On 11/22/2020 10:16 PM, Phil Hartwell via Topband wrote:
Is it any wonder that HF operation is becoming increasingly difficult or
impossible in urban areas? I'm lucky to live in an RF quiet rural area,
so to preserve that I closely inspect any new equipment my gadget
addicted XYL brings home! Apart from seasonal QRN, I hear very well on
Top Band, it's frustrating, as I know many others can't hear me, not
just because of QRN, but due to their high, local, man made noise level.
A very sad state of affairs. I dread the proliferation of cordless
charging devices and electric vehicle cordless charging, could be game
over!
Hi Phil,
This has long been a huge problem worldwide. I first moved to northern
California in 2006, and for the next 3-5 years, was able to work EU
stations through the solar minimum, and you and I worked several times
with your old call.
Fast forward to today -- I've HEARD five EU stations on CW in the last
six seasons, all in the last two, and only two have been able to hear
me, even though I have better TX antennas than I did then. The
difference is noise at both ends of the QSO. I have two neighbors within
about 500 ft of my TX antennas with solar systems, and one has a lot of
other noise sources. With my 7-el 30 ft boom 6M antenna, I can see a bit
of a dip in the noise between them, one at about 60 degrees, the other
at about 130 degrees. When the sun is hitting those panels, I'm really
hurting in those directions.
Over the last three seasons, the only way I can work EU is with WSJT
modes, and I've managed to add about 18 EU countries over two seasons.
73, Jim K9YC
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