[TenTec] 80 meter loops

[ac5e at comcast.net]

While Bob's comments are well taken, we get to FD operations because they were mentioned early in this thread. 

And with all due respect to those who have operated the W5NA/K5PN station, we have never had enough experienced contest operators to make a competitive operation. But we always seem to place near the top of our class. 

For example, during our best outing, we were down for nearly three hours for weather: our most experienced CW op worked less than 8 hours before he had to leave; our only experienced SSB op started the 'test and had to leave around 3 PM, to return for a couple of hours Sunday morning; and the rest of the operation was with VERY inexperienced operators. Score wise, the high scoring op was a persistant young ham who had been a Tech Plus for less than three months at the Novice station. And that was the first time our Tech had been on HF. Most of the time anyone available muddled through - albeit very slowly on the CW station. 

Equipment wise we had a F12 C3 for the CW station, a Mosley for the SSB station, a R7 for the Novice station, and the two Vees were swapped back and forth between the CW and phone stations according to propagation. Rigs were two of my Omni VI+'s (or option 3's, don't remember) on the phone and CW station, and a Delta II for the Novice station. Computer logging with paper backup - and thank the Good Lord for the paper backups!  All powered with a 10 KW gas generator. Along with the Dunestars and other equipment that were necessary for such a closely packed operation. The coffee pot being the one important piece of equipment. 

Oh yes - besides the weather we were shut down at least once for visiting critters. Even a grass snake looking for a dry spot in a thunderstorm gets pretty scarey. 

73  Pete Allen  AC5E
> Field Day activities, these represent operation over a few hours as compared to those of us that use the
> same antenna or group of antennas day in and day out over a year or two.  I
> really don't believe that operation in a "foreign" location with a "new"
> antenna is solid basis for antenna performance evaluation.
> 
> This is contradictory to the reference that Pete provides regarding the
> Hattiesburg ARS results.  To that end I give more credit to the skill of the
> operators with regard to FD scores.
> 
> 73
> Bob, K4TAX
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <ac5e at comcast.net>
> To: <tentec at contesting.com>
> Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 7:32 PM
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] 80 meter loops
> 
> 
> > Stuart, we have also used low horizontal loops for FD - and I think we
> could have gotten an award for WAA. Worked All Alabama - or Arkansas - or
> Louisana, Georgia, west Tennesse, and the Missouri bootheel. And not a lot

> else on the wires. And it's really hard to share a tribander between CW and
> SSB stations.
> >
> > Of course, your vicinity has a lot better soil conditions than our
> impermiable clay, where conductivity is officially 2ms and usually measures
> less than 1. That surely accounts for some of the difference.
> >
> > For FD we have had a lot better results with the same amount of wire up as
> Vee's or "half rhombics."  Of course they are directional but not so
> directional you can't cover North America with three antennas. The first
> year we put a pair of Vees and a dipole up for FD at my farm we placed fifth
> or sixth in 2A, which isn't bad considering the shortage of operators.
> >
> > Check the Hattiesburg Amateur Radio Club (W5NA or K5PN) FD results for the
> last 10 years or so. It did not matter what the conditions were, or how few
> operators we had, we always placed quite well. Whether the ionosphere
> cooperated or not.
> >
> > 73  Pete Allen  AC5E
> >

> > > Pete, using a greater than one wave 80m loop on 20m band, we have had
> more
> > > than 500 miles on first skip during Field Day.  This was a horizontal
> loop
> > > up 20 feet high.  We have used one band loops which are multiwavelength
> for
> > > 40m, and for 15/10m for several Field Days.  They seem to fill in the
> lobes
> > > on harmonic bands when the ionospherics are working well.  No
> > > directionality.  They work best for us, fed in a corner.   Symmetrical
> ones
> > > seem to outperform rectangular, or diamond shaped ones.  Of course we
> are
> > > sitting in Central part of U.S., and have equal shots to both coasts
> from
> > > our elevated location on a hill.
> > > 73,
> > > Stuart Rohre
> > > K5KVH
> > >
> > >
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