Topband: Lack of DX CW Activity

[Renee K6FSB]

80 is now next useless in the city of American canyon, california...20 
to 30 over noise.....I gave up.
still ok in the foothills on 5 acres....now need time to get the 
antennas back up, other things more pressing.

73
Renée
K6FSB

On 1/5/24 3:37 PM, GEORGE WALLNER wrote:
> 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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