[TransAtlantic] 144 Mhz Transatlantic "Brendan Cup" Rules cut and paste from WEB site

[k4mhz at aol.com]

Lance and team
good discussion...

I think as we move forward and think out of the box, there are enhancements and capabilities that will emerge. we have just touched the surface...
I layed out a simple link budget to see where I can optimize on my side.  We should start a profile of  stations on the other side as to elevation and system capabilities.

I spent 10 years at AT&T Bell Labs launching new RF based networks and in almost every case was a nose bleed with plenty of obsticles. As the experience and solutions came , It became common place.

Target operating windows...June has merit, but looking at more data that suggest August or early September for 1-2 week and a 24X7 effort. Currently planning to operate at my location on Hatteras Island FM25 (w/240VAC to run the kw amp ) from August 21st to September 6th. 2010.. all subject to change once I find out if the other ends will be operational.

BTW: I completed my Antenna trailer for this years September VHF contest. It supports stacked 144 MHz 12 element M2 or, for the past VHF contest I had 33 elements on 432 and 44 elements on 1296 on the beach. It has sand tires and towed by a Jeep Sahara. 

stay tuned...
Mark
K4MHZ






-----Original Message-----
From: Lance Collister <w7gj at q.com>
To: k4mhz at aol.com
Cc: info at irts.ie; transatlantic at mailman.qth.net
Sent: Mon, Nov 30, 2009 11:40 am
Subject: Re: [TransAtlantic] 144 Mhz Transatlantic "Brendan Cup" Rules cut and paste from WEB site


MNI TNX for the clarification! 
 
http://www.irts.ie/cgi/brendan.cgi#b 
 
I see that there are awards for both a "traditional" SSB/CW contact and digital mode contact. While it would certainly be exciting to hear strong SSB signals and have them last long enough for a two-way contact, I would think that would be much less likely to be possible. Anyway, this provides for a couple of totally different approaches, which adds to the excitement and probably greatly increases the chance for success ;-) 
 
I also think that - unless there is an extended opening which lasts a long time - it is going to be very difficult to ascertain whether the contact involved a transitory link that was "natural" or "man-made". I am convinced that many of the signals heard on VHF these days are as a result of propagation caused by man-made objects (satellites at various orbital heights, jet airplanes, etc.). 
 
The question of what qualifies as allowable station locations seems to be pretty clearly defined by their references to the continental shelves. In terms of DXCC, it is quite clear that anything that is removed from the continental shelf qualifies as a separate DXCC. That is why there can be many of those separate DXCC off the coast of EU. It seems quite clear that their intent was not to structure the awards based on contacts to the mid-Atlantic, but between the continents of NA and EU. 
 
What I think shows particularly good vision is the award of plates for partial contacts. That encourages people to set up high power beacons and rewards them if they are just heard ;-) However, it certainly would behoove the listener to make a recording of the signal... 
 
GL to all! VY 73, Lance 
 
-- Lance Collister, W7GJ (ex: WN3GPL, WA3GPL, WA1JXN, WA1JXN/C6A, ZF2OC/ZF8, E51SIX) 
P.O. Box 73 
Frenchtown, MT 59834 USA 
QTH: DN27UB 
TEL: (406) 626-5728 URL: http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj 
2m DXCC #11, 6m DXCC #815 
 
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