[OKDXA] On Power...

[Kim Elmore]

So there’s no misunderstanding, I’m merely polling the club membership out of my own curiosity. I have an AL-1200 with mods to support a 4 kV (no load) B+. It can run 1500 W 10-160 for a long time, the primary limit (I’m told) being the output network which can overheat and get hot enough to melt solder. 

My antennas are modest and not high enough: a KT-34A, a Cushcraft DW3 and a Cushcraft 40CD2 all between 50-60 ft. I’m not sure there’s such a thing as “high enough.” 80 m is an F12 Sigma 80 and for 160 I shunt feed my tower. So, while modest, my antennas are adequate. 

Regardless, propagation is certainly improving with that the pileups will get bigger and possibly more unruly. 

I’m curious about how our “Real Dxers” operate. I’m seeing it’s not so different than what I do. If time is short and/or I truly need the entity as an ATNO, I’ll start with 1500 W and stick with it until I’m either out of time or I lose them due to propagation. Otherwise, I’ll start with 100 W and QRO if I’m making no progress. Since I’m still a working stiff, I sometimes miss the DX. There are no antennas and no amount of power that’ll fix that problem!

Please keep your experiences coming for so we can all learn new things and sage advice. 

73 & CU in the Pileups,

Kim N5OP

"People that make music together cannot be enemies, at least as long as the music lasts." -- Paul Hindemith