Topband: Lack of DX CW Activity

[David Olean]

Hello Roger

I took down all of my receiving wires in anticipation of getting my 
property logged of some large trees, both white pine and hardwoods. The 
logging required that I take out all of my nailed on insulators plus the 
beverage wire etc.  So I am QRT on 160.  I have about 50 acres of land 
of which most is woods.  I am hoping that I can open up the woods a bit 
and reduce my wire maintenance as a result.  The bad news is that I am 
off 160 for this winter.

I am not getting any younger. I will celebrate(?) my 79th birthday in 
about a month, but have plans to re install all the beverage wires along 
with a new 8 Circle array. The loggers will clear an opening for 
processing the logs that is the right size to hold my 8 Circle array. 
The ground is pretty flat and I plan to combine the 8 Circle and my 
beverages with another NCC-1 phasing system for diversity reception.   
The two systems will be fairly far apart and I can pair up the 8 Circle 
with my two 1200 ft long EU beverage wires that I have been using the 
past two years or so. That array hears very well.  Possibly  the 
diversity will make it better?   So next spring and summer I have my 
work cut out for me to get it all back up and running. I really do like 
160 meters. It is quite a bit of fun and very similar to VHF dxing on 
144, 222, and 432!


Dave K1WHS

On 1/5/2024 12:01 PM, Roger Kennedy wrote:
> Well I've said it before . . . and no doubt I will say it again . . .
>
> But it's a real shame that there is so little CW activity on Top Band at the
> moment.
>
> Sure, conditions aren't always that good at the moment on 160m . . . but
> often the band IS open (as shown by RBN reports) . . . but there is nobody
> on the band to work !
>
> I know some of you only come on Top Band when there is a Contest, or when
> there is some DX-pedition to work . . . but given the resources many have
> put into a decent 160m Antenna System, it amazes me that's the only time
> many people come on the band.
>
> Some of us complain about FT8 reducing the amount of CW activity these days
> . . . but if you don't make the effort to come on the band, then all CW
> activity will completely disappear . . .
> Inactivity breeds Inactivity !
>
> There are several of us Europeans on Top Band most nights, calling CQ DX and
> getting no replies. . . I really hope more people will make the effort to
> come on Top Band, or else this side of the hobby (that I remain passionate
> about) will gradually die.
>
> 73 Roger G3YRO
>
>
> _________________
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