Good question.
The rules for the CQWW and CQ WPX contest set the limit at “total output power.”
That means output from the transmitter/amplifier. NOT power at the antenna.
Other contests may specify differently.
Randy K5ZD
> On Apr 5, 2023, at 9:57 PM, lstoskopf@cox.net wrote:
>
> 38.80835593087689, -97.51169124812611 (or so!)
>
> A long question for which I'm afraid I know the answer!
>
> I own 80 acres at the above location known as Iron Mound, near Salina,
> Kansas. I have operated from there for the past 30 plus years. I'm not a
> rabid contester, but enjoy working the SSB contests as activity events.
> Usually on 20, 15, and 10M as I get tired (at age 84!). I've used everything
> from dipoles, Moxon's, Inv V, etc at various heights. My usual antenna is a
> 4 el. SteppIR at 40 ft positioned near the NE edge. Using manual slope
> measurements, K6TU's info and HFTA it seems that no matter the band, about 45
> ft height gets me a signal on the far horizon to wherever. We're using slope,
> not height for gain and this gives a single lobe to EU. With 1500 watts I'm
> almost always able to break a pile first call and hear stations early in the
> openings, sometimes getting a comment like, "Is the band open to central US?"
> It's usually pretty quiet. So I've been playing the slopes since way back
> reading Moxon. I'm able in a few hours to work all of the big boys and
> seldom call CQ a
> s I'm not good at handling self generated piles.
>
> I have a large antenna junk pile and some resources. The SteppIR is down
> again after two days of 50+ mph Kansas wind up the slope. The dog and I were
> hiking the other day and I'm dreaming: Just for fun, what if I put a Moxon
> on the NE corner to EU, another on the SE corner taking care of SA, and a
> third on the NW corner for JA and VK and things in between. I work them OK
> from the fixed antenna, but ... Problem is that those 3 locations are all
> about 250 ft or so from the shack. Critters eat coax. Big coax is
> expensive. etc. I've got two rigs but putting linears out there brings on
> the power problem.
>
> So what if I run some old RG8 to each, calibrate the loss to each antenna,
> and just run the shack linear with enough power to get 100 watts to the
> selected antenna? Then I could run in the 100 watt category? I'm splitting
> hairs and am not going to win anything, but just having fun. Or should just
> run wide open and play with the big boys with several hundred feet of coax
> loss in line? The choice latter makes a difference in which coax I choose to
> sacrifice.
>
> Who knows the REAL rules on power? Thanks, N0UU
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|