[VHFcontesting] Running a big enough station for portable operations....

[Marshall-K5QE]

Hello everyone interested in 6M for portable operation.....

I have done several different 6M portable operations to rare grids.  The 
difference between a station running a 3el beam and 100W and a station 
running 5 or 7 el and 1KW or 1500W is just HUGE.  We ran a 7el M2 and 
either 1KW or 1500W(when we were running EME--yes we ran EME off a 
boat!!) and we worked 1500+ stations in 3 1/2 days.  You just don't get 
that with a 3el and 100W, I don't care how nice the propagation is.

The reverse is also true.  Fixed stations running a 3el and 100W are 
about 15db down from a 7el and 1500W.  15db down is a LOT!! There are 
many MS and tropo contacts that are lost because stations are not 
running sufficient ERP(power + antenna)....never mind EME contacts.  I 
know that you can make contacts with 100W and a 3el, because there are 
hundreds of them made every season.  But you will make a lot MORE with 
more goo.

One of the things that I "preach" to operators contemplating portable 
type operations is that you need to be sure that you have plenty of  
station for what you are trying to do.  Some guys catch on and some 
don't......

There are numerous solid state 6M amps running around nowadays that will 
give you 1KW+ output...get one of those.....

73 Marshall K5QE


On 6/19/2015 9:12 AM, Mike (KA5CVH) Urich wrote:
> On Thu, Jun 18, 2015 at 4:14 PM, Mark Spencer <mark at alignedsolutions.com> wrote:
>
>> I'm contemplating ways I can run 300 watts or more on six meters (500 watts or more is my preference, less than 300 is probably not worth the effort in my view vs the stock 100 watts.)
> Mike wrote
>
> The difference between 100 and 500 watts is about 6dB, or ~2-3 S-units
> at the receivers location. For mobile I personally don't see investing
> the money or time.  However for "well" equipping a portable station,
> like activating rare grids that's different.
>