[OKDXA] Need Some 160 m Advice

Thu Dec 17 09:47:36 EST 2020

Yes! My mom always told me the same thing back as far as I can remember!

73 & MX,

Kim N5OP

"People that make music together cannot be enemies, at least as long as the music lasts." -- Paul Hindemith

> On Dec 17, 2020, at 8:19 AM, N5OK <coyday62 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Kim,
> 
> It looks to me that all you lack is patience!
> 
> Good hunting...   73, Coy
> 
>> On Wed, Dec 16, 2020 at 7:19 PM Kim Elmore <cw_de_n5op at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> 
>> Thanks to all! I was hoping there was something obvious I was missing.
>> Clearly, living on the East Coast is a huge benefit to 160 m DXing, as I
>> see spots roll in from there every night. But mid-evening 160 m DX is
>> simply not to be for those of us much removed from the coast. 160 will
>> never be like even 80 m, which while bad enough, is nothing close to the
>> difficulty of 160 m.
>> 
>> My transmit antenna is good: I shunt feed my tower through a L-network
>> that I can tune remotely. No, I don't have a broadcast-quality radial
>> field, but it's connected to the house ground and to fencing that runs
>> around the yard it's in. The transmission line runs underground from my
>> operating room to the antenna, which is maybe 100 ft away. The
>> transmission line to my K9AY loops also runs underground for nearly 300
>> ft before it exits the ground right at the loop feed point; I don't
>> recall the trench depth, but it's at least a foot. I don't have radials
>> under the loops, though I've read radials may help under certain
>> circumstances. I know K9YC's work well, but I find no evidence that
>> common mode degradation of my loop patterns is an issue based on testing
>> with BC AM signals. I don't have receive beverages, even though I have
>> room for them, because they'd have to run through a field that is hayed
>> every fall.
>> 
>> I've had some luck with gray-line propagation; I've learned that it's
>> very short-lived, so if I don't work the DX quickly, I won't work them
>> at all because the opening simply won't last more than 10-20 min or so,
>> and will be at its peak for only a few of those minutes. I have ON4UN's
>> book and have read it from cover to cover. I can't do a lot of the
>> optimal things, but my antennas aren't hopeless, either. My radio should
>> be up to the task: a TT Orion II with a full suite of roofing filters
>> and IF DSP down to 100 Hz bandwidth, along with audio DSP Selective
>> Audio Filtering (SAF; TT's fancy term for audio peaking) down to 10 Hz
>> bandwidth.
>> 
>> So, from an equipment standpoint, I'm petty well set. I just need to
>> alter my hours. My case simply boils down to not irritating the XYL
>> while chasing the DX at inconvenient times of day/night. Sigh.
>> 
>> 73 & MX,
>> 
>> Kim N5OP
>> 
>>> On 12/15/2020 9:48 PM, Kenneth Case wrote:
>>> Hi Kim,
>>> 
>>> Back long ago (pre ice storm) I had my best luck doing a few things:
>>> 1. For whatever direction you are chasing, be sure to listen at THEIR
>> right
>>> time and YOUR right time.  For EU, consider listening starting about
>> 0400Z
>>> or soon thereafter.  That will catch some of the early guys starting with
>>> eastern EU.  For JA and area, listen starting at about 1030Z or soon
>>> thereafter.  You are trying to hit just before sunrise of the DX if
>>> possible to get the sunrise peak (that may occur just before (up to
>>> 30 minutes) or just after (maybe 10-15 minutes)their sunrise.  Same
>> comment
>>> for sunset on one or both .  The best for me is my sunset and their
>> sunrise
>>> (note both in darkness) acting together.
>>> 2. Sign onto ON4KST Low Band Chat. The low band, VHF, UHF and microwave
>>> chats (by ON4KST) <http://www.on4kst.com/chat/start.php>  You will get a
>>> note that there is a charge for one year's use.  I don't recall what it
>> is,
>>> but it is comparable to what EVERYONE is doing. You can see who is on,
>> both
>>> DX and domestic.  They have a decent Help list.
>>> 3. Be a bit careful!  If you know there is a rare DX station known to be
>> on
>>> 160, do NOT give his call when sending a note on the DX Chat.  It will be
>>> picked up by those wanting to disrupt the band.  If you slip up and give
>>> the call, you will be instantly famous among 160 meter DXers on at that
>>> time.  Also, despite an urge to properly assign the interferer a few
>> choice
>>> names, just stay cool.  They will eventually disappear.
>>> 4. Pay good attention to the comments from those already on and chatting.
>>> They will say something like: Heard him weakly on 19.5 up 2.  That is
>> code
>>> for: I heard the rare DX (note - no call given) on 1819.5 and he is
>>> listening on 1821.5.  Note no reference to the 18 (for 160meters).  These
>>> little notes are quite helpful because now you know where to look, you
>> also
>>> know it is going to be a weak station, and you know where he is
>> listening!
>>> So a bit of ESP will be helpful, especially if you know the station's
>>> call.  For example, maybe you know XY5ZAB is to be on and somebody says
>> he
>>> is very weak on 19.5.  Now, you listen using all your weak signal tricks
>>> for your radio.  You hear this on 1819.5:  *Y5*A* where * was not
>> readable
>>> (it may be on the next try!)  Go ahead and give him a call! on 1821.5
>> using
>>> your call a couple of times.  Do it again.  If you hear the pileup on
>>> 1821.5 and then it goes silent, somebody likely has snagged him.  Wait
>>> until you hear him again.  Then go again.  Is going when you hear *Y5*A*
>> a
>>> poor practice?  You be the judge, but you will soon realize it is a
>> widely
>>> done practice.  I generally prefer to wait a bit, be sure I can FINALLY
>>> hear the whole call even though not all of it at the same time, and then
>> go
>>> once sure you are calling the right station.  Also, remember there is
>> often
>>> QSB and the signals are going up and down.  Pretty soon you will finally
>>> hear full calls or nothing.  I also often wait until this point.
>>> 5.  If directed to call up 2 (for example) and there is a pile, I'll
>>> usually listen to see how high the pile goes.  Suppose it goes to 1823.7.
>>> I'll try to follow the pile up or down starting at 1823.7.  It is also
>> good
>>> practice to listen to see where the previous contact was made.
>>> 6. If it is a new one, I often try to see the online log in either real
>>> time or the next day.  I have also been known to instantaneously email
>> the
>>> station (not a good idea when they are on a DXPEDITION), give them the
>>> contact info including RST, time in Z, etc., and ask if I made the log.
>> My
>>> reasoning is simple.  I do NOT want to be calling the next day and
>>> interfering with the pile if I am already in the log!
>>> 7. On the LHS of the LOW BAND CHAT you can see where skeds are arranged
>> in
>>> real time.
>>> 
>>> Kim, I know much of what I have said is already in your knowledge bank,
>> so
>>> hope you are not offended (well EVERYBODY is offended about EVERYTHING
>>> today), so try to be less offended!
>>> 
>>> Well, I am a bit out of it now.  I'm sure Coy and others (Dan W5XZ in
>> Sand
>>> Springs near Tulsa), now probably the best 160 meter DXer in OK, can be
>> of
>>> help).
>>> 
>>> 73 Ken K5KC
>>> 
>>> 1525 S Boulder Creek Drive
>>> Stillwater, OK  74074-2498  USA
>>> 405-747-4313 (Office and Cell)
>>> 405-377-7586 (Home and Fax)
>>> kencase66 at gmail.com
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Tue, Dec 15, 2020 at 8:07 PM Kim Elmore <cw_de_n5op at sbcglobal.net>
>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> I'm finding that trying to hear spots on 160 m is deeply frustrating. Do
>>>> I need to stay up later? I usually pack it in around 10:00-10:30, but
>>>> maybe that's too early. Or, maybe I need to be up sooner? I'm just not
>>>> hearin' 'em! I have K9AY loops for rx and they sometimes help, sometimes
>>>> don't, but they never make things worse. My radio environment is quiet,
>>>> so it's not that. If I can't hear 'em I certainly can't work 'em.
>>>> 
>>>> Any hints?
>>>> 
>>>> 73,
>>>> 
>>>> Kim N5OP
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> 
>>>> Kim Elmore, Ph.D. (Adj. Assoc. Prof., OU School of Meteorology, CCM, PP
>>>> SEL/MEL/Glider, N5OP, 2nd Class Radiotelegraph, GROL)
>>>> 
>>>> /"A great second violinist plays second fiddle to no one." //– Robert C.
>>>> Marsh, Chicago Sun-Times./
>>>> 
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>> --
>> 
>> Kim Elmore, Ph.D. (Adj. Assoc. Prof., OU School of Meteorology, CCM, PP
>> SEL/MEL/Glider, N5OP, 2nd Class Radiotelegraph, GROL)
>> 
>> /"A great second violinist plays second fiddle to no one." //– Robert C.
>> Marsh, Chicago Sun-Times./
>> 
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Coy C Day, N5OK
> 20685 SW 29
> Union City, OK 73090
> H(405) 483-5632 C(405) 448-2368
> n5ok at arrl.net
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