[OKDXA] Need Some 160 m Advice
Thomas Webb
tmwebb at cox.net
Thu Dec 17 10:23:40 EST 2020
Some days, you bite the bear; some days, the bear bites you; and some days, you
both walk away hungry.
Tom, WA9AFM
-----Original Message-----
From: okdxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:okdxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of Robert Redmon
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2020 9:08 AM
To: Coy; Oklahoma - DX news and information
Subject: Re: [OKDXA] Need Some 160 m Advice
Coy is on target. There will be days (and times) when you may be the only
station hearing (and working) the dx. 160 propagation is funny that way.
Bob
> On Dec 17, 2020, at 8:17 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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