There are a few items that are necessary to get where you want to go:
1. there is no substitute for patience. I have gone years here where I have not heard a EU station here. When the sunspots are high like now, the number of EU openings to the west coast are few and far between. That means for those without a stellar station, you may only have 3-4 opportunities per year to hear/work EU. I missed my chance about 1 1/2 weeks ago because I went to be early. West coast EU opening opportunities peak just after your sunset and just before/during  EU's sunrise. In any case, you have to be there to work them. That means your on alert every day watching CC user, checking the band, waiting for your infrequent openings.
2) Transmitting. 160 is like moon bounce, EVERY DB COUNTS. Your running 800 watts so consider yourself already 3 db from where you should be. You described your antenna. It seems reasonable but you don't have a good ground system. Consider yourself another 2-3 DB down. There is a wealth of information about radials in the archives of this digest, read it. In any case, there is no substitute for 2000' + of wire on our under the ground. Your lucky because you can eliminate the 5DB loss you currently have with a minimal effort.
3. Receiving. Your transmit antenna is the worst RX antenna you can have. Its not only bad but it can ruin outer RX antennas near, and with your 1/2 acre, it will. A simple short BOG or two will make a world of difference. Remember think moon bounce, without a short BOG your probably 3-10 DB down signal to noise than you should be. A NE BOG 200' long operating properly will get you some of that loss back and if you isolate your TX antenna while receiving, you probably will get even more. Put up a vertical RX array or flags and you probably will even get more DB's.
4. Know how to use your rig. The signals you are looking for are always  dirt weak. Its taken me years to figure out how to get the best out of a RX to hear the weak ones. Spend time listening to weak CW sigs and try different filter settings, RF gain settings, CW pitch notes. I use a Timewave DSP-599ZX audio filter. It has a "spotlight mode" for CW. In this mode, on a quiet band, I can run the selectivity down to 10 HZ. It buys me another 3 DB or more SN. My 746 PRO has a gob of settings for filters, notches, and noise reduction I use them all and in doing so probably buy myself another 3-5 DB of SN. Many hams have not calibrated their receiver with the proper pitch setting thus they may be off 100+ HZ when looking for a weak signal. With a 10HZ audio filter, 100 HZ off is infinity! Tune in WWV and calibrate everything against it so the pitch you like is right on frequency. This really helps when there is bad QSB. You can sit on a FQ waiting to the QSB
 to come up without having to tune the station unless he is off FQ. Most rigs today are within 10 HZ so usually you can set it and be right on FQ IF you calibrate your RX properly.
In conclusion, working DX on 160 from the west coast is a pain in the butt especially on a small lot. If your crazy enough to try you won't get there unless you fight for every DB transmitting and receiving and spend the time to be there when the band is open. Some guys get lucky and find a quiet location on rich earth, throw a wire over a tree and work DX on 160 with 100w.  Don't plan on being lucky!
I'm on a 1/3 acre hillside lot over soil with the conductivity of Teflon. My antenna is similar to yours but I have lots of wire on the ground. I'm much closer to the aurora oval than you so my location is the worst of the worst for 160.  I'd trade locations with you in a heartbeat. I have used short BOGS, low dipole, loops and other antennas for RX.  I just purchased a Hi Z 3 element array I can squeeze on my lot, I have high hopes for it but know I'll have to isolate my vertical while receiving for it to work at all. If I get 3DB SN improvement with it I'll be in heaven!
Go for it but understand that there is no easy way to get there unless luck is on your side and it looks like it isn't so go fight for the DB's.
Greg
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Greg Chartrand - W7MY 

Richland, WA.

DN-06IF



W7MY Home Page:

http://webpages.charter.net/w7my/
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