[TowerTalk] Rai Beam

[Guy Olinger, K2AV]

I have not seen anybody adequately quantify the parameters at work  when
"working contesting stations right at the noise level". To even begin to
consider it raises a blizzard of technical/mathematical quandaries.

HOWEVER, that I cannot create the mathematics to model it, does not
negate the contesting experience....

1/2 dB doesn't seem to matter for anything at one end, whereas 3 dB may
open up another layer given  marginal circumstances. When 10 meters is
open like it has been recently, a wet noodle is a killer antenna. When
10 is lousy, that 3 dB can have you working weak stations when everyone
else says the band is closed.

You HAVE seen a center fielder turn his back to the ball, run toward the
wall and catch it over his shoulder. Anyone know how to program a "PC in
the center fielder's head" to automate that? Nope. But it does happen.

There is a lot going on with that 3 dB additional gain and we DO have
the experience. The math is an altogether different question.

When I am constructing my contest station, I am trying to add up all the
1/2 dB's and get me a 3 dB to work with. An antenna with pattern will
lower the noise that competes with my hearing desired stations. An
antenna also with gain will increase the chances that a distant
contester will hear me with his antenna pointed elsewhere, or make me as
loud as a station running higher power.

The reason why I will try to put up a 3 element 40 beam instead of a 2,
is to reduce the noise off the back (particularly when I'm trying to
work Europe). I have used both a 3 element full sized monster and a
shortened 40 meter 2 element. There is all the difference in the world
at the end of the contest. Math or no math. Marketing or no marketing.

- - . . .   . . . - -     .   . . .     - - .   . - . .

73, Guy
k2av@contesting.com
Apex, NC, USA

----- Original Message -----
From: Ian White, G3SEK <G3SEK@ifwtech.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2000 11:40 AM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Rai Beam


>
> Pete Smith wrote:
> >
> >I think Mauri's right, in the context that he (and I) usually
consider,
> >which is contesting. 2-3 dB can make a whole 'nother layer of
stations
> >available to work,
>
> Coming from a moonbounce background, I can confirm that it's not
simply
> about signal/noise ratio.
>
> You could probably work many of those stations anyhow, but that extra
> 2-3dB means you can work them faster... like, before the contest ends!
> On TX, an extra 2-3dB helps you hold the QSO together if the other
> station is very weak. On RX, it makes the difference between having to
> ask for repeats or not. Instead of still struggling to complete the
QSO,
> you're on to the next one. When you're really working down into the
> noise, the improvement in contest scores can be much bigger than the
> improvement in signal/noise.
>
> 73 from Ian G3SEK          Editor, 'The VHF/UHF DX Book'
>                           'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
>                            http://www.ifwtech.com/g3sek
>
> --
> FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
> Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
> Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
> Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com
> Search:                   http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm
>
>


--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com
Search:                   http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm