[PaQSO] N3LL STATION INFO AND RAMBLINGS ( TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT)

[bob-diane]

   I AM ALWAYS ASKED WHAT ANTENNAS I USE WHEN I RUN THE QSO PARTY QRP.HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS ON ANTENNAS , QRP AND THIS YEARS SYSTEM I USED.

   I ALWAYS BELIEVE YOU SHOULD SPEND THE MOST TIME ON YOUR ANTENNA SYSTEM. . IT ALWAYS PAYS OFF. YOU CAN RUN A 100 WATTS WITH A CRAPPY ANTENNA AND A GUY WITH 5 WATTS AND A GOOD ANTENNA WILL BE AS LOUD AS YOU OR LOUDER . WITH DECENT ANTENNAS MY QRP SIGNAL IS ONLY AT BEST 13 DB BELOW A 100 WATT STATION . FIGURE IT OUT TO GET A 10 DB INCREASE IN SIGNAL YOU HAVE TO INCREASE POWER 10 TIMES. SO 5 WATTS X 10(10DB)= 50 WATTS . 3 DB IS EQUAL TO DOUBLING YOUR POWER...SO 50 WATTS X 2 ( 3DB)= 100 WATTS .JUST GO IN REVERSE FOR YOUR LEVEL QRP COMPARED TO A 100 WATT STATION..SO IF I AM ROUGHLY SAY 15 DB OVER NINE TO YOU WITH A HUNDRED WATTS , I'LL STILL BE S-9 WITH 5 WATTS. MOST 100 WATT STATIONS ARE USUALLY 20 OVER OR SO ON 40 AND 80 METERS UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS.. SO S-9 IS LOUD ENOUGH FOR ME TO MAKE A TON OF QSO'S AND BE HEARD QUITE WELL... I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HOLD A FREQUENCY AND RUN FOR HOURS ON END, I MAY HAVE TO REPEAT AN EXCHANGE NOW AND THEN, SEARCH AND POUNCE, BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT DOES PRETTY DARN GOOD. 

NOTHING MAGICAL HERE. JUST DECENT ANTENNAS AND GOOD CONTEST OPERATING PRACTICES.!!!!!

2005 ANTENNAS FOR N3LL PORTABLE FOREST COUNTY QRP WERE AS FOLLOWS....

160 METER INVERTED L.. 126' FOOT LONG WITH 
TWO ELEVATED 1/4 WAVE RADIALS ( 10 FOOT HIGH). L WAS 90' VERTICAL AND REMAINDER SORTA HORIZONTAL WORKED GREAT !!!!!!!


80/40/20 I USED 1/2 WAVE INVERTED VEES ABOUT 60 FOOT TO APEXES....80-40 WORKED GREAT 20 PORTION WAS HAD A LITTLE HIGH SWR BUT FELT BAD FROM COLD/FLU SO NEVER TRIED TO CORRECT IT AND IT SHOWED IN MY 20 METER QSO'S WAY DOWN FROM PREVIOUS YEARS. I USE A SINGLE SUPPORT LINE  FOR THE INVERTED VEES SO IF I LIKE TO LOWER THE VEES TO SAY 30 FOOT FOR A WHILE , WHICH  SOMETIMES WORKS MUCH BETTER FOR IN STATE/SHORT SKIP, I CAN  AND PULL THEM BACK HIGHER FOR THE LONGER STUFF ..OTHER TIMES HIGH IS JUST BEST ALL AROUND SO THEY STAY BUT AT LEAST I HAVE AN OPTION.

I USE A SLINGSHOT , A FISHING POLE WITH A 2 OZ. EGG SHAPE WEIGHTS TO GET UP IN THE TREES. THEN I TIE A DACRON LINE TO FISHING LINE WIND IT BACK UP. THEN TIE ANTENNAS TO THE DACRON LINE PULLING THE DACRON LINE BY HAND TO RAISE THEM UP AND UP THEY GO !!...ONLY THING THAT LIMITS THE ANTENNA HEIGHT IS THE HEIGHT OF THE TREES . THAT'S ABOUT IT...

RIG IS A ICOM IC-736( CHANGED TO RUN DOWN TO 1/2 WATT OUT ), NA SOFTWARE ON AN OLD DELL 133 MACHINE, AND HOMBREW CW INTERFACE..I DON'T USE A VOICE KEYER CAUSE USUALLY CAN'T KEEP A FREQUENCY ON SSB THAT LONG. THAT'S ABOUT IT. NUTTIN GREAT.

SOMEONE SAID THEY NEED TO DO MORE CW WORK !!!!!!YES YES CW CW IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE IN YOUR SCORE .TRY IT YOU'LL LIKE IT..TNX TO ALL FOR  PUTTING TOGETHER A GREAT QSO PARTY ..I HAD A GREAT TIME AS USUAL ..SEE YA IN 2006

BOB/N3LL