The 160M band has seemed to be even noisier (QRN) here
this year than last year. So far, I have had only very
limited success, even with Europe. Most nights I can
hear nothing except severe noise.
Except for a QSO with the legendary VE1ZZ on the 24th,
I had my first 160M contacts of the season with North
America Friday night. The noise was down just slightly
from normal, and I found I could hear a few copyable
Europeans. I could copy DL6RDR very well most of the
time for a long period. He was working many Japanese,
but I could not even detect their presence in the
noise. Later, I decided to give the band a try. With
great difficulty for the most part, I logged 37 QSO's.
I was very surprised to hear N1BUG break through the
noise at 2350 UTC. From then until about 0017, I
worked N1BUG, NN1N, N2ZX, W1JR (Sorry about all the
repeats! I was sure for a long time that I was hearing
in the noise another short character between the W and
the 1.), K1BD, KJ2S, K2XA, and W1CU. Then it was 45
minutes before I heard W1LW, followed a few minutes
later by K1GUN. I stayed with it until close to 0200
hoping to hear more North Americans; however, in the
45 minutes after working K1GUN I heard little besides
noise and logged, with very great difficulty, only
SM7BIC and RZ4HO. The ten North American stations I
worked appeared, based on their prefixes, to all be in
the upper northest region of the USA.
Most of the stations I worked that night were only
copyable through the high noise on the pennant, which
with its broad pattern does well also for Europe even
though it is aimed at the USA. I was alternating
between it and my transmitting antenna for reception.
The pennant has definitley been an asset. Thanks to
all those who helped me with it.
Based on accounts I have read here recently, I would
like to try a low half wave dipole for reception. I'm
still trying to figure out where I can hang it. Also,
I will have to order some materials before I can build
it.
It was interesting to find that the QRN was even worse
on 80M when I listened there after giving
up on 160M.
It was a little discouraging for me to see several
negative comments on the DX-Summit after I had worked
so hard to try to pull some signals through despite
the QSB and high level of QRN here. Comments like
those make me feel momentarily like I should just pull
down the 160M antennas and work the easy bands. I'll
try not to be so thin skinned and continue with my Top
Band attempts. There are some kind folks back in the
USA that I still hope to get into the log on 160M.
I was dismayed to observe back in late November how
much better DXpeditioner Pertti, OH2PM, when operating
as S9BB and S9A could hear 160M signals from his
seaside location near the northern side of the island.
He was working many stations that I could not even
hear in the QRN (not VOA QRM). I am also located by
the sea, but I am around the eastern side of the
island. That places several miles of lossy ground
between my QTH and the USA and Western Europe. I had
a much better location back in my days as S92SS when I
lived in the town of Sao Tome.
I recently acquired a mint condition TS-930S. While
it outshines the TS-440SAT for working CW pileups, it
doesn't seem to give me much advantage, if any, on
160M where my main problem is trying to hear anything
at all through the noise. I don't hear pileups on
160M. There are usually only one or two signals at a
time that I can hear through the noise.
I mentioned Jack, VE1ZZ, earlier. He seems to be the
only North American Top Bander who can work me almost
at will, usually when I can hear nothing else. I
enjoyed reading the account someone posted here
recently concerning a visit to his QTH. I have
probably worked him more on 160M during my periods as
S92SS and S9SS than any other North American.
73 and Happy New Year to all,
Charles - S9SS
http://groups.msn.com/s9ss
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