[Amps] new amp race

[donroden]

Bought a WSPRLite transmitter... amazing to see vk and zl reporting way above noise using 50 mw....Yes 1/5 of a watt.
Don W4DNR 


Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
-------- Original message --------From: Glen Zook via Amps <amps at contesting.com> Date: 5/21/17  4:28 PM  (GMT-06:00) To: Catherine James <catherine.james at att.net>, Amps group <amps at contesting.com>, Bill Turner <dezrat at outlook.com> Subject: Re: [Amps] new amp race 
I do have amplifiers although my highest powered one won't quite make 1500-watts (it will do about 1400-watts) and have had since the mid 1970s.  I also agree that having the best antenna possible for one's circumstances is correct.  

For casual operation (not contesting or primarily working DX), the principle criteria is being able to work, basically, anything that you can hear.  If that is the case, then whatever power you are running is, pretty much, optimum.  If you are constantly hearing stations but are not able to establish communications with those stations, then you do need more power (up to the legal limit).  If you are constantly not able to have a real QSO with stations that are calling you (i.e. answering your CQ), then you need a better antenna or else reduce your transmit power.

It is unfortunate, but, I do hear stations calling CQ, etc., that are ignoring a substantial number of other stations that are calling.  Either the receiving ability of the antenna is lacking or the station has a high noise level.  In either case, that station is an "alligator" (big mouth, little ears).  In general, that station is, primarily, just adding to the profit margin of his / her local electric company.


Then, there are those stations that can constantly hear other stations but just cannot get through.  Those stations are "elephants" (big ears, little mouth).  In those situations, more transmit power would be appropriate because the antenna is not the weakest link.  However, one does need to be careful because increasing power also increases the chances for RFI.  Even though the amateur radio operator is in the "right" for any number of reasons, one still has to be aware of the potential of angry neighbors.  Fortunately, with cable and satellite television, TVI is no longer a major problem.  Unfortunately, the number of other devices than can intercept the signal because of poor design (i.d. shielding) which most consumers are not aware of the situation.  Therefore, the unwashed masses are enraged because they have spent money for devices expecting them to function properly no matter what no matter if the manufacturer is the real problem.
 Glen, K9STH 
Website: http://k9sth.net

      From: Catherine James <catherine.james at att.net>
 To: Amps group <amps at contesting.com>; Bill Turner <dezrat at outlook.com> 
 Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2017 1:52 PM
 Subject: Re: [Amps] new amp race
   
Bill Turner <dezrat at outlook.com> wrote:

> Cathy wrote:
>> Yes, it irritates me to see an endless stream of comments in many
>> forums along the lines of "don't get an amp, invest in better antennas,"
>> usually posted by hams with legal limit amps. :-/
 
> Why would that irritate you? It's probably the best radio-related advice you will ever get. 
> And what does having or not having a legal limit amp have to do with the advice?

Because it feels like "do as I say, not as I do."  A person who owns an amp is telling other hams
not to buy one.  If it's so useless, why does the poster have one himself?

If the advice were "put up the best antenna you can within the limits you have of cost,
space, permissions, etc. I would agree with it 100%.  But it's often given in the context
of "spend your money on a tower and beam, not an amplifier."

I have a take on that, published in our local newsletter recently, and I'll post a link here once
it goes up on the web.  It boils down to an in-depth look at the right order in which to upgrade
a station, and recommends going from decent antennas to an amp to better antennas.

It's nearly always going to be cheaper and quicker to install an amp that to put up a serious tower.

Or as someone else once wrote, the cheapest 10 dB bargain in amateur radio is a 1kw amplifier. The next cheapest 10 db is installing a tribander at 70 ft or higher. Getting the next 10 dB after this is very expensive, and few will do it.

   
_______________________________________________
Amps mailing list
Amps at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/amps