Topband: ARRL 160

Thu Dec 7 15:35:18 EST 2017

Hi Trevor, 

I looked at your QRZ.COM page and I'm concerned that your tower 
and Yagis may be degrading the performance of your nearby 160 
meter vertical. It can contribute unwanted nulls and unwanted 
ground loss. What is the height of your tower to the top of your mast? 

Small loop antennas ("magnetic loops") such as the Wellbrook are 
great for nulling local RFI, but they're low performance receiving 
antennas for DXers as you've discovered. Beverages are very 
effective receiving antennas but their directivity will be degraded 
by a nearby 160 meter vertical and perhaps your tower too. 

Its will take a great deal of wire to improve your existing radial 
system even marginally, perhaps four times more wire than in your 
current radial system. 

73 
Frank Donovan 
W3LPL 

----- Original Message -----

From: "MR TREVOR DUNNE" <ei2glb at eircom.net> 
To: donovanf at starpower.net 
Cc: Gary at ka1j.com, "topband List" <topband at contesting.com> 
Sent: Thursday, December 7, 2017 8:19:04 PM 
Subject: Re: Topband: ARRL 160 

I understand that I have to improve my RX antennas as currently I find the TX antenna is better on RX that both of my current RX antennas, While I get a good reduction in noise floor on the RX antenna's the DX just isn't workable on them 

The TX antenna is 55ft of Aluminum Tube It tapers from 2.25" to 1" at the top, I have 2 top loading wires each 50ft long tied off to Tall trees in the distance, 
The ends of the top loading wires are approximately 45ft high, I'm using a 4" diameter coil double tapped to get Resonance and to match the feedline to 50ohms, 

I have currently 48 radials mostly between 15-25m long, I hope to improve this greatly in the spring before the grass starts to grow again, 

RX antennas are a Wellbrook loop and a 450ft Beverage pointing NE for JA/OC 

I need to put something up for NA and hope to do this over the holiday period ready for CQ160 in the new year, 

Thanks 
Trevor 
EI2GLB 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: donovanf at starpower.net 
To: "MR TREVOR DUNNE" <ei2glb at eircom.net> 
Cc: Gary at ka1j.com, "topband List" <topband at contesting.com> 
Sent: Thursday, 7 December, 2017 15:22:26 
Subject: Re: Topband: ARRL 160 

Hi Trevor, 

Please share with us the details of your antenna and ground system 
Better transmit performance should be achievable 

73 
Frank 
W3LPL 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: MR TREVOR DUNNE <ei2glb at eircom.net> 
To: Gary at ka1j.com 
Cc: ''''''topband List'''''' <topband at contesting.com> 
Sent: Wed, 06 Dec 2017 18:44:36 -0500 (EST) 
Subject: Re: Topband: ARRL 160 

Running 1kw to a 55ft top loaded vertical over a decent radial field I found many many stations that I could hear quiet well that could not hear me, it's very disheartening, 

Is it my system or there's that's not working. 

I'm already planning improvements for next year to try to improve my tx performance, 

Trevor 
EI2GLB 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Gary Smith <Gary at ka1j.com> 
To: topband at contesting.com 
Sent: Sun, 03 Dec 2017 21:25:26 -0000 (GMT) 
Subject: Topband: ARRL 160 

This is the first major contest that I 
have taken part in a while, at least to 
the extent I actually put a real effort 
into it. Its taken a bit to get back in 
the game after my friend Pat became a SK 
this year. That said, I almost matched my 
score from two years ago when the band 
conditions were for me, far better for DX 
than this weekend. 

I was running QRP with a less than ideal 
antenna yet still managed 535 QSOs. It was 
frustrating to hear so much DX and not be 
able to have them hear me. I'm guessing I 
must've heard at least 15 countries that I 
didn't work. When running QRP on 160, you 
have to go for low hanging fruit. I'm sure 
it's the same for everyone. 

I was grateful that there weren't any 
storms happening locally this time and for 
the most part bands were pretty quiet. 
AMTRAK had its way with me at the Gray 
lines what with commuter trains running at 
that time but being a weekend made their 
schedule a little easier. 

One of the surprises was when K7RAT called 
me Sunday Morning so at least my QRP 
signals were getting up to Boring, Oregon. 
The band must've been good because his 
signals were truly marvelous here as well, 
one of the loudest & cleanest signals on 
the band and he heard me with no trouble. 
If that was you at the helm, thank you 
Tree for the multiplier! 

Sunday morning at Gray line was really 
something beautiful to see on the P3. 1/2 
hour before there may have been 50-70 
people CQing and then the waterfall became 
a Kaleidoscope with the band packed with 
people as tight as sardines up to 1875 or 
so. It's obvious when the band changes and 
the atmospheric noise is visualized as 
color in motion, in two dimensions. If you 
haven't seen the morning Gray line on a 
waterfall during a 160 contest, you're 
missing something interesting. 

Hope all had fun. 

73, 

Gary 
KA1J 
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