[CCF] Alabandi-infoa

[Ari Korhonen]

Ohessa K1ZM:n mietteitä tulevan VY2ZMM-operaation tiimoilta ja infoa USA:n 160m band-planista.

73 Ari OH1EH


Good to hear from you.  Well, yes, this PEI operation is a new lowband
contest QTH I am building up on PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND in Atlantic Canada.  I
am planning on doing both modes for CQWW up there and my callsign in the
contests will be VY2ZMM.

What I have Ari is four radiators in a rectangle with 5/8 wave spacing across the front and 1/4 wave spacing down the sides.
Essentially, it is two 5/8 wave spaced pairs of full-sized radiators for 160M
fed in various phasing combinations which produces 7 patterns in all.  (It
sorta looks like a 4 square but is a FAR BETTER antenna overall.....as it is
a rectangle when viewed from above - and produces far more gain and
directivity.)
Under good or even average conditions, I would expect we can work no problem,
However, this past weekend when I was on PEI, it was all I could do to even
hear Europe. The lowband condx even on 3.5Mhz were simply terrible.
If the condx pick up, I would expect to work you easily since LA3XI and LA2GV
are usually 599 + 20DB at my place.  They report similar signals from me
during most QSO's.
For some reason, the band has been really poor since the beginning of
September - so I dunno how it will be for WW SSB.

But I will doing MONO 160M and you can expect me to be xmitting above 1843Khz
under the NEW ARRL 160M bandplan.  If MOST of the US competitors ignore the
new bandplan, I might drift below 1843 and xmit there, but I am hoping the
bandplan is followed by most US competitors.  You see, here in the USA, you
are now SUPPOSED to xmit SSB on 160M above 1843 in the region from
1843-2000Khz, so some Dx'ing to Eu would need to be done SPLIT on 160M SSB -
if the bandplan is followed.  It is a voluntary bandplan, however, so it is
somewhat on the honor system.  It will be interesting to see what the BIG US
multi-multis do in three weeks....vy interesting indeed....!!
But I will look out for you Ari - and pse remember, I am not in ZONE 2 - that
is VO2, Northern VE2 and VY1.  I am in "ordinary" ZONE 5 - North America.
Some EU stations are vy confused as to where VY2 is located - it is in ZONE
5.  Sorry!

By the way, I would appreciate your informing the OH contest boys about the
new US 160M SSB bandplan.  If they call CQ below 1843 they should listen UP
going split like on 80 and 40M.  If the bandplan is ignored, the FCC is
likely to issue letters to US stations who do not observe the restricted zone
from 1800-1843 which now is supposed to be limited to narrowband modes only
(CW, digital and RTTY).








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