[TowerTalk] perspective

[michael watts]

The gist of your analysis seems on track to me.  But
it understates the case.  The middle of the bell curve
of "hams vs erp" or "hams vs basic signal strength at
the contest site" is at quite a low erp and quite a
low signal strength.  So a few more db uncovers a LOT
of additional stations to work.  So the effect on
score is non-linear.

Mike wy6k
--- Pete Smith <n4zr@contesting.com> wrote:
> 
> At 11:23 AM 7/19/00 -0400, Tom Rauch wrote:
> ....
> >I've been racking my brain trying to think of a way
> to test the theory 
> >that a few dB of signal makes a big difference in a
> contest, but I 
> >can't think of a way to prove or disprove it.
> 
> I wish I knew the proper logician's term for this
> sort of "proof," but let
> me give it a try anyhow....
> 
> Let's assume that I make several thousand QSOs
> during a contest.  Let's
> further assume that those QSOs are distributed along
> bell-shaped
> distribution curves with respect to several
> parameters, such as path loss
> and receiving signal-to-noise ratio.  There are
> potential QSOs out at the
> lower end of each curve that were NOT made, because
> the distant station
> fell just below the threshhold of acceptable copy of
> my signal.  If the
> station had heard me, and if he had called me, I
> would have heard him (my
> receiving location is quite quiet). 
> 
> Now add a dB or 2 to my signal.  In some small
> number of those instances,
> my signal is now just loud enough to be heard, I get
> those additional
> calls, and the QSOs are made.  If the gain results
> from antenna
> improvements, then there MAY also be a few instances
> where I hear a station
> I couldn't hear before, to the extent that improved
> directivity lowers the
> ambient noise floor.
> 
> I can't tell you how many QSOs a dB's worth to a
> contester, but I think
> this says there will be SOME.
> 
> 73, Pete Smith N4ZR
> 
> The World Contest Station Database 
> is back up and running at
> http://www.qsl.net/n4zr 
> 
> 
> 
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