120 meter band - is there a trick to it?
 

I have what I consider to be very gratifying luck in DX all over the
shortwave dial save the 120 meter band. On nights when I know prop is
good, I'll run that band several times between dusk and 0700 UTC -
nada. I have yet to make a single catch there. I know most
international broadcasters have abandoned it, and only a few little
countries still use it a lot (N. Korea for example), but save a weak and
scratchy WWV at 2500, not a thing. Anyone have better luck with it, or
suggestions?

Tony


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Tony Meloche wrote in
:

I have what I consider to be very gratifying luck in DX all over the
shortwave dial save the 120 meter band. On nights when I know prop is
good, I'll run that band several times between dusk and 0700 UTC -
nada. I have yet to make a single catch there. I know most
international broadcasters have abandoned it, and only a few little
countries still use it a lot (N. Korea for example), but save a weak
and scratchy WWV at 2500, not a thing. Anyone have better luck with
it, or suggestions?

Tony



It's been a long time since I can remember there being very much on this
band, and it was never as widely used as the other tropical bands.

There's little advantage to using it. Propagation is almost exactly the
same as the BCB, so why not just broadcast there?

Another factor was that table radios with shortwave almost never tuned this
band. The bands were usually BCB and SW from 5 or 6 to 18 Mhz.

"Tony Meloche" wrote in message
...
I have what I consider to be very gratifying luck in DX all over the
shortwave dial save the 120 meter band. On nights when I know prop is
good, I'll run that band several times between dusk and 0700 UTC -
nada. I have yet to make a single catch there. I know most
international broadcasters have abandoned it, and only a few little
countries still use it a lot (N. Korea for example), but save a weak and
scratchy WWV at 2500, not a thing. Anyone have better luck with it, or
suggestions?

Tony

What kind of antenna are you using? It will require an outstanding 120
meter antenna to get much. The wavelength is so long that is will be
uncommon to get distant stations like N. Korea.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

Tony Meloche wrote:

I have what I consider to be very gratifying luck in DX all over the
shortwave dial save the 120 meter band. On nights when I know prop is
good, I'll run that band several times between dusk and 0700 UTC -
nada. I have yet to make a single catch there. I know most
international broadcasters have abandoned it, and only a few little
countries still use it a lot (N. Korea for example), but save a weak and
scratchy WWV at 2500, not a thing. Anyone have better luck with it, or
suggestions?

Tony

I've had pretty good results here just using a 70' wire. Sometimes the 200' wire. Over
the years heard quite a few stations 'down there'.

This morning at 1310 WWVH from Hawaii is coming in good on the 70' wire.

Mostly it's propagation.

Steve
Holland, MI
Drake R7, R8 and R8B

http://www.iserv.net/~n8kdv/dxpage.htm

N8KDV wrote:

Tony Meloche wrote:

I have what I consider to be very gratifying luck in DX all over the
shortwave dial save the 120 meter band. On nights when I know prop is
good, I'll run that band several times between dusk and 0700 UTC -
nada. I have yet to make a single catch there. I know most
international broadcasters have abandoned it, and only a few little
countries still use it a lot (N. Korea for example), but save a weak and
scratchy WWV at 2500, not a thing. Anyone have better luck with it, or
suggestions?

Tony

I've had pretty good results here just using a 70' wire. Sometimes the 200' wire. Over
the years heard quite a few stations 'down there'.

This morning at 1310 WWVH from Hawaii is coming in good on the 70' wire.

Also, as an example, hearing the Australian Northern Territories Service on 2310 and 2485
still in at a good level at 1325 on the 70' wire.



Mostly it's propagation.

Steve
Holland, MI
Drake R7, R8 and R8B

http://www.iserv.net/~n8kdv/dxpage.htm

Also, as an example, hearing the Australian Northern Territories Service on
2310 and 2485
still in at a good level at 1325 on the 70' wire.


That's all I've ever heard besides the WWV/WWVH combo (R71a and EWE).

I suspect that that band acts similar to the AMBCB band in that generally it's
lousy with the occasional opening.

Keep trying.

Also look for BCB harmonics !

jw
wb9uai

J999w wrote:

Also, as an example, hearing the Australian Northern Territories Service on
2310 and 2485
still in at a good level at 1325 on the 70' wire.


That's all I've ever heard besides the WWV/WWVH combo (R71a and EWE).

I suspect that that band acts similar to the AMBCB band in that generally it's
lousy with the occasional opening.

Keep trying.

Also look for BCB harmonics !

jw
wb9uai



All the responses are appreciated - I'll continue to scan it during
good listening times - one of these days, who knows . . .

Tony


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I never hear much on this band either.

donutbandit wrote in message ...
Tony Meloche wrote in
:

I have what I consider to be very gratifying luck in DX all over the
shortwave dial save the 120 meter band. On nights when I know prop is
good, I'll run that band several times between dusk and 0700 UTC -
nada. I have yet to make a single catch there. I know most
international broadcasters have abandoned it, and only a few little
countries still use it a lot (N. Korea for example), but save a weak
and scratchy WWV at 2500, not a thing. Anyone have better luck with
it, or suggestions?

Tony



It's been a long time since I can remember there being very much on this
band, and it was never as widely used as the other tropical bands.

There's little advantage to using it. Propagation is almost exactly the
same as the BCB, so why not just broadcast there?

Another factor was that table radios with shortwave almost never tuned this
band. The bands were usually BCB and SW from 5 or 6 to 18 Mhz.

There is still a lot of activity in this area, at least from a Latin American perspective.
Be it harmonics or legitimate activity.

See the following page for a sample of what is available in 'the basement':

http://www.sover.net/~hackmohr/sw.htm

Steve
Holland, MI
Drake R7, R8 and R8B

http://www.iserv.net/~n8kdv/dxpage.htm

Tony Meloche wrote in
:

All the responses are appreciated - I'll continue to scan it during
good listening times - one of these days, who knows . . .

This is an excellent area to use a loop antenna. You will get better
results than a longwire, with directional, nulling, and noise reduction
properties as well.

It's a noisy environment, but with most of the RTTY and other services that
used to operate here gone to satellite, there's little of that kind of QRM
any more.

Best time would be a cold winter night.