[VHFcontesting] Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal Operating

[Peter Laws]

On Wed, Feb 12, 2014 at 8:44 AM, Zack Widup <w9sz.zack at gmail.com> wrote:



> Maybe more of us should spend some time on these forums answering these
> questions from a VHF'er who operates on CW/SSB. I, for one, am going to do
> that.


You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!  I, for one, am not
interested in being belted *or* flayed.  But yes, that would surely be
helpful if for no other reason than to make sure there is more than
one point of view represented.

Re: the MFJ rig - if I'd known about it I'd forgotten.  Seems a little
spendy for 7 W, but it's SSB only you need a $50 board for CW.  Hey,
but with ConstantCurrent syllabic speech processing you get a 4 to 6
dB advantage.  4-6 dB over what, it is not known.  :-)  Gotta love
MFJ's copywriters!  Make sure you order the X model so you get a mic!

Still, a neat radio and, as previously noted, when the band is open,
the band is *open*.

Re: big amps and towers ... I wish.  VUCC on 50 with either a KB6KQ
loop or my trap dipole via tuner and about 30 grids on 144 with an
ancient Cushcraft A148-10S.  All with my IC746Pro ... that I bought
used (horrors!) via eBay (the devil you say!).  I also have DXCC
Mixed/Phone/RTTY/15m/20m with 100 W and wires and most on the same
radio and same dipole.  Getting close to 200 Mixed, even.


> I've used an FT-736R. I don't own one, but from what I've seen it's a great
> radio. But definitely not a mobile rig! At least not one you'd mount under
> a dash.

Also out of production like the IC910, the Icom single-banders, the TS-790 ...

I was *really* disappointed that the IC7410 omitted 144 MHz.  Had Icom
not made that error, I'd have probably replaced my 746Pro (aka 7400),
but alas.  At least it has 50 MHz.  And is, by most accounts, a fine
radio.  I thought maybe an IC9100 ... but then found out that it
included all bands down to the Oscar Foxtrots on 160 ... and was
$3500!  I see GigaParts has it for about $2800 which is much more
reasonable ... should probably set up a search on eBay!  :-)

Hey.  While we're griping, why are folks On The Ultra-highs not on
LOTW?  I have at or over 200 grids on 50 MHz but have only had less
than 125 confirmed via LOTW, enough to get VUCC but not the 125
sticker.  I should actually calculate the percentage of confirmations
above 50 MHz, but I'm confident that it's well below my overall 50%
average LOTW confirmation rate.



-- 
Peter Laws | N5UWY | plaws plaws net | Travel by Train!