[NLRS] preamps

[W0ZQ at aol.com]

Hi Dave.   
 
My $0.02, use the $$$ to take the significant other out for a nice  dinner.   
You will score higher on the Brownie Point Scale thus  freeing you up for 
more time to contest.
 
Unless your 222 equipment (transverter ?) is deaf, unless you  are running 
say 100 feet or more of RG8, or unless you are may be  talking EME, a preamp on 
222 will not increase what you can  hear.     At VHF, modern receivers have  
plenty of RF gain and newer designed feedline (ala LMR400 or equivalent) is  
very good stuff.    Not only will a preamp not help you  hear better, but that 
10-25dB of gain will go directly against your receivers  dynamic range thus 
making it more crunch prone in the presence of other nearby  signals.    It also 
adds a level of complexity to your system;  complexity runs counter to 
reliability.   In the end, all cost, no  benefit.
 
Look to improve your feedline first, then your antenna, then transmit power  
(more of course).  If you live in a high dynamic range area (like the Twin  
Cites), sometimes going to a high dynamic range transverter coupled with a high  
quality HF transverter can make the difference between hearing stuff and not  
hearing stuff.
 
73, Jon
W0ZQ  
 
 
Come and join  us here in Bloomington, Minnesota, home of the Mall of 
America, July 27 &  28, 2006 for the 40th annual Central States VHF Society 
Conference hosted once  again by the NLRS.