[UK-CONTEST] Linear (?) amps & use of Illegal power levels

[Stewart GM4AFF]

Quote Ken Eastty:
> When the subject of running Illegal power levels is discussed it's always
interesting to see who doesn't take part, I draw my own conclusions from
this....

I think the main reason why a large proportion of the 450+ contesting
followers on here aren't taking part is because they've have had enough it.
There is nothing else on this reflector guaranteed to generate a good 4 week
thread as:
- using cluster and claiming un-assisted
- using the cluster!
- using Skimmer, or even mentioning it
- using high power and claiming a lower power category
- getting help with operating and claiming single op
The competitive side of our hobby is built around trust. So maybe we should
police it ourselves - please name names. What gets me is the envy in the
assumption that anyone who does well, or just happens to have a large amp or
even a large antenna, must have been cheating. The fact is that those who do
well do so because of hours of hard work (every weekend) and years of
experience. Just because they're loud (or maybe even wide) doesn't mean
they're cheating.
The results of the 2011 IOTA Contest were released on Tuesday and not one
person has commented on them. Well done to the adjudication team for doing a
grand job. The web site works well too!
And this weekend it's the CQ 160m CW Contest - a great opportunity to have
some fun on 160m. Let's hope conditions are good.

73
Stewart
GM4AFF (GM3F)

-----Original Message-----
From: uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Ken Eastty
Sent: 27 January 2012 10:45
To: uk-contest at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Linear (?) amps & use of Illegal power levels

Comparing cars capable of exceeding the 70mph speed limit (most of them
today) with amplifiers which can exceed the UK power limit (again most of
them) is well made. You don't have to spend long on any M'way before you are
passed by a succession of cars all doing well over the limit providing that
there's not a police car in sight or an average speed camera system in use
(but even these don't seem to deter some drivers).

Sadly as in any competitive event there are always a few who will seek to
gain an unfair advantage (there's a word for this beginning with C ).  The
problem with radio contesting which has already been made is that (with the
possible exception of HF NFD) there's no effective policing which is why
details of transmitters/amplifiers used should be published in the results.
We could then draw our own conclusions about who might be running much more
than the legal limit. This is not to say that some people might still be a
little less than honest but at least there's perhaps a more chance of being
found out (people talk). In the good old days when the GPO regulated amateur
radio anyone running excess power stood a chance of gettng a visit from the
from the local RI investigator, even regular station inspections deterred
most (but not all - I can name a few G3O??'s) from using 813's (plural) on
Top Band in the days of 10W DC I/P but these tended to be used mainly in the
early hours of Sunday mornings when most RI chaps were tucked up in bed.

The idea of running 1500W (or more) puts everyone except those living in
really isolated spots at a further disadvantage, not only do most of us have
to work through the high noise levels caused by electronic devices in nearby
houses but even 400 W already gets into telephones & triggers PIR lights,
audio systems etc.  I'd like to believe that running a big amplifier
resulted in a cleaner signal, unfortunately this doesn't always appear to be
the case, some stations are louder & wider than they should be.
The idea of using ERP as suggested a little while back rather than power to
the antenna (whose bright idea was that?) had the merit of making the
playing field just a tiny bit more even, those with big arrays still gain on
the RX side & in an isolated location lower noise levels.

When the subject of running Illegal power levels is discussed it's always
interesting to see who doesn't take part, I draw my own conclusions from
this....

73...

Ken

G3LVP

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