Topband: The band sans noise

[Greg's]

Always I have wanted to permamanently run Topband, but  there is just too much QRM and RFI at BOTH my station locations. 

After a late season ice-storm took out power for much of my area last weekend, I was SHOCKED at the activity and weak signals that were now heard. Totally amazing- but also a disappointment -as it proved just  how much of our S9  hash-noise is manmade, electrically generated or supported  RFI from "inferior design" devices, bad power line connections etc. It is not 
just atmospheric.

Are quiet magnetic loops the answer? I can't believe they will come close to providing what I heard ( or didn't hear!) , but am open to advice. Is it worth having a 160m system on standby for those opportune times when an electrical blackout gives me my bands back? I wonder.

Q For you folk in the quiet locations, enjoy and protect! 

But it was almost a religious experience hearing a 160 metre band full of signals over an S-0 background noise. Yes. All other bands from 70 KHz to UHF were, equally ethierial! Spectacular experi
Z

 

 Tthanks for letting me share my awakening.! Oh, if only it were like this all the time!

Greg 
VE3FAX
FN04