[TowerTalk] RE: Rxing on the low bands

[Jim White, K4OJ]

This past weekend was a first for me...I had used receive antennas at 
other contest stations but never really implemented a real one before.

We had a real beverage for the first time at our multi-op... I have 
kinda last minute laid one on the ground etc in the past in the hours 
before a contest but this past weekend several of the ops went out into 
a distant field and strung up a full fledged beverage, data on them is 
all over the web....

It was fed with lightweight 75 ohm coax and went into a t-connector in 
the shack where it was shared by 80 and 160 meters - each band had an 
old Ameco preamp and from there the output went in the rx antenna socket 
of an ft1000mp

On Sunday night as things were winding down I went into the shack to see 
if there was going to be any last minute stuff to be worked on 80, the 
80 meter op was in the second chair on 15 meters - when I sat down at 
the transceiver at about 2200Z and tuned the knob I heard NO stations in 
the contest... when I switched to the beverage I heard over a dozen 
European stations without strain - on what last year would have been a 
dead band... I even called one who worked me on the first call!  Granted 
it was a well equipped Euro multi-op but the point is that I am certain 
our score on 80 and 160 would have much less without the one beverage.

Before the next contest I hope to explore multiple short vertical arrays 
and also add more beverages in other direction to our arsenal!

It DOES make a difference!

73,

Jim, K4OJ
Team W1CW