Topband: ARRL 160 contest

[Tom W8JI]

> 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!


Since the 1970's, I've been using push buttons.

Initially, in the early 70's,  I used the buttons off a multiple line 
telephone-line switch. They mechanically interlocked, and each button had a 
multiple pole switch off a buss.

In the mid or late 1970's, I changed to a TTL switch (still have it) that 
drove relays.

In 1980 I moved to Cleveland, and had to use a single very long coaxial line 
to a farm field about 1/2 mile away, so I changed to multiple tones sent 
down the coax with 24 volts for remote power. Used the same box with push 
buttons, but added switches for remote control of arrays and amplifiers. 
That system had an autoscanner.

Around 1998 I changed to a circular switch with push buttons. It's CMOS, and 
drives remote relays. You can see pictures of my switching system on my web 
pages. Basically it is a circle of buttons for direction that is portable 
and sits next to the rig, and a panel that changes the array and has some 
"lock direction" functions.

Incidentally, after years of use I deleted the autoscanner function. I found 
it infinitely better to poke buttons myself, plus the stereo allows each ear 
to be in a different direction. When there is the potential of Europe I (and 
other operators from here) leave one ear locked NE on a good antenna and 
scan the other ear manually.

I could lock NW also, but no one ever asks for that. The system evolved into 
a very complex switching matrix. There are eight directions from three main 
arrays, and either two or four directions from two smaller arrays.

73 Tom