Topband: TB CW activity

[W7RH]

All,

My friend Steve, VE6WZ has a very wonderful remote station with regards 
to signals to the distant and populated centers. His RX and TX antennas 
sit on a hill with a gentle slope, leveling out to a totally flat 
horizon. This results in a very nice low takeoff angle. Geography wise 
he is has  ~one hop to the auroral oval. This perhaps explains why he 
has such great QSO numbers. With a low noise RX setup this allows him to 
work what I call Tier 1 to Tier 3 DX stations. Tier 1 being HP with 
multi element arrays with RX on array or low noise RX antennas, Tier 2 
HP with single vertical and RX antennas. Tier 3 being the average 
station with perhaps high power, lesser RX antennas or residential in 
nature. The numbers of  contacts he has gathered is astounding! The link 
here is representative of an average good day on 160m. 
http://w7rh.net/images/latest.jpg

The list of stations that Steve provided meet the Tier1 category. They 
have TX arrays that are well placed and developed with excellent radial 
systems, high power and supplemental low noise RX antennas.

DF2PY	26
LA1MFA	19
RA4LW	19
ON7PQ	18
SM5EDX	15
SM7BIC	14
F5NZ	11
F5IN	10
RC3FL	10

I might add another 15-20 call signs to that list. In the Winter months 
they are there everyday, at least audible at my QTH. However, for the 
most part they are magnitudes weaker in signal strength in the Western 
US geographically. Likely west of the Rockies.

The questions remain is CW dieing and is FT8 mode better? I have some 
experience using FT8. My answer is also no. While FT8 allows smaller 
stations significant a margin of improvement, I have found in my low 
noise environment that I can copy -20 S/N FT8 stations on CW. Long haul 
DX stations still go unnoticed in the low noise morning hours by the 
vast majority of the FT8 users. However, if you combine a low noise RX 
location with a good TX system the results can be somewhat amazing. I've 
found it to be a crap shoot. The reason being folks rely too much on the 
software technology to do the job and either can't improve RX and TX or 
have not tried.

Following through with what I just said. Patience is a virtue, and 160m 
requires a lot of it. Perhaps that is the reason I've spent over 40 
years experimenting, building and playing on the band. Thus far I've had 
two "Grand Openings" on top band this season. By that definition Tier 1, 
Tier 2 and many Tier 3 stations were worked or heard. Right now with the 
current solar conditions that might happen once or twice a month in the 
winter season. That means at least most Western US stations without some 
geographic exceptions really have only few days a month to really expand 
the log with new ones. So with that in mind take a listen to what I call 
a Grand Opening. EU pileup trying to work VP6D 
http://w7rh.net/audio_files/VP6DPILE.mp3

Truly a night to die for! Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a 
Healthy Prosperous and Happy New year!

May we have good conditions in the Stew Perry!

73, Bob W7RH



-- 
W7RH DM35OS


It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.

Albert Einstein