Topband: Lack of DX CW Activity

[GEORGE WALLNER]

Noise is up.
80 is becoming the new 160!

Also, it is noise that is driving a lot of ops onto FT8.
Another contributor is RBN! While RBN is great tool, most RBN RX antennas 
are poor on 160. Those that rely on a quick scan of RBN for 160 meter 
activity will incorrectly assume that the band is dead.
In the past 10 years noise has gone up by something like 10 dB in many 
areas. What worked 10 years ago, no longer works today. We need to learn to 
live with it. Invest in better RX antennas and other noise reduction 
techniques. (Petition the FCC to increase the power limit by 10 dB :-)
And keep calling CQ!
73,
George,
AA7JV




On Fri, 5 Jan 2024 19:06:33 -0000 "Roger Kennedy"  wrote:
>Hi Steve
>
>Yes, I appreciate the path to you from Britain is very different (and seems
>poor at present).
>
>I'm not on as regularly at OK1CF . . . but sometimes we are both on
>together, calling CQ DX endlessly, and getting no replies (despite decent
>RBN reports)
>
>I tend to pop on the band a few times during the night and put out a few
>calls (rather than stay on for hours) . . . and if no replies, just go back
>to bed each time.
>
>As a result, I rarely wake up again at our Sunrise . . . but even if I do,
>there seems to be even less NA activity then (like people aren't staying up
>that late) - even though I notice more other Gs coming on at that time. I
>suspect it would be a better time to actually work YOU?
>
>As I said before, I am amazed at all the effort some people put into their
>160m antenna systems . . . yet rarely come on the band. (I actually went on 80m SSB last night, and joined Hannes DK1NO working some
>NA stations . . . he used to be on 160m regularly, but seems to have given
>up, again due to lack of activity)
>
>Anyway . . . 73 and Happy New Year to all Topbanders !
>
>Roger G3YRO
>
> _____  Roger,  I agree fully that unless someone is calling CQ, we will all
>conclude the band is dead.
>As Dave said, with the usual very rapid QSB on 160m this is very true.
>
>However, regarding conditions.
>Here at VE6WZ I am almost always watching the band for an opening.  Like
>virtually every night.
>Thank goodness for OK1CF and LY7M and a few others making the effort to call
>CQ.
>
>When I say "always watching the band" I mean that I am ALWAYS watching the
>band.
>Even when watching TV with the XYL, I have a remote session on my iPhone
>watching the waterfall on the Flex radio.
>If any of the EU CQs start to bubble up and make a trace....I will see it
>and be at the radio.
>If the band is open to EU I will know it!!
>That has not happened much this season.  Since September I have only had 56
>QSOs with Europe.
>
>Secondly, every night I am recording the entire MW (AM BCB) band.
>I can very quickly review what's happening and see if any trans-polar EU BCB
>stations are making it.
>The usual big guns are Moldova Vesti on 1413 kHz, Lithuania Baltic 1386 kHz
>and sometimes the UK on 1053, and occasionally the Ukraine and Romania.
>At times they can be quite strong here.  At those times, I reckon 160m has a
>good shot.
>
>As Dave said, without making noise there will be limited activity.
>This season (and last), PART of the reason has been rather poor conditions
>for us guys out west on the trans-polar path.
>Your path to the East Coast is a completely different story.
>
>Steve, ve6wz
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