Re: [IRCA] How Many ULR Loggings are Possible?????

["Paul B. Walker, Jr." <walkerbroadcasting@xxxxxxxxx>]

Oh come on.. you actually think there's a LIMIT to how many stations you can
hear on a ULR? Thats the silliest thing I've heard in a long time!

Paul Walker
www.onairdj.com


On 12/30/08, Robert S.Ross VA3SW <va3sw@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Hi Guys:
>
>  After logging # 602 I have found myself in another Drought...not
> hearing anything New on ULRs for the last 2 Days!! Several people have
> asked the Million Dollar Question....Is there a limit to how many
> stations can be logged using ULR Radios??? Will we eventually hit a
> Brick Wall that will cause us to give up and abandon the ULR cause??
> Interesting question......and I have asked myself the very same question.
>
>  When I began ULR DX'ing back in Jan/08......I thought it would be
> cool to hear 100 Stations on my New SRF-59. After a week and over 100
> Loggings....I figured with a Lot of work ...I could most likely Log 300.
> ( That took the rest of the month!!) I surely never imagined that 300 in
> a month would be possible.
>
> The trek continued........it started to slow down a bit....but soon
> enough I had 400 then 500 and now 600 Stations in the Log!! The Last 100
> from 500 to 600 took about 3 Months...so you can see that it's starting
> to become more of a challenge with each new station heard.
> However...rather than have that Discourage me....it gives me more desire
> to try and hit # 700...and beyond.  Now we're actually getting to the
> stage where I'm not just turning on the Radio and listening for New
> Ones...I actually have to work at it....use various strategies......use
> propagation to my advantage ...and rely on other things like External
> Antennas, Filters, and of course Lady Luck!!
>
> Being in the right place at the right time has a lot to do with
> it........so it only makes sense that if you spend a lot of time at the
> dials.....you will hear a lot of stations. Listening at different times
> of the day and night are factors that will add to your totals. Don't
> forget as well that no 2 Days are alike (Except for the ones where you
> hear nothing!! HAHHA). Sometimes Sunset Skip favours the South , other
> times it's the West, other times stations seem to be coming in from all
> directions!! Some days the GraveYard freqs are totally Jammed...and
> nothing can be sifted out of the Mud.....other days the Stations seem to
> jump right out at you.
>
> What I am finding lately is that I am NOT hearing NEW ONES every day any
> more...but they seem to be coming in bunches....nothing for 2
> Days....then 3 or 4 stations in 10 minutes!! I am also seeing a lot more
> Regional Stuff being heard....like last night I was hearing everything
> from the Philadelphia, New Jersey, NYC area . Sometimes if I hear Grand
> Rapids, Michigan on 1230 Khz....I will also hear them on 1340 Khz as
> well. I know the propagation for AM BCB is not like FM Radio...but at
> times what you hear on AM tends to have that FM TROPO Feel to it. Stuff
> from a particular area is all over the band.
>
> I think a real important factor now aside from any skills I may have
> picked up along the way is an element of LUCK!! Somedays will be Poor no
> matter what you do....whole others will be Excellent in spite of
> anything you may do wrong. It all comes down to being there when it
> happens. Keeping an eye on the tips from the members of the various
> reflectors will help add New Ones to your Totals. I have logged a pile
> of New Ones thanks to someone even 500 Miles away advising they were
> hearing something Unusual like a Station on Late, or a Station Testing.
> We have to use the expertise of others to help in our quest.
>
> Now back to the Million Dollar Question........do I think there is a
> LIMIT as to how many stations can be heard on a ULR Radio?? No....There
> is no limit, as long as we are patient, never give up and use all the
> tools we have at our disposal. I believe there is NO LIMIT because even
> though I have logged 1200 Stations OVERALL on the BCB in 35 Years, I
> have already logged 600 , or half as many in my first year with an ULR.
> Also...of those 600 Heard.....200 of those were New to the OVERALL Log
> as well. How may people with over 1000 Stations Heard can say they have
> Logged 200 NEW ONES to their Overall log in the past year???  My guess
> is NOT MANY!! One of the reasons I was not hearing many new stations for
> the Overall Log was it was just not fun fighting through all the noise,
> QRM, and Crud on the Band the last few years. Since obtaining the ULR's
> I have found those obstacles much less of a problem ...and therefore am
> enjoying myself much more. When something is FUN....you tend to stick
> with it!
>
> Oh yes...things are going to slow down substantially.......but I don't
> think they will ever dry up as far as ULR DX'ing goes. It's gonna get a
> lot tougher....but somethinjg I am finding now is that when I do log a
> New One.....it is usually a GOOD Logging....either a Low Power Station,
> A GraveYarder....or something FAR AWAY!! I think I have pretty much
> logged most of the close in stuff, and all of the easy stuff. You know
> something else....everyone is in the Hobby for different Reasons....be
> it Diehard DX'ers, Casual Listeners, Live Sports Aficionados, QSL'ers,
> or Technical Geeks!!! (No Offense Gary, John and Guy!!) HAHHAA.....
>
> Friendly competition is something that spurs some of us on the ACHIEVE
> just a little more. As I passed the 600 mark in URL Stations
> Heard......there is a healthy group of ULR DX'ers that have either
> reached the 500 Mark....or are making a surge towards it. As they motor
> along logging more and more stations each and every day....I see them in
> the Rear View Mirror...and it's only a matter of time before one of them
> takes the lead....and in turn takes the ULR Hobby to the next level. I
> hope that my efforts to hear Stations on the ULR Radios has given others
> the desire to try it out....and in turn spread some of their enthusiasm
> on New ULR Dx'ers!! I'm sure Gary Debock sometimes scratches his head
> and says.."Oh My God...what kind of a monster have I created here!!"
> HAHAHAA.....It's a Happy Monster Gary...sort of like "Milton the
> Monster"....for those Old enough to remember this 1960's Cartoon!!
>
> My "Thing" with ULR's is DXing and Logging Stations.....I'm not much of
> a TECHIE.......Guys Like Gary, John, Guy, Steve and a Bunch of the
> others out on the Left Coast are the Experts in that department. I need
> to thank them for spending countless hours attempting...and succeeding
> in making the ULRs a Lot better for me to DX with!! Without the
> Knowledge and Practical Skills of these guys.....I would be equipped a
> little less to battle the Propagation Gods!!
>
> Finally for all those ULR DX'ers that are Stuck at 200 or 300 or 400 and
> think things will eventually dry up making it impossible to hear new
> stations..FEAR NOT. I really do not believe there is any limit or magic
> number that can be heard before it's all over!! Just as the Long
> Distance Boys have proven that there is NO LIMIT in Distance that can be
> heard....Spare the circumference of the globe!!
>
> Press on .....and remember the most important aspect of ULR DX'ing is
> not how many we can hear....or how far away they are, or what they are
> playing when we hear them.....the most important aspect is HAVING FUN!!
> I truly believe that is what has brought ULR DXing to where it is
> today...and where it's going to be in years to come!!
>
> HAPPY ULR YEAR TO ALL ......
>
> 73...ROB
>
> Robert S. Ross VA3SW
> London, Ontario CANADA
>
>
>
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