[CQ-Contest] Re: 2 dB more?

[Leigh S. Jones]

The KT-36XA is well respected for its 10 meter performance.  In a
couple of years, though, the 10 meter band will close for a few years
and barely allow contacts during that period.  You may have only
worked 10 meters for several years, but I do believe you'd find that
you'd miss out on a lot of fun on 20 if you put up a monobander at
this time.  Unless, of course, you're planning on putting the
tribander
back up in about a year.

2 dB won't make much difference in a single pileup, but over the
course of a 48 hour contest it can make a big difference in a score.
You've overlooked a bigger influence on your score -- if you shy
away from runs your score will be affected.  Perhaps you just get
a kick out of breaking through pileups, but most of the list
members really enjoy the runs, when they can get them.  Most of
the list members would prefer to get their whole score from runs
if it didn't penalize them with a lower score.  Learning to handle
the mess is the basic skill of contesting.  Contesting is a contact
sport.

For what it's worth, that's my opinion.  You need a 5 or 6 band
capability to do basic contesting.  To learn contesting you need
to get on for the NAQP, the SS and the DX tests and learn
the strategy of band changes.  You need all the skills -- hearing
through lightning crashes on 80, hearing through the broadcast
sidebands on 40, need I go on?

----- Original Message -----
From: "Salina Physician Anesthesia" <spa at tri.net>
To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2001 9:41 AM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Re: 2 dB more?


>
> Sitting here filling out a jillion reply QSLs and wondering:
>
> I have been using a KT-36XA in the last few contests.  Joke is that
I've
> basically only worked 10M as I am really a DXer first and don't like
getting
> a run going as I can't handle the mess.  However, it is nice to call
into a
> pile and get in on the first call.  And then there are the weak
stations
> that plead for a contact and they are in the QRN with syllables
only.  A few
> dB more and?  Or would I just find another layer?
>
> So, it's no big deal to get the KT-36XA down, put up a M2 7 el 10M
beam with
> 1.99 dB more gain.
>
> Worth the price of the antenna?
>
> N0UU
>
>
> --
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