5NN

[ames at force.DECNET.LOCKHEED.COM]

Regarding the comment by AA5BT, Derek:
To me, the 5nn is just something that says "start listening, I
am about to send you my power/zone/whatever".  I have given
a 595 on occasion to someone whose rig was deteriorating at
the end of a contest, but I'm sure it's written down as 599.

It's a bit late to comment, but there is a lot of truth to his statement
I think many of us would admit.  My own rates are down in the mud, and
perhaps I could better spend those few monments reading a newspaper or
my band plan?  Yet, this should be irrelavant.  Perhaps if we could work
at 40 wpm his statement would not apply.  Slowing down to change every QSO
to a 578 or whatever could easily slow one's rate by 50 percent.  I still
don't see the advantage to giving anything other than a 59(9)?  But it is
upsetting to be a low power operator trying to get thru a pileup when the
RST is being debated.  Everyone has the option of giving what the believe
the RST as received actually is, and that's what we have to accept.  We also
have a right to give an RST of 59(9).  I haven't worked this out, but
it may be quicker to save that "offbeat" RST as a Note (ALT-N) rather
than adjust the default 599.  I think the "purist" are a minority, and
I doubt if anyone really cares.

73, alan N2ALE/6

>From Ed Russell <76505.1730 at CompuServe.COM>  Wed Feb 23 21:51:05 1994
From: Ed Russell <76505.1730 at CompuServe.COM> (Ed Russell)
Date: 23 Feb 94 16:51:05 EST
Subject: Black Hole
Message-ID: <940223215104_76505.1730_DHI118-1 at CompuServe.COM>

In my ARRL DX Contest results report I excused my poor score by stating 
that I suffered from propagation Black Hole.

I was naively unaware that the term specifically refers to a non-periodic 
naturally occurring RF absorption phenomenon centered somewhere to be 
determined, but definitely nowhere in W2. I apologize for the error.

The phenomenon I was referring to was the generally reported (even in W2) 
flat band conditions: for this may I suggest in lieu of Black Hole, perhaps 
Brown Out... or is this term already patented, copyrighted, or otherwise 
carefully defended? :-)

73 de Ed Russell, AA2PZ


>From oo7 at astro.as.utexas.edu (Derek Wills)  Wed Feb 23 22:39:45 1994
From: oo7 at astro.as.utexas.edu (Derek Wills) (Derek Wills)
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 94 16:39:45 CST
Subject: Black Hole
Message-ID: <9402232239.AA10879 at astro.as.utexas.edu>

	The phenomenon I was referring to was the generally reported 
        (even in W2) flat band conditions: for this may I suggest in 
        lieu of Black Hole, perhaps Brown Out... or is this term already 
        patented, copyrighted, or otherwise carefully defended? :-)

	73 de Ed Russell, AA2PZ

(dons astrologer's hat):  You don't have to be inside a black hole
for propagation to be bad.  At 1.5 times the usual definition of
the radius of said hole, half the radiation emitted into space
never makes it out, instead going into the black hole.

Black holes can emit radiation, but the typical timescale for anything
interesting to happen is much longer than the age of the universe and
certainly longer than a 48-hour contest.

Derek "Hawking away mindlessly" AA5BT

>From Trey Garlough <GARLOUGH at TGV.COM>  Thu Feb 24 00:55:18 1994
From: Trey Garlough <GARLOUGH at TGV.COM> (Trey Garlough)
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 1994 16:55:18 -0800 (PST)
Subject: ham radio mailing lists
Message-ID: <762051318.980116.GARLOUGH at TGV.COM>

I am going to compile a list of other ham radio mailing lists and
include it in the FAQ I publish here periodically.  I already know 
about INFO-HAMS at UCSD.EDU, CQ-CONTEST at TGV.COM and DX at UNBC.EDU.  I 
can't remember where the VHF and QRP lists are any more.  If you 
know of any others that I should add to the list, please send the 
information directly to me and *not* to the list.  I will summarize 
the replies.

--Trey, WN4KKN/6

>From ken.silverman at atlas.ccmail.PacTel.COM (ken silverman)  Thu Feb 24 01:59:20 1994
From: ken.silverman at atlas.ccmail.PacTel.COM (ken silverman) (ken silverman)
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 94 17:59:20 PST
Subject: 2 Stations, Same Band
Message-ID: <9401237620.AA762055160 at atlas.ccmail.pactel.com>

And to all a good day!!

One of the key strategies for contest multi-something groups, and on big 
expeditions, has been to have 2 stations on the same band at the same time.  
For contesting, this usually means that the 2 stations are operating within few 
kc of each other.   

Have any of you had any direct experience in planning/operating in such an 
environment?   From what I understand, the basic strategy is to point 2 yagis 
in the desired direction, such that the antennas side lobes face each other.  
This would give you the maximum isolation.  In addition, you need lots of 
physical separation.  (But how much?)  I also suspect there may be some very 
steep skirted filters that can be used, but I have no knowledge of how to make 
them.

Is this the correct approach?  Can the system be scientifically dimensioned by 
adding up path losses, antenna gains etc?  Or is this a "lets put it up and try 
it" technique?    

I hope some of you have had experience with this technique that you might 
share.  It sounds like an important technique if you have the realestate.

Please respond directly to me, and I will collectively post your replies in a 
few days.

Much Obliged,  Ken WM2C