Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

CQWW used to have the Xtreme category that allowed/encouraged remote internet stations. Seems like that's the place for those who want to use remote receivers. I haven't kept up with that category but I believe it was dropped in 2013. Kris, N5KM _ Topband Reflector Archives - http:

Re: Topband: CADWELLS

Sparklers (kids fireworks) can be an effective fuse for Cadwelds. It even works in the rain. 73 Art On Mon, Mar 16, 2015 at 10:11 PM, Bill Wichers wrote: > Just to add: the spark igniter is a flint-type unit. Those used for > starting a torch would probably work too but would be more difficult t

Re: Topband: CADWELLS

Just to add: the spark igniter is a flint-type unit. Those used for starting a torch would probably work too but would be more difficult to aim into the mold than the gun-like cadweld ones are. -Bill Sent from my iPhone On Mar 16, 2015, at 9:35 PM, "Cecil" wrote: > There is a spark igniter

Re: Topband: CADWELLS

There is a spark igniter that is used with cadweld...I've had trouble lighting them off with a propane torch. Usually if they have been stored in a dry location they are good for years. The blue tube is loaded with an igniting compound in the bottom...so it is the last thing that goes into the

Topband: My QTH Trivia

Gary, Right now I think I am the furthest east TB operation in the entire U.S. but every thing I guess is relative. However, the USVI prides itself with being the furthest Eastern portion of the US in the Western Hemisphere in fact we have a moment at Point Udall 64 33 54 that makes this cla

Re: Topband: CADWELLS

Check if you can scratch some of the starter compound off of the inside of the cap from the weld metal container. I've found the older the stuff gets, the more the starter gets caked onto the cap. I've always been able to scrape off enough to get it going. The starter compound is white, the weld

Topband: CADWELLS

I some have old style Cadwell that require lighting off with a torch. I have had them for many years and apparently the chemical mixture has gotten too old to fire off as I tried one today and just no reaction. Has anyone run into this before? Don’t guess there anything easily mixed up to repl

Topband: Fair Contest? It's the STEW PERRY !

OK, Let's talk fair. For many years I was pretty much completely off HF (nevermind contesting) however I've only ever missed a few STEWS..why? Well, being a long time VHFer, I was amazed that an (ahem) "HF" contest was actually going to use Maidenhead grid squares for a scoring system. WOW

Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

-Original Message- From: Herbert Schoenbohm Sent: Monday, March 16, 2015 12:16 PM To: topband@contesting.com Subject: Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests CUT -- Remaining remarks in the original message are from Jim, K9YC I've seen two ideas floated to solve t

Re: Topband: [Bulk] Re: RG-6 questions

FWIW, here's an old post by W8JI from July 2003. The thread doesn't indicate whether these figures are published or measured, or the CommScope p/n. http://dayton.contesting.com/archives//html/Topband/2003-07/msg00018.html RG6 CommScope Cable solid copper center conductor loss vs. copper clad stee

Re: Topband: [Bulk] Re: RG-6 questions

On Mon,3/16/2015 10:52 AM, Mike Waters wrote: The Commscope flooded quad-shield RG-6 I bought was was significantly less than 10 cents a foot, and that included shipping! For two 1000' rolls, two different sellers, months apart. Right. But it doesn't have two 97% copper braid shields. Remember

Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

Great post Jimbut it should be pointed out that the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonair and Curacao are much further West being at about 70 degrees WL compared to my QTH at 64.7 degrees in the *Eastern* Caribbean Even though these entities are Caribbean islands along the SA coast they get 10 poin

Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

> On Mon,3/16/2015 6:09 AM, mstang...@comcast.net wrote: > > How would yo modify the rules to permit a level playing field? > > There are many possible ways. N6TR has given us one excellent example > with the Stew Perry contest. Hear Hear! Stew Perry is a fantastic concept for contesting fair

Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

Tree et al, So far I have stayed in the background reading all those US based comments. >From an overall perspective- and maybe from a DXCC perspective -I would like to add the following: 1 I do agree that a Remote RX site, just like ZL3IX, VO1HP and many more are using is positive for 160 m opera

Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

On Mon,3/16/2015 6:09 AM, mstang...@comcast.net wrote: How would yo modify the rules to permit a level playing field? There are many possible ways. N6TR has given us one excellent example with the Stew Perry contest. The major problem with the existing rules is the use of multipliers and wh

Re: Topband: [Bulk] Re: RG-6 questions

The Commscope flooded quad-shield RG-6 I bought was was significantly less than 10 cents a foot, and that included shipping! For two 1000' rolls, two different sellers, months apart. Look at item # 160693197034 on eBay. That may be one of the sellers I bought mine from. 73, Mike www.w0btu.com

Re: Topband: RG-6 questions

Fill the F connectors with silicone dielectric grease, and from both sides. Besides keeping out moisture, that also raises the breakdown voltage. I do that with all my F connectors that carry 1500 watts, even the ones indoors. And before you install the F plug, smooth the sharp edges off the RG-6

Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

I am standing tall with W2GD that all contest qso's need to be located at the same location as the xmtr. No Remote rx allowed. 73 Chet Moore N4FX -Original Message- From: Topband [mailto:topband-boun...@contesting.com] On Behalf Of John Crovelli Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2015 1:33 PM To: t

Re: Topband: RG-6 questions

Tom, I guess you meant to say that "Type HN and others, including UHF, are far more suitable for high voltage operation." > The worse connectors are BNC, F, and type N. Type HN and others, including > UHF, are far more. Mike N2MS - Original Message - From: Tom W8JI To: mstang...@comca

Re: Topband: [Bulk] Re: RG-6 questions

Since non plenum rated cables no longer meet codes, there is an opportunity to buy the NOS of it cheap on ebay. I've scored a couple of ebay 1000' spools of tinned double braid "rg59" Belden, 20 ga center for around 10 cents a foot. I think it's the precision video cable Jim mentions. Here

Re: Topband: [Bulk] Re: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

With 1/3 of the worlds hams in Japan (1.2M) as one mult and many EU countries with less 10k hams each as a mult the whole way most contests are scored makes no sense. Of course there is no perfectly fair system of scoring, but Stew Perry has some ideas that may work as a new HF contest. It mi

Re: Topband: Use of remote receivers

This aspect is certainly a game changer - and why there has to be some reasonable limit to how far away a remote receiver can be (if it is allowed at all). As W7EW posted, the Step Perry contest has a limit on that. However, there will always be some stations who will want to give into the tempt

Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

We actually have three camps the two you describe below and the camp that will use all those things and then claim a class they are not really in. We all know that lots and lots of people use packet and claim unassisted. How many were exposed and DQed or even admonished? Very very few. May

Re: Topband: RG-6 questions

I better correct two pre-coffee typos I made: That is NOT the voltage breakdown of the coax from center to shield. That is a wiring class voltage, similar to the jacket punch-through to a bare external conductor. If you take regular foam dielectric "RG6" (which is almost never a real RG6 st

Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

There are two basic issues I see here: 1. Should remote receivers be allowed. 2. There will be cheaters. Let's try to make sure we are talking only one of them. We can argue if remote receivers should be okay for 100 km away - or zero km away - but that is not going to have any impact to #2. F

Re: Topband: Use of remote receivers

Perhaps a rewording of the multi-op rules (in those contests where the rule exists) that all stations, including receivers, must be within a certain radius and make it apply to single ops as well. Of course, there will still be cheaters. 73, Larry W6NWS -Original Message- From: Tree

Re: Topband: What IS troubling about this report

What is sad to me is all of the bad things that have been mentioned are seen affecting every DXpedetion or unusual DX working today. It's not just the common experience of dealing with these LIDS, it is the unrelenting, continuous experience of it. I'm sure there isn't one example of stupidity

Re: Topband: Use of remote receivers

During ARRL 100th celebration I was W1AW/4 on 160 meters. I was using a inverted "L" or more accurately a "1" antenna. I saw spots, "Can't hear", "No receiver" etc. A remote rx antenna would have alleviated such comments. Remote rx antenna is a game changer and should be addressed by the DX and

Re: Topband: Use of remote receivers

Rick - This aspect is certainly a game changer - and why there has to be some reasonable limit to how far away a remote receiver can be (if it is allowed at all). As W7EW posted, the Step Perry contest has a limit on that. However, there will always be some stations who will want to give into th

Re: Topband: RG-6 questions

Not to worry. RG-6 (or CATV F6) will handle over 3 kW on 160m, all day long, 24/7/365, in warm climates and in the hot sun. (RG-11 should handle even more.) RG-6 will handle 1500 watts 24/7 into quite a high SWR on 160, also in the hot sun. Even though its OD is smaller, RG-6 power ratings are ac

Re: Topband: RG-6 questions

Since it is used the receiving it is only rated at 300v. I'd be concerned about transmitting with high power or a high SWR. That is NOT the voltage breakdown of the coax from center to shield. That is some a wiring class voltage, similar to the jacket punch through to a bare external condu

Topband: Use of remote receivers

I haven't seen this aspect of the subject covered - the impact on "the other station." Say I am a little pistol in NJ, and I try to work a station with a big signal out on the west coast. He's having trouble with me so he switches to a remote receiver in VA and picks me up. I THINK I've just w

Re: Topband: RG-6 questions

Hi Guys, Here's another rather neat coaxial cable site allowing one to "...plug & play": http://timesmicrowave.com/calculator/?productId=52 ~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ On 2015-03-16, at 9:32 AM, mstang...@comcast.net wrote: > Rick, > > You can look at the attenuation on a data sheet. > >

Re: Topband: RG-6 questions

Rick, You can look at the attenuation on a data sheet. Here is an example of a Belden RG-11 type CATV cable. The center conductor is copper coated steel but the attenuation at 1Mhz is low: Since it is used the

Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

Jim, I agree with you that contesting is an ego booster. Operating proficiency takes a back seat to using excessive power and any aid, ethical or otherwise, to get the highest score or snag that elusive state or country. How would yo modify the rules to permit a level playing field? Mike N2MS

Re: Topband: RG-6 questions

There isn't much difference in loss with the CCS center conductor. If you have very long runs and power remote equipment with power injectors then the DC resistance will likely be more of an issue. You can get RG6 with a solid copper (BC) center conductor. This type is sold for satellite tv (w

Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

Shouldn't this topic be dealt with at a generic level rather than CQ WW 160? The remote receiver is as valuable on 80 or 40 as it is on 160 in a contest. I agree wholeheartedly with the feeling that the use of a remote receiver should not be allowed in ANY contest in the unassisted category, let al

Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

This has gotten off track. The subject is not about your typical remote transceiver operation. It is about allowing people to use remote receive locations with the transmitter located some other place than where you are operating the transmitter. Why the subject and possible consideration is

Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

In the beginning, "self-spotting" (on the cluster) was legal.That was when the backbone was on UHF.Using the internet to solicit contacts in a contest is not allowed. The "unsportsmanlike" use of a remote site, (IMO) only applies to internet access.If you engineered and built a remote site, and

Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

I strongly disagree with W2GD on one thing though. DX Contesting is an East Coast Old Boys' Club, and while it makes them happy and boosts their egos, it is NOT good for contesting in general. There is VERY little interest in DX contesting west of the Rockies in proportion to the numbers of h

Re: Topband: Use of Remote Receivers During 160 Meter Contests

You are making the assumption that those using remote receivers have not worked hard and long to make them work, Larry. That's untrue in a lot of cases and an unfair judgement as far as many of us are concerned. I have spent many hundreds of hours developing my remote station, not to mention