[TowerTalk] What was a dB is worth in 99 CW Sweepstakes?

[James R. Duffey]

All - After my post last night I went back to the June QST and dug up the 99
CW Sweepstakes.

So here is roughly what a dB was worth in the 99 CW Sweepstakes:

Station  Power     dB(5W)     Sec   dB(5W)    QSOs    dB(5W)
W4PA       5W         0        79     0        796       0

NT1N     100W        13        79     0       1145     1.6

WP3R    1500W        25        79     0       1410     2.5

Forgive the liberties I have taken with the dB. ;^)=

So things haven't changed much. It looks like in SS dBs don't mean much in
getting multipliers. All the stations had the same number of sections.
And a 25 dB increase in power results in a 2.5 dB increase in QSOs. It does
look like a dB is worth a bit "more" in going from 5W to 100 W than from 100
W to 1500 W.

Not scientific as I said, although I play one in real life. Somebody wanted
to know what a dB was worth in a "real" contest. There it is. Don't take it
too seriously.

Now I realize that there a lot of variables here which I have ignored. I am
in the "assume a spherical chicken (dB) mode". But it is probable that all
three stations have "great antennas" well matched to working US multipliers
in SS. And I suspect that all three have good locations. Being in Puerto
Rico probably helped WP3R, but Conneticut and Tennessee are certainly not
rare sections.

Long ago I recall that QST used to publish the equipment that some of the
winners used. Transmitter, receiver, and antennas were listed in a big
chart. Maybe automatic CQers when they were new? This was back when we had
to send the time as part of the exchange.

This is fun. I think I will analyze a DX contest next. Any suggestions??
Thanks for your attention. - Dr. Megacycle KK6MC/5
-- 
James R. Duffey KK6MC/5
30 Casa Loma Road
Cedar Crest, NM 87008


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