Topband: QRP on 160?

[Dave Cuthbert]

In the 2000s I worked a few contests running 5 watts. Two or three ARRL 160
contests using a 38' top loaded vertical at home and a couple contests from
a land bridge out in the Great Salt Lake of Utah running a full size
balloon vertical grounding to the lake. With the 38' antenna I topped out
at 200 Qs and with the lake antenna 400 were made. All Search and Pounce.
It was not all that difficult at my end, just call CQing stations who are
over S-7. That was with paper logging and a bug or keyer depending on the
year.

Dave KH6AQ

On Sun, Jul 7, 2024 at 11:22 AM Roger Kennedy <roger at wessexproductions.co.uk>
wrote:

>
> No, I guess I should have clarified what I was saying . . .
>
> Sure, my 160m mobile whip is much less efficient than a full-sized 160m
> aerial . . . but I have calibrated the S Meter on my Mobile Rig so that it
> reads the same as signals on my main aerial at home. (and both my rigs at
> home have calibrated S Meters, ie 50uV = S9)
>
> So the noise outside my house is S7 (as it is on my main aerial) . . . as
> it
> is almost everywhere driving around . . . and often very much stronger
> outside various buildings.
>
> One of the locals to me now has a permanent S9 + 15dB noise level on Top
> Band.
>
> Roger G3YRO
>
>
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