[600MRG] It's a start but improvements coming

[Paul N1BUG FN55mf]

Thanks for confirming solar activity does play a role. I'll get a better
feel for things with station improvements and more recent experience. I
may need a couple of years to get fully back equipment-wise anyway. :)

73,
Paul


On 11/23/2024 12:45 PM, Brian Pease wrote:
> Yes indeed, band conditions are way down from the sunspot minimum where
> I would be routinely heard by dozens of Europeans many winter nights.
> Now that we are near the sunspot peak, I assume that this will reduce
> interest for the next few years.
>
>
> On 11/23/2024 12:27 PM, Paul N1BUG FN55mf wrote:
>> Hey folks,
>>
>> Some of you may have noticed I monitored WSPR and FST4W on 630m night
>> before last. The SNR reports from my station might seem a little
>> discouraging, but they will improve. Two factors contributed:
>>
>> 1. The receiver needs a preamp and is deaf by some unknown number of dB.
>>  there is NO increase in noise with the antenna vs. nothing or a 50 ohm
>> termination. That is not good! I am building a preamp for it.
>>
>> 2. The big K9AY loop was pointed northeast. That is some unknown but
>> non-trivial number of dB gone for those to my west and southwest. I will
>> soon be building hardware to make the antenna switchable so I can
>> properly listen to the south and west. This is what those toroids I
>> asked about will be used for.
>>
>> Things will get better. I am just starting to rebuild using different
>> receiving hardware from my past activities. Having learned some hard
>> lessons last time, I am taking a different and more modular approach to
>> building this time around.
>>
>> One disheartening thing for me, having not been around the band in three
>> and a half years, is that activity seems way down from what it was then.
>> Am I wrong? Maybe I'm just not hearing what is out there. I don't know
>> to what extent solar activity has affected the band. It certainly takes
>> a big bite out of 160m but that may be a very different thing.
>>
>> Similarly, my recent 2200m reports have beem less than optimum, at least
>> for stations to my west and south. I do have a preamp there (internally
>> bandpass filtered so it won't work on 630m) but the loop was northeast.
>> I am CERTAIN activity on that band is way down.
>>
>> 73,
>> Paul N1BUG FN55mf
>>
>>
>>
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