VOACAP

[Steve Sawyers n0yvy]

Several people have asked me what programs that I found, so I am 
posting to the net rather than giving individual responses.

I found the programs via:

http://elbert.its.bldrdoc.gov/hf.html
 
There are several propagations models - I have not figured everything 
out yet, but it sure looks interesting.

de n0yvy steve

> Date:          Tue, 16 Apr 96 08:10:46 cst
> From:          "sawyers" <sawyers at cacd.rockwell.com>
> Reply-to:      "sawyers" <sawyers at cacd.rockwell.com>
> To:            cq-contest at tgv.com, Gary Nieborsky <k7fr at ncw.net>
> Subject:       Re: VOACAP

> 
> >I took Brian Beezly's hint/advice and downloaded the propagation
> >program he described.
> 
> I grabbed them also - there are three programs actually - and am
> very impressed. I may even go get Brian's TA and his convertor
> program to run some local station's global prop characteristics with
> this tool.
> 
> de steve n0yvy
> 

>From SHAWN LIGHTFOOT <shawn.lightfoot at lun.lis.ab.ca>  Wed Apr 17 07:11:00 1996
From: SHAWN LIGHTFOOT <shawn.lightfoot at lun.lis.ab.ca> (SHAWN LIGHTFOOT <shawn.lightfoot at lun.lis.ab.ca>)
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 96 23:11:00 -0700
Subject: Things that annoy...
Message-ID: <8BEC56F.0065002A3B.uuout at lun.lis.ab.ca>

Here is a list of things that annoy most of us.

Some of these can be remedied, so those who listen, listen CAREFULLY!

1. Finally, after spending a half hour in a big pile up, you finally
break through the aluminum curtain, only to hear the DX station abruptly
say "sorry, DUPE!!!......QRZ?" and you HAVE NOT worked him before!

2. Ask if a frequency is in use 3 times, call CQ on it for 5 minutes,
THEN have some guy tell you the frequency is in use...?!?!?!?!

3. Have a big gun move in 1Khz and give it all he's got.

4. Antennas that have a bad connection and jump SWR in wind.

5. Magazines like CQ, who PUT NICE STATIONS ON THE FRONT OF THE COVER,
THEN ONLY TELL YOU WHO IT IS...NOTHING ABOUT THE STATION
DETAILS...AAAARRRGGHHHHH! (What is there hangup with this anyway?)

I know I'm being a little abusive of bandwidth but...hey...now it's just
like 80M, we should all feel at home.

Feciously,

Shawn
VE6PV

>From Chuck Dietz <ke5fi at wt.net>  Wed Apr 17 13:28:17 1996
From: Chuck Dietz <ke5fi at wt.net> (Chuck Dietz)
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 05:28:17 -0700
Subject: antennas,stubs and others
References: <199604161747.KAA00603 at bing.ncw.net>
Message-ID: <3174E3E1.5FD3 at wt.net>

Here on the Farm my domestic water well is the best
> ground rod around at about 0.8 ohms.  I've been toying with the idea of
> running a piece of 4/0 copper from my tower to the well casing (150')  and
> calling that my single point ground ...

I am moving back to the country...Please send me the summary.  (I wonder 
why I didn't think of the well as a ground before?)
Just how important IS a near perfect ground?  I have had stations with NO 
ground and have done ok...

Chuck, KE5FI

>From Robert Penneys <radio at UDel.Edu>  Wed Apr 17 14:38:44 1996
From: Robert Penneys <radio at UDel.Edu> (Robert Penneys)
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 09:38:44 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: No subject
Message-ID: <199604171338.JAA15407 at copland.udel.edu>

Date for DEL QSO party-repost

Apparently this went out without a subject line. Excuse the repost.

Plans are afoot to reactivate the Delaware QSO Party this year. We are looking
for the least conflicting date in the early fall. Most of the guys here
are not contesters and would not be conflicted themselves. There is a desire
for September.

Whatcha think?

Thanx again.   Bob, WN3K   Frankford Radio Club



>From w2vjn at rosenet.net (George Cutsogeorge)  Wed Apr 17 22:29:24 1996
From: w2vjn at rosenet.net (George Cutsogeorge) (George Cutsogeorge)
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 96 21:29:24 GMT
Subject: antennas,stubs and others
References: <199604161747.KAA00603 at bing.ncw.net>
Message-ID: <M.041796.142925.04 at ppp004.rosenet.net>

Gary,

If your guy wires arn't broken into non resonant lengths now, they should 
be.  Experiments that I ran many years ago convinced me of that.

    > 
    > My top set of guys are just over a 1/4 wave on 160.  Would it be feasible 
    > to
    > use them as 1/4 wave slopers?  Does the steel cause a problem (can't see 
    > how
    > since most BC towers are steel).
    > 

With a single stub you will get about 30 dB of rejection.  With the filters 
available you will probably get over 40 dB.  If you expect to operate within a 
few kHz of a harmonic you will need both stubs and filters.  Two spaced stubs 
will give more than 60 dB attenuation.  A few simple tests would tell how much 
attenuation is required.  Transmit on one antenna and listen on the other.  
Observe the signal strength of the harmonic and phase noise and decide how many 
dB down you would like it to be.  It's safer to use an RF voltmeter and 
attenuators to make this measurement at full power.  Start with say 15 watts 
output and add 20 dB to the received signal to represent 1500 watts.  The 
actual numbers will vary due to amplifier harmonics being power related.  

You can auto select stubs quite easily by using a band decoder and a relay 
selector box.  Some shortening of the stubs is required to compensate for the 
relay and wiring.  I have data on systems like this if you are interested.

    > I keep playing around with tuned stubs vs. ICE/Dunestar filters for the 
    > M/M,
    > M/S arrangements.  I question the cost/benefit ratio of filters vs. the
    > inexpensive coax stub option.  On 20/15/10 the antennas are 150' apart on
    > seperate towers.  160/80/40 are on the same tower.  Potentially a KW on
    > each. It is a nice convenience to have auto-select filters but I have a
    > limited radio budget this year (new furniture for the YL) and really want 
    > to
    > run a couple more 9913's out to the big tower.  Can I achieve adequate
    > attenuation with stubs?


My choice for a two tower M/S or even a single OP would be to have alternate 
bands on separate towers.  i.e. 160/40/15 on one and 80/20/10 on the other.  
Most often operations are on alternate bands and this gives optimum isolation.

----
George Cutsogeorge,  W2VJN
Umpqua, OR.