Topband: New 160M high performance receiving antenna at W3LPL

[Tom W8JI]

> Out of curiosity... with so many narrow-pattern receive antenna configs, 
> how do typical contest stations check different directions after a CQ? 
> Frank, I still want to come visit your station during a test and see how 
> it all works.
>
> Diversity and stereo headphones gets you to two different directions but I 
> wonder if there's some more powerful technique.
>

Not from here, except having more ears on the ground with independent 
controls. Each operator has two ears.
I have switches that lock one ear in a prime direction like NE, and the 
other ear can go some other direction (at some loss in really weak signal 
copy).

It is always a real problem remembering to use things at the max (stereo and 
same direction with wide array separation) and to always remember to change 
directions often. This is always a problem with 8 directions.

http://www.w8ji.com/my_shack.htm

Over the years, off and on, I have tried to use "auto scanners". My first 
was around 1980, and I've tried off and on since, but it just has not worked 
so well unless very few people are calling and those that do call keep 
trying. By far the best system is just popping the buttons around to likely 
directions, although I do have an idea to double the odds of getting lucky. 
The problem is getting trained in how to lock on a signal fast when it is 
heard.

One real problem is that listening in multiple directions hurts the copy of 
noise floor or weaker signals.  Stereo with widely separated antennas is 
good for maybe 3-6 dB in perception of signals in noise if the operator is 
trained to use stereo.

Missing callers, unless the operator scans and the caller is persistent, is 
inevitable.

73 Tom