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Re: Topband: Need help to improve DX on 1/2 acre lot from CA (kr6c@juno.

To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Need help to improve DX on 1/2 acre lot from CA (kr6c@juno.com)
From: Greg Chartrand <w7my@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2013 04:10:57 -0800 (PST)
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
Jeff,
Most every one of us has gone through your experience in the beginning so your 
not alone. There are a few items that are necessary to get where you want to go:
1. there is no substitute for patience. I have gone years here where I have not 
heard a EU station here. When the sunspots are high like now, the number of EU 
openings to the west coast are few and far between. That means for those 
without a stellar station, you may only have 3-4 opportunities per year to 
hear/work EU. I missed my chance about 1 1/2 weeks ago because I went to be 
early. West coast EU opening opportunities peak just after your sunset and just 
before/during  EU's sunrise. In any case, you have to be there to work them. 
That means your on alert every day watching CC user, checking the band, waiting 
for your infrequent openings.
2) Transmitting. 160 is like moon bounce, EVERY DB COUNTS. Your running 800 
watts so consider yourself already 3 db from where you should be. You described 
your antenna. It seems reasonable but you don't have a good ground system. 
Consider yourself another 2-3 DB down. There is a wealth of information about 
radials in the archives of this digest, read it. In any case, there is no 
substitute for 2000' + of wire on our under the ground. Your lucky because you 
can eliminate the 5DB loss you currently have with a minimal effort.
3. Receiving. Your transmit antenna is the worst RX antenna you can have. Its 
not only bad but it can ruin outer RX antennas near, and with your 1/2 acre, it 
will. A simple short BOG or two will make a world of difference. Remember think 
moon bounce, without a short BOG your probably 3-10 DB down signal to noise 
than you should be. A NE BOG 200' long operating properly will get you some of 
that loss back and if you isolate your TX antenna while receiving, you probably 
will get even more. Put up a vertical RX array or flags and you probably will 
even get more DB's.
4. Know how to use your rig. The signals you are looking for are always  dirt 
weak. Its taken me years to figure out how to get the best out of a RX to hear 
the weak ones. Spend time listening to weak CW sigs and try different filter 
settings, RF gain settings, CW pitch notes. I use a Timewave DSP-599ZX audio 
filter. It has a "spotlight mode" for CW. In this mode, on a quiet band, I can 
run the selectivity down to 10 HZ. It buys me another 3 DB or more SN. My 746 
PRO has a gob of settings for filters, notches, and noise reduction I use them 
all and in doing so probably buy myself another 3-5 DB of SN. Many hams have 
not calibrated their receiver with the proper pitch setting thus they may be 
off 100+ HZ when looking for a weak signal. With a 10HZ audio filter, 100 HZ 
off is infinity! Tune in WWV and calibrate everything against it so the pitch 
you like is right on frequency. This really helps when there is bad QSB. You 
can sit on a FQ waiting to the QSB
 to come up without having to tune the station unless he is off FQ. Most rigs 
today are within 10 HZ so usually you can set it and be right on FQ IF 
you calibrate your RX properly.
In conclusion, working DX on 160 from the west coast is a pain in the butt 
especially on a small lot. If your crazy enough to try you won't get there 
unless you fight for every DB transmitting and receiving and spend the time to 
be there when the band is open. Some guys get lucky and find a quiet location 
on rich earth, throw a wire over a tree and work DX on 160 with 100w.  Don't 
plan on being lucky!
I'm on a 1/3 acre hillside lot over soil with the conductivity of Teflon. My 
antenna is similar to yours but I have lots of wire on the ground. I'm much 
closer to the aurora oval than you so my location is the worst of the worst for 
160.  I'd trade locations with you in a heartbeat. I have used short BOGS, low 
dipole, loops and other antennas for RX.  I just purchased a Hi Z 3 element 
array I can squeeze on my lot, I have high hopes for it but know I'll have to 
isolate my vertical while receiving for it to work at all. If I get 3DB SN 
improvement with it I'll be in heaven!
Go for it but understand that there is no easy way to get there unless luck is 
on your side and it looks like it isn't so go fight for the DB's.
Greg
---------------------------------------------------------

Greg Chartrand - W7MY 

Richland, WA.

DN-06IF



W7MY Home Page:

http://webpages.charter.net/w7my/
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