Topband: ham radio- NOT

[Tom W8JI]

This is a good example of something to consider:

 > i am considering selling my station and renting one for the next 
DXpedition or contest. i can easily be the big gun. probably win the 160 
meter contest from the W8JI rent a station. maybe i will rent a huge station 
on the east coast and operate from my kitchen. beat the pants off you guys.
>

My site on RHR is 800-1000 watts on a single rotating tower for HF, with 
access to a 160 meter omni vertical and no receiving antennas (or one fixed 
Beverage that cannot be switched) on 160.

The 80 meter antenna was an Inverted Vee dipole at 50-60 feet. It was an IAC 
double bazooka or coaxial dipole antenna drooped from a tower ring at 60 
feet apex height. I finally swapped the 80 antenna over to a collinear at 
140-160 feet a few weeks ago. So now 80 meters is a collinear fed through 
about 700 feet of coax, with about 300 feet of it RG6 CATV cable.

The 40 meter antenna is stacked 3 element Yagis.

The other bands are 5 element Yagi's at about 1-1/2 wavelengths, except for 
ten and six. Ten is six elements at maybe 45 feet (not sure), and six is two 
five element antennas fed through 250 feet of LMR400.

While that is a very nice station for someone without an outside antenna, 
and super for someone with no way to get on the air, I do not agree with 
anyone claiming this is a "super station" with an unreasonable or grossly 
unfair advantage.

The primary use of my station, thus far, has been for people who do not have 
their own radios and still want to stay on the air.

***My*** compensation for allowing that access covers the Internet data 
charges and electricity, with a little left over for infrastructure and 
maintenance. For example, I bought a K3 for that station (mostly because I 
wanted a spare anyway), and I donate an ALS1306 so I can play with getting 
it to run on remote. My policy is this...I care less what someone else 
charges as long as it is controlled, and is not over used. I do not want my 
stuff wearing out. I'm getting too old to climb.

For me, playing with the wiring and interfaces is very educational. After a 
long discussion about remote interfaces with a VE1 and with long time Ham 
friend of mine (from DX60 days), I actually looked for a way to get activity 
via remote.

I've never worked on a remote system before, although in the 1970's I had an 
up converter and down converter on a 2 GHz microwave link I built (from 
scratch) that translated receive signals across a one-two mile path. That 
system taught me about oscillators, multipliers, and weird things like rat 
race mixers.

What I am enjoying is building interface equipment and seeing how this stuff 
works, what breaks, and I really don't care if someone else uses it or makes 
money reselling it as long as it is never becomes a PITA to me.

I understand people like Larry want to complain about my site, and some 
think I've personally hastened the end of Ham radio, but it is actually 
listed as a beta site. I had a choice of experimenting with it in any one of 
a few free networks, but those networks (that no one here complains about) 
have virtually no supervision.  I didn't think that was a good idea for 
anyone.

I do regret allowing use of my 160 omni vertical and my rotating tower with 
800-1000 watts has completely destroyed people's lives, but I enjoy learning 
some neat things about station interfacing. I especially enjoy letting 
people who have no station, or who have very restricted antennas, get on the 
air with (what I consider) modest power and fairly good outside antennas.

I also do not think it is fair, and I do not think it is rational, logical, 
or reasonable, for anyone to grossly exaggerate or just make things up. I 
can't understand what motivates people to do things like that, so I thought 
I'd set the record straight.

If someone thinks 800-1000 watts to a single tower system (and a single 160 
and 80 antenna), with controlled access is going to completely ruin life, or 
wants to give up their gear and use my station, the problem really isn't 
anything I can help with. I am going to enjoy working on things and learning 
thing, whether anyone else thinks I should be allowed to enjoy my aspect of 
the hobby or not. I'm not going to let someone else bully me out of the 
hobby.

73 Tom