The AM Forum

8-9 PM?

I will be doing some testing later to get the new ant ready for the gray hair net.

Ya, will look for you there.
PW here with only 120 watts.

I'll be on provided the QRN isn't too un-nerving. about 7:30-8:00PM

https://thunderstorm.vaisala.com/tux/jsp/explorer/explorer.jsp

Also check 1915 for AM.  W0ZUS, K0AS, W5JO, VE5?? and others possibily.  1985 has quite a crew of AM from 5 and 4 land.

1945 was in great shape tonight. Great to be back on 160 now to add some strap to the antenna. winter project to rebuild the 160 ss rig.

A few showed up on 1.885. WWL-INR-PFY and I believe Jim from Ohio. I didn't think the band was in great shape. Signal were coming up but we all left before 9 PM.

I'll be looking most nights for activity on the band. It was better a few weeks back for dog xray OM 

From years of experience, I have found that some of the best condx of the season often occur in November, and the band may go into the doldrums by mid December through the rest of the season.  I remember one year when summer-like QRN appeared the week between xmas and new years, and the band remained noisy through the entire winter.

What kind of results can one expect from 160 with an antenna height of maybe 40 feet?  Is it worth it for me to string one up up at that height? I've thought of doing this as of late but don't know if it's worth the trouble?

Bob,
I have a 75 meter diperpole at about 40 ft that I use on 160 and it does work. It actually works better than I expected. Not a dx antenna to be sure....but for contacts up to 500 miles it seems to work ok.
Try it.....youll like it.

Bob

If you can only get an antenna up 20 feet, you’re on 160 so any height will do. Of course the higher the better and the lenth may need to be adjusted depending on how high you put it up. Tim HLR said today to get a long hall signal out I should try an inverted L. Lot of ground radials needed so I can't do it soon.

And KYV Don, Last winter all I heard all winter long was static from the thunderstorms. I hope this winter is better.

Bob said:
Bob, my aerial is nothing spectacular. Its up about 30 feet, fed with coax and I get pretty good results with it just using a DX-100. However, your milage may vary.

I have an inverted L up with 44 ft. vertical.  What is killing me is noise from my house.  I am using my GK 500A putting about 300 into the feedline.  I have been able to work stations with good antennas who give me reasonable reports above the noise.  Those stations with low antennas I cannot hear if they are about the same as those I do work.    

Those I work are 800 miles or so out there so you have an idea.  I only have 18 various length radials under the veritcal right now with plans to add more when I can afford the copper.  Also plan to suspend a 40 watt florescent tube near the base so the neighbors can see the light and watch it flicker when I talk.  That should be exciting.

The low antenna will restrict you to short distances, but if there is enough activity near you, it is fun.  I hope what Don describes doesn't happen.  75 is a mess and I want to get away from the garbage to contact stations I can't regurlarly work.

Well, I have plenty of wire and plenty of room for the length.  I'll try putting together a dip-hole this weekend. Thanks for the input guys.
Bob

I have been to M-42.

It's now 4:34 and slop buckets are on 1.880. Perhaps some of you 3.875 guys shouild fire up on 1.885. W3SLK Mike. I hear you up here just after dark thirty.

Mike(y) - I second that you have a good signal on 160M. I would have been on but have been in the "Collins TDO mode" working on the big maul piecing it back together and "Hartley drillage and blastage mode" breadboarding a pair of #10 pubes and a LC circut to get it to resonate. Dick sent the autotoon motor and shaft I left behind so I thought it would be prudent to install it as not to loose it. It looks like I just about have an original speech amp deck and mod iron for it due to a post on the Military gear BBS. I decided to run the TDO with the RBA/RBB/RBC combo for a real Big Iron station feel for real.

A sage once said: "The bigger it is and more it weighs the better it will work".

Hope to mod u on 160M soon along with Du-ane KK4AM.
                                                                               Joe N3IBX