Newbie Here w/Some DX Questions....

[Beetle]

At the bottom of a 3000-foot deep valley that's about 3/4 of a mile wide, with mountains running north and south on both sides...

The idea for working "skip" is to transmit a signal at as low an angle as possible toward the horizon. From there it bounces off the ionosphere. Problem is, your horizon to the east and west is invisible to you (and to your signal) because of the mountains. The stations you're hearing likely have the advantage of being able to get their signals well out to the horizon for the first "hop". From there it generally arrives at your station from various elevations, depending on the propagation conditions at the time. The "first bounce" is really important, and anything like a mountain less than half a mile away won't make things any easier...unless you put your antenna on top of it

You should get out better to the north and south.

 

[hobie102]

At the bottom of a 3000-foot deep valley that's about 3/4 of a mile wide, with mountains running north and south on both sides...

The idea for working "skip" is to transmit a signal at as low an angle as possible toward the horizon. From there it bounces off the ionosphere. Problem is, your horizon to the east and west is invisible to you (and to your signal) because of the mountains. The stations you're hearing likely have the advantage of being able to get their signals well out to the horizon for the first "hop". From there it generally arrives at your station from various elevations, depending on the propagation conditions at the time. The "first bounce" is really important, and anything like a mountain less than half a mile away won't make things any easier...unless you put your antenna on top of it

You should get out better to the north and south.

Well said! That is exactly why I stated that in the first place. It was my understanding based upon everything I've read that where I live would be a serious problem getting out. I wanted to be sure though before I did anything rash and you confirmed everything I've been learning about skip. Thanks again for your input! I'll be content to listen and will try dx'ing from the car. Sirio Turbo 5000 arrived today. Changed out the coax on the mount. Slapped it on the roof and got a 1.0-1.10 on the swr. good to go. going out to play tomorrow.

 

[ND88]

I bet everything changes for you. Go on a little drive and find a nice little location in a wide open space. Maybe around water or somewhere with some elevation, giving you sight of the horizon. I love being mobile for this reason because it's easy to improve your location.

be patient and keep calling repeatedly. It may take time, but eventually you'll get out.

 

[hobie102]

I bet everything changes for you. Go on a little drive and find a nice little location in a wide open space. Maybe around water or somewhere with some elevation, giving you sight of the horizon. I love being mobile for this reason because it's easy to improve your location.

be patient and keep calling repeatedly. It may take time, but eventually you'll get out.

That's the plan. I figure I'll grab a coffee and go check out some high points around my area where I have a view of the horizon. I will be able to get a view easily running north to south but the east to west will be difficult. One or the other. Taconic Range and Appalachians dominate this area. They run north to south of course. There is a spot about 20 minutes south of here where I can get a view of all directions except north. We'll see what happens. This is a great way to cure my boredom!:w00t:

 

[M0GVZ]

That's the plan. I figure I'll grab a coffee and go check out some high points around my area where I have a view of the horizon. I will be able to get a view easily running north to south but the east to west will be difficult. One or the other. Taconic Range and Appalachians dominate this area. They run north to south of course. There is a spot about 20 minutes south of here where I can get a view of all directions except north. We'll see what happens. This is a great way to cure my boredom!:w00t:

North is good. To work Europe you need a path to the north. Go to this site, stick in your location and it'll produce a rather funny looking map of the world. That's called an azimuth map and it looks funny because it shows the actual direction you need to point a beam for your signal to go the shortest distance between two locations. So for the USA here from the UK I need to point my beam nearly north, not south west as it looks on a conventional map.

 

[357magnum]

I talked to guy in england last week he was set up on friend farm backed up against a barn to stay out of the wind. Now here's the good part ... it takes him hours to set up he's got a home made beam attached to his car an gets out an turns it by hand to fine tune you in . Wow talk about dedication I was amazed when he told me that.

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[357magnum]

It takes him two hours to set up his station , sorry .

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[hobie102]

I talked to guy in england last week he was set up on friend farm backed up against a barn to stay out of the wind. Now here's the good part ... it takes him hours to set up he's got a home made beam attached to his car an gets out an turns it by hand to fine tune you in . Wow talk about dedication I was amazed when he told me that.

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I have to say that is serious "hardcore"! If I get desperate enough.......

 

[hobie102]

North is good. To work Europe you need a path to the north. Go to this site, stick in your location and it'll produce a rather funny looking map of the world. That's called an azimuth map and it looks funny because it shows the actual direction you need to point a beam for your signal to go the shortest distance between two locations. So for the USA here from the UK I need to point my beam nearly north, not south west as it looks on a conventional map.

Wow, what an invaluable tool. Thanks for this. Great to use with a Moxon or other directional ant'. Worked like a charm. I noticed from my location, to skip to FL I would have to be pointed around 205 degrees. Farther west than I thought. Pretty cool stuff.

 

[Grinder74]

I use a 102 whip with 2 opposing 102's for radials. I have talked to stations 1000's of miles away with a Cobra 2000 and no power. Time of day has a lot to do with skip in my area. I also made an SSB contact, Ohio to Colorado, driving down the highway using an old Uniden grant and a Wilson 1000 whip.

 

[357magnum]

I hope you get a contact today , guess I'm spoiled with my old junk went downstairs to let the dog out turned the radio on an first contact was Belgium , my problem is I don't have a freq counter so I have to guess were I'm at all the time but hopefully my Cobra 2000 will come in the mail soon an I'll put the 140 gtl in the truck an see what kind of problems I'll have doing mobile DX .lol It will be a whole different world because I don't have a mobile amp .

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[Grinder74]

357, just get the tallest antenna you can run safely.

 

[357magnum]

I always ran a 102" whip on a spring mount on my Land Cruiser , but I think I have a Wilson 5000 around some place . Do you like your 2000 ? Just ordered mine all done up .

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[Grinder74]

Pm me 357. Don't want to get off topic

 

[357magnum]

I might figure that pm stuff out some day . I'll just wait til I sent it up an start a new thread because I'm sure I'll have questions , hopefully the guy that built it will explain it well enough for me to understand .lol

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