>>>
W0RI wrote:
The C52 is very easy to work. If one has a good Xmit
antenna.
73.... Price W0RI
>>>
He is right, and I can speak here with some authoritiy, as
I've just come back from Willis (VK9WWI) where I did about
1200 or these Topband pile-up QSO-s.
Sure there is a lot of noise, especially from the ICTZ.
But the bottom line is this: One station's RX signal is
the other station's TX signal. If your TX signal is poor,
YOU WILL NOT HEARD THROUGH A PILE-UP.
On Willis the difference between the various stations'
signals from the same region was very big: the top
stations did come in at S9+20dB. Good stations would come
in at S9, above the QRN and relatively easy to copy, give
or take some pile-up dynamics. The rest was just a
constant rumble of weak signals, barely above the noise,
generally too hard to copy. Put yourself in the shoes of
the DX operator: whom will he come back to? A solid S9
signal or something barely audible above the nosie,
something that will most likely slow him down and deny
others the QSO? There were, of course, exceptions:
stations with weak signals who would time their calls
perfectly and position their carriers smartly to avoid the
QRM -- the real artists.
Still, Topband is not like 20 meters, where 100W and a
dipole will get you anywhere; eventually. Remember that
your TX signal is the numerator in the S/N formula at the
receiver's inupt. Therfore you need a decent TX signal,
which translates to a good TX antenna. The 20 to 30 dB
difference between the top stations and the weak ones can
not be explained away by their 1.5 kW PA-s: that accounts
for only 12dB (relative to 100W)! The rest is due to their
TX antennas, and that is a whopping 20 dB difference.
Perhaps the message "The chalange on Topband is being able
to hear", is misleading people into thinking that being
able to put out a good TX signal is not important. Nothing
is further from the truth. If you put up an Inverted L and
casually throw out some radials, you will most likely be
casually down in the noise! You will not be able to get
the attention of the guy at C52, who is dealing with QRN,
QRM, and perhaps is also swatting mosquitoes, maybe he is
cold or uncomfortably hot, ...and has been glued to the
rig for 8 hours and his ears are hurting. Please help him:
have a decent, well timed TX signal. He will love you for
it and you'll get the QSO you want! Don't complain about
him being "deaf". Install more radials instead.
George
A77JV
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