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

[Gerry Hull]

Hey Mike & HNY,

Having played at many VE1 & VE9 stations, and operating portable from many
others, I'd say that if you don't have an unlimited budget, go for either
the hill, or, my personal preference, a salt-marsh-y area.  Of course, for
non-ham reasons, salt marshes might not be the most appropriate locations.
  However, as many have reported, they are incredible locations for ham
radio and "simpler" antennas.   Perhaps you can find a location similar to
the W1KM operation, where the house is not "in the marsh", but is close
enough to place antennas.  Often, these areas are not that popular, and can
be had for reasonable funds.

Of course you know that Atlantic Canada gives you incredible signal
advantages to many parts of the world.  Just use HFTA to optimize as you
search available sites.

Flat land does work well from the maritimes -- we made great scores over
the years from small stations -- VE1DXA (VE1YX's landlocked farm in
Bridgewater, NS), VY2SS' old place (O'Leary, PE, now home to
VY2TT/PEIDxLodge) before it grew really big, and VE9DX's old place along
the river in St. John, NB.   None of these were particularly chosen for
optimum takeoff angle, but they sure did/do perform.

73, Gerry W1VE/VE1RM

On Thu, Jan 1, 2015 at 8:53 AM, 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.
>
>
>
> Sure, 600' doesn't sound like a lot, but most of the land around these
> parts
> is from 30'-300' ASL. Lets say the ground is very poor and rocky &
> undulating.
>
>
>
> Now to the oceanfront QTH.  These are harder to find. I mean the *ultimate*
> reasonably priced ones are w/o a thick wallet
>
> but perhaps something in southern VE1 or VE9 which is a bit of a point of
> land giving 180-220* of water with fair but maybe not perfect views
>
> to EU/AF and the USA & SA.JA would be blocked as would all northern paths.
> At least 3-10* horizon and all over land in any case.
>
> What about less of an "over the water shot" where you could only choose one
> primary direction. Would you still do it? Choose EU over all else?
>
> NA perhaps?....size is likely 2-5acres..what about QRM to neighbours?
>
>
>
> Antennas would be very simple (no 100' towers in either case)
>
>
>
> Perhaps 40'masts with K1WA/K8UR (4) sloping dipole arrays on all bands
> 10-160.  No stacks, maybe not even any short towers. Maybe just HF9V
> verticals.
>
>
>
> So, strictly for contesting which would it be? Oceanfront or
> "hilltop"..remember-simple antennas only.
>
>
>
> I await the comments.
>
>
>
> Mike VE9AA
>
>
>
> Mike, Coreen & Corey
>
> Keswick Ridge, NB
>
>
>
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