Topband: ARRL 160 contest

[Jon Zaimes AA1K]

Tim,

I use a very cumbersome combination of switch boxes. One of the things 
on my list to improve.

The primary selector is a B&W 3-position switch which in turn selects 
three other six-position B&W switches. (I have about 18 Bevs in use!). 
The 3-position switch is marked for "W, S, NE."

The "NE" one selects the separate switch for Beverages (many are phased 
pairs) at 5, 25, 37 (long stagger pair), 37 (long broadside pair), 45 
(short stagger pair) and 75 degrees.

The "west" one selects Bevs at 210, 245, 290, 320 and 342 degrees.

The "south" one selects Bevs at 105, 162, 180, blank, short 320 and 
short 342 pair.

This setup makes it easy to quickly switch broadly around the compass 
with the 3-position switch, and then narrow the choices with the 
six-position boxes. Typically while running I'll have these set one of 
the 37/45 Beverages, the 180 and the 290. The latter two are single 
wires and thus have a broader capture than some of the phased pairs.

Right these switches are a bit too far of a reach for contesting -- they 
are above and slightly to the right of the main K3 transceiver. Better 
would be right at the keyboard, ideally with push buttons. Maybe even 
computer controlled on the screen.

The Beverages feed into the "Rx In" jack on the K3.

I also have a pair of short 1/8 wave spaced Rx verticals feeding a DX 
Engineering NCC-1 phasing box. The output of this goes into the 
auxiliary RX antenna jack on the K3 and this is used with the second 
receiver for diversity reception. I can then tune the null easily with 
the large phase control knob. But for some reason this weekend the pair 
is very noisy compared to the main transmit antenna and I've mostly been 
using the TX antennas for diversity reception. Sometimes I'll vary from 
this and use one of the Beverages as the aux. antenna for diversity.

More switching is used for the transmit arrays. For my original 
parasitic vertical array, one rotary switch selects NE, SE, SW, NW or 
Omni, changing relays remotely out at the base of the elements. Now I 
have a new broadside-endfire array and in it's development phase it 
takes THREE different jury-rigged switches to switch from the original 
array to the new one. I'll have that remedied before the next contest!

I'll post a photo shortly on www.aa1k.us under the "switching" section 
to show these switches in the shack.

73/Jon AA1K



On 12/1/2012 11:55 AM, Shoppa, Tim wrote:
> W4TV points out:
>> For historical reasons the ARRL 16 Meter contest is essentially a "160M
>> Sweepstakes". [...]
>> For many years before activity in the middle part of the US expanded,
>> it was impossible to "win" ARRL 160 from anywhere other than W1.
> It looks to me that at least in the LP category, the midwest is consistently
> having most all the top scores in ARRL 160. Shouldn't be too surprising -
> last night I was listening to many running midwest stations who last year were
> top 20 LP category, and they were working run of the mill stations on both east
> and west coast by the hundreds.
>
> Speaking of which... how do running stations monitor/switch between receive antennas
> on 160? Some may have them fed to diversity reception (left ear and right ear)
> but my primitive setup just has a foot pedal that lets me pick K9AY loop direction.
> For these guys who have twelve beverages, wow, I don't have that many feet!
>
> Tim.
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