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Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 182, Issue 21

To: <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 182, Issue 21
From: "Mike Greenway" <K4PI@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2018 13:41:52 -0500
List-post: <mailto:topband@contesting.com>
Hey that sounds good.  Pick a day and I will see if that is open for me.  I 
know Mar 5,6,7,8,9, 14, 15, 27 are no good right now.  We have a lot of place 
to eat at right now.  There is a nice Cajun cuisine place here or the normal 
places like CrackerBarrell, Long Horn, etc.  I am open to eat most anywhere.   
Mike

From: topband-request@contesting.com 
Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2018 12:00 PM
To: topband@contesting.com 
Subject: Topband Digest, Vol 182, Issue 21

Send Topband mailing list submissions to
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Today's Topics:

   1. Does flooding radial field help (Jack Henry)
   2. Re: Does flooding radial field help (Herbert Schoenbohm)
   3. Re: Does flooding radial field help (W0MU Mike Fatchett)
   4. Re: Does flooding radial field help (Herbert Schoenbohm)
   5. Condx last night (cqtestk4xs@aol.com)
   6. Re: Does flooding radial field help (Guy Olinger K2AV)
   7. Re: Topband Digest, Vol 182, Issue 20 (David Cole)
   8. Re: Condx last night (W0MU Mike Fatchett)
   9. Top Beam WF-300 (David Cole)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2018 12:07:44 -0500
From: Jack Henry <n6xq@yahoo.com>
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Topband: Does flooding radial field help
Message-ID: <CA2CC02F-4D27-4A73-B667-C1BCE0F4A6B6@yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I was struggling to be heard in the contest last night.  Only 4 stations were 
worked and they needed repeats.  All readings in the shack were normal and I 
was hearing many stations with moderate signals.  The only thing that was 
different was that we were irrigating the grass.   The grass is irrigated by 
flooding from a small canal that is on the edge of the property.  The canal is 
fresh water fed from an Andean river.  There was about a quarter of an inch of 
water visible over the mowed grass.  I am wondering if the water is effecting 
the antenna performance.

I do not have a super station and only run 800W.  The antenna is a 45 foot 
vertical T loaded at the top.  There are 32 radials 60 to 80 feet in length of 
different type wires.  All are insulated with various materials and are buried 
about an inch below the soil level.

Anyone have any experience or knowledge on this.  The soil is drying now in the 
blistering sun so maybe we will see if there is any improvement tonite.  

Thanks. Jack OA4TT

Sent from my iPad


------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2018 13:44:47 -0400
From: Herbert Schoenbohm <herbert.schoenbohm@gmail.com>
To: Jack Henry <n6xq@yahoo.com>, TopBand List <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Does flooding radial field help
Message-ID:
<CADwHXSQ8QoEoUeRozNKe+W-YZZkG9fO2uva7+5FPrAJVCE1uXg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Jack, Last night in the CQ 160 SSB contest I called CQ for hours and only
worked a few stations mostly within a few hundred miles.  Eu's were coming
in but none heard me.  Also, I could not hold a frequency anywhere.  I did
work LU2DKT  and a few PY's.  It was brutal trying to work anyone with 100
watts.  On my IC-7300 spectrum display, the band was loaded with signals
and some very strong.  I was pointless to call them as they just CQ'ed back
in my face. These were stations I never had a problem working before.  As
far as you fresh water is concerned just consider it a good insulator and a
reasonable way to absorb your power like a resistor connected to the feed
point.  In Minnesota, (W0VXO) I put a vertical about 100 feet out in the
shallow portion of a big lake and had to struggle to work anyone.  However
when I was an engineer for WIRA in Fort Pierce, FL we had the AM tower out
in the Indian River at the end of a pier.  The water was very very brackish
as an inlet to the Atlantic.  There are about 16 radial at the base an
weighted with concrete blocks to the river bottom.  It worked very well
according to an FSM at a mile and was well above what was expected.  The
only problem we had was that the base current would change as the tide
would rise and fall.

It will be interesting to see when your field dries out

Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ

On Sat, Feb 24, 2018 at 1:07 PM, Jack Henry via Topband <
topband@contesting.com> wrote:

> I was struggling to be heard in the contest last night.  Only 4 stations
> were worked and they needed repeats.  All readings in the shack were normal
> and I was hearing many stations with moderate signals.  The only thing that
> was different was that we were irrigating the grass.   The grass is
> irrigated by flooding from a small canal that is on the edge of the
> property.  The canal is fresh water fed from an Andean river.  There was
> about a quarter of an inch of water visible over the mowed grass.  I am
> wondering if the water is effecting the antenna performance.
>
> I do not have a super station and only run 800W.  The antenna is a 45 foot
> vertical T loaded at the top.  There are 32 radials 60 to 80 feet in length
> of different type wires.  All are insulated with various materials and are
> buried about an inch below the soil level.
>
> Anyone have any experience or knowledge on this.  The soil is drying now
> in the blistering sun so maybe we will see if there is any improvement
> tonite.
>
> Thanks. Jack OA4TT
>
> Sent from my iPad
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
>


------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2018 11:26:25 -0700
From: W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu@w0mu.com>
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Does flooding radial field help
Message-ID: <ce5f0af5-a105-8321-d37b-7a2ea09ac1ae@w0mu.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed

It was conditions and it was SSB!? I could not hear PJ4G last night.? 
The only DX that was "loud" was ZF2.

W0MU


On 2/24/2018 10:07 AM, Jack Henry via Topband wrote:
> I was struggling to be heard in the contest last night.  Only 4 stations were 
> worked and they needed repeats.  All readings in the shack were normal and I 
> was hearing many stations with moderate signals.  The only thing that was 
> different was that we were irrigating the grass.   The grass is irrigated by 
> flooding from a small canal that is on the edge of the property.  The canal 
> is fresh water fed from an Andean river.  There was about a quarter of an 
> inch of water visible over the mowed grass.  I am wondering if the water is 
> effecting the antenna performance.
>
> I do not have a super station and only run 800W.  The antenna is a 45 foot 
> vertical T loaded at the top.  There are 32 radials 60 to 80 feet in length 
> of different type wires.  All are insulated with various materials and are 
> buried about an inch below the soil level.
>
> Anyone have any experience or knowledge on this.  The soil is drying now in 
> the blistering sun so maybe we will see if there is any improvement tonite.
>
> Thanks. Jack OA4TT
>
> Sent from my iPad
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband



------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2018 14:33:55 -0400
From: Herbert Schoenbohm <herbert.schoenbohm@gmail.com>
To: W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu@w0mu.com>, TopBand List
<topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Does flooding radial field help
Message-ID:
<CADwHXSQZ2ymO84hE_bxyZNk8aMgry0hB-CTizKi9w-2JcX3-tA@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

The was certainly short skip within 300-400 miles and I work several
Carribean station within that range.  However, the unusual part of that was
an Italian who kept calling CQ where is was calling CQ and was S9 on the EU
Beverage. I never even got a QRZ from him. I had to null him out with the
NCC-1 just to work any states.  I worked a few in the southeast but nobody
even spotted me for the entire night except for one NY station with good
ears. I have come to the realization that 100 watts under conditions like
this are futile.

Herb, KV4FZ

On Sat, Feb 24, 2018 at 2:26 PM, W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu@w0mu.com> wrote:

> It was conditions and it was SSB!  I could not hear PJ4G last night.  The
> only DX that was "loud" was ZF2.
>
> W0MU
>
>
>
> On 2/24/2018 10:07 AM, Jack Henry via Topband wrote:
>
>> I was struggling to be heard in the contest last night.  Only 4 stations
>> were worked and they needed repeats.  All readings in the shack were normal
>> and I was hearing many stations with moderate signals.  The only thing that
>> was different was that we were irrigating the grass.   The grass is
>> irrigated by flooding from a small canal that is on the edge of the
>> property.  The canal is fresh water fed from an Andean river.  There was
>> about a quarter of an inch of water visible over the mowed grass.  I am
>> wondering if the water is effecting the antenna performance.
>>
>> I do not have a super station and only run 800W.  The antenna is a 45
>> foot vertical T loaded at the top.  There are 32 radials 60 to 80 feet in
>> length of different type wires.  All are insulated with various materials
>> and are buried about an inch below the soil level.
>>
>> Anyone have any experience or knowledge on this.  The soil is drying now
>> in the blistering sun so maybe we will see if there is any improvement
>> tonite.
>>
>> Thanks. Jack OA4TT
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>> _________________
>> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
>>
>
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
>


------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2018 14:07:34 -0500
From: cqtestk4xs@aol.com
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Topband: Condx last night
Message-ID: <161c9369b1c-4ed0-157fe@webjas-vaa237.srv.aolmail.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8


My apologies for sounding like a lid last night.  Almost continuous static 
crashes made rx almost impossible with the exception of a couple of the big 
guns and W6/W7.  Short skip was definitely in play.  85% of the stations I 
worked were W6/W7.
 
Bill KH7XS
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Herbert Schoenbohm <herbert.schoenbohm@gmail.com>
To: W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu@w0mu.com>; TopBand List <topband@contesting.com>
Sent: Sat, Feb 24, 2018 6:42 pm
Subject: Re: Topband: Does flooding radial field help

The was certainly short skip within 300-400 miles and I work several
Carribean station within that range.  However, the unusual part of that was
an Italian who kept calling CQ where is was calling CQ and was S9 on the EU
Beverage. I never even got a QRZ from him. I had to null him out with the
NCC-1 just to work any states.  I worked a few in the southeast but nobody
even spotted me for the entire night except for one NY station with good
ears. I have come to the realization that 100 watts under conditions like
this are futile.

Herb, KV4FZ

On Sat, Feb 24, 2018 at 2:26 PM, W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu@w0mu.com> wrote:

> It was conditions and it was SSB!  I could not hear PJ4G last night. The
> only DX that was "loud" was ZF2.
>
> W0MU
>
>
>
> On 2/24/2018 10:07 AM, Jack Henry via Topband wrote:
>
>> I was struggling to be heard in the contest last night.  Only 4 stations
>> were worked and they needed repeats.  All readings in the shack were normal
>> and I was hearing many stations with moderate signals.  The only thing that
>> was different was that we were irrigating the grass.   The grass is
>> irrigated by flooding from a small canal that is on the edge of the
>> property.  The canal is fresh water fed from an Andean river.  There was
>> about a quarter of an inch of water visible over the mowed grass.  I am
>> wondering if the water is effecting the antenna performance.
>>
>> I do not have a super station and only run 800W.  The antenna is a 45
>> foot vertical T loaded at the top.  There are 32 radials 60 to 80 feet in
>> length of different type wires.  All are insulated with various materials
>> and are buried about an inch below the soil level.
>>
>> Anyone have any experience or knowledge on this.  The soil is drying now
>> in the blistering sun so maybe we will see if there is any improvement
>> tonite.
>>
>> Thanks. Jack OA4TT
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>> _________________
>> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
>>
>
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
>
_________________
Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband



------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2018 14:13:36 -0500
From: Guy Olinger K2AV <k2av.guy@gmail.com>
To: Herbert Schoenbohm <herbert.schoenbohm@gmail.com>
Cc: Jack Henry <n6xq@yahoo.com>, TopBand List <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Does flooding radial field help
Message-ID:
<CANckpc2SNneGMNt8ONpJ_c0kH3LDoM0Dkr+5_tU91E0VADT9qg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

If one wants to get to the bottom of locally varied TX performance, the
final answer lies with establishing a personal monitoring site.

The problems with simple (aka cheap) RF field strength meters are
potentiometers, meters with non-linear scales, and poor/sparse graticules,
and an antenna that collapses and extends, and has to be hand-held.

You will need a power meter that reads in watts, best a digital power
meter. And you will need a partner for measurements. You will need
communication devices. Cellphones or Family Radio Band transceivers, or
whatever passes for that in country of residence.

Buy a cheap FS meter, and then go to work. You are going to severely modify
this unit.

First, get rid of the collapsible antenna, replace if with a 0.5 meter
piece of BARE, SOLID COPPER wire soldered to the terminal INSIDE the
instrument. Solder a 0.5 meter wire to the bottom of the case. Use plastic
or teflon sleeve where you need to keep it from touching in the instrument.

Find a place where you can stand up a piece of PVC pipe permanently that is
10-20 meters away from trees and conductors like ground wires on power
poles, metal buildings etc. Drive a long rod or metal fence post into the
ground as far as you can. Cut off all but 0.6 meter above ground. Slide the
PVC pipe over the rod to support the rod and make it self-standing. Remove
the pipe

Attach the wires and unit to the pipe with tape to start. Tape the wires to
the pipe often enough that the wire cannot move.

Set the potentiometer to mid range.

Key your transceiver and your main antenna with 50 watts or some lower
level that you can safely run key down for extended times.

At the pipe adjust the potentiometer until you get a mid-scale reading that
is exactly on a half-scale-ish graticule.

You must be well away (10 meters is good) from pipe to measure and you may
find it helpful to use bird binoculars to read the scale.

You will have to repeat this process, because your body changes the
measurement when you get near the instrument.

Take the pipe down and without touching the potentiometer, measure the
potentiometer resistance. Replace the potentiometer in the circuit with a
combination of fixed value non-inductive resistors that fairly closely
match the value from the potentiometer.

Do NOT use switches anywhere. When you are done you should have a
hard-soldered instrument, with NO adjustments, with NO contacts to go bad,
and with a fixed, soldered in antenna that does NOT adjust. Put the
instrument back up on the rod.

Get some help. One of you watches the FS unit outside, 10 meters away, with
binoculars, the other keys the transceiver and records the power output.

Key the transceiver, and adjust power output until the outside person tells
you the meter is exactly on the half-scale. Record the power output for
exact half scale power. Keep a small book with all your readings, times and
dates, power levels, weather, dampness, etc, anything you suspect may be
bearing on your performance. Different powers levels for reference reading
on the meter

When you are not measuring, take the pipe and meter inside and store it in
a dry place, and short the two antenna wires near the case with a clip
lead. This is to prevent banging the meter when running high power and not
actually using the meter.

The readings in the book will give you measurements convertible to dB's
which are just as accurate as your power meter.

Trust me, lab grade equipment certified repeatable measurements is very
expensive, and costs more than a lot of entire ham shacks.

Your readings may not explain what is going on to you, but posting those
here will likely stir up helpful discussion.

73 and good luck.
Guy K2AV


On Sat, Feb 24, 2018 at 12:44 PM, Herbert Schoenbohm <
herbert.schoenbohm@gmail.com> wrote:

> Jack, Last night in the CQ 160 SSB contest I called CQ for hours and only
> worked a few stations mostly within a few hundred miles.  Eu's were coming
> in but none heard me.  Also, I could not hold a frequency anywhere.  I did
> work LU2DKT  and a few PY's.  It was brutal trying to work anyone with 100
> watts.  On my IC-7300 spectrum display, the band was loaded with signals
> and some very strong.  I was pointless to call them as they just CQ'ed back
> in my face. These were stations I never had a problem working before.  As
> far as you fresh water is concerned just consider it a good insulator and a
> reasonable way to absorb your power like a resistor connected to the feed
> point.  In Minnesota, (W0VXO) I put a vertical about 100 feet out in the
> shallow portion of a big lake and had to struggle to work anyone.  However
> when I was an engineer for WIRA in Fort Pierce, FL we had the AM tower out
> in the Indian River at the end of a pier.  The water was very very brackish
> as an inlet to the Atlantic.  There are about 16 radial at the base an
> weighted with concrete blocks to the river bottom.  It worked very well
> according to an FSM at a mile and was well above what was expected.  The
> only problem we had was that the base current would change as the tide
> would rise and fall.
>
> It will be interesting to see when your field dries out
>
> Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ
>
> On Sat, Feb 24, 2018 at 1:07 PM, Jack Henry via Topband <
> topband@contesting.com> wrote:
>
> > I was struggling to be heard in the contest last night.  Only 4 stations
> > were worked and they needed repeats.  All readings in the shack were
> normal
> > and I was hearing many stations with moderate signals.  The only thing
> that
> > was different was that we were irrigating the grass.   The grass is
> > irrigated by flooding from a small canal that is on the edge of the
> > property.  The canal is fresh water fed from an Andean river.  There was
> > about a quarter of an inch of water visible over the mowed grass.  I am
> > wondering if the water is effecting the antenna performance.
> >
> > I do not have a super station and only run 800W.  The antenna is a 45
> foot
> > vertical T loaded at the top.  There are 32 radials 60 to 80 feet in
> length
> > of different type wires.  All are insulated with various materials and
> are
> > buried about an inch below the soil level.
> >
> > Anyone have any experience or knowledge on this.  The soil is drying now
> > in the blistering sun so maybe we will see if there is any improvement
> > tonite.
> >
> > Thanks. Jack OA4TT
> >
> > Sent from my iPad
> > _________________
> > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
> >
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
>


------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2018 21:25:26 +0000
From: David Cole <g3rcq@yahoo.co.uk>
To: "topband@contesting.com" <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 182, Issue 20
Message-ID: <20180224212531.9EC88AC9B25@mx.contesting.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Sorry to ask but am I allowed to say that I have a Top Beam WF-300 for sale? If 
not I will not post Dave g3rcq

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: topband-request@contesting.com
Sent: 24 February 2018 17:01
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Topband Digest, Vol 182, Issue 20

Send Topband mailing list submissions to
topband@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
topband-request@contesting.com

You can reach the person managing the list at
topband-owner@contesting.com

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of Topband digest..."


Today's Topics:

   1. brief opening on topband today (John Randall)
   2. Re: CQ WW SSB Contest (Roger Kennedy)
   3. No DXwatch cluster for two days now? (terry burge)
   4. Re: No DXwatch cluster for two days now? (Guy Olinger K2AV)
   5. Re: No DXwatch cluster for two days now? (Hal Dale)
   6. Re: No DXwatch cluster for two days now? (Lee. KX4TT)
   7. Re: Speaking of Noises... (Jeff Kincaid)
   8. Re: 160m DX Activity Night (VK3HJ)
   9. Re: No DXwatch cluster for two days now? (Guy Olinger K2AV)
  10. Re: brief opening on topband today (John Randall)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2018 17:46:56 +0000 (UTC)
From: John Randall <m0els@yahoo.co.uk>
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Topband: brief opening on topband today
Message-ID: <605731652.6618180.1519408016536@mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

This afternoon, I had my flex 3k on 1.850 when I saw a trong station a bit 
lower down on the waterfall display and found it to ne S52AW Karl calling CQ at 
16h58z,I answered his call and we had a pleasant ssb qso till he just faded 
into the noise, the qso lasted about 2 minutes. This coincided with a drop in 
the K-INDEX, which dropped from 5 to about 2.I also worked RW1F last night just 
before 22h00z and I am as happy as a pig in mud...hi
There is some hope with my antenna system albeit a small one. 
73John


------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2018 18:33:55 -0000
From: "Roger Kennedy" <roger@wessexproductions.co.uk>
To: <topband@contesting.com>
Cc: "'George Taft'" <w8uvz@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: CQ WW SSB Contest
Message-ID: <FF445BF53C4E400FBB1B5C619D02A4CC@Packard>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Yes I forgot about the contest George !
 
Well I will be on, trying to pick out the DX stations on SSB, between all
the strong Europeans !
 
(at least my new 160m receive loop makes the EU stations weaker, whereas the
DX is as strong or stronger than on my main Antenna)
 
Hope to work some of you on SSB this weekend
 
73 Roger G3YRO
 
  _____  

From: George Taft [mailto:w8uvz@yahoo.com] 
Sent: 23 February 2018 16:55
To: rayn6vr; Kenneth Grimm; Roger Kennedy
Cc: topband
Subject: Re: Topband: Wednesday 160m DX Activity Night


Hi All


Roger, I wouldn't get too excited abt this weekend QRV.  Remember we have
the CQWW160 SSB test!  Doesn't do much for DX, hi.


And Ken, I was listening when you worked UK9AA.   Unfortunately, noisy with
early Spring QRN and a new Indian Casino in my nearby NE path.
Fortunately, I worked Fedor on a quiet nite some time ago.  He apparently
hears very well.


Now if we could get some prop into W8 from the VU and EX actives.  


73  George  W8UVZ


On Thursday, February 22, 2018 11:33 AM, rayn6vr <rayn6vr@gmail.com> wrote:



Ken,Good catch! Heard i u calling uk9aa but never heard him. He's been
spotted a lot but it would take some very special /weird condx for us to
hear him.
Otherwise, checked the band several times but never heard EU last nigjt,
0500 - 0800z, EU SR.
Ray,Near Prescott, AZ


Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
-------- Original message --------From: Kenneth Grimm <grimm@sbc.edu> Date:
2/22/18  6:03 AM  (GMT-07:00) To: Roger Kennedy
<roger@wessexproductions.co.uk> Cc: topband <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Wednesday 160m DX Activity Night 
Thanks for the QSO Roger.  If it were not for your exhortation to be on the
band on Wednesday evenings, I would have missed a QSO with UK9AA.  That's a
fairly rare one from this side of the pond.

73,

Ken - K4XL

On Thu, Feb 22, 2018 at 5:48 AM, Roger Kennedy <
roger@wessexproductions.co.uk> wrote:

> Well conditions were strange last night . . .
>
> Generally poor propagation . . . and high background noise here (even on
my
> Rx aerial) - apologies if you were one of the stations I heard calling,
but
> couldn't pull out of the noise.
>
> However, I did manage to work 16 NA stations in the 2 hours I stayed on,
> including across to Texas.
>
> What was more weird was some of my RBN reports from NA stations (which I
> often view when the band's quiet, to check propagation) - several gave me
> over 40dB above the noise, one even +48dB !
>
> Thanks to everyone who came on (inc several EU stations) . . .
>
> I shall be on at the weekend, and certainly next Wednesday again.
>
> 73 Roger G3YRO
>
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
>



-- 
Ken - K4XL
BoatAnchor Manual Archive
BAMA - http://bama.edebris.com <http://bama.edebris.com/>  

_________________
Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
_________________
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------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2018 10:39:58 -0800 (PST)
From: terry burge <ki7m@comcast.net>
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Topband: No DXwatch cluster for two days now?
Message-ID: <1575794660.138639.1519411198730@connect.xfinity.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Anyone got any idea what is going on with DXwatch side? Haven't been able to 
pull it up for two days and had to shift to DXSummit.fi. Personally, I hope it 
will be back on for this weekends 160M CQ SSB contest. I always enjoy that one 
when I can get on it and bump head with the big boys.


Terry

KI7M



------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2018 14:02:36 -0500
From: Guy Olinger K2AV <k2av.guy@gmail.com>
To: terry burge <ki7m@comcast.net>
Cc: TopBand List <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: No DXwatch cluster for two days now?
Message-ID:
<CANckpc0XE6a-K+dzOxsFRFkWuKA+G9iD4yHkzNBC1wC6uw=5MQ@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

The RBN reports and filters are gone as well. Usually a break like this
indicates a difficult upgrade, or some problem they haven't figured out
yet, or both. Perhaps Pete has some inside dope?

73, Guy K2AV.

On Fri, Feb 23, 2018 at 1:39 PM, terry burge <ki7m@comcast.net> wrote:

> Anyone got any idea what is going on with DXwatch side? Haven't been able
> to pull it up for two days and had to shift to DXSummit.fi. Personally, I
> hope it will be back on for this weekends 160M CQ SSB contest. I always
> enjoy that one when I can get on it and bump head with the big boys.
>
>
> Terry
>
> KI7M
>
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
>


------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2018 14:21:25 -0500
From: Hal Dale <wb4aeg@zoho.com>
To: "Guy Olinger K2AV" <k2av.guy@gmail.com>
Cc: "terry burge" <ki7m@comcast.net>, "TopBand List"
<topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: No DXwatch cluster for two days now?
Message-ID: <161c41cebff.dd53819330734.3789984768609811604@zoho.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Don't know but experiencing same here...Thought it may have been my 
problem....Hal/WB4AEG




---- On Fri, 23 Feb 2018 14:02:36 -0500 Guy Olinger K2AV 
&lt;k2av.guy@gmail.com&gt; wrote ----




The RBN reports and filters are gone as well. Usually a break like this 

indicates a difficult upgrade, or some problem they haven't figured out 

yet, or both. Perhaps Pete has some inside dope? 

 

73, Guy K2AV. 

 

On Fri, Feb 23, 2018 at 1:39 PM, terry burge &lt;ki7m@comcast.net&gt; wrote: 

 

&gt; Anyone got any idea what is going on with DXwatch side? Haven't been able 

&gt; to pull it up for two days and had to shift to DXSummit.fi. Personally, I 

&gt; hope it will be back on for this weekends 160M CQ SSB contest. I always 

&gt; enjoy that one when I can get on it and bump head with the big boys. 

&gt; 

&gt; 

&gt; Terry 

&gt; 

&gt; KI7M 

&gt; 

&gt; _________________ 

&gt; Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband 

&gt; 

_________________ 

Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband 








------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2018 14:50:52 -0500
From: "Lee. KX4TT" <kx4tt@yahoo.com>
To: <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: No DXwatch cluster for two days now?
Message-ID: <015701d3acdf$a1e6d360$e5b47a20$@yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Looks like DXWatch just came back....................


Lee KX4TT

-----Original Message-----
From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of terry
burge
Sent: Friday, February 23, 2018 13:40 
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Topband: No DXwatch cluster for two days now?

Anyone got any idea what is going on with DXwatch side? Haven't been able to
pull it up for two days and had to shift to DXSummit.fi. Personally, I hope
it will be back on for this weekends 160M CQ SSB contest. I always enjoy
that one when I can get on it and bump head with the big boys.


Terry

KI7M

_________________
Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband



------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2018 00:04:26 +0000 (UTC)
From: Jeff Kincaid <w6jk@sbcglobal.net>
To: Jim Jim <wa3mej@comcast.net>, "topband@contesting.com"
<topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Speaking of Noises...
Message-ID: <1967081572.4983177.1519430666438@mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Interesting thought, Jim, but you have lost the context.? What I was listening 
to was Tim's recording.
'JK
 

    On Friday, February 23, 2018 4:01 PM, Jim Jim <wa3mej@comcast.net> wrote:
 

  Jeff,? try turning off all of the Cell phones located near your receiver (and 
maybe in the house)? This sounds like the sound of a Cell phone polling the 
local tower that I had several years ago? it often drives me nuts because my 
wife' phone sometimes gets into the receiver as well. 

Jim K3YBN



Message: 4
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2018 19:03:03 +0000 (UTC)
From: Jeff Kincaid <w6jk@sbcglobal.net>
To: Tim Shoppa <tshoppa@gmail.com>, "ws6x.ars@gmail.com"
<ws6x.ars@gmail.com>
Cc: topBand List <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Speaking of Noises...
Message-ID: <587619042.4047365.1519326183396@mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

I think I'm hearing two groups of four bursts, with the first burst from the 
second transmitter coinciding with the last burst from the first transmitter.? 
Anyone agree?
Jeff W6JK 

??? On Thursday, February 22, 2018 10:51 AM, Tim Shoppa <tshoppa@gmail.com> 
wrote:
 

Here is a recording (made on 80M a few years ago but sounds substantially
the same on 160M) of what I'm told is the Wallops Island Ionosonde:

http://n3qe.org/wumwum_80M.wav

Here is the waveform showing 4 louder cycles followed by three softer
cycles:

http://n3qe.org/wumwum.png

If you look at the second panel of the waveform, you see a 20Hz
substructure in the pulses.

Even though I'm sitting in once place with a 2.4kHz filter making this
recording, I understand that the actual spectrum occupied is wider and it
cycles through the bands repeating on a several minute cycle.

Tim N3QE 

   

------------------------------

Message: 8
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2018 11:51:45 +1100
From: "VK3HJ" <vk3hj_luke@barefoothorse.com.au>
To: <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: 160m DX Activity Night
Message-ID: <F17B0BE7EFDC422BAFE7272216CF52AD@LukeNetbook>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="utf-8";
reply-type=original

This morning around 2000z I worked several European stations. The band 
seemed quite lively today.

Stations were worked from Russia to England and Italy, with others heard 
from the north.

Conditions seemed reasonable again, although it seems that many operators 
are occupied doing other things. The digital sub-band appeared busy.

I will be back on calling CQ again Monday around 2000z, as there is the SSB 
Contest on this weekend. As George mentioned elsewhere, a contest doesn't do 
much for DX!

73,

Luke VK3HJ 



------------------------------

Message: 9
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2018 00:26:13 -0500
From: Guy Olinger K2AV <k2av.guy@gmail.com>
To: "Lee. KX4TT" <kx4tt@yahoo.com>
Cc: TopBand List <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: No DXwatch cluster for two days now?
Message-ID:
<CANckpc1OA9gPJqjkvLh4DV7+WAReqvk7t+LzXmTWNAqHZ6UJGg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

I'd say that the screen fills from the RBN server have gotten a lot faster.
Maybe some hardware upgrades?

73, g.

On Fri, Feb 23, 2018 at 2:50 PM, Lee. KX4TT via Topband <
topband@contesting.com> wrote:

> Looks like DXWatch just came back....................
>
>
> Lee KX4TT
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of terry
> burge
> Sent: Friday, February 23, 2018 13:40
> To: topband@contesting.com
> Subject: Topband: No DXwatch cluster for two days now?
>
> Anyone got any idea what is going on with DXwatch side? Haven't been able
> to
> pull it up for two days and had to shift to DXSummit.fi. Personally, I hope
> it will be back on for this weekends 160M CQ SSB contest. I always enjoy
> that one when I can get on it and bump head with the big boys.
>
>
> Terry
>
> KI7M
>
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
>
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
>


------------------------------

Message: 10
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2018 09:28:01 +0000 (UTC)
From: John Randall <m0els@yahoo.co.uk>
To: "topband@contesting.com" <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: brief opening on topband today
Message-ID: <1912592540.6935775.1519464481933@mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

My last email had some Gremlins , so here it is again......
This afternoon, I had my flex 3k idling on 1.850 (QRO section ) when I saw a 
strong station a bit lower down on the waterfall display and found it to be 
S52AW Karl calling CQ at 16h58z,I answered his call and we had a pleasant ssb 
qso till he just faded into the noise, the qso lasted about 2 minutes. This 
coincided with a drop in the K-INDEX, which dropped from 5 to about 2.I also 
worked RW1F last night just before 22h00z and I am as happy as a pig in mud...hi
There is some hope with my antenna system albeit a small one, but just goes to 
show that sometimes these "flash in the pans" do occur. I later learned that 
there was a 160m contest stating later in the evening and that he was probably 
tuning up his station and that I was on the right spot at the right time.
ps, this morning 24.02.2018 at 08h17, I worked S51V running 30w ( max pwr limit 
) Cannot stop smiling....XYL worried...hi hi

73John -M0ELS (30M east of London )


Digitally signed mail - John? M0ELS

?The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak 
it.?
George Orwell
 

    On Saturday, 24 February 2018, 04:06:18 GMT, rayn6vr <rayn6vr@gmail.com> 
wrote:  
 
John,
Sound great! I'd love to work S5 on 160m.
More details please. Where are located, what is you callsign?
Ray,N6VR?


Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
-------- Original message --------From: John Randall via Topband 
<topband@contesting.com> Date: 2/23/18 10:46 AM (GMT-07:00) To: 
topband@contesting.com Subject: Topband: brief opening on topband today 
This afternoon, I had my flex 3k on 1.850 when I saw a trong station a bit 
lower down on the waterfall display and found it to ne S52AW Karl calling CQ at 
16h58z,I answered his call and we had a pleasant ssb qso till he just faded 
into the noise, the qso lasted about 2 minutes. This coincided with a drop in 
the K-INDEX, which dropped from 5 to about 2.I also worked RW1F last night just 
before 22h00z and I am as happy as a pig in mud...hi
There is some hope with my antenna system albeit a small one. 
73John
_________________
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------------------------------

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------------------------------

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****************************************



------------------------------

Message: 8
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2018 15:08:04 -0700
From: W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu@w0mu.com>
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Condx last night
Message-ID: <025571a7-0d6a-9c2b-3cdb-47e243128737@w0mu.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed

You had a decent signal for KH6.?? Circle array here for RCV. band was 
pretty quiet here.? Worked all over the USA, very little DX.


On 2/24/2018 12:07 PM, cqtestk4xs--- via Topband wrote:
> My apologies for sounding like a lid last night.  Almost continuous static 
> crashes made rx almost impossible with the exception of a couple of the big 
> guns and W6/W7.  Short skip was definitely in play.  85% of the stations I 
> worked were W6/W7.
>   
> Bill KH7XS
>   
>   
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Herbert Schoenbohm <herbert.schoenbohm@gmail.com>
> To: W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu@w0mu.com>; TopBand List <topband@contesting.com>
> Sent: Sat, Feb 24, 2018 6:42 pm
> Subject: Re: Topband: Does flooding radial field help
>
> The was certainly short skip within 300-400 miles and I work several
> Carribean station within that range.  However, the unusual part of that was
> an Italian who kept calling CQ where is was calling CQ and was S9 on the EU
> Beverage. I never even got a QRZ from him. I had to null him out with the
> NCC-1 just to work any states.  I worked a few in the southeast but nobody
> even spotted me for the entire night except for one NY station with good
> ears. I have come to the realization that 100 watts under conditions like
> this are futile.
>
> Herb, KV4FZ
>
> On Sat, Feb 24, 2018 at 2:26 PM, W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu@w0mu.com> wrote:
>
>> It was conditions and it was SSB!  I could not hear PJ4G last night. The
>> only DX that was "loud" was ZF2.
>>
>> W0MU
>>
>>
>>
>> On 2/24/2018 10:07 AM, Jack Henry via Topband wrote:
>>
>>> I was struggling to be heard in the contest last night.  Only 4 stations
>>> were worked and they needed repeats.  All readings in the shack were normal
>>> and I was hearing many stations with moderate signals.  The only thing that
>>> was different was that we were irrigating the grass.   The grass is
>>> irrigated by flooding from a small canal that is on the edge of the
>>> property.  The canal is fresh water fed from an Andean river.  There was
>>> about a quarter of an inch of water visible over the mowed grass.  I am
>>> wondering if the water is effecting the antenna performance.
>>>
>>> I do not have a super station and only run 800W.  The antenna is a 45
>>> foot vertical T loaded at the top.  There are 32 radials 60 to 80 feet in
>>> length of different type wires.  All are insulated with various materials
>>> and are buried about an inch below the soil level.
>>>
>>> Anyone have any experience or knowledge on this.  The soil is drying now
>>> in the blistering sun so maybe we will see if there is any improvement
>>> tonite.
>>>
>>> Thanks. Jack OA4TT
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>> _________________
>>> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
>>>
>> _________________
>> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
>>
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
>
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband



------------------------------

Message: 9
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2018 07:50:42 +0000 (UTC)
From: David Cole <g3rcq@yahoo.co.uk>
To: "topband@contesting.com" <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Topband: Top Beam WF-300
Message-ID: <264667764.7431287.1519545042650@mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

?I have a WF-300 that is surplus to my station Dave g3rcq



------------------------------

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------------------------------

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