Topband: CQ 160M Contest and a question about shunt feeding

[Stan Stockton]

> I don't think there has ever been anything that indicates
> even 5dB on transmitting makes a difference in winning or
> losing unless you are often near noise floor level when
> other stations hear you.
>
> 73 Tom

It was just a little joke regarding the 1.5 dB in making the difference in 
my winning - like I am trying to get any little edge I can.....  There are 
several factors at play here including his young ears, my 40 year mental 
database, his relative ability to listen to 2 radios at once, who has a good 
frequency, etc.

HOWEVER,  over the next year I am going to put up a 3 element vertical array 
using parasitic elements switchable in four directions in an effort to get 
perhaps 4-5 dB ONLY FOR TRANSMIT at my station.  I do not expect it to help 
me much if any on receive as I have beverages that seem to work quite well. 
They are certainly more effective on 80M than my transmitting four square.

The key to what you mentioned above is, "unless you are near the noice floor 
level when other stations hear you."   I believe the difference in how 
effectively you will run Europe from Arkansas on 160M will in many cases be 
affected GREATLY by an S unit difference on transmit.  In fact, there is no 
question that it would make a significant difference in how many will call 
and how fast you get through a pileup.   There is a certainly a great 
difference on other bands in how effectively you are able to hold a 
frequency and run Europe (like 40M where I am also listening on beverages) 
when you compare a dipole and a 3 element yagi with perhaps an S unit of 
gain.

The station where I will operate this contest has phased beverages for 
Europe and JA, so there isn't going to be a lot of improvement on the 
receive end over the next week.

Stan, K5GO


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