[AK-VHF] AK-VHF NET: Mar 5 - 144.200 USB

Mon Mar 7 18:34:36 EST 2022

Brandon,

I think 6m is a special case.  6m noise is often a problem which just 
requires more antenna gain to overcome (or narrow-bandwidth of digital 
modes).

A 3 or 4 element 6m yagi is NOT "eme class" on 6m.  Typically it takes 
6-elements at minimum (with use of ground gain) to do eme.  My two 
7-element yagis have 15.75 dBi gain, which is right at the minimum gain 
desired for doing eme on 6m.

on 2m a minimum eme antennas system is 18-20 dBi and on 432 26 dBi.

 From years of running the net on 144.200 it appears 10-element yagi 
with 50w is about the minimum to regularly make it down to me.  100w is 
better.

I am working some Anchorage stations on 432 using my 12 dBi vertical and 
100w.  A yagi with 15 to 18 dBi gain would be better on 432.  I have an 
18-element 432 yagi which i hope to have operational in a week or so.

A lot of having a successful station for working 70+ miles is a function 
of terrain, local noise, height of your antenna.  Being on the hillside 
in Anchorage is a huge plus, of course.  Just atmospheric conditions 
vary signal levels a couple s-units.

In the past I had the advantage of using my 21-dBi four-yagi 2m eme 
array which helps both ways.  At present, I only have one 11-element 
yagi (13-dBi) on 2m at 45-feet.  I run 100w on SSB and 120w on FM, so 
that makes my signal marginal into parts of Anchorage.

I recently gave thought to run my high power amp at 250w or so (which 
the KLM-11 yagi should handle OK).  I have to install a TR relay to 
connect my 2m receiver to the antenna as the High power 2m amp has no 
bypass in Rx.

When I have the 2m-eme array back in the air I can run 900w which ought 
to "light up" a lot of stations in Anch/Valley.

I have a 1200w HF/6m amp to build.  If I run it at 500-600w my signal 
would be much easier to hear than 70w.

Certainly use of digital modes improves signal quality due to running 
significantly narrower bandwidth.  Psk-31 and RTTY are conversational 
(text messaging), whereas FT8 has superior weak-signal ability for 
longer distances (and lower powers).  But only call signs and signal 
reports are exchangeable with FT8.

BTW I worked KL7EDK in Fairbanks on 2m-SSB with only 150w.  Conditions 
were enhanced as several single yagi stations in Anchorage also made 
contact (314 miles direct to Fairbanks).

One of the biggest problems working stations on VHF+ is getting people 
to turn-on their radio and push the PTT button.  If no one gets on and 
makes calls then nothing is heard.  This is the main reason for having 
nets on VHF.

OK that's my "two cents" on the topic.

73, Ed - KL7UW

On 3/7/2022 11:55 AM, Brandon Clark via ak-vhf wrote:
> Signals were good last night. Usually I can't pick up Ed on SSB, but I think all the fresh snow was suppressing noise sources. noise floor here was about S1, with your signal peaking to S3.
> 
> PSK31 was clearly better though. I could pick up both you and KL7ZK very strongly on that mode.
> 
> Something to think about is that using digital modes regularly might help expand the club's reach. Right now participation is largely limited to northern Kenai and Anchorage hillside ststions. I have small yagis two stories up in the air, and even that isn't enough to regularly get in on voice.
> 
> It's a lot to ask stations to put up EME class stations just to participate in voice nets and an occasional contest. Having more digital activity could help with that though - the software and CAT requirements wouldn't be a bar for the kinds of operators the club caters to. And more efficient modes would allow stations with limited antennas to join in. Something to think about.
> 
> Brandon
> 
> Sent from ProtonMail mobile
> 
> -------- Original Message --------
> On Mar 6, 2022, 20:47, Ed Cole wrote:
> 
>> Sunday 6m Net:
>> KL7ZK - S9 (with his 20m yagi)
>> KL7BSC - S6
>>
>> psk- 31 good three-way qso by all!
>>
>> 73, ED - KL7UW
>>
>> On 3/6/2022 7:46 PM, Ed Cole wrote:
>>> NET starts in 15-minutes!!
>>>
>>>
>>>>> The Sunday Night 6m SSB Net will be held on 50.125 at 8:00pm.
>>>>>
>>>>> I will switch to psk31 at 8:30 on 50.250. If you are
>>>>> interested in trying psk31, FL-digi contains psk31 along'
>>>>> with many other digital modes, like RTTY. It even has keyboard
>>>>> CW for those having difficulty using keyers. It does not
>>>>> decode CW.
>>>>>
>>>>> 73, Ed - KL7UW
>>>
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