[CCF] Useammalla radiolla kisaan !

[Kari Hirvonen]

More radios  - for better score

As a vivid Contester you have done everything to improve your score year
after year.

You have maybe increased a lot of your working skills, how to handle a huge
pile-up, and how to search and work valuable multipliers.

You benefit radio on-air conditions forecast portals on-line and finally
you have done much effort to your Shack in order to minimize your physical
stress by placing all equipment handy near your contest chair.

You’ve done your up most on all radio accessories, many towers, high gain
antennas, multiantenna stacking, different azimut (rotating tower/rotator)
and low angle takeoff set.up (remote controlled antenna array) etc.

You might already have enough RF power to transmit to antenna system.

Maybe you have some intelligent logic automation just to select the right
antenna for a Band needed just now.

On the other hand, especially for low Bands you might have antennas for
receiving purposes only (Beverage).

Many restless nights the Contester has been considering what further step
would best pay off to increase of the final score, and then he probably
discovers the fact:


Multiple Radios - more points in final score


One radio operation Contest

You run pile-up, search and work new multipliers, check other band
conditions, and to follow your dear contesting fellows.

Multi radio operation Contest

You have a number of radios aimed for specific purposes, and you don’t have
to share the single one to very different tasks during the contest.

The main radio is normally focused to pile-up QSO flow, the second for
multiplier chasing and maybe one more for other purposes like band check
for unexpected sporadic band openings and quick QSOs there.

In general the operator benefit the free time slots between QSOs on
different bands, while transmitting on band you’re free simultaneously to
listen on other.

Modern LDMOS FET Power Amplifiers often have inbuilt two (2) radio inputs
and several user programmable antenna outputs. The retuning overall band
segments, select of  propier antenna outputs and input of driving radio is
activated very smoothly and fast by the amplifier function logics.

Multi radio operation needs an intelligent Controller

Band Pass Filters

Each radio always alone on it’s own Band

In addition the multi radio operating site needs Controller Logic (like
EA8DED Multi Radio Master / SO3R)  capable to automatically select right
Band Pass Filters (BPF) for entire radios and Bands

Normally these low power BPFs are put between the radio and power
amplifier. Optionally and in addition the Controller can drive the High
Power Coaxial Stub Filters placed on the Power Amplifier antenna output.

Never more than just one radio QRV on the same Band


Each operating position transmit and receive through a Band Pass Filter.

Some noise energy is always transmitted on adjacent band, which cause
interference to other radios.  The BPF stop out-of-band energy from nearby
transmitter. The Band Pass Filter additionally reduce a lot phase noise
spectrum also in transmit.



This intelligent Board keeps up to date Band Status (in memory and visible
LED Array on Board).

It never allows more than just one radio at a time on Band in use.

If the Operator tries to move any radio to an occupied Band, the Board
quickly rejects the request and returns the radio VFO Frequencies back as

before the attempt. A blinking RED LED will flash and audible ALARM is
launched.

Pile up radio always has the highest priority to take any Band any time
other radios with lower priorities will step aside.






Radio TX Inhibit

Also it manages transmitter OFF lock (TX Inhibit of the radios) during
antenna relay switching or an adaptive antenna retune time from band to
band (eq. SteppIR / Ultrabeam), or during any ALARM or other failure.


Radio front end shield

As described earlier this intelligent Controller Board pays off by
protecting front-end overload from adjacent transmitter of the
multiple-radio shack.

It also prevents arcing and other element contact failures with adaptive
antenna moving rods.


Narrow band antenna

Optionally it sets the right resonant SWR for the narrow band verticals etc
(remote relay output for trap coil tapping for CW / SSB)


All this pays off essentially when the single Operator is very tired or
because he doesn’t be well experienced with the Contest Site equipment.

It’s even much more essential and important for a Multi Operation Team
where all members are not very well capable to use securely all the Site
radio gears.

Quite often the operator Team for multiple-transmitter Category has just
been collected days before the Contest event and the training period
remains very short.


Multiplier movements

Radio Frequency Swap Function



EA8DED Multi Radio Master (SO3R Controller Board) supports also quick
multiplier transfer function between Pile Up and M&S Radios.  By just one
push button the Operator is able to transfer the multiplier frequency
between Main Radio (pile up radio) and S&P (Search and Pounce) radios.

This is an easy way for single operator to pick up one valuable multiplier
QSO with the best performance radio / antenna set up.


Increase the Final Score

Today fight on the Top Level of Contest Scoreboard is very tight.  Point
margin often is calculated in a few percent for all Top Fellows.

Based on several years experience I would estimate, that for example three
(3) radio multiple radio SO3R set-up boost the final score by

A few tens of %

Just for example in a Single Operator RTTY Contest during fair conditions,
you might be able to log

2,600 Qso as SO1R

2,950 Qso as SO2R

3,000 Qso as SO3R

Radios in use

IC-7800 Pile up (A Radio)

IC-7300 M/S (B Radio)

IC-7000 BandCheck (C Radio)


Some thoughts about Inband Radio

Modern leading Multi Operator contest sites or Single Band Operators  today
often have more than one Radio for the same Band. This is called Inband.

The very first thing is to locate the same Band antennas apart from each
other.  This way you’ll get about 20 dB isolation already on short distance

 as 30 M.  CQWW Rules accepts all antennas in a circle of 500 M.

Secondly you may only use radios having a good Roofing Filter built in the
radio.

In addition when You are in Multiradio or Single Band Category you can
benefit some Radio's dual receiver feature. This is in some way capable to
do this 'Inband'  working feature .

IC-7800 or IC-7610 have two (2) Receivers. The second RX works also for M/S
on same Band while the first RX runs pile up. The operator simply switch
the TX between these working frequencies (Change Sub and Main VFO)


What Vendor Radios we can use ?

The  SO3R V2.0 version Controller Board only accepts radios with CI/V  CAT
serial data to and from the Radios.

All ICOM radios at least do this

MRM (Multi Radio Master) for other radios like Yaesu, Elecraft, Kenwood,
Flex, … is now in development and will be available from PCB Version V3.0
during year 2020

Band Pass Filter (6 Bands, auto selectable) 100W/200W mgfs

Array Solution/W3NQN

Dynastar 600

5B4AGN

OM6BPF

I.C.E


Radio above is similar to Transceiver (transmitting and receiving device)


73 Kari OH2BP

SRAL Member 50 years