Re: Topband: Digital modes on TB and power required
I can't speak to JT65 as I have never used it. But on CW, I used 100 - 200W only for 10 years. T top vertical with 40 radials under and really crappy soil. Beverages in many directions. I was able to work 140 Countries and 30 zones. I now have a 1.5kW amp and phased verticals and am working on 200 countries and the rest of the zones. Its breaking the pileups on the long haul stuff that looks to be virtually impossible without an amp. But DXCC is not impossible. While W1 is a great DX contest location, having lived in W5, W4, W8 and W7, I can tell you that it DXCC is no easier in W1. In fact it was far easier in W5 and W7 than in W1. 73 Ed N1UR _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: Digital modes on TB and power required
On Sun, Mar 19, 2017 at 8:42 PM, wrote: > Try that on 160 from the left coast to EU and AF and you might get very a > different perspective. > > 73 - Steve WB6RSE > On Sun, Mar 19, 2017 at 9:31 PM, HAROLD SMITH JR wrote: > Try that from the mid-west and you will have to wait, wait and wait and > then wait some more. Been there, done that > Well said, Steve and Harold! That's usually true even if you have a super station. Maybe Jim has a better antenna system? Or a better location? We're all ears, maybe we'll learn something new. 73. Mike www.w0btu.com > On Mar 19, 2017, at 6:14 PM, Jim Jim wrote: > > But I have seen very very few instances when 50 watts wont get the job > done EVEN on 160M. > > High power is RARELY necessary on the lower bands. > _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: Digital modes on TB and power required
Try that from the mid-west and you will have to wait, wait and wait and then wait some more.Been there, done that.. Try that on 160 from the left coast to EU and AF and you might get very a different perspective. 73 - Steve WB6RSE On Mar 19, 2017, at 6:14 PM, Jim Jim wrote: But I have seen very very few instances when 50 watts wont get the job done EVEN on 160M. High power is RARELY necessary on the lower bands. _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: Digital modes on TB and power required
Try that on 160 from the left coast to EU and AF and you might get very a different perspective. 73 - Steve WB6RSE On Mar 19, 2017, at 6:14 PM, Jim Jim wrote: But I have seen very very few instances when 50 watts wont get the job done EVEN on 160M. High power is RARELY necessary on the lower bands. _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: Digital modes on TB and power required
Guys, First of all in many cases the reason we need really high power on any mode is because other hams on the band are using it and they cover us up... so it is mine is bigger than yours. Now to be fair that is not always the case I know but it happens far too much. Since we are in the years of the bottom of the solar cycle we actually may need more power. Also you can not compare doing meteor scatter or EME work with HF work. There you absolutely need power unless you have stacked 18 element beams or something. But I have seen very very few instances when 50 watts wont get the job done EVEN on 160M. and NO I don't run my RX with a wide open front end I have an IC 7300 and I trim my RX and TX filters to a reasonable width based on the mode I am running. Common sense (and good engineering principals) teach you if you cut the RX bandwidth the signal goes up in strength. You have only to try that with CW to learn that.and for those of you that don't understand the principal of RX front end overload try having a neighbor 4 miles away as the crow files who is trying to call the same DX you are wanting to work he can be half a kHz away and still give you problems even with a good RX. Now you guys with the really big antennas can mitigate some of this but us little pistols have only once choice ... wait until you neighbor is done. And to be neighborly both my neighbor and I do just that. Something to also consider when you run any digital mode even RTTY and you do it through a sound card you should not be drawing ANY.. not even a little ALC and if you do you not only will make it hard for others to copy you but you could easily cause all kinds of splatter on the band, you have only to listen to some to the signal on 40 and 20 meters to see this. I am not saying any of this to flame or inflame anyone it is simply the way it is. High power is RARELY necessary on the lower bands. Doubt me? Set your transceiver up on WSPR and set it to 20w and find out. When TB was open I was heard all over the world with that power .. and yes even VK. If all of this is not convincing then follow the FCC rules .. use only the power necessary to do that job Oh by the way many of these digital modes are high duty cycle and could do damage to your transceiver. Jim On the higher bands, low power generally gets the job done. But digital folks on 160 need to rethink a few things. Ideally, we should ALL just bump our output up to 100 watts. But that's just not gonna happen. 😊 I don't have the time right now to add more, but I hope this thread nets some useful suggestions to minimize QRN in the 160m digital portion. 73, Mike www.w0btu.com http://www.w0btu.com/ _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
