Topband: Battle of the Beverages - N2XE/B Report for Tuesday

[John C Ceccherelli]

Last night's word was APEX

It was a good night for the 1mW power level.  Bill, W4ZV in North Carolina
is the current N2XE/B distance champ at 545,000 miles per watt. Tom, W8JI
in Georgia, had good copy and sent a .wav file (as did W4ZV, greatly
appreciated).  APEX is clearly audible in the recording (easy for me to
copy anyway since I know what I'm listening for).  If Tom had verified that
HE copied APEX, he could have had over 800,000 MPW--oh well.  The fact that
anyone hears anything blows my mind.

If it's not too much trouble, send code word (after "MSG" in beacon text),
RST, grid square, time, and station details and any other information you
feel is relevant.

The code word is repeated three times consecutively and the beacon text
loops approximately every 60 seconds.

The Beacon will run through Saturday on 3.5796 MHz from 2100Z to 1230Z at
1mW (although I'm half tempted to drop to 500uW in hopes for a million
miles per watt. If I do that, the power will be announced in the beacon
text and the code word will change but assume 1mW).  The text is sent at 13
WPM.  I sometimes take the beacon off the air so I can check into some
nets.  If that happens, it happens from 2300 - 2330Z and 0000 - 0015Z.  I
may also call CQ occasionally at 300mW but that will be obvious if you're
listening.

Executive Summary:

Rigs - 3 Ten Tec Orions, 1 Wilderness Sierra, 1 Yaesu FT1000, 1 Kenwood
TS870, 1 unspecified
Antennas - 3 Beverages, 1 Dipole, 1 four-square, 1 sloper, 1 unspecified
MPW winner W4ZV, 545,000

Looks like the Orion/Beverage combination is a good one!


Call,Name - State - Report - Comments (in order of receipt)

W4ZV, Bill - NC - 449 - Ten Tec Orion with 1000' Beverage
AA4XX, Paul - NC - 229 - Wilderness Sierra with Dipole
AJ4AY, Jay - AL - noise - copied N2XE, no APEX
W8JI, Tom - GA - above noise - Yaesu FT1000 with Beverage, Copied AP but
not APEX
W9GE, Bob - MD - 319 - Ten Tec Orion with 4-square, no APEX
W1FV, John - MA - S5 - Ten Tec Orion with 500' Beverage
W3NF, Lloyd, MD - noise - Kenwood TS870 and Sloper, copied N2XE, no APEX

73, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah

N2XE

John Ceccherelli, Wappingers Falls, NY, FN31BO