Topband: Brave New World

[kolson at rcn.com]

Actually Jim old boy, I have. I have been a Frankford RC member for 43 years and have operated from many M/M and M/S stations both in the US and as DX. I have a good idea what goes into it and have helped troubleshoot problems, fix rigs and amps and helped with antennas (from the ground as I get a nosebleed when I stand on a chair, LOL) from various of those stations. I know and have worked with W2VJN who I would say knows a bit about interstation interference, hi hi. I have never built a M/M myself as I don't have the QTH, resources or inclination. Certainly, it's a lot of work and remoting it makes things that much more difficult (though that's much easier now than it was, say, 15 years ago). 
  
What's sad in my view, is that in my M/M and M/S experiences, one of the greatest parts was getting together with the ops I was friends with that, due to time, distance or both, I didn't get to see much. The contest was fun, but the comradery was even more so. Just like when you ask most retired Major League players what they miss most, it is the locker room and their ex-teammates. 
  
I work in audio myself at CBS-TV in NYC in a television (audio and video) network studio and distribution facility, so I have a bit of an idea what is involved to design a complex facility :)  

And I make my own cables, thank you. 
  
Best, Kevin K3OX 
----- Original Message -----


From: "Jim Brown" <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com> 
To: topband at contesting.com 
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2015 12:49:28 PM 
Subject: Re: Topband: Brave New World 

On Thu,2/26/2015 7:29 AM, kolson at rcn.com wrote: 
> Sometimes it's more in how things are presented. The thing that struck me was how the ARRL looked at it was some kind of triumphant feat when it struck me as, ultimately, kind of sad. 

Have you ever visited a multi-transmitter contesting station? Do you 
have any idea of the engineering it took to build it and make it 
competitive? We're talking antenna system design, careful engineering 
and filtering to allow multiple transmitters at high power to not 
interfere with others at the same QTH, power distribution for those 
transmitters, an acoustic operating environment that permits all those 
guys to be running SSB in the same room without going nuts? 

Do you have any idea of the systems engineering needed to remote a 
single station? I'm an EE, designed complex audio systems in my 
professional life. I've looked at what it would take to remote my 
station and quickly decided that it was WAY too much work. Heck -- it 
takes much of my time keeping my station running for me to sit in front 
of. Among other things, you've got to goof-proof the control systems so 
that you don't fry your gear (and Mr. Rodman described). Multiply that 
by 5 or 6 stations, and that's a very serious accomplishment. THAT is 
ham radio. 

Sitting in front of a radio that you bought, set on a table, and hooked 
up to an antenna that you bought with pre-made cables that you bought is 
a lot closer to CB than ham radio. 

73, Jim K9YC 


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