Topband: Received Signal Strengths

[Jim Garland]

Here, 160m vertical had noise floor this AM of -103 dbm, with beverages (720 ft), about -118 dbm, measured with Flex 6300. No need for a preamp.BTW, 160 was poor this morning.
Jim W8ZR

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of C Allen Baker via
> Topband
> Sent: Saturday, January 09, 2016 06:29 AM
> To: sawyered at earthlink.net; topband at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: Topband: Received Signal Strengths
> 
> 
> 
>     On Saturday, January 9, 2016 6:52 AM, Ed Sawyer <sawyered at earthlink.net> wrote:
> 
> 
>  The 5NN discussion brought up an interesting subject to me.  Signal
> strengths reported on 75M SSB are funny to listen too as people seem to be
> in a "mines bigger than yours" competition on how many dB above S9 a signal
> is.  Meanwhile their noise floor is probably S7 or more - what's the point?
> 
> 
> 
> Here at N1UR, on 160, I have switchable T verticals (EU direction and Omni).
> I NEVER listen on them.  Nighttime noise floor is typically S5 - 7 in the
> winter on them with static crashes well over S9 if there is storming in the
> east half of the US (for CW).  I have done some signal strength comparisons
> with EU stations and Carib stations vs my beverages.
> 
> 
> 
> Typically, on 160M, I leave the preamp off for my beverages.  The received
> noise floor for my N/S beverage (on CW) is usually S2 - 3 and for my phased
> EU beverages is S0 to S1.  I have found the signal strengths of the received
> stations to be 1 to 2 S units down on the beverage and equal or stronger on
> the beverage if I turn the preamp on - with usually a rise in the noise
> floor by a 1 or 2 S units.  Interestingly, on 80M CW, I usually use the
> beverage preamp.  The signal often comes up 3 - 4 S units and the noise only
> 1 to 2 S units.  I often drop in  some attenuation to make the noise floor
> "just" go away.
> 
> 
> 
> What do others see as the difference in transmit antenna vs low noise
> antenna signal strengths?
> 
> 
> 
> N1UR
> 
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