[VHFcontesting] Setting up new station

[Duane - N9DG]

Just wanted to be sure that the 45 degree idea and its potential big pitfall is fully understood. I might have even tried it many years ago ;)..

One thing I did do for a few years many years ago was to put an Alliance U-110 rotator on the antenna boom of a CC 3219. Was only about 15 seconds to switch polarities using that approach. Worked quite well. Since then have only had longer boom antennas with required bracing that didn't lend themselves to doing that anymore.

Duane
N9DG

--------------------------------------------
On Tue, 11/15/16, nosigma at aol.com <nosigma at aol.com> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Setting up new station
 To: n9dg at yahoo.com, waisean at gmail.com, w9sz.zack at gmail.com, vhfcontesting at contesting.com
 Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2016, 6:40 AM
 
 You are
 correct.  But since there are only a couple dozen FM
 contesters spread across the country its a small risk. Its a
 bad idea for an ssb station.   If it becomes a trend, as
 you ppint out, its self defeating. The reason for doing it
 was to try and catch a big staftion 3 or 4 grids away on the
 second day.  No joy on that account for me, but as far as I
 can tell it didnt hurt of course I will never know what I
 did not hear.  
 73
 
 John
 
 KM4KMU
 Sent from AOL Mobile Mail
 On Monday, November
 14, 2016 Duane - N9DG <n9dg at yahoo.com>
 wrote:
 
 Better think
 the 45 degree polarization thing through a bit more. It only
 works good if you are the only one doing it. If everyone
 else is also turned 45 degrees in the same direction as you
 are, and they are then pointed towards you, you will then
 discover that the 45 degree polarization idea has a major
 flaw.
 
 Duane
 N9DG
 
 --------------------------------------------
 On Mon, 11/14/16, John Young via VHFcontesting
 <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
 wrote:
 
  Subject: Re:
 [VHFcontesting] Setting up new station
  To:
 waisean at gmail.com,
 w9sz.zack at gmail.com,
 vhfcontesting at contesting.com
  Date: M
 onday, November
 14, 2016, 4:19 PM
  
 
 Sean,
  
  I cant take
 complete credit for the idea.  It
  was one
 of many ideas people on the reflector discussed wit
  me last spring. I can say the loss wasnt
 noticable.  Not
  only did I get my longest
 range qso at 45 deg polarization,
  I also
 got my texhnically weakest, a 5w ht at 90  miles and
  he was deep in an urban jungle.
  
  John. KM4KMU
  
  Sent from AOL Mobile Mail
  
  On
  Sunday,
 November 13, 2016 Sean Waite <waisean at gmail.com>
  wrote:
  
 
 John,
  
  That's a pretty
 good idea.
  I was trying to think what I
 would tell a new contester with
  only FM
 gear. As a primarily sideband station we run all
  h-pol, and it doesn't make sense to change
 that on our
  end. Running your FM beams at
 45 degrees if that's all
  you got, if
 possible, is likely the best of both worlds.
  Canting a vertical might work if they are
 broadside to the
  cant as well, though
 you're likely to add too many other
 
 variables in that.
  
  
  I thought I sent this email forever ago,
 and
  apparently it was just sitting in my
 drafts. Oops.
  
  
  Sean WA1TE
  
 
 
  On Fri, Nov
  4, 2016 at
 5:00 PM John Young via VHFcontesting <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
  wrote:
  
  Sean
 & Zack,
  
  
  For September
  I was at 4400
 ft ASL.  I ran VV on Saturday and then set
 
 the beams at 45 degrees for Sunday.  At 45 degrees you
 lose
  3dB against a VV and HH station.  The
 idea was that an SSB
  HH station (stacked
 beams and amps) might just see me on the
 
 band scope and flip to FM (seeing my freq was 146.520)
 and
  try for a QSO.  Multipliers are hard
 to come by on FM.  I
  didnt get any
 "big stations" running HH.  K8GP/R
  was my only "high end" station and
 they did run VV
  for FM.  Honestly I did
 not notice the 3dB loss and set at
  45
 degrees I got my longest range FM QSO at 187 miles, clear
  as a bell and I was working the side of his
 beam.
  
  
 
 73
  John
  KM4KMU