[CQ-Contest] Contest QTH, hilltop or seaside?

[shristov]

Mike & Coreen Smith VE9AA <ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca>  wrote:

> If you had to choose between a 600' hilltop or an oceanfront QTH 
> in VE9, VE1 which would it be?-----6m thru 160m.


The first test should be for horizon obstructions.
Using Radio Mobile by VE2DBE and 1 arc-second SRTM maps
determine the visual horizon as seen from the antenna position.

An excellent QTH will have horizon elevation of -1 degree in important directions.
Value of 0 degrees is still very good, and +1 degree is good enough.

Bear in mind that at the precise horizon elevation angle
your radiation will be 6-12 dB down from the predicted.
You'll only get unobstructed radiation at ~3 degrees above the visual horizon and higher.

In addition, you also need unobstructed access to the horizon
FROM the reflection area in front of the antenna. The reflection area
for DX elevation angles extends at least some kilometers from the antenna.


The second thing is to consider terrain complexity:  avoid complex terrain.
There is no way to reliably predict what happens with a complex terrain.
HFTA is useless in such cases.

Locations not thrown away in the above process, if any, should be evaluated by HFTA.


73 es HNY,

Sinisa  YT1NT, VE3EA