Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 205, Issue 24

Mon Jan 20 13:23:00 EST 2020

 I decided to make a GP from my 27 meter height tower 4 days before 160m ww contest. Unfortunately just 8 radials. What do you think about only 8 radials?
    On Monday, January 20, 2020, 09:00:46 PM GMT+4, topband-request at contesting.com <topband-request at contesting.com> wrote:  

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Today's Topics:

  1. FCP results (Richard McLachlan)
  2. Re: FCP results (Tuomas Talka)
  3. Re: FCP results (Artek Manuals)
  4. Any Linrad selective limiter noise blanker experts here?
      (Tim Shoppa)

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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2020 12:59:59 +0000
From: Richard McLachlan <richard at rodsley.net>
To: topband at contesting.com
Subject: Topband: FCP results
Message-ID: <FF27EB93-CB97-4B32-ACA4-85A91D349A9F at rodsley.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;    charset=us-ascii

After trying buried radials, surface radials and elevated radials with my inverted L, I finally put up an FCP a few days ago. The difference is amazing and I reckon my signal into NA has gone up by 4-6 dB. As I only have a fairly small tree available the vertical section of the antenna only goes up to around 45 feet. The FCP is about 4 feet above ground at the moment so I will raise it a bit more as I think 8ft is the recommended height.

Richard
G3OQT

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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2020 16:12:26 +0200
From: Tuomas Talka <oh5jjl at gmail.com>
To: Richard McLachlan <richard at rodsley.net>
Cc: Topband <topband at contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: FCP results
Message-ID:
    <CABmSXmVO5zt4tYQ=diEaw1jTuDx0b0f-cgG3NXSDSXGKZ9APvg at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Same here. I've been very satisfied with my FCP both on 160 and on 80m
antennas. My problem is quite high noise floor and a lack of space for
special rx antennas - not being heard by others with good rx antennas.

73, Tuomas OH5JJL

On Mon, Jan 20, 2020 at 3:00 PM Richard McLachlan <richard at rodsley.net>
wrote:

> After trying buried radials, surface radials and elevated radials with my
> inverted L, I finally put up an FCP a few days ago. The difference is
> amazing and I reckon my signal into NA has gone up by 4-6 dB. As I only
> have a fairly small tree available the vertical section of the antenna only
> goes up to around 45 feet. The FCP is about 4 feet above ground at the
> moment so I will raise it a bit more as I think 8ft is the recommended
> height.
>
> Richard
> G3OQT
>
>
> _________________
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband
> Reflector
>

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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2020 09:25:23 -0500
From: Artek Manuals <Manuals at ArtekManuals.com>
To: topband at contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: FCP results
Message-ID: <97edfaf6-5ed0-3740-468d-6500da1118f1 at ArtekManuals.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed

Richard

Glad to hear you are having good results with your FCP.

What is the basis for your estimate of a 4-6 db improvement? Which prior 
antenna configuration was your improvement based on (or i.e. which was 
the 2nd runner-up)

Dave

On 1/20/2020 7:59 AM, Richard McLachlan wrote:
> After trying buried radials, surface radials and elevated radials with 
> my inverted L, I finally put up an FCP a few days ago. The difference 
> is amazing and I reckon my signal into NA has gone up by 4-6 dB. As I 
> only have a fairly small tree available the vertical section of the 
> antenna only goes up to around 45 feet. The FCP is about 4 feet above 
> ground at the moment so I will raise it a bit more as I think 8ft is 
> the recommended height.
>
> Richard
> G3OQT
>
>
> _________________
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband 
> Reflector

-- 
Dave
Manuals at ArtekManuals.com
www.ArtekManuals.com

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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2020 10:43:33 -0500
From: Tim Shoppa <tshoppa at gmail.com>
To: topBand List <topband at contesting.com>
Subject: Topband: Any Linrad selective limiter noise blanker experts
    here?
Message-ID:
    <CAJ_qRvYhv5M1Xs5rXx3Tb2CFj2S6GVHemvcJtC3UZVcki0iXdQ at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

My horrible utility line noise (which afflicted me in ARRL 160) continues
and I'm looking to operate in the CQ 160 test this weekend and not be an
alligator. I've located the offending pole but lack any way of getting it
fixed on such short notice.

In a quiet non-contest topband session, my rig's noise blanker does a very
decent job eliminating the 120Hz impulses. I have to operate many kc away
from any loud locals but it's effective. In a low-power contest like NAQP
SSB the rigs noise blanker is still useful although not a cure-all.

But in a 160 contest with a huge density of loud local signals, the rigs
noise blanker's action just mixes all the super-loud dense signals together
and isn't really effective anymore.

I read in N2NC's NCJ article, about the powerful technique of using a SDR
with Linrad configured to not apply the noise blanker to the loud signals.
He goes on to say "The Linrad noise blanker, combined with the 768kHz
bandwidth of the Airspy HF+, has been a big plus when the noise pops up. It
makes the noise a non-issue, and I notice no distortion, even on a band
packed with strong signals". N2NC's article here:
https://ncjweb.com/bonus-content/N2NC-Linrad/N2NC-Linrad-Main.pdf

Can any topbanders familiar with Linrad, please give me some hints on this
configuration? Either on this list or by E-mail to me.

Tim N3QE tshoppa at gmail.com

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End of Topband Digest, Vol 205, Issue 24
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