[CQ-Contest] Rules Question M2 CQ WW

Sun Oct 9 04:01:49 EDT 2016

I think that it is clear that only 2 transmitted signals are allowed in 
M2 category.

You can configure n1mm to have radio 1 and radio 2 as running and radio3 
to change as radio 1 mult or radio 2 mult.

But if you have 3 radios the best category to be more competitive is the 
MS: one radio run, one radio mult (without interlock in CQ WW) and one 
radio on the same band with the running radio (with interlock).

But this has some technical difficulties as the 2 radios in the same 
band are in dangerous to be burned by each other.

I have in mind 3 ways to solve this problem.

The first one is 4o3a switch where you can use 2 antennas, one amplifier 
and 2 interlocked radios in the same band.

The second one is Acom solution where you can use 2 interlocked radios 
and one antenna-amplifier in the same band.

The third one is EA4TX interlock where you can use as much as 5 
interlocked radios-amplifiers in the same band but you need 2 antennas 
quite far the one from the other.

You can find in the web all 3 solutions.

The only safe way to say how far the one antenna to be from the other is 
to measure the worst case with an rf-meter. There is an article in QST 
June 2001 by W7ZOI and W7PUA, "Simple RF-Power Measurement"

Another solution maybe is this by n4zr 
http://www.pvrc.org/~n4zr/Articles/Simple%20protection.pdf

I don't know ready solutions on this.

Also there is an arduino based interlock homemade device described in 
March/April 2013 NCJ "An Arduino-Based Lockout Device" by Luc Moreira, 
PY8AZT

73 Kostas SV1DPI

On 9/10/2016 4:20 πμ, Kimo Chun wrote:
> Mike,
>
> N1MMplus makes it easy to run M1, M2, and M/M and NO you are not limited to
> using only two physical transmitters in M2, but only two signal sources at
> a time, any two at your disposal in any combination you want.
>
> It sounds like Tom may be mixing M1 and M2. In M2 you may run
> simultaneously with both transmitters (any transmitter) each on its own
> band. Unless in his case, for some technical reason, they were forced to
> use the 2 radios (say on one desk) that are hardware interlocked and it
> somehow prevented using both transmitters at the same time on different
> bands as well. There is no reason to be running M2 and be restricted to
> running on one band while doing mults on the second.
>
> However, back to your question. At the KH6YY contest station (aka currently
> KH6J in multi-op, formerly KH7XX, KH7X, KH7R) we have 6 desks with one
> band/station per desk. Unfortunately, we've not gotten sophisticated enough
> to have two interlocked transmitters per band for various reasons. Since
> the original design brought all the antennas for their respective band to
> the specific band desk we ran M1 or M2 using all six transmitters. You used
> the transmitter for the band you wanted AT the designated band/desk. So you
> physically moved to the appropriate band/desk to use that equipment
> to search for and contact the mults. That's just the way it was. Not the
> most efficient but it worked.
>
> We networked 6 computers (all wirelessly, formerly wired)
> using N1MMplus adding a 7th Master computer and the software would keep
> track of Transmitter 1 or 2 logging but the OPON login by the operator
> forced them to select which of the two integrated log streams you were
> going to add to. Since we didn't change constantly and mostly ran it wasn't
> much of a problem to just have a moveable sign by the No 1 and one by the
> No. 2 transmitter. The op wanting to use a third position would ask to use
> one or the others run log stream for a 10 minute or longer mult chase. Or
> in the case of M2 we'd have to monitor the band changes per hour which, I
> believe, N1MM could indicate for you as well (at least time since last
> change or conversely time remaining). If both were stations were running
> the relieved operator would give up the sign to the new position if it made
> sense.
>
> We've since modified the station so we have two operating desks with access
> to all antennas through a common Array Solutions 4 x 8 pak. The 8 pak will
> not allow both desks onto the same antennas (i.e. band) unless we have a
> big operator error and go to the log periodic which would allow us to
> mirror the mono-banders. So far, nobody has been that unconscious. I could
> just unplug it for the duration but it serves as another antenna for
> searching for mults easily.
>
> The other 2 inputs go to another operating position at the other end of the
> room which is dedicated to two radios that Alex, KH6YY, uses as his
> everyday station (Desk 7).
>
> If we want to run full M/M we just disconnect the coax runs to the switch
> at each desk and hook in the band specific antennas directly to its
> respective desk. Our problem (more so when at a sunspot peak) is finding
> enough operators, let alone two at each desk should we decide to have more
> equipment.
>
> I hope I explained this alright.
> 73, Kimo KH7U  station manager
> KH6YY Contest Station
>
>
> Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2016 12:58:12 -0400
> From: Tom Haavisto <kamham69 at gmail.com>
> To: W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu at w0mu.com>, CQ Contest
>          <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Rules Question M2 CQ WW
> Message-ID:
>          <CAKNnRU6RDVAB8_0bS_Aahg6LNUf4=Fses+ETRS6HHGfTtU4Q6w at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> I did an M2 at NQ4I a couple of years ago.  We had two radios per band, and
> a total of six radios.  Two radios per band interlocked - only one could
> transmit at a time (hardware interlock).  One run radio, one mult radio.
>
> When we did a band change - say "radio 1" was going from 10 to 20 meters.
> We would stop TX on 10 meters, designate 20 meters as "radio 1", and away
> we went with a different pair of radios.  That was one band change.
>
> With M2, you are assisted - allowed to look at the cluster.  We could line
> up 20 meter mults, ready to go when TX moved to 20.  Once we worked a bunch
> of mults of 20, we could then move back to 10 meters (ie radio 1), and this
> counted as band change # 2 for radio 1.
>
> This activity was independent of what "radio 2" was doing.
>
> The TX must be identified in the Cabrillo log file - radio 1 or radio 2.
> Logging software takes care of this.
>
> Does this help?
>
> Tom - VE3CX
>
>
>
> On Sat, Oct 8, 2016 at 11:40 AM, W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu at w0mu.com> wrote:
>
>> I would like some clarification on the Multi 2 transmitter rule.
>>
>>  From the CQ WW Rules Website:
>>
>> *2. Two Transmitters (MULTI-TWO):* A maximum of two transmitted signals on
>> two different bands may be used at any time.
>>
>> The log must indicate which transmitter made each QSO.
>>
>> Each transmitter may make a maximum of 8 band changes in any clock hour
>> (00 through 59 minutes).
>>
>> Total output power must not exceed *1500 watts* on any band at any time.
>>
>>
>> Line one says Two transmitters.  Does this really mean just two
>> transmitters per the contest period?  Rig 1 and Rig 2 and you can have as
>> many receivers as you want and operators but all contacts need to be made
>> using rig 1 and rig 2?
>>
>> W0MU
>>
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