Topband: Re-Working 'long' distances on 160m

[Phil Hartwell]

Hi fellow Top Banders,

I agree with Steve's (VK6VZ) and others observations, regarding what one 
might consider long distances on 160m, depending on their location and 
antennas. As Steve says, Perth is a long way from everywhere, (great for 
the Stew)!

At certain times of year, working east coast USA is relatively easy from 
Perth, at and after our SS. East coast VK stations have a more 
consistent path. Similarly EU is relatively easy at our SR and at 
certain times of the year, LP VE1, W1 and even W2 after EU has faded 
out, around 20 to 30 minutes past our SR. Trouble is, our SR is very 
early mid summer, not long after 0400 local time and the likes of Steve 
and I, as we age, are finding it increasingly hard to crawl out of bed 
before SR. Our greatest 160m challenge is working anywhere in S. 
America, the south pole is an enormous obstacle. It's only possible mid 
winter, requires excellent propagation and extremely low noise at both 
ends of the path, due to the extremely weak signals, a very rare 
combination.

Let me relate a couple of stories to encourage those with meagre 
antennas to attempt working DX stations, providing their local man-made 
QRM permits hearing them....

In August1988 we were selling our previous house in the outer northern 
suburbs of Perth, where we had underground power and the only man-made 
QRM in those days was TV time-bases, every 15.625kHz across 160m. I had 
taken all my antennas down for the sale, but after a couple of weeks of 
no CW activity, I was getting a bit agitated. So I clamped a wire on to 
the upper storey tiled roof metal gutter and on 160m tuned it against a 
Cu cold water pipe. With my trusty TS-830, running 100W, the first 
station I worked was Bob, VE7BS (SK), followed by three W's over a 
couple of days at my SS. I was VK6ABL in those days.

In December 2016/January 2017, I was visiting the Isle of Wight, off the 
south coast of the UK, luckily a very quiet QTH due to aerial bundled 
low voltage mains power and a semi rural location. I had persuaded Ofcom 
to issue me, my late Uncle Ernest's callsign, G3YC, due to frequent 
visits there in those days, as M/VK6GX was a bit cumbersome, although I 
got many more replies to CQ's using the VK call. The best 160m antenna I 
could manage, due to lack of supports, was a 1/4 wave horizontal wire up 
a maximum of 5m, probably averaging 4m, due to sag, the far end 
terminated at a hedge about 2m above ground. I ran three 1/4 wave 
radials and also utilised the house Cu pipe central heating. The rig was 
a FT-450D but using an external HB ATU. With that antenna and 100W, I 
worked all around EU, UA9, the middle east, a couple of African 
DX-peditions in pile-ups, the USA east coast and mid-west and also the 
Caribbean, many during the Big Stew, but also on other occasions. 
Encouraged by that crummy antennas performance, in early January, I made 
a sked with Steve, VK6VZ at his SR. We worked on three successive days, 
then the rest of EU found out about Steve's presence and I was swamped 
by the big guns. Whilst there, I would listen to the UK big guns working 
Greg, ZL3IX (SK) at UK SR, almost every day. I only ever heard him once, 
peaking at a genuine 579, I gave it a go, after the big guns had 
finished, but the path was fading fast, Greg heard me, but couldn't get 
my call correct, before the path closed. I'm certain I would have made 
it at the SR peak.

The top band achievement I am most proud of was working JD, (John) K1GUN 
in Maine, on 7 consecutive SR/SS, LP and SP in October 2008, just after 
I changed my call to VK6GX, using my TS-830 running 100W to an Inv V at 
27m. We may have been able to prolong the series, had I not had to go on 
an outback trip for work.

I have also worked Tom W8JI on 160m, from my mobile rig, a couple of 
times, using an IC-706, 100W to a 2m long helically wound whip, with a 
top hat, mounted on the roo bar. Given the likely 1% efficiency of that 
antenna, Tom's great receiving ability heard my 1W ERP signal. He was 
599 on both occasions.

So, given favourable conditions, low noise,a good operator with a well 
equipped station at the other end, perseveranceand a fair bit of luck, 
it's amazing what can be worked on 160m, even with less than optimum 
antennas. Give it a go, we need more signals on the band!

Sorry for the long post, but there's not much DX to report these days.

73, Phil VK6GX, G3YC and formerly VK6ABL, prior to 2008.



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