[UK-CONTEST] Power Limitations

[Don Field]

Surely setting an ERP limit goes against everything amateur radio is about.
Station improvements are surely what we should strive for - antennas are a
major part of that, along with low loss coax, etc. ERP can be achieved
simply by turning up the output power - no skill required. Those other
station improvements might help your receive performance, too!

Don G3XTT

On 28 January 2012 11:43, Rob Harrison <robharrison at g8hgn.freeserve.co.uk>wrote:

> Hi Ray,
>
> I find this argument re accuracy of ERP frankly poor. I've put this idea
> forward for consideration for VHF/UHF contests, but it would apply to HF
> also. I get the same old weak arguments against, when frankly the arguments
> for power only are weak too, as they don't take into account antennas of
> any
> sort, which is bizarre.
>
> Everyone seems to be hung up with the Nth degree of ERP accuracy, surely we
> can agree on generic gain for certain antennas, we know the power out,
> feeder loss, it's relatively simple to work out a figure for any given
> station to within fairly accurate limits. Not taking antenna gain into
> account at all is utterly wrong.
>
> It seems there is a reluctance to even try it, are vested interests at play
> here?
>
> 73
>
> Bob G8HGN
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ray Hills" <g3hrh at btinternet.com>
> To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
> Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2012 11:21 AM
> Subject: [UK-CONTEST] Power Limitations
>
>
> >I don't think using ERP to set the limit will work because few, if any,
> > actually have the ability to determine it accurately.  They would have to
> > rely on the antenna manufacturers' claims, not all of which are reliable
> -
> > or even credible.  Power into the antenna is OK because many (most?) have
> > a
> > Bird, especially if it has the peak power modification.  I find it very
> > reassuring to have a Bird permanently in circuit, as part of the antenna
> > patch panel set-up, to make sure that all is both healthy and within the
> > power limit for any particular contest.
> >
> > Ray  G3HRH
> >
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