I have an extra seat reserved if anyone is in need.
73/Jon
Jon P. Zaimes, AA1K
Tower climber for hire
Felton, Delaware
http://www.aa1k.us/
Reviews of AA1K tower work on eham website:
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/12922
Hug your favorite tower every day, and always stay connected to it.
_
Hi Mike,
I have four of these (and one NCC-2) and use for phasing various antennas for
160m.
They work very well with two short verticals. My elements are 34 feet with 1/8
or 1/4 wave spacing. Even with NO matching at the base (direct to coax) and
single 3-ft ground rod they will perform as well
Seems I'm not getting all of the reflector emails of late. Thanks to K3OO for
tipping me off to the conversation.
I never worked JA from the 160 mobile but did QSO VK3ZL a couple of times,
FO/A, KH6 and a bunch of Europeans. In fact Bob VK3ZL (SK) was my first DX QSO
after installing the KJ7U s
I use NCC-1 and NCC-2 boxes for phasing numerous receive antennas, mostly on
160. My property is heavily wooded, with antennas among loblolly pines, oak,
maple, gum, etc.
For in-band listening while transmitting on 160, I have a pair of 34-foot
verticals (self-supporting aluminum elements) pla
Listened last night and signal was weak and under some SSB QRM. Might have been
two signals— peaked both NNW and NE. If from the station in Hackensack on 970
should be stronger in daylight hours when they are 50kw.
73/Jon
Jon P. Zaimes, AA1K
Tower climber for hire
http://www.aa1k.us/
Cell
Hi Darrell,
Had similar problem when installing a station in Rehoboth Beach, DE, a few
years ago. Client had an addition built for the ham shack and breaker box used
the arc-fault breakers now required.
We tried all kinds of toroid filtering in the shack but couldn't eliminate the
problem.
We di
Still life in the band here.
Worked VK9NT on 1824.5 CW at 1008z today, about 10 minutes before my sunrise.
Conditions were quiet.
73/Jon
Jon P. Zaimes, AA1K Tower climber for hire http://www.aa1k.us/ email:
j...@verizon.net or a...@arrl.net
_
Searchable Archives: http://www.cont
My version of Tim's array was installed in 1998, with 120 on-ground radials
under each element. A few years later I added an extra director toward Europe
for an additional 0.9 db gain in that direction.
It brought me up to 329 countries on 160, including JT, HS, XZ, VU, A5, BA.
After a few years
Steve,
Older RCS-4 used open-face relays which are more of a problem for relay bounce.
Newer RCS-4 use sealed small-signal relays. Getting one of the newer units may
solve your problem.
73/Jon
Jon P. Zaimes, AA1K Tower climber for hire http://www.aa1k.us/ Cell:
302-632-2353email: j...@verizon.ne
Bob,
Try just using the good variable in series by itself. Often all you need (no
omega match)73/Jon AA1K
Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
On Wednesday, October 20, 2021, 8:36 PM, Robert Garrett
wrote:
Greeting Topband Group,
I've been shunt feeding my tower for probably the last 2
Around our sunrise on Saturday, Sept. 11, we worked JA0FSB for our first JA
on Topband this season. This was on FT8, with a couple of other JA decoded.
Tried some CQ's on CW with no luck.
Our first JA of the season QSO has come on earlier and later dates in
previous years, sometimes even in lat
It is 10db over S9 here in central Delaware, peaking on NW Beverages. Much
weaker spur from it covering 1823.5 as well (strong enough to cover HL5IVL).
Jon P. Zaimes, AA1K
Tower climber for hire
http://www.aa1k.us/
Cell: 302-632-2353
Reviews of AA1K tower work on eham website:
http://www.eham.
Interesting Tim.
November QST came in a few days ago, and the summary of rules in there says
"1.830-1.835 MHz should be used for intercontinental contacts only."
Dropping that rule was long overdue so glad to see it stated in the rules
online.
73/Jon AA1K
-Original Message-
From: Tim S
We have had regular VK and ZL openings through our summer, though generally
with marginal conditions. ZL1AZ called in this morning at 0815z, peaking
559.
This morning we worked JA5DQH at 0946z, about 55 minutes before our sunrise,
for our first topband JA QSO of the season. Later than some year
Sad to learn Herb is gone. We will miss his friendship on the band, the
reflector and the low band chat.
Herb was one of the pioneers in Topband DXing. He and W8LRL were both issued
160m DXCC No. 3 on the same day (there was no No. 4) in 1977, around the
time I was just beginning to get serious ab
Good conditions continue today. I listened to dozens of Europeans on 160 as I
was driving home from the Pizza Blast.
73/HNY
Jon P. Zaimes, AA1K
Tower climber for hire
Website: aa1k.us
Cell: 302-632-2353
Email: j...@verizon.net
Hug your favorite tower every day, and always stay connected to i
It was loud here last evening and this morning. At first I thought it was
some digital garbage from my computer since I had just started using FT8. I
could not copy the audio in CW or SSB modes on my K3 but it was clean copy
when I switched to AM on 1820 kHz.
It peaked on my long 45-degree Beverag
I worked A50BOC on 1826.5 (qsx 27.5) CW at 0040z today. A new one for me on
Top, no. 329. I started hearing at 0030z and their signal dropped out just
before 0100z. Peak was 559. Best receiving antenna here was single-wire
950-foot Beverage at 37 degrees. Stations 90 miles north of me reported they
Yesterday we had the strongest VK opening of the month, with VK2WF, VK3HJ
and VK6GX worked right around my sunrise.
Today JH1HDT called in at 1051z, three minutes before my sunrise, for our
first JA of the season. VK2WF also called in, weaker than yesterday.
In my evening, 6O7O was worked a
For unknown reasons I stopped receiving list emails after Sept. 9 (also
halted same time on my Towertalk subscription). Anyone know how to get this
fixed?
73/Jon
Jon P. Zaimes, AA1K
Tower climber for hire
http://www.aa1k.us/
Cell: 302-632-2353
Reviews of AA1K tower work on eham websi
Jack has always been one of my heroes on Topband.
I recall when K1VR visited him and wrote (in a QST article) about how Jack used
old plastic soda bottles to weatherize open coax splices in the field. A great
idea I've copied hundreds of times here on coax and hardline junctions.
I usually gave
Hiro, JJ5GMJ, who gave many of us a new one on 160 when he was /DU1, is now in
Massachusetts till next year and looking to connect with Topbanders there. His
email is jj5...@gmail.com. More info in his note to me below.
73/Jon
Jon P. Zaimes, AA1K
Tower climber for hire
http://www.aa1k.us/
Cell:
Gabriel,
At a previous QTH I had a 600-foot Beverage on a hill, dropping from 90 feet
to about 10 feet elevation and it worked great. Was switchable NW/SE. Heard
and worked many JA stations on it.
73/Jon AA1K
Jon P. Zaimes, AA1K
Tower climber for hire
http://www.aa1k.us/
Cell: 302-632-2353
Revi
Hearing it at 1157z. Peaks on 280-degree Beverage from central Delaware. S5
on my K3 meter.
73/Jon AA1K
-Original Message-
From: Topband [mailto:topband-boun...@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Don Kirk
Sent: Tuesday, December 6, 2016 5:30 AM
To: topband
Subject: Re: Topband: 1809.2 kHz cons
As I recall mine are typically in the hundreds of ohms or low thousands, never
as high as
20k, even on a 950 ft wire.
I do see large variations of these across my 12 acres, even significantly
different readings on each wire in a staggered phased pair.
We have two different soil types, which ma
Al,
I have two 160m transmit arrays, one a modified K3LR style parasitic and
another a BS/EF array.
The K3LR was installed in 1998 and I buried the feedline through conduit
(about 100 feet of corrugated black 4" drainage pipe buried about 6 inches)
before laying down the radials across lawn and w
Friday morning at 1041z, about 10 minutes before sunrise, JA9FHB called in
for our first JA QSO of the season. Another JA9 called right after but
unfortunately we did not complete that QSO.
Nice to hear the band alive!
73/Jon AA1K
_
Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.c
N5IA's son posted this on Milt's QRZ.com page:
"Hello to all of Milt's Amatuer contact, friends, acquaintances and others,
"I am Milt's oldest son Jason, some of you know me, most of you probably
don't. I have been with him for 47 years, he was my hero. Today, June 9,
2016. Milt was on was
Jim,
Why not just shunt feed the tower? 70 feet with that beam for top-loading is
a good height for 160. If it will be a guyed tower these would need to be
insulated, and run all cabling from the bottom and inside the tower whether
guyed or self-supporting.
Based on some discussion on the reflect
They also peaked from the northeast here (so much for the two new 92-degree
Beverages I put up this week!).
Here's one of the recordings I made of last night's great opening (but not
great enough for me to work yet):
http://aa1k.us/listen-to-loud-ft4ja-signal-as-heard-at-aa1k/
73/Jon AA1K
-
The New Year has quickly brought us some nice openings to Asia, with
numerous JA stations worked the past few days in the hour before our 1221z
sunrise. Nice too that some of these were first-time contacts. JD1BMH and
HL5IVL also worked.
This seems about a week later than the December Doldrums typ
maybe with enough common-mode chokes.
73, Mike
www.w0btu.com <http://www.w0btu.com>
On Sat, Nov 7, 2015 at 10:01 AM, Jon Zaimes mailto:j...@verizon.net> > wrote:
An alternative to Bill's "stacked" wires is to use a single wire, with
feedlines to both ends ...
An alternative to Bill's "stacked" wires is to use a single wire, with
feedlines to both ends, and a SPDT relay at each end to either connect the
Beverage wire to the feedline transformer or to ground it through a
terminating resistor. The relay voltage may be piggy-backed on the feedline,
with app
I have three separate European Beverages, each a phased pair, at 535 feet
long, 750 feet and 950 feet. Each one may be the "best" Beverage at a
particular time but if I could only have one it would be the 950.
In pileups I often separate signals by switching between these, and each one
may have
The weeks approaching the equinox have brought steady VK/ZL/KH6 openings
before sunrise.
This morning we had a pleasant surprise with JH1HDT calling in at 10:30z for
our first JA of the season. A bit later than in many years, but always a
nice benchmark. Signal was skewed a bit, peaking on the
My most recent method of connecting radials at the base of a vertical is to
drive in a short copper pipe ground rod and use an all-stainless hose clamp
to attach the wires to it.
But in some portable operations I have dispensed with any ground rod, and
the antenna still seems to work fine.
73/Jon
Still needing T88 on 160, I noticed this this:
http://www.palauislandhome.com/index.html
If a ham lands the job, I'll mail some wire for Topband :)
73/Jon AA1K
_
Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Loads around here too, some still in use. Some laying around on original
spools, rusting away. Have pondered hooking up for Beverages.
I think I can beat his price :-)
73/Jon AA1K
-Original Message-
From: Topband [mailto:topband-boun...@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jorge Diez -
CX6VM
S
Larry,
I think the formula for this is in ON4UN's books. I had a 100-ft tower and if I
recall his example for this height was a top hat of 6 spokes with a perimeter
wire of 10 feet diameter. Instead I used a 4-el. 6 meter yagi on a 10 or 12-ft
boom that got it pretty close -- needed a couple fe
I awoke well before sunrise as usual today and, before I had 2 sips from my
coffee, found K1N on 40 CW and started calling. Moments later I realized I
had neglected to hit the SPLIT button!
My apologies to all for this transgression, which I'm sure was not the first
time.
My fitting punishment w
My favorite memory of Bob -- among many -- is a mobile one too.
It was about 9 years ago on a Friday and I had just installed a new
screwdriver on my VW Jetta that covered 160-6 meters. Didn't have time
to try it that night, but my son Adam N3TTT and I were up early
Saturday, heading for the T
The wire size is not critical. In laying down four x 120 radials (each
about 130 ft long) for a new BS/EF array here three years ago, I used
whatever I could scrounge from local salvage yards, flea markets, yard
sales, Habitat for Humanity Re-Stores and other thrift stores.
Old telephone cable
Jaan,
Before replacing the guys, you might consider trying a gamma match at
the bottom end of one of the top guy wires to load the tower and guys
as-is. I did something similar on a sailboat for 80 meters (gamma
matching the rigging on a 35-foot-high mast) and it worked OK.
73/Jon AA1K
On
Thanks Tom and others for detailed comments on this issue.
I understand the focus on bandwidth, presumably to keep the phasing
constant across 100 kHz or less of 160 meters, and see how that would be
important with fixed phasing. But in my bs/ef, the two forward elements
are fed in phase (equa
Look closely and you may see a hairline crack on the bad one.
Also look for other possibilities. A number of times I've swapped out
"bad" matching capacitors without solving the problem, only to find
later it was simply an oxidized connection that needed to be cleaned up
and tightened down.
Recent success here with 23-foot-high W8JI-style short receiving
verticals in a 4-element broadside/endfire array using variable phasing
has led me to make plans for other sets to cover additional directions.
To maximize distance from existing and potential noise sources, and to
allow for tigh
The band is perking up on the East Coast too.
After a couple of weeks of doldrums, VK3IO called in today at 1055z,
peaking 579 though with some deep fades.
Then from 1156z-1219z (our SR) four JAs went into the log. I was still
hearing a couple of these 20 minutes past sunrise, as well as RA0F
Brian,
In N1MM, under "View" select "Statistics" and then select row=Points and
Column=Mult 1.
The third column produced, labeled "True," gives the sections (on the
first line, which lists 2-point QSOs) and countries (on the second line,
which lists 5-point QSOs).
Not at all intuitive. Wou
Carsten,
I use one of mine with a pair of the "W8JI style" short verticals -- 22
feet high with four 22-foot top-loading wires, and 16 radials each 25
feet long. There is a series inductor and resistor at the feedpoint.
These are in a line to make them endfire NE/SW and spaced about 1/8 wave
DX Engineering NCC-1 tops both.
73/Jon AA1K
On 11/16/2013 8:49 AM, Marcelo Chrispin wrote:
Good morning,
Dears TopBanders
I need some opinions,
What is the best acquisition between Timewave ANC-4 or MFJ-1025?
Thanks for help me!
73s
Marcelo Chrispin - PY5MC
_
Hi Bob,
You could use a vacuum relay and key it from the keyer or rig line that
is timed keying (such as for an amp). You want it open when transmitting
of course.
Might even be able to use a smaller non-vacuum relay such as the PC ones
used in Top Ten and other relay boxes.
Also can put t
ON4UN built such a wire 80m vertical 4-square around his full-size 160m
vertical. The 80m array was 20 meters on a side and used a single
elevated radial elevated under each element. It is described in detail
in his book, Low Band DXing (including the latest, 5th edition).
73/Jon AA1K
On 11/
A few days ago I finally got around to resurrecting my screwdriver
antenna that had met its demise many months back when a 7-year-old
stainless steel mounting bolt suffered metal fatigue.. I was 5 miles
down the road before a passing motorist brought it to my attention, and
there was serious da
My QTH in central Delaware is about 12 acres with most of it a "young"
forest of loblolly pines, oak and maple that top out around 80-90 feet
tall. Prior to 1978 or so most of this was cleared farmland.
In 1998 I erected a 100-foot tower that became the (series-fed) driven
element for a 160-me
On 5/31/2013 12:43 AM, Tree wrote:
K6SE was the first guy I saw doing this - with much shorter towers than
mine.
Somewhere in my files I have a copy of a four-page letter Earl sent to
K2UU describing in detail the K6SE phased towers -- one of the few
multielement transmit arrays in use on t
Very sad to hear of Mike's passing.
Flipping back through my old logs, handwritten on something called
paper, it appears our first QSO with Mike was on 40 meter CW in January
of 1980. But it is the second QSO I recall most, on 80 CW on the last
day of that month. We had had several exchanges w
Saturday morning JR7VHZ called in 10 minutes past sunrise for our first
JA QSO of the season.
Previous recent years this has happened as early as late August or
mid-September. Although this year my work schedule has me leaving the
shack well before sunrise one or two days a week, so I may hav
So if the League is going to persist with this antiquated rule is
someone at HQ writing down the calls of all the violators? Will there be
disqualifications?
73/Jon AA1K
On 12/1/2012 3:20 PM, Missouri Guy wrote:
Carol, N2MM
Rule 6.1 for the ARRL 160...
"The segment 1.830 to 1.835 should
Tim,
I use a very cumbersome combination of switch boxes. One of the things
on my list to improve.
The primary selector is a B&W 3-position switch which in turn selects
three other six-position B&W switches. (I have about 18 Bevs in use!).
The 3-position switch is marked for "W, S, NE."
Th
On 11/29/2012 8:42 AM, N1BUG wrote:
Often, while listening to such a noise on one Beverage, switching from
the vertical to a different transmit antenna (thus leaving the ~250
feet of coax feeding the vertical open at the shack end), there will
be a dramatic change in noise on the Beverage, dep
Tom,
What is "a lot taller"?
Would an aluminum or steel (or combination) mast extension with pointed
tip, extending say 10-20 feet above the top beam -- let's say one for
20m -- help to reduce corona discharge noise in the top beam?
73/Jon AA1K
On 11/16/2012 6:58 PM, Tom W8JI wrote:
Hi woul
Link to his obituary:
http://www.tributes.com/show/94530342?active_tab=obituary
Jack's efforts on the Topband need list -- on paper and sent via snail
mail -- helped me and others work many new ones on the band in the '80s
and '90s. The telephone alerts were a valuable tool and we had many
la
I'm vacationing in coastal Maine and playing a bit of radio. Worked
ZL3IX this morning, 15 minutes past sunrise. Greg was 579 on a couple of
pieces of wire I'm phasing with the NCC-1 box and not quite as good on
the TX antenna. Using a tree-supported Inverted L with six 1/4 wave
on-the-rock rad
Tony,
If snaking one or more wires under the fence isn't feasible, I would
simply run a buss wire around the base of the stone wall to the nearest
opening and then back down the other side. Attach your radials to this
buss wire on the tower side, and the "continuation" of these radials
from th
7O6T was really loud here on Topband last night. Congrats to all who
worked and to Jeff K1ZM for doing such a great job at the key.
I made a few recordings and posted one at www.aa1k.us under "DX News."
Or use this link: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7hjw3/id9.html.
You can hear Jeff working NO
>>Have Topbanders used parasitic elements?
Yes, there are several parasitic arrays in use on the band.
Mine started out in 1998 as a "K3LR" array (described in ON4UN's "Low
band antennas" book) with a central tower as the driven element and four
sloping t-shaped parasitic wire elements giving
Perhaps a case of "need" vs. "want." If you want zero db power loss vs.
perfect ground, then the far-right column in that chart applies -- which
is pretty close to LaPort's finding (.4 vs. .5 wavelength).
73/Jon AA1K
On 5/3/2012 10:30 PM, Mike Waters wrote:
> You don't need 120 radials. The opt
Bill,
I've worked JA's in April and August. Europe and the Mideast can be
worked all summer long, as well as VK/ZL and much of the southern
hemisphere -- where it's their winter. So the "season" can be what you
make of it.
Keep working on the Inverted L -- it should be a better antenna for DX
After a long dry spell we had a nice JA opening this morning, with five
in the log from 1042-1053z. Signals were strong and peaking on the
direct path (NNW). This was our best JA "run" of the season.
Best RX antenna was a pair of broadside phased Beverages, 935 feet long
spaced 175 feet, aimed
A large mailbox will often work (or even a small one, depending on what
components you need to cover.
73/Jon AA1K
On 1/21/2012 9:24 AM, Roy wrote:
> "I am totally reworking the feed system on my Inv-L... I have decided that I
> would like to use a large metal enclosure depending on cost. I need
The December Doldrums are officially over.
For the second day we had good long path/skewed path conditions in the
pre-dawn hours.
This morning's excitement started with VK3IO (579) calling in at 1018z
and VK3ZL (599!) at 1037z. Often when the VK's are this loud it's a sign
the band will be poo
fyi hopefully this took care of the harmonic QRM we had this week on
1820 (WDOR;'s second harmonic).
On 12/24/2011 3:20 PM, Eddy Allen wrote:
> Steve (engineer) found a faulty capacitor. That should have solved it.
> Please let me know if it did or did not.
> thanks for your input
>
> E
Since in Europe and Asia the band typically starts at 1810 kHz it's
possible those RBN's don't scan below there.
73/Jon AA1K
On 12/21/2011 9:07 AM, Bill Cromwell wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have been slowly wading into the 160 meter CW waters since the Stew.
> I'm retired and don't really have a schedule
I sent them a note earlier. The address is em...@wdor.com.
They were quite strong here this morning.
I also had a report today from a ham in southern New Jersey that he was
hearing "splatter" from my CW signal on 3990 kHz. I plan to get some
more local reports on my signal, but I'm also ponderi
tnx info Dave where can those be had?
On 12/20/2011 2:30 PM, David Raymond wrote:
>
> Jon. . .great advice, particularly about going to higher frequencies
> as you get closer to the noise source. We've spent considerable time
> chasing noise at our contest station. I addition to using RF w
Dave,
I use my mobile rig to track down such noises (an IC-706Mk2G with a KJ7U
160-6m screwdriver antenna and 2/440 whip). I also have a couple of
small AM and VHF-AM (aircraft band) portable radios when needed.
The closer you get to the noise, the higher in frequency you should be
be able to
for the years I used a TS-940S, which was prone to picking up RF on a
Beverage plugged into the RX-only input, I used a simple $2.00 Radio
Shack SPST reed relay to short out the coax at the back of the radio,
through a 47-ohm resistor to ground. this solved the RF problems. the
940 was one of t
I've used lots of RG-6 over the years for transmitting. It handles full
power fine, even through F connectors (got that tip years ago from KM1H)
for various antennas 160-10m. Though most of mine is hard-wired.
Mine wasn't new either -- most scrounged from dumpster at local CATV
company in the '
Jorge,
Perhaps your friend's concern was that the solder joints would corrode
with time and galvanic action. Some have suggested using silver solder
to avoid this problem.
I used just regular solder when doing radials on my 160-meter parasitic
array a dozen years ago and haven't observed any p
Paul,
I use old plastic soda bottles, 16 or 20 oz size. Cut off the threaded
top so there's a hole about 2 in. diameter and it just pops over the end
of the coax, hardline, etc. where the transformer is or over the
termination resistor at the other end. Credit for this idea goes to VE1ZZ.
73/J
absolutely an ethical violation!
in a contest of course most rules forbid it.
perhaps that's a different game, with different rules like talking
on the telephone.
73/Jon AA1K
www.aa1k.us
On 2/10/2011 15:38 PM, Brendan Minish wrote:
>
> It turns out that the connected user was a DX statio
I worked Siegfried on 3525 (QSX 3526.5) this morning right at my sunrise
and when I asked about 160, he said said he wasn't QRV because the
amplifier was out of order.
No word on if he will try barefoot if conditions improve, or if he will
try to repair the amp.
73/Jon AA1K (still needing H40
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