Topband: Raisa on 160m
Michael Rutkaus
mrutkaus at gmail.com
Wed Mar 6 14:10:37 EST 2024
https://youtube.com/shorts/CBwDRYGt7P0?feature=shared
On Wed, Mar 6, 2024, 12:01 PM <topband-request at contesting.com> wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Water tables (W3HKK at roadrunner.com)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 05 Mar 2024 19:34:38 +0000
> From: W3HKK at roadrunner.com
> To: "'topband at contesting.com'" <topband at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: Topband: Water tables
> Message-ID: <c931cd6bb0220f383126e5c52a9637f82b6e9c0f at webmail>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> I live surrounded by central Ohio farmland, and my well (for drinking
> water) is 300 ft deep. My soil is mostly clay, and I have had trees
> die from too much water. When I dug them up, the hole filled with
> water.
>
> So I believe that while a high water table /oceanfront/island
> locations are outstanding places to operate vertical antennas. your
> local soil conditions are a bit more complex, but can still produce
> high ground water levels.
>
> W3HKK uses a 1/4 wave INV-L with 26 radials of assorted lengths ( due
> to property line issues) and consisting of anything from #17 Al fence
> wire to #12 solid or stranded copper wire) and a single tree that
> decided to grow, about 35 ft from one PL)
>
> Somehow Ive had really good success on TB, considering the top of the
> L's vertical leg is a relatively modest 52 ft.
>
> Back to my soil: we have three acres, but with only 3-6" of real top
> soil, above multiple layers of clay. BUT the clay, being on a
> hillside, tends to serve as a pipeline, to keep my soil moist and the
> grass green even in summer. ( As it takes many months for the moisture
> uphill from my antennas to drain off . )
>
> My first year at this qth ( some 15 yrs ago) I put up a 1/4 wave INV-L
> over top of a small walnut tree, which limited the apex to a mere 15
> ft!. ...... 15 ft up and 115 ft sloping down to ground level. 325 ft
> of coax fed the antenna directly, with an swr at 1.1:1, against a
> single 8 ft ground rod and zero radials. I ran 100w at the time and
> had no idea what to expect from 160m. So imagine my surprise when one
> night in Dec I heard a loud 4X4, and then an LZ. Both came back to my
> calls. A month or so later I was on around sunrise and heard a fairly
> loud JA CQing. Again to my surprise he came back and we had a
> successful qso.
>
> So with 100w and a 15 ft high INVL, I worked LZ, 4X4, and JA as the
> crown jewels of my first winter on TopBand. The TB bug had bitten!
>
> Again, with zero radials and a single ground rod! I thought that was
> remarkable, and credit average to good soil conductivity. I couldnt
> help but recall all the rock and roll AM radio stations I listened to
> as a kid that arent very far away in frequency from 160m.
>
> From those old FCC ground resistance charts of US soil, it looks like
> Im in an "average" soil conductivity area. Possibly aided by a 2 acre
> pond directly across the street, and a meandering creek passing just
> east of my PL, my soil conductivity seems to be average+!
>
> Over the years, as the tree grew I raised the support mast lashed to
> it, higher and higher, til it maxed out at 52 ft. Those mil surplus
> 2.5"x 4ft aluminum and fiberglass mast sections became too unstable
> beyond that height, so I used three guy ropes and the INV-L - plus the
> tree to hold it in place. Ten years later its still standing. MY TB
> DXCC is 182 worked/164 confirmed.
>
> So I keep chasing "The Adventures of George" as he sails from place to
> place! :) Thanks George! I know it isnt all sunshine and smooth seas!
> But we appreciate knowing your out there listening for us! Plan to
> write a book? You should.
>
> Bob
> W3HKK
>
> -----------------------------------------From:
> topband-request at contesting.com
> To: topband at contesting.com
> Cc:
> Sent: Tuesday March 5 2024 12:05:44PM
> Subject: Topband Digest, Vol 255, Issue 5
>
> Send Topband mailing list submissions to
> topband at contesting.com
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/topband
> /> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. [TowerTalk] New N6LF Ground Probe Designs (Roger Kennedy)
> 2. Re: [TowerTalk] New N6LF Ground Probe Designs (GEORGE WALLNER)
> 3. Re: [TowerTalk] New N6LF Ground Probe Designs (Steve Harrison)
> 4. Re: Top Band Conditions, Mar. 4, 2024 (Rob Van Geen)
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2024 18:11:34 -0000
> From: "Roger Kennedy"
> To:
> Subject: Topband: [TowerTalk] New N6LF Ground Probe Designs
> Message-ID:
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> But what is GOOD Ground for RF?
>
> I've always presumed that the reason I do so well for DX with a
> horizontal
> 160m Dipole is because the Ground conductivity is POOR . . . so my
> Dipole is
> effectively a lot higher.
>
> Plus I have always wondered how deep below the surface the ground
> matters,
> when it comes to RF. (and especially on Top band, where the
> wavelength is so
> long)
>
> For these reasons I've always been very sceptical about Computer
> Modelling
> of a low Dipole on 160m.
>
> Roger G3YRO
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 04 Mar 2024 13:48:45 -0500
> From: "GEORGE WALLNER"
> To: "Roger Kennedy" ,
> topband at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: Topband: [TowerTalk] New N6LF Ground Probe Designs
> Message-ID:
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"; format="flowed"
>
> Salt water, salt marshes, alkaline soil, soil with a high water-table
> should
> be good.
> George
>
> On Mon, 4 Mar 2024 18:11:34 -0000 "Roger Kennedy" wrote:
> >But what is GOOD Ground for RF?
> >
> >I've always presumed that the reason I do so well for DX with a
> horizontal
> >160m Dipole is because the Ground conductivity is POOR . . . so my
> Dipole is
> >effectively a lot higher.
> >
> >Plus I have always wondered how deep below the surface the ground
> matters,
> >when it comes to RF. (and especially on Top band, where the
> wavelength is so
> >long)
> >
> >For these reasons I've always been very sceptical about Computer
> Modelling
> >of a low Dipole on 160m.
> >
> >Roger G3YRO
> >
> >
> >_________________
> >Searchable Archives:
> >http://www.contesting.com/_topband
> /> > - Topband Reflector
> >
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2024 11:17:31 -0800
> From: Steve Harrison
> To: topband at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: Topband: [TowerTalk] New N6LF Ground Probe Designs
> Message-ID:
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
>
> On 3/4/2024 10:48 AM, GEORGE WALLNER wrote:
> > Salt water, salt marshes, alkaline soil, soil with a high
> water-table
> > should be good.
>
> What could be considered a "high water table"?? My water table is
> maybe
> 110 - 120 feet down; but if it were shallower, like maybe 30 feet, I
> might be concerned about the soil over it not being "stiff" enough to
> rigidly-support a free-standing tower's pedestal dug down some 8 - 10
> feet 8-O
>
> Steve, K0XP
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2024 21:26:24 -1000
> From: Rob Van Geen
> To: Steve Harrison
> Cc: topband at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: Topband: Top Band Conditions, Mar. 4, 2024
> Message-ID:
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>
> Hi, Steve
> I enjoyed reading your QRZ bio.. Raising "antlers" on your desert
> "spread".
> I love it!
>
> JN1ILK seems to do a pretty good job at spotting 160 DX around
> Oceania:
>
> https://www.reversebeacon.net/main.php?zoom=41.95,156.11,0.80&rows=100&max_age=10,months&bands=160&modes=cw&spot_types=1&spotter_call=JN1ILK&continent_dx=OC&hide=distance_mi,map
> />
> 73 & GUD DX!
> Aloha
> Rob - NH6V
>
> On Mon, Mar 4, 2024 at 4:39?AM Steve Harrison wrote:
>
> > 9M2AX was heard here very weakly this morning starting about 1345Z,
> > until about 1405Z, the last time I heard him CQ. My sunrise
> occurred
> > precisely at 1412Z. I began calling him about 1405Z but never heard
> him
> > again.
> >
> > Was hoping H40WA would use this last day on Temotu to appear on
> 160M CW;
> > but zilch heard here, or seen on the spotting net other than 80m CW
> > activity.
> >
> > Have not heard 9M6/DJ2EH since early last week; he was spotted at
> least
> > once this past weekend on one of the WARC bands, so is apparently
> still
> > there. Does anybody know his schedule for remaining in 9M6, or his
> > operating schedule? I tried e-mailing but his e-mail addy on
> QRZ.com
> > bounces.
> >
> > Am also still looking for DU7ET but haven't heard him since
> mid-January,
> > when he was very weak. I know he's been worked in Europe over the
> past
> > month or so, but just hasn't caught conditions good enough for the
> west
> > coast of NA. Robert does respond to his e-mail, however. He said he
> has
> > two locations: one on a west-facing beach that favors Europe, and
> > another in the mountains which he says has a better shot to NA, VK
> and ZL.
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Steve K0XP
> >
> > See my QRZ.com page at *https://www.qrz.com/db/K0XP*
> /> > _________________
> > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband [1] -
> Topband
> > Reflector
> >
>
> ------------------------------
>
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