Contest Station Descriptions

Tue Dec 19 22:06:00 EST 1995

Greetings. Based on recent messages at least some of you like 
reading the contest score postings. I enjoy not only the scores 
and comments but also reading about the station setups that 
everyone has. Who really has stacked 6 element 20M beams. Who 
really has Alphas on every band. Who is already using a        
TS-870....etc. My interest has led me to compile the station 
descriptions posted to the contest reflector into one file for 
easy review. I have been collecting scores since the recent 
contest season started with CQWW Phone and running up through the 
ARRL 10M test just completed. In all, I have the descriptions of 
217 US & Canada stations and 54 DX stations. If anyone would like 
a copy of the file for your own, just send me a e-mail message 
and I will send it to you. I have the file available currently in 
two formats:

* A Microsoft Windows Excel 5.0 file that is 98,304 bytes large.  
  This is probably the most useful format because of its cell 
  based approach with headers and the like.
* A Microsoft Windows Word 2.0A file that is 75,389 bytes large. 
  This file uses the Word Table feature as a format to organize
  the data.

(Since they are so large I didn't want to post them in a general 
purpose message.)

I am assuming that all of you who posted your station 
descriptions don't mind me compiling and re-distributing them. If 
anyone does let me know and I will delete your entry. My plans 
are to keep these files current by monitoring the postings 
throughout the year. 

For those of you requesting the file realize this is a casual 
effort and I'm sure you can find many things that you would do 
different. I welcome any and all suggestions and ideas. 

Happy Holidays to All. (I loved the "'Twas the night before 
Contest!" thanks K7FD.)

Scott Tuthill/AA7TF     Boise, ID        stuthill at micron.net

(Someday I'll make a .sig file with a cute saying like
 everyone else has....)

>From n3rr at cais.cais.com (Bill Hider)  Wed Dec 20 05:13:10 1995
From: n3rr at cais.cais.com (Bill Hider) (Bill Hider)
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 1995 00:13:10 -0500
Subject: KP4XS Expenses and FCC Bulletins
Message-ID: <199512200513.AAA06210 at cais.cais.com>

Ken, I'm going through a similar situation...TVI with 3 neighbors and PHONEI
with 2 of them. 

I obtained the FCC Bulletins on Telephone interference and  the FCC
interference handbook (addresses and URL later in this this message) and
gave the neighbors a copy, explained that it's not my responsibility to fix
their non-state-of-the-art equipment, but in the interest of good neighborly
relations I would provide them with a TVI filter and phoneI filter to allow
one phone to work when the RF environment makes the phone not suitable to
telephone communications, constantly emphasizing that I am going beyond what
is required by the FCC by providing them with the filters.

I first asked their permission to enter their house and help them
troubleshoot and identify the type of interference they are experiencing.  

I then gave them the discussion above and a copy of the following two FCC
publications:
----
Information Bulletin, FCC Field Operations Bureau, Telephone Interference,
FOB Bulletin No. 10, Published 1987, REVISED EDITION, June 1992
----
FCC Interference To Home Electronic Entertainment Equipment Handbook,
Compliance & Information Bureau (CIB), Bulletin CIB-2, May 1995
-----
Both of the above publications can be obtained in quantities, free, by
sending a request with the publication numbers  and your mailing address to:

        Federal Communications Commission
        FORMS DISTRIBUTION CENTER
        2803 52nd Avenue
        Hyattsville, Maryland 20781

The Interference Handbook is also available on the World Wide Web, in living
excellent Color at the following URL:
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Compliance/WWW/tvibook.html

  (Note that this URL is case sensitive)

I printed this one on a laser printer with excellent results.

After explaining the above, I bought the K-COM plug-in filters which I gave
one set to one of the neighbors telling them that they now had one phone
(and a set of filters that they could move from phone to phone if they
desired) that was interference-free.  They also had a wireless 48 MHz phone
which I told them was not covered by the FCC rules and that there was
nothing that could be done to filter them.  (By the way, the the FOB
Bulletin No. 10 makes this abundently clear).  After installing a high pass
filter in their antenna downlead cable, just prior to their broadband
preamp, then installing the K-Com filters, they said: "So now, Bill, I
suppose you want us to leave you alone and not call you anymore with our
interference complaints?"...I said: "Yes."...They agreed!!

I also implemented this sequential approach with the other neighbors: 1)
Explain the technical situation [Ham radio equipment not at fault]; 2) Told
them I will help troubleshoot and that I might have a filter that will work
if they let me work with them, but in any event I am going beyond what is
required; 3) Installed filter to fix TVI; 4) Installed filter to fix one
phone they can use in emergency to make calls if interference is present.

When the TVI got complicated by multiple TVs or console/imbedded
broadbandwidth pre-amps on TV signal, I fixed one TV, and explained the
technical problem with the others.  This has worked with me on two of the
neighbors.

OH, I also enlisted the help of a fellow ham (Thanks N3KTV) to be at my
house operating my HF rig while he and I coordinated on 2M handheld to check
out all bands using maximum power allowed, SSB, antennas pointed at the
neighbors' house.  This while checking out all TV channels in the area as
well as the telephone.  I created a matrix of Hamband/TV channels to note
interference found before I actually went inside the other house.

Another trick I learned from K3GEG: I set up my HF station (IC-781/IC-4KL)
VOX close to my shack 2M rig, so that if I didn't have another ham's help, I
could generate HF SSB by using my 2M handheld at the neighbor's house while
watching/listening for interference.

The FCC Bulletins explain in layman's language why the Ham/CBer/FM station,
etc is not at fault.  I GAVE THEM A COPY OF THESE FCC PUBLICATIONS.

OH, I also implemented highpass filters on my home TV antenna cable and on
the Cable-TV leadin cable.  I used the Radio Shack 75 Ohm highpass filter
($4.99).  I have no TVI at home, from my HF gear.  I also bought a Lowpass
filter installed after my HF amp.

I also installed K-Com filters in my house wiring to eliminate PHONEI as well.  

I think it is important to be able to tell any complaining neighbor that I
don't have any interference.

Anyway, that's the approach I took and will take in the future.  The above
is merely my opinion and the way I handled it.  I'll be glad to respond to
any queries.

Bill, N3RR at CAIS.COM

At 04:58 AM 12/18/95 -0800, Kenneth Ramirez wrote:
>  HI OMs!
>       This hobby sure is costing me money.We all have spent lots of 
>our hard earned bucks on  transceivers,amps,towers,antennas,etc. How 
>about the Miscellaneous dollars spent on things that will help ensure 
>our continued enjoyment of the hobby?
>           I have been slowly adding antennas here at my QTH. I now 
>have them for 160,75,40,6,2,222,432,903,and 1.2 ghz. This qth is an 
>extremely quiet one except for one thing. I have a wideband clock on 
>every band from 160-6 meters. It is also known as an electric 
>fence;about five miles worth. The tick,tick,tick does not interfere 
>with dxing or contesting signals as would other types of noise but I am 
>afraid that continued exposure to the tick,tick,tick could lead to 
>insanity in a manner similar to a chinese water torture. Occasionally I 
>can hear the arcing-sparking noise that is the telltale sign of the 
>fence and vegetation coming into contact. Yesterday I met with the 
>owner and explained to him the basics of qrn. I also "volunteered" to 
>keep a 1/4 mile stretch of fence,bordering my property, clear of 
>vegetation. It took me 2 hours to clear massive amounts of 
>hemlock,weeds,vines,and a fallen tree from the fence. How much is that 
>in time for dollars? The tick,tick,tick is still there and I'll monitor 
>closely for the occasional arcing noise. I now  "own" the maintenance 
>rights to an electric fence. If you want to play...
>       More expenses-
>      I hadn't spoken to my next door neighbor for awhile so in the 
>spirit of Christmas I decided to scoot over to his yard and say hi.
> After the customary greetings he asked me the one question I had hoped
>he would never ask. "Do you own a CB?"  Visions of @$#@% ran through my 
>head as I wondered (but knew) what the next comment would be." Well it 
>isn't CB but actually..." was my response. "Why do you ask?"
>  I braced for the bad news knowing that my contesting days were over.
> "I hear interference on my cordless phone" he said. Those damn ,piece 
>of crap, cordless phones! Probably my 6m kw signal. Nothing I can do 
>will ever keep my 6m signal from getting into his 40-60mhz bandwidth 
>cordless phone. I explained the nature of the beast and that I would 
>try to come up with a solution. I have. I will spend 150 dollars more 
>of my hard earned money and buy him a 900 MHz spread spectrum type 
>cordless phone.
> This will solve the problem for him but create a problem for me. What 
>if his wide screen projection TV has problems next?
>     I won't even get into the money spent on wining and dining the XYL 
>the week prior to a contest. There are countless other expenses that go 
>under the Ham Radio related items debit column. If I added them all up 
>over my ham radio years I probably would have had enough to put up a 
>few 200 ft towers with contract maintenance!. If you want to play...
>   This hobby is getting expensive.    Merry Christmas and HNY de Ken 
>KP4XS
>  P.S. I suppose there really is nothing that can be done for the 
>tick,tick,tick? 
>
>

>From KEN KOPP-K0PP <0006485696 at mcimail.com>  Wed Dec 20 07:37:00 1995
From: KEN KOPP-K0PP <0006485696 at mcimail.com> (KEN KOPP-K0PP)
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 95 02:37 EST
Subject: Losing The Peace
Message-ID: <74951220073747/0006485696PK4EM at MCIMAIL.COM>

Denny, the peace was lost when US manufacturers continued to believe
that we were the best in the world ... for FAR too long.  After all,
we'd won the war, hadn't we?  We showed 'em by God!  That'll teach 'em!

But then we did nothing but continue to set on our rumps.  When the
competetion rolled off the boat in the form of a VW beetle the auto
industry ignored the tremendous popularity of that little ugly car,
totally convinced (for decades) that we really wanted chrome-laden
boats.  (I'm on VW #15 now.)

The US amateur radio manufactures rested on their laurels, just as the
auto industry was doing.  The JA's were GOOD at anything they did, be it
building ZERO's or radios, but they were so "different" than us that we
couldn't IMAGINE them as competetors.  After all, WE had defeated them,
hadn't we?   That made us the BEST!

And that's what it's about ... competetion ... we don't know how to
compete and we're so arrogant that we think we shouldn't have to.
After all, this IS America.  We've convinced ourselves that simply
being American is enough.  It might have been once-upon-a-time, but
no longer.

I don't believe it's possible to build an FT-1000 class radio in the
US today ... and it won't happen ... we simply don't havbe the skills.
"Why" isn't important, because the battle was lost long ago ... perhaps
in our classrooms.  We give our children toy guns and miniature trail
bikes ... the JA's give theirs calculators.  We honor jocks and give
them fake grades ... they honor knowledge and earn grades.

It's a tragedy that the US and Libia are the world's ONLY non-metric
countries.  How can we expect to compete in a world market?!

And all this has little to do with CONTESTING ... sorry gang!

73! Ken Kopp/K0PP
k0pp at mcimail.com

>From beaton at wintermute.co.uk (Alastair Beaton)  Wed Dec 20 12:18:53 1995
From: beaton at wintermute.co.uk (Alastair Beaton) (Alastair Beaton)
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 1995 12:18:53 GMT
Subject: Losing The Peace
Message-ID: <199512201218.MAA23118 at oberon.wintermute.co.uk>

Take a look at "Jane's Military Communications" or "SIGNAL", the AFCEA
journal. You'll find hundreds of snazzy-looking HF and VHF rigs designed and
built in the States by the folk like Rockwell-Collins, Harris, Magnavox,
Motorola, SRS, Sunair, Cubic Communications, Bendix/King, Transworld, ITT
and Watkins-Johnson.
(You'll also see truck-loads of nice stuff from British manufacturers like
Marconi, Racal, MEL, Eddystone and Redifon.)

So, both our countries DO have the technology and resources to make
ultra-cool radios. We ALSO have the resources to establish state-of-the-art
manufacturing plants (just take a look at the car industry) and a labour
(sorry, labor) market cheap enough to be competetive (we've both got
Japanese, Taiwanese and German transplants).

And as for depriving our companies of the cash flow necessary to develop
the next generation of radios, we've all been forking out huge chunks of our
taxes to these manufacturers for the last 50 years as part of the (cold) war
effort. There's no way Rockwell, Motorola, ITT or GEC can't afford
development costs. Out of all the military/commercial manufacturers, only
SGC makes any attempt to cater to the amateur market. The rest simply aren't
interested, when they can rake in huge profits from military sales (ho,ho!
just wait).

The villans of the piece are our own "blue chips". Let's not demonize the
Japanese for catering (well) to a market our own industries can't be
bothered with.

73 of the season
Al, GM4BAP

P.S. With 2 Racals, 2 Eddystones, an MEL, assorted Collins and Drake bits.
Yet sure as eggs is eggs I'll be having to buy Japanese.