[VHFcontesting] Cycle 24 Nears (?) ... therefore it is time to ...

[W0WOI at aol.com]

.... resurrect this good olde days article to be relived  by us graybeards 
and introduced to the still fuzzy-faced?

DX Stories by Paul M. Dunphy, VE1DX 
  
6-meter Radials
One of the Local QRPers came up the hill today and there was joy in his  
stride. He was the same one who we'd heard on the 2-meter repeater telling one  of 
the big guns about this new found success on 6-meters. He wasn't long getting 
 to the point.  
"5 new ones today!" He began, grinning from ear to ear, "That makes 13 in 4  
days. I guess at this rate, using simple linear math, the time for me to get 
my  50-MHz DXCC is (100 X 4 / 13) = 30.8 days. That's one month."  
We held up our hand in resistance: "Wait a minute. It isn't linear! It took  
VE1YX over 12 years to get 6-meter DXCC. And he was at it all the time, with 
an  8-element beam at 70-feet fed with hard-line and a big amplifier. You just 
hit a  fluke in propagation."  
The QRPer grinned wider and shook his head. "Nope, not on your life! I  
wouldn't do this for just anyone, but I'm going to let you in on my secret.  Here's 
what I did. I got rid of my beam, amplifier and tower. Sold it. Then I  
bought a multi-band vertical with the 12/17-meter add-on kit. That part is  
important as it widens out your resonance point."  
We tried to get a word in, but he was going full steam ahead. "I know, I  
know! You had your resonance point widened by a doctor a few years ago, but this  
is different."  
We shoved back our baseball cap and finally took it right off. We scratched  
our forehead as the QRPer ploughed on.  
"Here's the secret. 51 radials! Not 49, not 50 and not 52. 51. But there's  
more to it than that. The first 50 radials can be any length, and they should 
be  a mix if you are going to use your antenna on HF too. The trick is radial 
51.  Make it the portion of the wavelength where you are most likely to be 
operating.  If you plan to be around 50.100 MHz, then cut it .100 wavelength. If 
50.150 MHz,  cut it .150 of a wavelength, and so on. This isn't too critical as 
your vertical  will be broad-banded to begin with, but if you want that extra 
edge, cut it  where the DX is likely to be, and then you'll be ready to 
pounce!"  
"You won't find this in any ARRL antenna book. And don't tell anyone, either! 
 If everyone finds out, then we won't have the advantage. You just listen to 
me,  and I'll teach you how to DX on 6-meters. I have a few more tricks up my 
sleeve.  You try this antenna one first. Then we'll move on to phase two. 
There is a  6-meter DXer buried inside you somewhere. We'll get him out in the 
open!"  
With that he was off down the hill, running and kicking up his heels in  
anticipation of tomorrow's 6-meter opening. Son of a Gun! Some days there are  
times when you can anticipate what is coming, and be prepared. Somehow, we  
didn't even think Lord Baden-Powell, the Hero of Mafeking, would have been  
prepared for this one. So we just watched him round the corner and hoped  tomorrow 
would be another good day on 6. It kept the QRPers off the lower bands,  and we 
still needed the 5W0VK on 17-meters.  
The Great Days of DXing are upon us. The signs are everywhere. QST printed an 
 article saying we were in the middle of a double peak cycle and the Palos 
Verdes  Sundancers were showing no signs of letting up. Maybe the QRPer had 
actually  come across something . . . like too sitting too close to the amplifier 
with the  cover off! DX IS!  
73/DX Paul VE1DX (QSL via VE1YX) 



**************Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living.      
(http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/
2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598)