Topband: 160m activity

[Richard McLachlan]

I was very active on 160 during the 60s and early 70s then gave up radio for about 50 years and came back 4 years ago. Almost all my activity is 160m CW, I don’t have a microphone, I have a PC but it is not connected to my radio and I don’t use computer logging and certainly have no interest in data modes. I guess that makes me a dinosaur! 

I am active most evenings but never after about 2300Z and frequently come on to check the band just before sunrise during the winter. I have worked around 185 countries in the last 4 years using a invL at around 60 feet with 20 radials plus numerous wire netting fences bonded to the ground system. I have a single E/W 400 ft  Beverage and a rotatable receiving loop for other directions.

The DX path to E coast NA is relatively easy from here and I have been having reasonable success recently on the short path at our dusk to VK/ZL and the Far East. The W coast NA is almost impossible at the stage of the sunspot cycle and KH6/KL7 etc completely impossible.

Like Roger, I put out a few CQs every time I switch on to check my RBN coverage. Usually I only get EU responses, but a couple of years ago it was very different and I would get hits as far away as W7 etc. I also used to be able to work Steve WZ almost every day but have not even heard him this season. So I think that the major problem these days is simply the state of the sunspot cycle and that we all have to just put up with it and wait a few years.

Richard G3OQT