$

4
NCJ: The National Contest Journal
American Radio Relay League
225 Main Street Newington, CT 06111-1494
NATIONAL
CONTEST
JOURNAL
November/ December 2005
Volume 33 Number 6
Visit our
Web Site:
www.ncjweb.com
10- Meter Contest History
The Stew Perry Top Band
Distance Challenge
Building a New Contest Station
Part 1
NCJ Reviews the Green
Heron RT-20 Controller
How do you fix a disturbed 4-Square
antenna pattern? You detune the tower!
See the article by Jay Terleski, WXB,
in his issue.
2005 NCJ Nov Dec Cover.pmd 10/7/2005, 3:22 PM 1
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2 November/December 2005 NCJ
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The National Contest Journal
Volume 33 Number 6 November/December 2005
Publisher
American Radio Relay League
225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111
tel: 860-594-0200
fax: 860-594-0259 (24-hour direct line)
Electronic Mail: hq@arrl.org
World Wide Web: www.arrl.org/
Editor
Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA
1227 Pion Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46845
editor@ncjweb.com
Managing Editor
Joel R. Hallas, W1ZR
w1zr@arrl.org
NCJ WWW Page
Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, Webmaster
www.ncjweb.com
ARRL Officers
President: Jim Haynie, W5JBP
Executive Vice President:
David Sumner, K1ZZ
Contributing Editors
Gary Sutcliffe, W9XTContest Tips, Tricks & Techniques
Paul Schaffenberger, K5AFContesting on a Budget
Paul Gentry, K9PGNCJ Profiles
Jon Jones, NJKVHF-UHF Contesting!
Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LAPropagation
Joe Pontek, K8JPThe Contest Traveler
Bill Turner, W6WRTRTTY Contesting
Mark Beckwith, N5OTStation Profile
Bill Feidt, NG3KDX Contest Activity Announcements
Bruce Horn, WA7BNMContest Calendar
Pete Smith, N4ZRSoftware for Contesters
Don Daso, K4ZAWorkshop Chronicles
ARRL CAC Representative
Ned Stearns, AA7A
7038 E Aster Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85254
aa7a@arrl.net
North American QSO Party, CW
Bob Selbrede, K6ZZ
6200 Natoma Ave, Mojave, CA 93501
cwnaqp@ncjweb.com
North American QSO Party, Phone
Bruce Horn, WA7BNM
4225 Farmdale Ave, Studio City, CA 91604
ssbnaqp@ncjweb.com
North American QSO Party, RTTY
Shelby Summerville, K4WW
6500 Lantana Ct, Louisville, KY 40229-1544
rttynaqp@ncjweb.com
North American Sprint, CW
Boring Amateur Radio Club
15125 Bartell Rd, Boring, OR 97009
cwsprint@ncjweb.com
North American Sprint, Phone
Jim Stevens, K4MA
6609 Vardon Ct, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
ssbsprint@ncjweb.com
North American Sprint, RTTY
Doug McDuff, W4OX
10380 SW 112
th
St, Miami, FL 33176
rttysprint@ncjweb.com
Advertising Information Contact:
Janet Rocco, tel 860-594-0203;
fax 860-594-0303; jrocco@arrl.org
NCJ subscription orders, changes of address, and reports of
missing or damaged copies should be addressed to ARRL,
225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 and be marked NCJ
Circulation. ARRL members are asked to include their
membership control number or their QST mailing label.
Letters, articles, club newsletters and other editorial mate-
rial should be submitted to NCJ, 1227 Pion Rd, Fort Wayne,
IN 46845.
The NA Sprint and NA QSO Parties are not sponsored by ARRL.
Yearly Subscription rates: In the US $20
US by First Class Mail $28
Elsewhere by Surface Mail $32 (4-8 week delivery)
Canada by Airmail $31; Elsewhere by Airmail $40
All original material not attributed to another source is
copyright 2005 by The American Radio Relay League, Inc.
Materials may be excerpted from the NCJ without prior
permission provided that the original contributor is credited,
and the NCJ is identified as the source.
In order to insure prompt delivery, we ask that you periodi-
cally check the address information on your mailing label. If
you find any inaccuracies, please contact the Circulation
Department immediately. Thank you for your assistance.
National Contest Journal (ISSN 0899-0131) is published bi-
monthly in January, March, May, July, September and Novem-
ber by the American Radio Relay League, 225 Main Street,
Newington, CT 06111-1494, USA. Periodicals postage paid at
Hartford, CT and at additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: National Contest
Journal, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111-1494, USA.
ADVERTISING INDEX
3 Editorial Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA
FEATURES
4 A Short History of the ARRL 10 Meter Contest Ken Harker, WM5R
10 Lone Wolf or Team Player? The PJ2T Multi-2 Story in CQ WW WPX SSB 2005
Helmut Mueller, DF7ZS
12 Simple Protection for the Fledgling SO2R Station Pete Smith, N4ZR
13 Building a New Contest StationPart 1 John V. Evans, N3HBX
17 Verticals by the SeaPart 3 Al Christman, K3LC
21 The Old-Timer and the Newbie Contester John W. Thompson, MD, K3MD
22 SR2OHints and Kinks Hal Kennedy, N4GG
24 The Stew Perry Top Band Distance Challenge Boring Amateur Radio Club, K7RAT
28 Topband TopicsSimplicity in Antennas Bob Leo, W7LR
30 A Note on Feeding the K3LR 160 Meter Sloper System Al Christman, K3LC
31 How to Detune a Tower Jay Terleski, WXB
33 NCJ Review: Green Heron RT-20 Universal Rotator Controller Jim Idelson, K1IR
37 Yaesu and WRTC2006 in Brazil, and Beyond Martti Laine, OH2BH
COLUMNS
38 Propagation Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA
40 Contesting on a Budget Paul Schaffenberger, K5AF
41 VHF-UHF Contesting Jon K. Jones, NJK
43 Workshop Chronicles Don Daso, K4ZA
44 Contest Tips, Tricks & Techniques Gary Sutcliffe, W9XT
45 DX Contest Activity Annoucements Bill Feidt, NG3K
46 RTTY Contesting Bill Turner, W6WRT
48 Contest Calendar Bruce Horn, WA7BNM
Alfa Radio Ltd.: 3
Array Solutions: COVER II
ARRL: 37
Atomic Time: 9
Better RF Company, The: 42
Bencher: 16
CATS/Rotor Doctor: 21
DX Connection, The: 39
DX Engineering: 45
Elecraft: 20
Expanded Spectrum Systems: 47
Icom America: COVER IV
Idiom Press: 42
IIX Equipment Ltd: 47
KXG Systems: 23
microHAM: 36
Radioware & Radio Bookstore: 12, 37
RF Parts: 47
Ten-Tec: 1
Teri Software: 11
Texas Towers: COVER III
Top Ten Devices: 29
Unified Microsystems: 32
W2IHY Technologies: 30
Writelog for Windows: 30, 32
XMatch/N4XM: 29
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:46 PM 2
NCJ November/December 2005 3
Editorial
By Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA
I followed with great interest a recent
thread on the cq-contest reflector about
volunteers in contest activities, as its very
pertinent to NCJ. It should come as no
secret that NCJ is loaded with volun-
teersthe columnists, the managers for
the NCJ contests, the regional editors,
and of course me. I expect us volunteers
to do the best job we can and to get our
job done in a timely manner. That doesnt
sound like too much to ask, does it?
The biggest problem Ive wrestled with
is the getting things done in a timely
manner aspect. In my mind there are two
issuesa short-term issue and a long-
term issue.
The short-term issues are closely tied
to our personal liveswork and family
events. At some time or another, an inter-
ruption from one or both of these will in-
variably creep in to delay a task. Usually
these are of a short duration, though, and
the issue soon gets resolved to get back
to normal.
The long-term issues are the real prob-
lemwhen things dont get done for many
months or when something has turned
into the new norm. Im certainly not
squeaky-clean in dealing with some of
these long-term issues, but I can say that
we are addressing them and making
progress. I am continually amazed by how
much effort some of these simple con-
test activity tasks can take (for a sound,
long-term solutionnot a quick fix).
As a side note, my father gave me a
great piece of advice early on. He advised
to not complain too much about the job
someone else is doing unless youve done
his job. Because of this, I have much re-
spect for the eleven NCJ editors who have
gone before me: KTO, AH3C, K5ZD,
W2GD, K7GM, K8CC, K5RC, N5KO,
AA5B, NN1N and K7BV.
WRTC2006
WRTC2006 in Brazil is rapidly ap-
proaching. Martti, OH2BH, contributes a
short news item in this issue and Jeff,
K1ZM, will have more on WRTC2006 in
the January/February 2006 issue. As was
the July/August 2002 NCJ dedicated to
WRTC2002 in Finland, the July/August
2006 NCJ will be a special issue for the
Brazil event. If youd like to contribute a
WRTC2006-related article to the January/
February, March/April, May/June or July/
August issue, please let me know.
Tower interactions
Our cover feature in this issue is from
Jay, WXB. Its kind of an extension of the
Volunteers
antenna interactions series by Eric,
K3NA, but Jays article deals with an in-
teraction between an antenna and a
tower. This topic of antennas interacting
with other metal (whether it is another
antenna or a tower) is something that, in
my personal opinion, has been neglected
in years past. It appears that many have
populated their multi-tower HF stations
with massive amounts of aluminum un-
der the belief that (1) you cant have
enough antennas or (2) it makes up for a
lack of operator skill. But few have as-
sessed the negative impact on patterns,
as Eric and Jay have done with their fea-
tures. I cant help but think that de-popu-
lating some of these towers would clean
up patterns and make the station sim-
plerwithout any adverse effect to the
contest score.
Workshop Chronicles column
Don K4ZAs Workshop Chronicles col-
umn in this issue deviates from a typical
radio topic to a subject that is rarely dis-
cussed in ham circlesprotection from
the Sun. Not only does this apply when
working on antennas, but it also applies
to those traveling contesters who journey
to more sunny climates (like the Carib-
bean and South America) for the CQWW
contests, the ARRL DX contests and
other winter contests. I speak from expe-
rience, as my travels to ZF in years past
more than often resulted in several days
of discomfort with nasty sunburns. So
heed Dons advice and take some pre-
ventative measures if youre going to be
out in the Sun for any length of time.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:46 PM 3
4 November/December 2005 NCJ
On December 10-11, 2005 the 33rd
annual ARRL 10 Meter Contest will take
place. One of the most popular ARRL-
sponsored operating events has now
spanned almost three complete solar
cycles.
When the Solar Cycle is at a peak, the
10-meter band can be hot! You can prac-
tically hear the world slowly turning as DX
pours in hour after hour from around the
globe. During those happy years, condi-
tions are so good that stations pack the
band for an entire Megahertz or more. Ten
meters deserves its reputation as a fun
band with reasonable antenna require-
ments and convenient daytime propaga-
tion. Even in those years when the Solar
Cycle isnt peaking, when propagation
isnt quite as spectacular, 10 meters still
has a lot to offer. You can learn how to
make contacts on backscatter, how to use
gray-line enhancement, look for those un-
expected openings and pounce on those
bursts of Sporadic E propagation. Ten
meters is never the same from year to
year. When the ARRL 10 Meter Contest
was first held in 1973, it instantly became
one of the most popular ARRL-sponsored
radio events, and it continues to be a pre-
mier worldwide operating event today.
A predecessor to the current ARRL 10
Meter Contest, the ARRL 10-Meter
Worked All States Contest was first an-
nounced in the December 1949 QST. This
contest was aimed to appeal to new Gen-
eral class licensees who (at the time) had
no other HF phone band. The contest was
96 hours (two full weekends) long, and
the first one was held in January 1950.
Single operator, mixed-mode was the one
entry class available, and the scoring was
one point per QSO with the 48 states as
multipliers. 255 stations entered the first
contest. Chad, WA1ATE, in Connecticut
won with 407 contacts and 43 states, for
a score of 17,501. Katashi Nose, KH6IJ,
in the Hawaiian Territories came the clos-
est to working all the states with 350 con-
tacts and 47 states for a score of 16,450
missing only Maine. The 10 Meter WAS
Contest switched dates to the first two
weekends of December in 1951, and 174
stations participated. The 1952 contest
saw 139 participants and the 1953 con-
test saw only 91 submitted logs. License
structure changes, and a sharply declin-
ing solar cycle, had clearly caused inter-
est in the contest to wane, and it ceased
being held after 1953. No station ever
worked all 48 states in any of the four
contests.
Twenty years later, the modern ARRL
10 Meter Contest was first announced in
A Short History of the
ARRL 10 Meter Contest
Kenneth E. Harker, WM5R
the November 1973 issue of QST. The first
contest was 36 hours long, scheduled
from 1200 UTC December 15, 1973 to
2359 UTC December 16, 1973. There was
no operating time limiteveryone could
operate the entire 36 hours, although you
have to be extraordinarily dedicated to
stay in front of the radio in the wee hours
of the night! 33 years later, the contest is
still 36 hours of fun on a great band, and
has become more popular than ever.
Originally, all contestants were mixed-
modeyou could make QSOs on phone
as well as CW, and you could work each
station once on each mode. You could
enter as a Single-Operator station or with
a team of operators as a Multi-Operator
station. You sent the same contest ex-
change as you do today: stations in the
United States and Canada sent a signal
report and state or province, and DX sta-
tions sent a signal report and a consecu-
tive serial number starting with 001. Each
QSO was worth two points, but working a
Novice station on CW earned four points.
The multipliers were states and Canadian
call areas (VE1-VE8, VO), DXCC entities,
and the three ITU regions for stations that
were not land based (for example, mari-
time mobile stations). The District of Co-
lumbia counted as Maryland. You could
not make CW QSOs in the phone sub-
band, but you could work OSCAR QSOs
for contest credit! The only available Or-
biting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio
in 1973 was AMSAT OSCAR 6, which
operated in Mode A (2 meters up, 10
meters down.) By the 1975 contest,
AMSAT OSCAR 7 was also available, and
AMSAT OSCAR 8 was launched in 1978,
but both carried modes other than just
Mode A. Subsequent contest announce-
ments would clarify that only Mode A sat-
ellite QSOs (two meters up, ten meters
down) would count.
The ARRL 10 Meter Contest has grown
into the most-entered ARRL contest, with
activity from stations all over the planet.
Since the beginning of the contest, logs
have been submitted for operations us-
ing over 22,000 distinct call signs. Sta-
tions have entered from over 220 currently
active DXCC entities, three now-deleted
DXCC entities, and all ARRL/RAC sec-
tions. The rules of the contest have
evolved over the years, adding new entry
categories, increasing point values for CW
contacts, and adding club competition. It
is easy for even very modest stations to
get excited about the 10-meter band. You
do not need very large antennas for 10
meters, and the atmospheric noise is gen-
erally low. You can also sleep through
most of the night without worrying about
missing an opening. With the peak of each
Solar Cycle, new records are set, and
more stations than ever join in the fun.
Whether you choose High Power, Low
Power, or QRP, whether you decide to
operate CW, Phone, or both, theres
something for everyone in this contest.
The Early Years: 1973-1977
The ARRL 10 Meter Contest began
near the end of Solar Cycle 20, so the
Contest Advisory Committee knew that
The locations of stations in the 48 contiguous United States that submitted a
log in the 2003 ARRL 10 Meter Contest. Map by WM5R.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:46 PM 4
NCJ November/December 2005 5
the first several years of the contest would
be in years of poor F Layer propagation.
The first contest announcement sug-
gested that the interest in a 10 Meter
Contest was sparked in par t by the
ARRLs Five Band DXCC and Five Band
Worked All States awards, and a desire
to demonstrate active Amateur occu-
pancy of the band. A scoring incentive
that encouraged CW QSOs with U.S.
Novice stations also helped generate ini-
tial interest in the contest. In spite of the
poor conditions, it was a tremendous suc-
cess from the very beginning.
In the first contest, 720 logs were sub-
mitted from 65 of 71 sections, 29 DXCC
entities and 6 continents. Seven hundred
and twenty logs were far beyond expec-
tations for a new contest; in its very first
year, the 10 Meter Contest was already
the fourth-most-popular ARRL contest
(behind the November Sweepstakes, the
International DX Contest, and Field Day).
The top Single-Operator score from W/
VE was W1BGD/2 in Eastern New York
with 708 QSOs, 76 multipliers, and 79,968
points. The top Single-Operator DX sta-
tion was KZ5NG (WA4UAZ, op.) in the
now deleted DXCC entity of the Canal
Zone with 790 QSOs, 76 multipliers, and
a score of 122,056 points. Some feedback
from the first contest suggested a move
of the contest dates to a summer month,
but such a change would never happen.
The contest has always been held on the
second weekend of December.
In the second year of the contest, 1974,
log submissions increased to 886, the top
W/VE scores more than doubled, and the
top DX scores more than tripled! Only two
sections (AK and VE8) were absent from
the log submissions in 1974. Despite
worsening conditions on the tail end of
the Solar Cycle, logs arrived from 32
DXCC entities on five continents. The top
W/VE Single-Operator station was W6RR
in California with 1205 QSOs, 115 multi-
pliers, and a score of 188,760. The top
DX Single-Operator was TI2BEV in Costa
Rica with 1411 QSOs, 79 multipliers, and
a score of 228,468. Almost every record
score from 1973 was broken.
Propagation was much worse in 1975;
the bottom of Solar Cycle 20 was just six
months away. The W/VE Single-Operator
victory returned to an east coast station
(K3OIO), whereas the DX Single-Opera-
tor high score went to a South American
station (LU1DZ) for the first time. Requir-
ing US Novice stations to sign /N became
necessary in 1976, when the FCC ceased
issuing identifiable Novice call signs. The
top scores in 1976 were significantly
higher than 1975, even though conditions
were not much improved. In the 1977 con-
test, propagation improved ever so slightly
as Solar Cycle 21 began to head upward.
More stations could operate, as Techni-
cian class licensees in the US were
granted the same HF operating privileges
ARRL 10-Meter Contest Rules Changes
As with most other radio contests, the rules of the ARRL 10 Meter Contest have
evolved over the years. How many of these rule changes do you remember?
1973: Originally, all contestants were mixed mode, exchange was the same as
today. There were two categories: Single-Operator and Multi-Operator. Each QSO
was worth two points, but working a Novice on CW was worth four points. Multipli-
ers were states, the nine VE call areas (VE1-VE8, VO,) DXCC entities, and the
three ITU regions for stations that are not land-based. DC counted as Maryland.
CW QSOs were not allowed in phone sub-bands. OSCAR QSOs counted for this
contest!
1976: Special US Novice call signs no longer issued. Novice stations must sign /N.
1977: US Technician licensees granted same HF privileges as Novices. Techni-
cian stations must sign /T.
1978: Contest period changed to 48 hours, with a maximum of 36 hours operat-
ing time for all stations. Contest announcement clarifies that the only OSCAR QSOs
that count are Mode A QSOs (two meters up, ten meters down).
1979: OSCAR contacts no longer count for contest credit.
1980: Single-Operator category divided into Single-Operator Phone-Only, Single-
Operator CW-Only, and Single-Operator Mixed-Mode categories. Stations that are
not land-based are now referred to as maritime or aeronautical mobile stations.
1983: CW QSOs are now four points each instead of two points. CW QSOs with
Novice or Technician stations are now worth eight points.
1985: The District of Columbia becomes a separate multiplier from Maryland.
1987: Multipliers now count once per mode, affecting the Single-Operator Mixed-
Mode and Multi-Operator classes. Novice/Technician operators can now operate
phone on 10 meters; Novice/Technician CW QSOs are eight points each, but Nov-
ice/Technician phone QSOs remain two points each.
1989: Canadian multipliers change from call districts to provinces and territo-
ries, with Newfoundland and Labrador counting as separate multipliers despite
being in the same province. There are now 13 Canadian multipliers: New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan,
Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon Territories, Newfoundland,
and Labrador. Rules now explicitly state that stations in the District of Columbia
send DC as their exchange.
1990: Each Single-Operator entry class is now further divided into three power
categories: High Power, Low Power, and QRP. There are now a total of nine Single-
Operator and one Multi-Operator entry categories.
1991: A No-Code Technician license created in the US. Existing Technicians are
designated Technicians with HF Privileges.
1992: Rules suggest using the frequency range 28.090 MHz to 28.130 MHz for
slower CW QSOs made at speeds from 10-13 WPM.
1995: ARRL Affiliated Club competition is added to the 10 Meter Contest. The
frequency range 28.300 MHz to 28.350 MHz is designated a non-contest win-
dow. Stations may not call CQ Contest in this frequency range.
1999: Although the wording of the contest rules does not change, Nunavaut
separates from the Northwest Territories (VE8) and acquires the call sign prefix
VY, making it a new (albeit very rare) contest multiplier.
2000: Aeronautical mobile stations dropped from contest. Highly controversial
non-contest window eliminated from rules. Novice license class eliminated in the
US, but existing Novices allowed to retain their current class and privileges indefi-
nitely. U.S. Technicians can still pass 5 WPM code element and earn Novice HF
privileges.
2003: Rules clarify that any off time taken must be in amounts of thirty minutes
or more.
as Novice stations, and were required to
sign /T. Scores continued to rise: 29 of 32
W/VE Division records were broken. The
top W/VE Single-Operator was K3EST
(with 277,932 points) and the top DX
Si ngl e-Operator was PJ2FR (wi th
419,650 points), both stations setting new
records.
The First Solar Maximum: 1978-1983
Starting with the 1978 contest, the
event lasted a full 48 hours with a maxi-
mum operating time of 36 hours. This was
obviously an improvement for everyone,
as the hours of darkness with no propa-
gation could be taken off. It was also more
equitable to some DX stations who lost
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:46 PM 5
6 November/December 2005 NCJ
out on daylight hours under the old
time period. In 1978, conditions
were even better than 1977: log
submissions are up by over 40%
overall and DX log submissions
were up 225%. The sol ar fl ux
peaked at 211 on Sunday, and sta-
tions in the Maritimes could work
Europe hours before sunrise. Sta-
tions in the west, though, were out
of lucknobody from VE7 worked Europe
at all! W1PH made an amazing 714 QSOs
aeronautical mobile, the second and fi-
nal station ever to enter that category
(which was finally dropped from the rules
in 2000). KP4RF broke the previous all-
time QSO record with 3033 QSOs!
Solar Cycle 21 peaked in the winter of
1979, and the activity and scores showed
it. The results of the 1979 contest were
the first in which Top-Ten W/VE and Top-
Five DX tables were included in the re-
sults write up in QST. For the first time
ever, the top W/VE Single-Operator score
exceeded the top DX Single-Operator
score. There were no stations active with
the KZ5 prefix in the 1979 contest, though,
as the Canal Zone ceased being a DXCC
entity that September. N7DD in Arizona
scored 945,000 points with 3375 QSOs
and 140 multipliers to win the contest.
The 1980 contest introduced another
rule change. The single-operator category
was split into three separate categories
for Phone-Only, CW-only, and Mixed-
Mode entrants. The Phone-Only category
was the most popular: 40.9% of the en-
tries in the 1980 contest were in that cat-
egory. CW-Only accounted for 27.4% of
the entries overall, but accounted for
31.6% of DX entrants. 20.2% of entrants
overall chose Mixed-Mode, and only
11.9% of the logs submitted were in the
Multi-Operator category. KG6DX on
Guam became the first Oceania station
to win a DX Single-Operator category,
with the second highest score of the 1980
contest: 900,900 points. Nineteen eighty
was also the first year that a Multi-Opera-
tor station had the highest overall score
HH2MC in Haiti scored 975,546 points.
Call signs from six continents appear in
the DX Top-Five Scores boxes.
In 1981, N7DD in Arizona became the
first station ever to break a million points
in the ARRL 10-Meter Contest, winning the
Single-Op Phone-Only category with
1,016,478 points. A note in the results
mentions that the results of the Polish sta-
tions represent Saturday-only operations.
The communist regime arrested the lead-
ers of the Solidarity movement, and the
Military Council for National Salvation de-
clared a state of emergency and imposed
martial law on Sunday, December 13,
1981, forcing all Polish stations off the air.
Martial law would not be suspended until
December 31, 1982, and lifted entirely on
July 22, 1983. Polish stations would return
to the 10 Meter Contest in 1983.
The contest continued to grow in popu-
larity in 1982, even as conditions gradu-
ally waned with the solar cycle. V2ARO,
operating from Antigua and Barbuda, be-
came only the second station ever to
break a million points, but scores overall
were slightly down. VE1YX set a new
Canadian record in the Single-Operator
Phone-Only High-Power category with
3,285 QSOs, 149 multipliers, and 978,930
points. No Canadian station has ever bro-
ken this record!
Getting Ready For The Sun:
1983-1987
Contest activity took a big plunge in
1983, as the solar flux dipped to its low-
est levels in eight years. The point struc-
ture for the contest changed; starting in
1983, Phone QSOs were 2 points each,
CW QSOs four points each, and CW
QSOs with Novice and Technician sta-
tions were now 8 points each. Even so,
no station broke a million points in 1983.
Log entries declined again in 1984, but
even approaching the bottom of the solar
cycle, there were still stations entering
from 50 DXCC entities and 68 sections.
Only one W/VE station (NR5M, multi-op
from South Texas) made over 1,500 QSOs.
TI1C (TI2CF, op.) made the most contacts
that weekend: 1862. The 1985 contest took
place just after the solar minimum, but log
entries continued to decline slightly, and
the top DX scores declined. Log entries
were up in 1986, but scores were still
down; only one station in the entire con-
test scored over 200,000 points (the L4D
Multi-Operator team in Argentina).
In 1987, the rules changed to allow
multipliers to count once per mode for
Single-Operator Mixed-Mode and Multi-
Operator categories. The 1987 contest
was also the same year that US Novices
were granted phone privileges on 10
meters (28.300 MHz to 28.500 MHz) for
the first time. Phone QSOs with Novices
were still only worth two points each (not
the eight points they were worth on CW),
but everyone expected more Novice and
Technician QSOs. Cycle 22 was just
starting to take off, too, and over 1000
logs were submitted. The top scores
were dramatically higher in the Single-
Operator Mixed-Mode and Multi-Opera-
tor categories: K4XS (WC4E, op.) and
NR5M (Multi-Op) both scored over a mil-
lion points! DX scores still lagged well
behind W/VE scores at this point in the
solar cycle.
The Peak Of Cycle 22:
1988-1992
Solar Cycle 22 was well under-
way by December 1988. There
were a record number of log sub-
missions in that years contest:
1769. All scores were substantially
higher than they were in 1987all
of the Top Ten W/VE Single-Opera-
tor Mixed-Mode and Multi-Opera-
tor entrants scored over a million points.
NL7GP became the first Alaskan station
to win a W/VE Single-Operator category,
and had the highest W/VE score overall
with 1,878,484 points. P4V (AI6V, op.)
in Aruba had the highest QSO total, with
3716 QSOs in the Single-Operator Mixed-
Mode category.
Nineteen eighty-nine was the first year
the ARRL Contest Branch accepted com-
puter-generated log entries on floppy disk.
The solar flux, activity, and scores contin-
ued to be very high. In the summer of
1989, the ARRL Field Organization split
the Washington sections into Eastern
Washington and Western Washington sec-
tions. Stations in Washington still sent WA
for their state, but the two sections were
now listed separately in the contest results.
Canadian multipliers were changed from
call areas to provinces, resulting in as
many as four more multipliers to work.
Several Multi-Operator stations (W/VE and
DX) and even one Single-Operator station
(K6LL, Mixed-Mode) topped the two mil-
lion-point threshold. The Multi-Operator
team of NR5M continued to dominate their
category, winning W/VE for the fourth time
in six years. VP2EXX (winner, DX Single-
Operator Phone-Only) became the first
station to make more than 4000 QSOs in
the contest.
Nineteen eighty-nine was a momentous
year for Eastern Europe. In the spring,
Solidarity won the elections in Poland.
Hungarys government renounced com-
munism in July. The Berlin Wall fell on 9
November 1989, and the communist gov-
ernment in Czechoslovakia was over-
thrown on the very weekend of the
10 Meter Contest, on Sunday, December
10, 1989. Before the end of the year,
Romania would also be in revolution and
the dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu executed.
Contest activity from Eastern Europe re-
mained high, despite the tumult. 38 logs
were received in 1989 from Czechoslo-
vakia, 11 from Poland, 12 from Romania,
10 from East Germany, and 6 from Hun-
gary. Revolutions in Eastern Europe
would continue through 1991, resulting in
the breakup of both Yugoslavia and the
Soviet Union. Lithuania was the first
former Soviet Republic to change call sign
prefixes, with stations already using the
LY prefix in the 1989 contest.
Nineteen ninety was the first ARRL 10
Meter Contest to include power-output
Single-Operator categories. Mixed-Mode,
CW-Only, and Phone-Only each now had
Resources
www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2004/10-meters.html
www.arrl.org/contests/
www.arrl.org/members-only/contests/scores.html
www.wm5r.org/maps/2001arrl10/
www.wm5r.org/maps/2002arrl10/
www.wm5r.org/maps/2003arrl10/
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:46 PM 6
NCJ November/December 2005 7
High Power, Low Power, and QRP catego-
ries. This made for a total of nine Single-
Operator categories and the one Multi-
Operator (effectively mixed-mode, high-
power) category. The new LP and QRP
categories might have increased interest,
as the number of log submissions jumped
way up to a new record of 1920 logs. 36%
of those logs were Single-Operator Phone-
Only, 31% were Single-Operator CW-Only,
22% were Single-Operator Mixed-Mode,
and 11% were Multi-Operator. NL7GP,
who won the W/VE Single-Operator
Mixed-Mode title in 1998 from Alaska, this
year won DX Single-Operator Mixed-Mode
High Power at KP2A in the US Virgin Is-
lands, and became the first contester to
win a Single-Operator category from both
W/VE and DX locations. Changes in East-
ern Europe and the former Soviet Union
continued. Estonian stations now signed
with their new ES prefix. Despite German
reunification in September, stations in the
east would continue to use call signs with
Y2-Y8 prefixes through the1992 ARRL 10
Meter Contest.
Even though the sunspots were sup-
posed to be on the decline in 1991, the
solar flux on the weekend of the 10 Meter
Contest was actually much higher than it
had been the year before. Log submis-
sions broke the 2000 mark for the first
time. Some stations reported QSO rates
over 300 QSOs per hour and many top
scores exceeded two million points. Eu-
ropean activity in the contest continued
to be high, including Latvian stations who
were now using their new YL prefix. One
of the reasons for the increased activity
among US stations might have been Rob-
ert Halprin, K1XAs, excellent article
10-Meter Contesting for the Beginner,
published in the November 1991 issue of
QST. Despite a few dated examples, this
remains an excellent tutorial article on the
contest even for todays new contesters.
The big news in 1992 was severe snow-
storms that affected some contest sta-
tions in the northeast US. Log submis-
sions were slightly down, as was the
propagation. The results for 1992 men-
tion that an extensive effort was made
to crosscheck QSOs this year, with the
surprising result that there were fewer log
errors than expected. Scores were down
with the conditions, with only the very top
Multi-Operator stations breaking two mil-
lion points. The first 10 Meter Contest
entries from the newly independent states
of Croatia and Slovenia were submitted
in 1992. The Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia also gained its indepen-
dence the previous year, but no station
from that country would enter the 10
Meter Contest until 1998.
Chasing Every Signal: 1993-1997
In 1993, only the very top Multi-Opera-
tor efforts would break one million points.
In August 1992, Czechoslovakia formally
ARRL 10-Meter Contest Bibliography
Contest Results
1973: McCoy, Lewis W1ICP, Results, 1st ARRL 10-Meter Contest, QST, July,
1974, pp. 56-61.
1974: Cain, Jim WA1STN, 10-Meter Contest Results, QST, June, 1975, pp. 57-
62,75.
1975: Cain, Jim WA1STN, Third Annual ARRL Ten-Meter Contest, QST, June,
1976, pp. 77-80.
1976: Cain, Jim WA1STN and Jennings, Bill WA1AHI, Results, Fourth Annual
ARRL 10-Meter Contest, QST, July, 1977, pp. 91-93.
1977: Frenaye, Tom K1KI, Results, Fifth Annual ARRL 10-Meter Contest, QST,
June, 1978, pp. 73-77.
1978: Frenaye, Tom K1KI and Jennings, Bill K1WJ, Results, Sixth Annual ARRL
10-Meter Contest, QST, June, 1979, pp. 81-85.
1979: Jennings, Bill K1WJ and Frenaye, Tom K1KI, Results, Seventh Annual 10-
Meter Contest, July, 1980, pp. 67-71.
1980: Wilson, Mark AA2Z, Results, Eighth Annual ARRL 10-Meter Contest, QST,
July, 1981, pp. 73-77.
1981: Wilson, Mark AA2Z and Jennings, Bill K1WJ, Results, Ninth Annual ARRL
10-Meter Contest, QST, July, 1982, pp. 74-78.
1982: Jennings, Bill K1WJ and Wilson, Mark AA2Z, Results, 10th Annual ARRL
10-Meter Contest, QST, July, 1983, pp. 80-84.
1983: Holsopple, Edith N1CZC and Hale, Bruce KB1MW, Results, Eleventh ARRL
10-Meter Contest, QST, July, 1984, pp. 79-83.
1984: Kaczynski, Michael W1OD and Holsopple, Edith N1CZC, Results, 12th
ARRL 10-Meter Contest, QST, July, 1985, pp. 74-77.
1985: Kaczynski, Michael W1OD and Lunt, Billy KR1R, Results, 1985 ARRL 10-
Meter Contest, QST, July, 1986, pp. 83-85.
1986: Lunt, Billy KR1R and Schetgen, Mary N7IAL, Results, 1986 ARRL 10-Meter
Contest, QST, July, 1987, pp. 76-78.
1987: Lunt, Billy KR1R and Gamble, Mark N1FOZ, Results, 1987 ARRL 10-Meter
Contest, QST, July, 1988, pp. 87-91.
1988: Lunt, Billy KR1R and Rice, Phil WB9JKI, Results, 1988 ARRL 10-Meter
Contest, QST, July, 1989, pp. 86-92.
1989: Lunt, Billy KR1R and Stankiewicz, Warren NF1J, Results, 1989 ARRL 10-
Meter Contest, QST, July, 1990, pp. 73-79.
1990: Lunt, Billy KR1R and Stankiewicz, Warren NF1J, Results, 1990 ARRL 10-
Meter Contest, QST, July, 1991, pp. 84-90.
1991: Lunt, Billy KR1R and Stankiewicz, Warren NF1J, Results, 1991 ARRL 10-
Meter Contest, QST, July, 1992, pp. 89-96.
1992: Lunt, Billy KR1R and Stankiewicz, Warren NF1J, Results, 1992 ARRL 10-
Meter Contest, QST, July, 1993, pp. 102-108.
1993: Lunt, Billy KR1R and Stankiewicz, Warren NF1J, Results, 1993 ARRL 10-
Meter Contest, QST, July, 1994, pp. 117-123.
1994: Lunt, Billy KR1R and Stankiewicz, Warren NF1J, Results, 1994 ARRL 10-
Meter Contest, QST, July, 1995, pp. 107-
1995: Lunt, Billy KR1R, Results, 1995 ARRL 10-Meter Contest, QST, July, 1996,
pp. 100-
1996: Lunt, Billy KR1R, 1996 ARRL 10-Meter Contest Results, QST, July, 1997,
pp. 99-
1997: Fernandez, Bev N1NAV and Lunt, Billy KR1R, 1997 ARRL 10-Meter Contest
Results, QST, July, 1998, pp. 100-
1998: Henderson, Dan N1ND, 1998 ARRL 10-Meter Contest Results, QST,
September, 1999, pp. 100-
1999: Henderson, Dan N1ND, 1999 ARRL 10-Meter Contest Results, QST,
September, 2000, pp. 97-
2000: Henderson, Dan N1ND, 2000 ARRL 10-Meter Contest Results, QST,
September, 2001, pp. 110-
2001: Henderson, Dan N1ND, Results, 2001 ARRL 10-Meter Contest, QST,
September, 2002, pp. 93-
2002: Henderson, Dan N1ND, Results, 2002 ARRL 10-Meter Contest, QST, July,
2003, pp. 96-
2003: Henderson, Dan N1ND, 2003 ARRL 10 Meter Contest Results, QST, July,
2004, pp. 103-
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:46 PM 7
8 November/December 2005 NCJ
separated into the Czech Republic and
the Slovak Republic. Stations from both
new countries were on the air in the 1992
contest, and the sharp operator made
sure to work both multipliers. Bosnia-
Herzegovina stations entered their first 10
Meter Contest in 1993. Scores decreased
even further in 1994, but as the contest
write-up that year notes, there were QSOs
to be made on E-skip, backscatter, me-
teor scatter, and all kinds of lesser en-
hancement. Stations in South America
had the best propagation, but even W9XT
in Wisconsin was able to work a few Eu-
ropean stations. New call sign prefixes
appeared in some former Soviet repub-
lics in 1994, including the Ukraine.
Two important rules changes were in-
troduced to the contest in 1995. The first
ARRL Affiliated Club Competition in the
10 Meter Contest resulted in victories by
the Frankford Radio Club (Unlimited), the
Florida Contest Group (Medium), and the
Carolina DX Association (Local). The
other rule change introduced in 1995 was
the highly controversial non-contest win-
dow from 28.300-28.350 MHz. The ra-
tionale for this window was that 28.300 to
28.500 MHz was the only phone sub-band
in which US Novice/Technician stations
could operate, and during the 10 Meter
Contest it could be swamped with con-
test activity. It is unlikely that there would
have been many problems with this in the
1995 contest, however, as K5ZD noted
It felt like a VHF contest! Club Competi-
tion remains a popular feature of the con-
test, but the experiment with the non-
contest window would be quietly termi-
nated after the 1999 competition.
South America again was the place to
be in 1996. Just like the year before, al-
most all the top scoring stations were lo-
cated in South America, and benefited
from the trans-equatorial propagation to
W/VE. The notable exception was the DX
Single-Operator Mixed-Mode QRP cat-
egory, where Japanese stations domi-
nated the top scores listing.
After three slow years at the bottom of
the cycle, things picked up dramatically
in 1997, even though the solar flux num-
bers for the weekend were still below 90.
The top stations made over a million
points again, and LU6ETB in the DX
Single-Operator Mixed-Mode High Power
category broke the two million-point
threshold. The results write-up indicates,
the band was packed with signals from
28.300 to 28.800. Nineteen ninety-seven
was also the first year that stations from
the Peoples Republic of China entered
the contest.
DX Everywhere: 1998-2002
The peak years of Solar Cycle 23 would
provide some of the best DX activity ever
in the ARRL 10 Meter Contest. Nineteen
ninety-eight may not have been the first
year that a station in the 10 Meter Con-
test could work DXCC on the band in one
weekend, but it was the first contest that
logs were submitted from stations in over
100 DXCC entities. The 2492 log entries
for the 1998 ARRL 10 Meter Contest were
the most submissions ever received for
an ARRL operating event.
Nineteen ninety-nine set another record
in participation: 2791 logs received at
ARRL HQ represented an estimated 1.27
million QSOs completed during the con-
test! Many scoring records were set, in-
cl udi ng the new one set by PZ5JR
(OHXX, op.) in the DX Single-Operator
CW-Only High Power category that broke
the previous record score by a margin of
almost 35%. Two Multi-Operator stations,
K3MM (at W3LPL) and VP5B, broke the
three million-point mark for the first time.
In October 1999, Palestine became a new
DXCC entity, having been granted a call
sign prefix E4 by the International Tele-
communications Union. E4/G3WQU en-
tered the ARRL 10 Meter Contest that
year, the first and so far only 10 Meter
Contest entry from that DXCC entity.
US contesters entered the weekend of
the 2000 ARRL 10 Meter Contest not yet
knowing who had won the US presiden-
tial elections, as recounts and court deci-
sions in Florida and the deliberations of
the US Supreme Court would not resolve
the matter until the following week. This
did not dampen enthusiasm for the ARRL
10 Meter Contest, however, which again
saw another record level of activity: 2875
logs submitted. The non-contest window
was quietly dropped from the rules for the
2000 contest, for which many 10-meter
enthusiasts must have sighed good rid-
dance! VP5K (Multi-Operator) became
the first station to break four million points
in the 10 Meter Contest, and all of the
Top Ten W/VE Multi-Operator stations had
at least two million points. VP5K also
broke the previous QSO record with 4655
contacts in the log.
QRP contesting had never been stron-
ger in the ARRL 10 Meter Contest than
2001, when QRP entrants made up over
10% of the log submissions. KG9X even
managed to work over 100 DXCC enti-
ties, and over 250 multipliers total, oper-
ating from Illinois and setting the current
world record for the Single-Operator
Mixed-Mode QRP category. Low power
contesting remained the most popular,
though, with 57% of the logs submitted in
low power categories.
Two thousand two was a pleasant sur-
prise with outstanding propagation con-
ditions worldwide. Three thousand one
hundred and nineteen logs were received
at ARRL HQ, a new record for any ARRL
operating event. Over 40,000 call signs
were recorded in the contest logs. Eight
hundred and thirty-nine logs were sub-
mitted by European stations and 161 by
Japanese stations. ZD8Z (N6TJ, op.) be-
came the second station to break four
million points in the contest, and the first
ever to make over 5000 QSOs, setting a
new record in the DX Single-Operator
Mixed-Mode High Power category of
4,733,880 points. That record may stand
for many years. Dan, K1TO, set the world
record for the Single-Operator CW-Only
Low Power categor y from southern
Florida, the first ever low-power CW-Only
stati on from the Uni ted States and
Canada to make more than 2000 QSOs.
The Future: 2003 And Onward
No Solar Cycle peak lasts forever. In
No contest is as subject to the effects of the solar cycles as the ARRL 10
Meter Contest.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:46 PM 8
NCJ November/December 2005 9
2003, the sunspots of Solar Cycle 23 be-
gan to diminish. Log submissions fell to
the lowest number since 1997, and only
the very highest Multi-Operator scores still
broke two million points. Competition re-
mained tight in several categories, though,
especially for QRP contesters. The Single-
Operator Low Power categories remain
the most popular, accounting for 58% of
all log submissions.
The number of logs submitted in 2004
was sharply down from the year before,
as were conditions. Stations operating in
Iraq and Central Kiribati submitted logs,
the first 10 Meter Contest entries ever from
those DXCC entities. For the first time in
years, some W/VE stations reported hours
of daylight with little or no propagation. The
next solar minimum is currently projected
for late 2006 or early 2007, so there are
still rough years ahead. If you have never
before worked 10 meters through a solar
minimum, you will have an opportunity to
learn how to make those prized contest
QSOs under adverse conditions.
Conclusion
The ARRL 10 Meter Contest has been
one of the most successful organized on-
the-air Amateur Radio activity of the past
three Solar Cycles. Because of the con-
test, stations have seriously operated the
band during the down years of propaga-
tion, experiencing the marginal openings,
searching for the sporadic paths, and
learning the tricks to making QSOs in the
worst conditions. In the years of peak so-
lar activity, almost any station, no matter
how modest, can jump onto the band and
work the world with ease. One of the
friendliest and most accessible contest-
ing experiences, the 10 Meter Contest has
been the means by which many of the
worlds top HF operators have come to
know and appreciate Amateur Radios
largest HF band.
As stated at the beginning of this ar-
ticle, the next ARRL 10 Meter Contest is
December 10-11, 2005. This year, like
every year, the contest will present Ama-
teurs with new and different challenges.
The 10 Meter Contest is always a great
experience!
A ham since 1993, Ken Harker, WM5R,
is a computer scientist for a company that
specializes in Internet performance moni-
toring and service management for enter-
prise customers. He holds an Amateur
Extra license. He is a former president of
the University of Texas Amateur Radio
Club, and is the current Webmaster for the
Central Texas DX & Contest Club. You can
contact the author by surface mail at 7009
Fireoak Dr, Austin, TX 78759, on the Web
(www.wm5r.org/), or vi a e-mai l at
wm5r@arrl.net.
Summary of the 10-meter Contests
Year Solar Kp Ap High High High
Flux Index Index Logs Score QSOs Mults
1973 78.1 1.4 6.0 705 122056 790 76
1974 80.7 2.7 13.5 876 228468 1411 89
1975 72.3 1.0 4.5 631 152352 1055 80
1976 78.5 2.7 14.0 613 192480 1237 84
1977 111.5 2.6 21.0 965 419650 1925 109
1978 197.2 0.4 2.0 1459 855306 3033 141
1979 224.1 2.3 9.5 1466 945000 3455 162
1980 248.7 1.6 7.0 1408 975546 3465 200
1981 236.6 3.0 17.5 1556 1016478 3411 163
1982 255.2 3.0 17.0 1540 1011488 3464 158
1983 104.9 3.7 27.5 949 833136 3063 142
1984 74.6 3.8 28.5 639 454800 1862 140
1985 78.3 2.3 10.5 671 339528 1622 106
1986 71.5 2.6 16.0 676 213616 1048 81
1987 91.3 1.6 6.5 1142 1264290 2973 201
1988 168.8 2.4 12.5 1637 2446830 3716 283
1989 185.9 0.8 3.5 1641 2353392 4016 296
1990 189.7 1.8 7.0 1801 3503478 4306 327
1991 214.4 2.4 12.0 2016 2690280 4852 292
1992 165.4 2.0 8.0 1845 2398680 3011 311
1993 88.9 1.7 6.5 1331 1771000 2441 253
1994 88.1 2.3 11.0 1077 1067354 1938 227
1995 71.5 1.5 7.0 901 356400 867 155
1996 78.3 2.2 9.5 1013 627172 1344 182
1997 86.8 0.3 1.5 1513 2250754 2986 263
1998 139.3 1.2 5.0 2492 3311080 3823 299
1999 154.4 2.0 9.0 2594 3673930 4344 324
2000 136.4 3.0 14.5 2737 4091778 4655 324
2001 206.8 2.3 9.5 2520 3337668 3874 312
2002 188.4 2.3 10.5 3119 4733880 5085 325
2003 87.3 3.9 26.5 2322 2347370 3514 265
2004 87.4 3.3 22.0 1860 2531694 3032 277
Solar Flux, Kp Index, and Ap Index values are mean of values recorded that weekend and
summarized in the National Geophysical Data Center archives: ftp://ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/
STP/GEOMAGNETIC_DATA/INDICES/KP_AP
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:46 PM 9
10 November/December 2005 NCJ
Do I want to be the lone wolf again, or
do I want to join a big team? This was
the question I had in mind after the CQ
WW WPX SSB Contest 2004. It was fun
scoring World #3 single operator (as-
sisted) as PJ4P with almost 4000 QSOs
in 35 hours, but isnt it more fun to share
success in a team? Whatever class it
would be for 2005, one thing was sure,
it had to be the Netherlands Antilles
again! (My wife insisted.)
The first call sign that came into my
mind was PJ2T on Curacao, but I thought
it would be very difficult to join a team like
thi s. I studi ed the Web si te at
www.pj2t.org and learned that there was
a multi/something scheduled for the WPX.
The man in charge was Geoff, PJ2DX/
WCG. I felt like someone who invites
himself to a big wedding party when I
wrote the mail to Geoff. I asked him if they
woul d need a guest-op, and to my
surprise the immediate answer was yes!
After a few e-mails back and forth with
Geoff, I found that PJ2T had never done
a serious effort at WPX sideband as
multi/2, and that there might not be
enough operat ors for t hat . Geof f
suggested looking for more operators on
my side of the pond.
It took me 30 seconds to convince
Wolfgang, DK9VZ. From his UHF/VHF
gang, Harald, DL2SAX, joined in and via
the usual someone knows someone
who might we found Uli, DL8OBQ and
Heiko, DK3DM. The German invasion
of PJ2 was ready to roll and Geoff
wanted to learn Germanfast!
Thursday before the contest, the team
was complete and hot for pileups at Signal
Point. The station looked impressive.
There were three 5-el ement
monobanders for 10/15/20 meters fixed
to Europe and another four monobanders
for the US swi tched wi th WXB
StackMatches. In addition, there was a
two-element beam at a height of 35
meters for 40 meters, a three-element
delta loop on 80 meters to Europe and
an i nver ted L for 160 meters, pl us
automatic W3NQN bandpass filters,
Beverages, amps, a bunch of FT-1000
MPs and anything else you could ask for.
The team meeting was shortvery
short. We had a schedule in place and
the goal was to have maximum fun on
the bands.
A Slow Start
Slow nights are slow nights everywhere
in the worldno matter what fairy tales
you might have heard about propagation
in the Caribbean! The first night we
Lone Wolf or Team Player? The PJ2T
Multi-2 Story in CQ WW WPX SSB 2005
Helmut Mueller, DF7ZS
thought we were doing something wrong.
QSO rates dropped so far that even a
single TX would have been boring at
times. Forty meters was okay, but nothing
else was open. On the Beverage we heard
Europe at S9 on 75 meters, but they did
not hear us. Calling CQ did not work
either, and looking at the cluster was
adding to our frustration. In Europe, the
higher bands were already open while we
were still bound to the 40-meter beam.
Geoff supplied us with useful hints,
MUF maps and tried his best to keep
our spirits up. With the rising sun, the
smiles came back to our faces. The rates
were taking off and we had some great
runs to the US. The second night was
slow again, but better than the first. I
figured that we were still short 100-200
mults compared to my experience from
last year. The 30 million points of CQ9K
from 2004 seemed to be unreachable.
Looking up the log, we needed more
mults from Europe even if we had to lose
the fast runs to the US.
Geoff popped up with another great
idea. He noticed that our 20-meter op
was running at rates over 100/hour
stateside, so Geoff showed him a little
Post-it note with 14.125 written on it.
The frequency is out of the US bandmap,
but OK for Europe. The op changed
The PJ2T radio horizon. Not bad!
One of the PJ2T stations for CQ WW WPX SSB 2005
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:46 PM 10
NCJ November/December 2005 11
frequency and, all of a sudden, the mult
and QSO rates were going up again!
This allowed us to catch up quite a bit.
Not a Bad Showing
At the end we were still about 100
mults under my expectation, but the 6-
poi nt QSOs on 40 meters al l ni ght
compensated very well. We had 7270
QSOs, 1237 mults and a claimed score
of 32,086,543. This is only a few points
above the Multi/2 world record from
STRY in 2003 with better conditions,
and its right on target with the CQ9K
score from last year.
We are happy with our achievement,
but at the moment everything looks like
a photo finish in the multi/2 category!
TS3A posted a score of 32,159,932, just
73,389 points above us. With this close
race, everything is up to the final results
after log checking. Five or six multipliers
can make t he di f ference bet ween
number one and two worldwide. We feel
quite confident about our log, but I am
sure we will have some sleepless nights
ahead. Contesting is the only sport in
the world where, at the end, you dont
know if you have won the game or not!
Usually the CQ results need almost a
year to get published.
We were excited about what we had
achieved, especially considering the fact
that we didnt have a big game plan and
we had a t eam t hat never wor ked
together before. You can imagine how
great the Caribbean Amstel Bright Beer
tasted that evening.
Without the Superstation PJ2T on
Signal Point, managed by the CCC
(Caribbean Contest Consortium) and
the fantastic support from Geoff, this
would not have been possible at all. Big
antennas, amplifiers and Beverages at
a QTH like this are the ultimate toys, and
not just for the major contests.
Before and after the contest each of
us compiled another 1500 QSOs using
t he PJ2/ homecal l f rom t he CEPT
regulation. It was nearly impossible to
stay away from the station and not enjoy
a few more pileups.
Thanks to everyone who worked us
during and after the contest. PJ2T QSL
is via N9AG; individual calls are all okay
via the home call bureau or direct.
Thanks to Geoff and the CCC for the
great support.
I am now able to answer the question
(at l east for mysel f ) posed at t he
beginning of this story. Achieving a goal
and, yes, having success with a great
team is much more fun than being the
lone wolf. Everyone should try the team
approach. Of course, it helps to keep
your mind open to the experience of
wor ki ng wi t h new peopl e i n new
environments! I can assure you that it is
absolutely worth the effort.
PJ2T team photo. Left to right, rear: Wolfgang, DK9VZ and Ulrich DL8OBQ. Left
to right, front: Geoff, WCG, Helmut, DF7ZS and Heiko DK3DM. Missing from the
photo is Harrald, DL2SAX.
A picture is worth a thousand words...
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I recently decided to embark on a fairly
ambitious station upgrade to allow SO2R
(single operator, two radio) operation by
sharing the antennas between two radios
in my one-tower station. Knowing full well
my tendency toward dumb mistakes, my
biggest concern was that I would do some
harm to my radios in the process of figur-
ing out the necessary isolation measures
(band pass filters and/or stubs).
After reading George Cutsogeorges
excellent book Managing Interstation In-
terference (available from INRAD at
www.qth.com/inrad and reviewed in the
September/October 2003 NCJ by Terry
N4TZ/9), I concluded that I was right to
be concerned. Since all of my transmit-
ting antennas are either on or supported
by a single tower, I figured that I could
easily exceed his recommended maximum
of 0.05 W power from one rig presented
to the receiver of the other, particularly
during setup and testing. This number is
based on the use of 0.1 W resistors in typi-
cal front-end attenuators, and is probably
nicely conservative, but still
After some thought, consultations on
the Internet, and some exchanges with
George (who was very helpful), I came
up with a simple circuit for a radio protec-
tor that should be virtually me-proof. The
circuit, in Figure 1, is mostly self-explana-
tory. SW1 selects either an external re-
ceiving antenna or the receive antenna
from the transceiver. The light bulb serves
as a visual indicator of RF. It will reach
full brilliance well below the danger level
and blow like a fuse if the level is much
higher. The diode stack is designed to
conduct at a safe level as well, and may
be removed from the circuit by SW2 to
avoid any possible intermodulation prob-
lems once the SO2R setup is debugged.
I built my unit in plastic RadioShack en-
closures with big paddle-type DPDT
toggle switches for SW1. In this receiving
application, any losses due to mis-
matches should be negligible.
Simple Protection for the Fledgling
SO2R Station
Pete Smith, N4ZR
Figure 1Schematic diagram of the N4ZR radio protector.
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NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 12
NCJ November/December 2005 13
In October 2000, I retired and spent the
next couple of years upgrading my sta-
tion in Clarksburg, Maryland. The HF sta-
tion was rebuilt for SO2R operation, the
VHF/UHF station was reconfigured for
improved performance on 6 meters and
operation at 1296 MHz was added. Some
of these endeavors have been described
elsewhere
1,2
and will not be discussed
further here. They did, however, bring the
station to the point where any further de-
velopment was difficult or impossible,
owing to space limitations and other re-
strictions.
During this period I became acquainted
with the ARRL-developed High-Fre-
quency Terrain Assessment program
HFTA (by Dean N6BVEd), which allows
one to explore the advantages of stacked
antennas at specific sites. My 110 foot
rotating tower already sported a pair of
stacked (Force 12) beams for 10, 15 and
20 meters, but their placement was some-
what compromised by the need to avoid
the guy wires. Moreover, as the home sits
on a ridge, it was rather disconcerting to
see how the modeled patterns varied with
azimuth. Frustrated at not being able to
further improve the existing station, and
aware of what might be possible with
larger towers, I began to contemplate find-
ing a new location. I developed a mental
wish list of the desirable features that any
new dream station location should have.
In no particular order these were:
A large tract of landat least 25 acres,
but not more than 100.
The land had to be mostly cleared of
trees, and be substantially level.
No high-voltage power lines within
view
No nearby hills that would limit the
arrival of signals at low elevation angles.
A paucity of nearby neighbors.
There had to be an existing house on
the property.
This last requirement stemmed from the
fact that in most places a permit for an
Amateur Radio tower is issued as an an-
cillary structure, i.e., ancillary to an ex-
isting dwelling. I did not want to first have
to build a house, and only then try to get
a permit, lest this were not forthcoming.
There were two options to be considered:
a dwelling with sufficient amenities that
my wife would be willing to move to it, or
a dwelling that would be more bare
bones serving chiefly to house the new
station, while we continued to live at the
old location. In the event that the second
option came to be, I wanted the new sta-
tion to be not more than an hours drive
from Clarksburg.
Building a New Contest StationPart 1
John V. Evans, N3HBX
jvevans@his.com
The Search for a Site
Much of 2003 was spent looking for a
suitable place nearby. None that we found
met all of my wifes needs (one of which
is to remain close to her grandchildren),
and so, increasingly, I was forced to con-
sider the second option. In December
2003 we were shown a 44-acre property
in Poolesville, Maryland that met all of my
objectives. The land was rented to a
farmer, but was substantially level with
only one corner covered by trees. It in-
cluded a modest brick house that had
been rented for several years and, as a
result, had been somewhat neglected. It
also had a large basement suitable for a
workshop and a two-car garage. The sale
was made contingent on my securing a
building permit for my towers before the
closing date. At closing we were obliged
to sign a declaration that we would per-
mit the land to continue to be farmed for
the next five years. (The penalty for fail-
ing to do this would have been a steep
rise in the property taxes.)
Choice of Towers
My studies with HFTA convinced me of
the virtue of having a stack of three iden-
tical monoband Yagis at appropriate
heights for each of the 10, 15 and 20-
meter bands, and a stack of two Yagis for
40 meters. For 80 meters, it appeared that
the best one could do (within reason)
would be to mount a single Yagi as high
as possible. The 20-meter stack would
entail Yagis at 180, 120 and 60 feet, while
the 40-meter stack required Yagis at 200
and 100 feet. Thus there was a need for
at least three towers 180-200 feet in
height.
However, provided that one was not
planning on building a multi-multi sta-
tion, all the antennas could be mounted
on just three towers. The rationale behind
this was as follows. I decided that the most
ambitious contesting in which the new
station might engage would be multi-two.
There then could be occasions when one
of the two stations might be running Eu-
rope (say on 20 meters) while the sec-
ond wanted to run Japan on either 10 or
15 meters. Thus, it seemed prudent to put
the 10, 15 and 20-meter stacks on sepa-
rate towers. However, 10 and 40 meters
seem considerably less likely to be open
at the same time (and be equally produc-
tive), so the 40-meter stack could be put
on the 10-meter tower. Similarly the 80-
meter beam could be placed on the 15-
meter tower. A fourth tower was envisaged
that would serve as a multiplier tower
i.e., one covering 10, 15, 20 and 40
meters that could be used to make con-
tacts in directions different from the three
run towers. To simplify matters it was
decided to make all four towers 190 feet
high and all rotating. This would allow
stacking pairs of monoband antennas on
the multiplier tower for 10, 15 and 20
meters as well as a 40-meter beam.
There are compelling advantages to go
with rotating towers:
Only one drive mechanism is required
per towergreatly simplifying the main-
tenance issue.
A rotating tower automatically forces
all of the antennas to point in the same
direction, and prevents the adverse affects
on the pattern that result from one of the
antennas being taken out of the stack
3
.
A rotating tower permits the antenna
booms to be fastened to one face of the
tower, providing the strongest support for
the antenna, and preventing any slippage.
The rotating tower at the Clarksburg
location was built using Rohn 55 sections,
so it was somewhat dismaying to learn
that the Rohn Company was in financial
difficulty. However, Matt, KC1XX, informed
me that the US Tower Corporation (of
Visalia, California) had brought out an
equivalent section (UST-1850), albeit one
that was stronger as the wall thickness of
the vertical tubes was greater. XX Towers
had, in fact, become the East Coast dis-
tributor for US Tower, and so the tower
sections were eventually ordered through
him. The rotating bases were ordered from
Richard, KXG. These were designed to
support Rohn 55 tower sections, and had
to be modified slightly for the US Tower
sections we intended to use.
Permits
When a permit for the towers was
sought from the county it was discovered
that this was not as easy as it had been
in the past. Not only was a professional
survey of the property required, but also
detailed tower drawings together with
wind-load calculations, all of which had
to bear the signature and seal of an Mary-
land-licensed professional engineer. The
engineering section of the permit office
wanted details of the tower section con-
structiondown to the size and wall thick-
ness of all the members! It was some time
before all of the materials they wanted
could be obtained, but the permit was fi-
nally issued on February 20, 2004 just
before we went to closing.
To simplify securing the permit, a US
Tower Corporation design for a fixed,
guyed, 190-foot tower using buried anchors
was submitted. Thus, once the permit was
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 13
14 November/December 2005 NCJ
issued, it was necessary to get it amended
to allow for rotating towers. Also, it was
considered desirable to have guy posts as
anchors because these would raise the
ends of the guys and cause less interfer-
ence with tractors working the land. Norm,
W4NRS, suggested using I-beams for the
posts, and this was incorporated into the
design. These were to be 10 feet long set
four feet in concrete. As the soil at the farm
is unconsolidated clay, fairly large concrete
pads (7 x 7 feet) were required. These re-
visions were treated as a new application
- requiring all the same approvals as be-
fore, with the result that the second permit
was not issued until June 23, 2004.
Moving In
We did not gain access to the property
until April 2004 and then began a series
of repairs and improvements. These in-
cluded creating workshops in both the
garage and the basement. Once the sec-
ond tower permit was issued, US Tower
Services of Frederick, Maryland was con-
tracted to pour the concrete foundations
for the towers and the guy posts. This work
had to wait until the winter wheat growing
on the land was harvested, and was be-
gun at the end of July. KXG delivered
the rotating bases and guy rings in mid-
August, and KC1XX delivered the tower
sections soon thereafter. KC1XX and an
assistant then bolted two lengths of six
sections together for each tower while ly-
ing on the ground for a crane to lift into
place later. During a second visit, towards
the end of September, he and three as-
sistants put the towers up with the help
of US Tower Services crane. The towers
are guyed at heights from their bases of
48, 95, 140 and 180 feet with the KXG
rotating bases adding about 4 feet to the
actual height above ground. Large thick-
ness Phillystran cables (HPTG 112001)
were used with a separate turnbuckle on
each.
The two towers nearest the house are
oriented on a line at 60 true, and placed
far enough apart (260 feet) to permit a
full-wave loop for 160 meters to be hung
between them
4
. The guy posts are each
200 feet from their respective towers. The
third and fourth towers were placed on a
line parallel to that of the first and second
and 185 feet removed. Their location was
chosen such that some of the guy posts
could be arranged in pairs, thereby mini-
mizing the interference with the farming
that takes place on the property. This
placed the four towers at the corners of a
trapezoid with a base length of 470 feet,
opposite side the aforementioned 260 feet
and a height of 185 feet. A commercial
surveyor using GPS determined the lo-
cations of the towers and guy posts. Fig-
ures 1 and 2 provide views of the towers
Figure 1A view of the four 190 foot towers at the Poolesville location.
Figure 2The multiplier tower with the 20-meter tower in the background.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 14
NCJ November/December 2005 15
and Figure 3 shows one of the guy posts.
Choice of Antennas
The antennas in use at Clarksburg are
nearly all from Force 12, and have shown
themselves to be good performers over
the years. They have also survived a num-
ber of ice storms. Accordingly, five of each
of Force 12s eight-element, 10-meter
antennas, seven-element, 15-meter
beams, and six-element, 20-meter beams
were ordered along with a two-element
(linear loaded) 40-meter beam for the
multiplier tower. Then (in a weak moment
at Dayton in 2004) I ordered a Force 12
two-element 80-meter beam. All the Force
12 antennas were delivered in August
2004.
The choice of beams for the 40-meter
stack was left to last, and after consider-
ing various alternatives the M dual-
driven, linear-loaded, 4-element Yagis
were selected. These promised to cover
the entire band with a performance close
to that of a full-size three-element Yagi,
but at considerably less cost. They were
delivered in March 2005.
In addition to the beams discussed
above it was decided to install inverted V
wire antennas cut for the CW and for the
phone ends of each of the 40- and 80-
meter bands. These are intended to be
used for close in contacts in domestic
contests and are therefore hung low
those for 40 meters from the lower most
guy ring and those for 80 meters from the
one above. There would be one of these
inverted Vs on each tower, selected so
as to avoid being on a tower having a
beam operating on the same band.
The question of antennas for 160
meters posed something of a problem.
The use of ground radials was precluded
by the prospect that they might be plowed
up by the farmer. Studies made using
EZNEC of loops or dipoles mounted in
various orientations showed that they
would couple unless physically separated
by several wavelengths, and this could not
be done
4
. A 3-element K3LR antenna
5
supported by the 20-meter tower was
eventually selected. This consists of three
vertical dipoles hung from the topmost
guy ring and pulled away from the tower
at their midpoints. (They are actually sup-
ported by the top guy line.) Their lower
ends are then pulled back to the base of
the tower. Only one of the three is excited
at any given time, while the other two
serve as reflectors owing to the length of
the feedline that is left connected. This
has to be cut long enough to appear in-
ductive and thereby make the element
appear electrically longer. This design was
facilitated using EZNEC.
A second 160 meter antenna is planned
that will be a three-element, inverted-V
Yagi hung from a centenary stretched
are needed to access these antenna pairs
is then three. The 40-meter beam required
a fourth cable, and the 80-meter inverted-
V a fifth. On the 10/40-meter tower the
two 40-meter beams were to be similarly
combined, while the 10-meter antennas
would be switch-selectable via a WXB
Stackmatch unit. Together with the in-
verted-V 80-meter antenna on this tower,
the total number of cables needed is three.
The 15-meter tower would add three
more, and the 20-meter tower an addi-
tional 5 for a grand total of 16. I did not
relish the prospect of buying sufficient
hardline to bring all these cables several
hundred feet back to the shack. Moreover
(as will be discussed in Part 2), in design-
ing a multi-two station one needs a simple
way of assigning assets (antennas and
their pointing) to each of the two stations,
and this is greatly complicated if each
antenna option is provided at the shack
on a separate cable. Accordingly, all but
one of the antennas are switch-selectable
using Ameritron RCS-4 switches mounted
on the towers. This reduces the number
of hardlines needed from 16 to 6, though
prudence dictated adding spares.
Progress
Following the delivery of the Force 12
antennas, those needed for the multiplier
tower were assembled in time for KC1XX
to put them all up in November. As the
weather continued to be fairly mild, the
10-, 15- and 20-meter beams needed for
the stacks on the other three towers were
next assembled and these went up in
Figure 3One of the guy posts.
Table 1
Disposition of the antennas described in the text. Heights given are the
distances from the base of the tower. Height above ground is about 4 feet
greater.
Tower #1 (Multiplier Tower)
10 meters7 Elements at 185 feet
10 meters8 Elements at 85 and 40 feet (stacked)
15 meters7 Elements at 100 and 50 feet (stacked)
20 meters6 Elements at 140 and 70 feet (stacked)
40 meters2 Elements at 155 feet
80 meters (CW)Inverted-V at 95 feet
Tower #2 (10/40 meters)
10 meters 8 Elements at 85, 60 and 35 feet (stacked)
40 meters4 Elements at 185 and 100 feet (stacked)
80 meters (SSB)Inverted-V at 95 feet
Tower #3 (15/80 meter)
15 meters7 Elements at 120, 80 and 40 feet (stacked)
40 meters (CW)Inverted-V at 48 feet
80 meters2 Elements at 185 feet
Tower #4 (20/160 meters)
20 meters6 Elements at 180, 120 and 60 feet (stacked)
40 meters (SSB)Inverted-V at 48 feet
160 meters3-Element K3LR Array (see text)
Towers #1 and #2
160 meters3-Element Inverted-V Yagi at 180 feet
between two towers and oriented towards
Europe
4
. Table 1 summarizes the antenna
selections made.
Cabling
To simplify the switching arrangements
in the shack it was decided to combine
the pairs of beams on the multiplier tower
(using WXB Stackmatch transformers)
at the tower. The number of cables that
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 15
16 November/December 2005 NCJ
February 2005, along with the K3LR ar-
ray and the inverted-V antennas. The pair
of antennas needed for the 40-meter
stack were built in May 2005, and installed
in June along with an M 7-element 10-
meter beam at the top of the multiplier
tower. This was a late addition, its primary
purpose being to better work scatter
propagation at the low part of the sun-
spot cycle. (Frank, W3LPL, is a strong
proponent of such an antenna.)
Still to be assembled and installed are
the Force 12 2-element 80-meter beam
and the 160-meter inverted-V Yagi for 160
meters. These will have to wait until fall
when the corn presently growing on the
field has been harvested.
The KXG rotating tower bases need
115 volts mains power for their motors.
This required trenching out to each tower
(another permit!), and professional elec-
trical installation subject to county inspec-
tion. This work was carried out in Novem-
ber 2004. While the trenches were open,
the hardlines (a run of LDF-4, -5 or -6
cable and/or LDF-4 superflex), together
with a run of Buryflex coax cable and
three control cables, were laid in them to
each tower. The control cables all termi-
nate in junction boxes where MOVs are
placed across each wire. The coax cables
are protected at the tower end by lighten-
ing arresters and at the shack end by
being grounded or left open when not in
use. Each tower is connected to four equi-
spaced ground rods. Since power is avail-
able at each tower, standard ac outlets
were installed at the bases, and these
have proved useful in a variety of ways.
Problems
To date there have been only a few
glitches. The Force 12 15-meter beams
placed on the multiplier tower were found
to be resonant below the band. I had ex-
perienced the same problem at the old
station, where I had been obliged to
shorten the driven elements. This time I
tried a variety of different lengths, and
concluded that shortening each end of the
driven element by 3
3
/4 inches gave the
best match at mid band. This change was
made to all the 15-meter beams.
The other significant problem has in-
volved the pointing of the towers. If one
sets a tower to point in a known direc-
tion, then drove it off and brought it back
to the same reading on the control box, it
would no longer be pointing in the origi-
nal direction! The KXG-furnished Alfa
Spid control boxes provided pointing con-
trol. These units count pulses that are
generated when a 9-V bias line is shorted
by a magnetically operated switch. This
occurs once per degree of rotation, and
is caused by an arm on the output shaft
of the gearbox that carries a magnet that
rotates past the switch. After much head
scratching it was eventually discovered
that the problem stemmed from the fact
that the Alfa Spid boxes only count pulses
while ones finger is on one of the RO-
TATE buttons. Owing to their weight, how-
ever, the towers continue to rotateas
much as 10 degrees further! Thus, the
pointing gets progressively less accurate
with each move. The solution to this has
been to substitute newly developed con-
trol boxes by Green Heron Engineering
that do not have this limitation. They were
first seen this year at Dayton.
Conclusion
I have described in this first installment
the thinking that went into the choice of
towers, antennas and so forth, and the
progress in getting these up. In Part 2, I
plan to describe the design of the station.
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Matt, KC1XX, and his
helpers for getting all the towers and the
antennas erected, and to Richard, KXG,
for much after-sales support in getting the
rotating towers operating properly.
References
1
J.V. Evans N3HBX SO2R the Easy Way
NCJ Nov/Dec. 2003, pp 3-6.
2
J.V. Evans N3HBX A Double loop antenna
for 160 meters NCJ May/June 2003, pp
3-9.
3
E.L. Scace K3NA Antenna Interactions-
Part 1 NCJ July/Aug. 2003, pp 19-23;
Antenna Interactions-Part 2 NCJ Sept/
Oct. 2003, pp 3-8; Antenna Interactions-
Part 3 Nov/Dec. 2003 pp 20-23.
4
J.V, Evans 160 Meter Antennas for One
Mans Dream Station NCJ May/June
2004, pp7-13.
5
A. Christman KB8I (now K3LCEd), T
Duffy K3LR, J. Breakall WA3FET The
160 meter Sloper System at K3LR QST
August 1994, pp 36-38.


NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 16
NCJ November/December 2005 17
This article compares the gain of a 2-
element phased-vertical array with that of
a 2-element Yagi, when both are installed
near the seacoast. The set-back distance
between the antennas and the shoreline
is varied, along with the height of the gull-
wing radials on the verticals. The tradi-
tional amateur bands from 40 to 10
meters are examined. The goal of this
section is to determine the range of set-
back distances where each antenna
works best.
Background
Contesters and DXers are well aware
of the advantages that are inherent in the
use of vertical antennas when they are
placed near large bodies of saltwater. Part
2 of this series
1
showed that the low-angle
(5 degrees) gain enhancement provided
by the high conductivity of the sea essen-
tially disappears by the time a set-back
distance of three wavelengths (WL) has
been reached. If this is truly the case, then
is it possible to obtain better performance
from a horizontal Yagi that is placed at a
modest height above the earth? This is
the question that will be addressed here.
Computer Simulation
After consultations with Carl, K9LA and
Kenny, K2KW,
2
it was decided to use a 2-
element phased array as the reference
vertically-polarized antenna, instead of a
single monopole. If an operator is seri-
ous enough to put up a 2-element Yagi,
then he/she would probably also go to the
trouble to install a 2-element vertical ar-
ray. Figure 1 shows a pictorial view of a
typical 2-element vertical array, as con-
figured for this study. The Y-axis repre-
sents the shoreline, and the entire region
in the +X direction is seawater. The mono-
poles are spaced 0.5-WL apart and fed
in phase with equal-amplitude currents,
producing a broadside radiation pattern
that is perpendicular to the plane of the
elements. The length of both vertical ele-
ments and all four radials was fixed at
exactly 0.25 WL at the operating fre-
quency, while the base of each monopole
was placed just one foot above the
ground. The gull-wing radials are oriented
parallel to the shoreline, and they initially
extend upward at a 45-degree angle from
the bottom of the antenna, until reaching
their final height, which is designated as
H. This elevation height varies from 2.5
to 5.0 feet, depending upon the band of
interest. The set-back distance from the
water to the array is D, which ranges from
0 to 10 WL, in steps that are as small as
Verticals by the SeaPart 3
Al Christman, K3LC
Grove City College
100 Campus Dr
Grove City, PA 16127-2104
0.25 WL in some cases.
The Yagi which was selected to serve
as the horizontally polarized reference
antenna is the 2-element Moxon-style
design introduced by Dr David Leeson,
W6NL.
3
This beam incorporates unique
end-loaded elements which help it pro-
duce good gain, front-to-back ratio, and
SWR over the entire 40-meter band. In
the analysis here, this same Yagi was also
re-scaled for operation on 20, 15 and 10
meters, which is a simple task with
EZNEC. Kenny, K2KW, suggested plac-
ing the antenna at a height of 25 feet on
all bands, and his advice was followed. A
computer-generated drawing of the beam
is displayed in Figure 2.
The antenna models were run using the
new EZNEC Pro software, version 4.0,
4
with a double-precision NEC-4 calculat-
ing engine. For simplicity, it was assumed
that the verticals were constructed entirely
from #12 AWG copper wire, while alumi-
num was used for the Yagi. No attempt
was made to prune either the vertical
monopoles or the radials to achieve reso-
nance. The wire segment-lengths for all
antenna elements were selected in ac-
cordance with the most conservative NEC
guide-lines. The seawater has an electri-
cal conductivity of 5 Siemens per meter,
and a dielectric constant of 81.
Three different sets of ground constants
were used: average soil (conductivity =
0.005 Siemens per meter and dielectric
constant = 13), very good soil (conduc-
tivity = 0.0303 S/m and dielectric constant
= 20), and very poor soil (conductivity =
0.001 S/m and dielectric constant = 5).
The ground is flat in all cases.
Results on 40 Meters
A frequency of 7.15 MHz was selected
for the simulation on 40 meters, corre-
sponding to a length of about 34.39 feet
for both the vertical monopoles and the
gull-wing radials. Elevation heights (H) of
2.5 and 5.0 feet were chosen for the hori-
zontal portions of the radials, and (as
mentioned previously) the Yagi was
placed 25 feet above the ground.
Table 1 lists the seaward gain predicted
by EZNEC, for the Yagi and for both ver-
sions of the vertical array, at take-off
angles of 5 and 10 degrees, as a function
of the set-back distance, when the anten-
nas are mounted over average soil. No-
Table 1
Seaward antenna gain versus set-back distance (D) for a 40-meter 2-
element vertical array and a 2-element horizontal Yagi installed over
average soil. The horizontal portions of the gull-wing radials are mounted
at a height (H) of either 2.5 or 5.0 feet, and the Yagi is placed at a height of
25 feet.
2-element Phased-Vertical Array 2-element Yagi
H=2.5 feet H=5.0 feet H=25 feet
Set-back Seaward Gain Seaward Gain Seaward Gain
Distance (dBi) at (dBi) at (dBi) at
D (WL) 5 deg 10 deg 5 deg 10 deg 5 deg 10 deg
0.0 7.38 7.53 7.72 7.86 -8.56 -2.64
0.25 7.09 6.70 7.55 7.60 -8.56 -2.64
0.5 6.31 4.72 7.39 5.48 -8.56 -2.64
0.75 5.47 3.35 6.51 3.99 -8.56 -2.64
1.0 4.58 2.06 5.58 2.57 -8.56 -2.21
1.25 2.67 0.64 3.55 0.98 -8.56 -2.20
1.5 1.66 0.31 2.47 0.61 -8.56 -2.20
1.75 0.64 0.31 1.38 0.61 -8.56 -2.20
2.0 -0.36 0.31 0.29 0.61 -8.08 -2.20
2.25 -2.16 0.31 -1.69 0.61 -7.94 -2.20
2.5 -2.84 0.31 -2.45 0.61 -7.94 -2.20
2.75 -3.29 0.31 -2.96 0.61 -7.94 -2.20
3.0 -3.46 0.31 -3.15 0.61 -7.94 -2.20
4.0 -3.46 0.31 -3.15 0.61 -7.94 -2.20
5.0 -3.46 0.31 -3.15 0.61 -7.94 -2.20
6.0 -3.46 0.31 -3.15 0.61 -7.94 -2.20
7.0 -3.46 0.31 -3.15 0.61 -7.94 -2.20
8.0 -3.46 0.31 -3.15 0.61 -7.94 -2.20
9.0 -3.46 0.31 -3.15 0.61 -7.94 -2.20
10.0 -3.46 0.31 -3.15 0.61 -7.94 -2.20
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 17
18 November/December 2005 NCJ
Table 2
On 40 meters, a single vertical monopole has more
seaward gain than the 2-element horizontal Yagi until
the set-back distance (D) exceeds the values shown
below. Take-off angles of 5 and 10 degrees are
included, while radial heights (H) of both 2.5 and 5.0
feet were used. The antennas were erected over three
different types of soil.
Radial Take-off Break-even
Height Angle Set-back Distance
Soil Type H (feet) (degrees) D (WL)
Average 2.5 5 infinity (Yagi always worse)
10 1.12
5.0 5 infinity (Yagi always worse)
10 1.18
Very Good 2.5 5 infinity (Yagi always worse)
10 infinity (Yagi always worse)
5.0 5 infinity (Yagi always worse)
10 infinity (Yagi always worse)
Very Poor 2.5 5 2.23
10 0.92
5.0 5 2.32
10 0.98
Table 3
On 20 meters, a 2-element phased vertical array has more
seaward gain than the 2-element horizontal Yagi until the set-
back distance (D) exceeds the values shown below. Take-off
angles of 5 and 10 degrees are included, and radial heights (H)
of both 2.5 and 5.0 feet were used. The antennas were installed
over 3 different types of soil.
Radial Take-off Break-even
Height Angle Set-back Distance
Soil Type H (feet) (degrees) D (WL)
Average 2.5 5 2.73
10 0.95
5.0 5 4.25
10 1.07
Very Good 2.5 5 infinity (Yagi always worse)
10 infinity (Yagi always worse)
5.0 5 infinity (Yagi always worse)
10 infinity (Yagi always worse)
Very Poor 2.5 5 2.375
10 0.82
5.0 5 2.52
10 0.95
tice that the horizontal Yagi is never com-
petitive with the 2-el vertical array. A height
of 25 feet for the Yagi is simply insufficient
to allow it to develop good low-angle gain
on the 7 MHz band. Figure 3 reveals the
elevation-plane radiation patterns for both
antennas when D = 0.5 WL (H = 2.5 feet
for the radials) over average soil. The Yagi
is inferior at all take-off angles below
about 19 degrees.
The EZNEC results were also the
same for both very good and very poor
soilsthe Yagi always loses. A closer ex-
amination of the listings (Table 1) for the
vertical array indicates that, just as we
found in part 2 of this series, the aug-
mented gain provided by the seawater
disappears at a set-back distance (D) of
1.5 WL at 10 degrees take-off angle
(TOA); the break-even value of D is 3
WL for a TOA of 5 degrees. In contrast,
the gain of the Yagi remains almost con-
stant throughout the range of set-back
distances from zero to 10 WL, and actu-
ally rises slightly as the antenna is moved
away from the shoreline.
Since the Yagi is always worse than the
2-element vertical array on 40 meters,
how does it fare against a single vertical
element? The data for an isolated mono-
pole is available from our study in Part 2,
Figure 1Drawing of a 2-element 40-
meter phased array of elevated
vertical-monopole antennas (base
height = 1 foot), each with two gull-
wing radials. The length of each radial
and both vertical elements is 0.25 WL.
Here the set-back distance (D) is 0.25
WL, and the height of the radials (H)
is 5.0 feet. Both elements are fed with
equal-amplitude, in-phase currents,
producing a broadside radiation
pattern. The shoreline is coincident
with the Y-axis, and the seawater lies
in the +X direction.
Figure 2Drawing of a 2-element
W6NL-design Moxon-style 40-meter
Yagi antenna, mounted at a height of
25 feet. The shoreline is coincident
with the Y- axis, and the seawater lies
in the +X direction. Here, the set-back
distance (D) is zero.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 18
NCJ November/December 2005 19
Table 4
On 15 meters, a 2-element phased vertical array has
more seaward gain than the 2-element horizontal Yagi,
until the set-back distance (D) exceeds the values
shown below. Take-off angles of 5 and 10 degrees are
included, and radial heights (H) of both 2.5 and 4.0
feet were used. The antennas were mounted over three
different types of soil.
Radial Take-off Break-even
Height Angle Set-back Distance
Soil Type H (feet) (degrees) D (WL)
Average 2.5 5 2.04
10 0.55
4.0 5 2.15
10 0.69
Very Good 2.5 5 2.21
10 0.57
4.0 5 2.37
10 0.71
Very Poor 2.5 5 1.91
10 0.56
4.0 5 2.07
10 0.68
Table 5
On 10 meters, a 2-element phased vertical array has
more seaward gain than the 2-element horizontal Yagi
until the set-back distance (D) exceeds the values
shown below. Take-off angles of 5 and 10 degrees are
included, and radial heights (H) of both 2.5 and 4.0
feet were used. The antennas were installed over 3
different types of soil.
Radial Take-off Break-even
Height Angle Set-back Distance
Soil Type H (feet) (degrees) D (WL)
Average 2.5 5 1.82
10 0.04
4.0 5 1.97
10 0.58
Very Good 2.5 5 1.88
10 zero (Yagi always better)
4.0 5 2.05
10 0.54
Very Poor 2.5 5 1.78
10 0.33
4.0 5 1.94
10 0.64
so a comparison was made, with the out-
come shown in Table 2. For average soil,
the Yagi always loses at 5 degrees TOA,
but at 10 degrees TOA it can out-perform
the lone vertical if D is sufficiently large.
Figure 4 is a graph showing the seaward
gain at 10 degrees TOA for the Yagi and
for the single vertical (with radial-heights
of H = 2.5 and H = 5.0 feet). The break-
even setback distances given in the table
were obtained from the graph.
Over very good soil, the single vertical
still wins every time. However, over very
poor soil the Yagi can be competitive, if
the set-back distance (D) is great enough
to offset the low-angle gain enhancement
provided by the saltwater.
Results on Other Bands
The outcomes on 20, 15 and 10 meters
are displayed in Tables 3 through 5, re-
spectively. As the frequency rises, the
Yagis height (in terms of wavelength) con-
tinually increases, which boosts its low-
angle performance. Therefore, the Yagi
was compared to a 2-element phased ver-
tical array (as in Figure 1) on these bands,
rather than to a single monopole.
On 20 meters (see Table 3) the Yagi is
inferior to the array of phased verticals
Figure 3Elevation-plane radiation
patterns for the 40-meter Yagi and the
phased-vertical array, when the set-
back distance D = 0.5 WL. The sea is
to the right, the radial height H is 2.5
feet, and average ground constants
were used. Here the vertical array has
more seaward gain than the Yagi at all
take-off angles up to about 19
degrees.
when the soil is highly conductive. For
other soil types, the Yagi stands a fighting
chance, but only if the antennas must be
placed relatively far from the edge of the
water. Table 4 displays the results on 15
meters. Notice that here the two elevation
heights for the gull-wing radials are 2.5
feet (as before) and 4 feet (rather than 5).
No matter what the soil type, the Yagi is
now able to match the low-angle gain of
the 2-element vertical array, if the set-back
distance is large enough. However, D
must be greater than 2 WL if the Yagi is to
be competitive at a TOA of 5 degrees.
On 10 meters, refer to Table 5 for the
information. We finally see one entry in
this table where the Yagi is actually the
better antenna at all set-back distances!
This occurs when the take-off angle is 10
degrees, H = 2.5 feet, and the soil is very
good. If the soil is average, the Yagi
works almost as well; it is superior to the
phased vertical array as long as D is
greater than or equal to 0.04 WL (about
1.4 feet).
Conclusions
A 2-element phased-vertical array, uti-
lizing gull-wing-style radials, is an ex-
tremely effective DX antenna when in-
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 19
20 November/December 2005 NCJ
Figure 4Seaward antenna gain at 10
degrees TOA versus set-back distance,
for a single vertical monopole and for
the W6NL Yagi. The height of the
elevated radials is either 2.5 or 5.0 feet,
and the Yagi is placed 25 feet above the
ground. The band is 40 meters and the
soil is average.
stalled at or near the seacoast. Under
many conditions, this array generates
more seaward low-angle gain than a 2-
element Yagi mounted at a height of 25
feet. On 40 meters, even a single vertical
monopole with two gull-wing radials is
usually better than a Yagi raised to a mod-
est height.
References
1
Al Christman, K3LC, Verticals by the Sea
Part 2 National Contest Journal, Volume
33, Number 5, September/October 2005.
2
Private communications with Carl
Luetzelschwab, K9LA, and Kenny
Silverman, K2KW.
3
David Leeson, W6NL, W6NL 40-meter
Moxon Yagi, presented at the Antenna
Forum at the 2004 Dayton Hamvention.
4
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NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 20
NCJ November/December 2005 21
With full apologies to Spike, W9XR,
lampooner extraordinaire.
The following conversation was re-
corded in the dark hall adjacent to the
Cont est ers Sui t e at t he Dayt on
Hamvention:
Old-Time Contester: How are you
doing, John?
Newbie: Not too bad, but the mon-
ster stations are beating me out ridicu-
lously and I cant afford the money to
go on a DXpedition. I did buy a nice used
IC-756 transceivernot a bad front end.
But I blew out the relay in the first week
on the linear, though. I forgot to cascade
the linear control relays.
Old-Time Contester: Well, thats
okay. I remember when I used to use
wire arrays and 811s in the finals.
Newbie: But that was 50 years ago,
Fred.
Old-Time Contester: Well, we old-
timer contesters know how to scan the
band and pick up multipliers, we dont
need the moder n conveni ences of
packet spottingthats for wimps.
Newbie: Well, Fred, it can make the
difference between a score of 600K and
over 1.5M, even using a small linear only
and verticals, using those packet spots.
Even the cheapest new ICOM radio has
electronic frequency and mode interfac-
ing available. It was not that long ago
that you needed a top-of-the line radio
to do that. It can make a big difference
when you are changi ng bands fre-
quently, and you dont have to log the
contacts on the wrong band. They have
the neatest units that change antennas
automatically for the station with band-
specific antennas and single operator
competition.
Old-Time Contester: Well, I dont go
in for that type of operation. I prefer the
old-fashioned rotary bandswitch duo or
trio mounted just above the transceiv-
ers.
Newbie: What is your country total,
Fred?
Old-Time Contester: It is well known
that the true contester does not chase
countries. I have 323 worked in the con-
tests, but only 225 confirmed. I havent
answered a bureau card in 10 years.
That is for wimps, too.
Newbie: Well, fortunately, Fred, with
Logbook of The World, you can get
DXCC very easily and you dont need a
QSL card, just electronic confirmation.
The Old-Timer and the
Newbie Contester
By John W. Thompson MD, K3MD
You can watch your county total rise with
very little effort in the future.
Old-Time Contester: Thats good,
because my cumulative total since the
advent of the IBM home computer sys-
tem in 1990 is 250,000 QSOs.
Newbie: What was your maximum
rate?
Old-Time Contester: Well, I hit 225
on the low end in the CQWW CW on 15,
but I kept getting chased around by the
likes of LPL, WJD and K5RC, and no
mater how many times I angrily sent
QSY QRL, I got pushed off my fre-
quency. My peak on SSB was 450 an
hour from the Caribbean on 10 meters
where there is some room.
Newbie: Fred, what would you say is
the allure of contesting to the young
contester, especially the new ham?
Old-Time Contester: It is no doubt
the thrill of one-on-one competition, as
well as good sportsmanship. One of the
least publicized aspects of ham contest-
ing is that a majority of hams in contest-
ing will change their category or the like
to let a newer ham pick up some paper
in a one-on-one sectional or state cer-
tificate race. Most ham contesters are
not good in normal sports (i.e., golf), so
they compensate with contesting.
Newbie: Why does the general ham
population dislike us so much?
Old-Time Contester (seriously): Be-
cause we are superior operators and
have superior equipment. On the other
hand, if you try to run a father-son or
buddy-buddy sked through ARRL SSB,
CQWW SSB, WPX SSB, or even SS
SSB, and you are unwilling or unable to
switch to CW or RTTY, or to 30, 17 or
12 meters, youre out of luck.
Newbie: How many certificates do you
have, Fred?
Old-Time Contester: Overall, I have
96 cer ti fi cates, 3 pl aques, and 10
plaques from state parties.
Newbie: Wow! And I thought having
the 100-QSO certificate from the Cali-
fornia QSO party was good. Fred, how
fast do you go on CW?
Old-Time Contester: I go around 36
WPM and make fun of anyone going
slower.
Newbie: But what do you think of the
articles that show in the second half of
the DX contest that going down to 28 or
30 WPM actually increases your rate?
Old-Time Contester: Balderdash!
Wimps!
Newbie: But, Fred, that kind of atti-
tude is going to destroy contesting.
Old-Time Contester: Maybe so, but I
dont care. I am 66 already, what do I
care what happens to contesting after I
die?
Newbie: Okay, Fred, see you in the
SS, and in the pileups.
Old-Time Contester: See you, John.
These characters are fictional and any
resemblance between them and an ex-
isting person or persons is strictly coin-
cidental.
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NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 21
22 November/December 2005 NCJ
No, the title is not a typo. Single-opera-
tor two-radio contestingSO2Rhas be-
come a mainstay of many winning con-
test efforts, and has been written about
and debated extensively. Its not just for
single operator efforts, eitherI often S&P
on the subreceiver while running on the
main receiver of an FT-1000MP when in
a M/2 or M/M environment, and Ive been
known to run on both radios at a M/2,
SO2R style, when someone had to leave
the other operating chair. It has gotten to
the point where it feels odd to only have
one receiver to listen to.
But what about going in the opposite
direction? How about a single radio with
two operatorsSR2O? Have we SO2R
devotees been overlooking the possibili-
ties for score improvement in multi-opera-
tor entry classes?
In its very simplest form, SR2O operat-
ing has been going on since the beginning
of contesting. I can remember sitting next
to, and logging for, other operators in ARRL
Sweepstakes in the early 1960s. As the
second op, I logged, kept up paper dupe
sheets and occasionally contributed by
hearing something the first op missed. The
second op was a big help before the ad-
vent of computer logging, and before the
availability of subreceivers and relatively
inexpensive transceivers it sent many of
us down the path from SR2O to SO2R.
Even 40 years ago, the rules defined
that guy at your right elbowthe one
doing the loggingas an additional op-
erator, and his presence made you a
multi-op entry. A lot of rule tightening has
taken place over the years to make ev-
eryone understand this!
Throughout this article I refer to the sec-
ond operator, but it has been suggested
that three ops on one radio has further
advantage over two ops. SR3O is a rou-
tine operating technique for at least one
top-scoring European contest station. Sim-
ply put, the further signals disappear into
the noise or a big pileup, the more adding
sets of ears can help pull out call signs.
After thinking through some recent ex-
periences with SR2O at PJ2T and read-
ing the responses to a request for ideas
and anecdotes put out on the cq-contest
reflector (thanks for the replies!), I think
SR2O implementation and operating can
be broken down into three considerations:
(1) how and what the second operator lis-
tens to, (2) how the operators communi-
cate with each other, and (3) the degree
of control afforded to the second operator.
Lets look at each of theses consider-
ations.
How and What the Second Operator
Listens To
The obvious starting point for this dis-
SR2OHints and Kinks
Hal Kennedy, N4GG
cussion is the simplest approachfeed
the same audio to both operators. It
should not be surprising that a second
op will often pull out call signs or missing
parts of an exchange while listening to
audio that is identical to that of the first
op. Individuals have different hearing
characteristics and we all have an ability
to tune into one conversation among
manythis is known as the cocktail party
effect. Operators tend to favor higher or
lower beat notes on CW and usually have
a preference for higher or lower tuning on
SSB as well. Operators hearing the same
audio can agree on a protocol while run-
ning: You pull out the high ones; Ill pull
out the low ones.
A small but valuable step up from iden-
tical audio for both operators is to do some
shaping of the audio between the rig and
the operators. This can happen by design
or by accident. Different headphones have
different frequency responsesthis can
significantly affect intelligibility. Many of us
who have operated at PJ2T have listened
to one of the run stations while walking
around with a pair of high-end wireless
headphones on. The response of the wire-
less headphones is different than the Heil
headsets in use by the ops, and a given
call sign is sometimes easier to copy on
one set of phones versus the other. Au-
dio equalizers or intelligibility enhancers
can be placed in the audio channels to
provide control of audio shaping. MFJ
makes a device for this, and one is de-
scribed in the January 2005 issue of QST.
Audio DSPs may also be useful.
The two preceding paragraphs apply to
the case where the rig has no subreceiver
and one audio stream is all that there is.
Radios with complete second receivers,
like the FT-1000MP, have a menu option
to allow feeding audio from the main re-
ceiver to one of the two stereo audio chan-
nels and the subreceivers audio to the
other, with either partial mixing or no mix-
ing between channels. A simple patch cord
can send the left channel audio (main re-
ceiver) to both ears of the first operator
and the right channel audio (subreceiver)
to both ears of the second operator. Fig-
ure 1 shows N4RV and K2SS operating
this way at PJ2T. Note: this is not possible
with transceivers featuring Dual Watch.
Several listening possibilities are avail-
able to the second op when he has his
own subreceiver. He can listen on the run
frequency, or slightly above or below it and
pull out calls and exchanges for the run
operator. If the first op uses RIT on re-
ceive, one op can listen high while the
other op listens low. Alternately, the sec-
ond op can tune the band looking for
multipliers and unworked stations and fill
the bandmap.
There are benefits and tradeoffs asso-
ciated with having the second op on a
subreceiver rather than a separate trans-
ceiver. Benefits include not having to deal
with receiver overload issues, having the
subreceiver synchronized with the trans-
mitter for hand-offs between operators,
having inherent transmitter interlock, and
having the run antennas to listen onusu-
ally the best antennas at the station. The
main drawback is, of course, that the sec-
ond ops receiving gets blanked during
transmit.
Sometimes having the second op lis-
ten on something other than the run an-
tennas (pseudo diversity) can yield im-
provements. This may or may not require
a second radio. Radios like the FT-1000D
provide for different antennas on the main
and subreceiver. The FT-1000D also al-
lows the subreceiver to operate on a dif-
ferent band than the main receiver, per-
mitting the second op to scout for open-
ings as well as mults on other bands.
Providing some flexibility in what the
second op hears may be the ultimate
SR2O implementation. Switch selection
of audio same as first op for assistant
mode, and audio from subreceiver for
second op S&P mode is easy to imple-
ment. Splitting the second ops audio
streams (i.e. one ear hears the run op,
one ear hears the subreceiver) could also
be useful if operation includes interleav-
ing the VFOs (see the section on control
options below).
How the Operators Communicate
with Each Other
The simplest form of operator collabo-
ration is the old bump and point. The
second operator writes call signs or par-
tial call signs onto a piece of paper, bumps
the first op with his elbow and points to
either the paper or the computer monitor
when he has information the first op
needs. This is not elegant, but it can be
fun to watch. A casual observer can dis-
cern the importance of the information by
how wild the gesturing gets. Additional
communication sometimes occurs by try-
ing to shout through the other operators
headphones, or, much worse, attempting
to shout through the other operators
noise-canceling headphones!
Fortunately, there are better ways, if the
second operator has his own networked
computer and keyboard.
CT has a very useful function called
PARTNER. CT can be set so the first op
will have a space on his monitor screen
below the call sign entry location which
fills in with a call sign typed by the sec-
ond opthe second op can queue up the
next call sign for the first op. It would be
nice if this function appeared in other
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 22
NCJ November/December 2005 23
popular logging software hint, hint.
Also, if the second op has his own key-
board, he is free to tune a subreceiver for
mults or unworked stations and simply
communicate by populating the bandmap.
Poi nti ng to the bandmap on ei ther
operators monitor is all thats required to
get the first ops attention directed to a
needed mult.
Where detailed communication is still
needed, logging software allows typing
notes back and forth between networked
computers using the gab or network
chat function.
The final step in communication is to
eliminate the need altogether. If the sec-
ond op has his own keyboard and net-
worked computer, then its a short step to
letting him work stations on his own via
interleaving (see below).
One final thought on verbal communi-
cation. It has been suggested this could
be implemented using an intercom func-
tion between the operators. It has also
been suggested this would be distracting
and cause intercom audio to cover up, or
at least interfere with, receiver audio. In
the days before computers, audio inter-
com was used at some multi-multi stations
to pass stations from one band to another,
and to announce spots from VHF (voice)
spotting networks. I know of no recent
users of operator intercoms, which is not
to say there arent any!
SR2O Control Options
The original pre-computer use of the
second op was typically logging and dupe
checking. Computer logging has made
this task integral to the first op, to the point
where most of us would find not doing our
own logging, dupe checking and super
check partial a hindrance. Fortunately,
there are lots of possible task-sharing
options for two ops using a modern radio.
The ultimate approach is to fully equip
the second op with his own paddles and/
or microphone and footswitch, in addition
to his own computer. Set up to this ex-
tent, the second op can choose from a
variety of operating techniques.
He can sit on the run frequency, with or
without his own subreceiver, and simply
work stations the first op doesnt hear.
Whoever transmits first makes and logs
the next QSO. Practice between the ops
is necessary for this form of operating to
be efficient. Each op must hesitate before
sending QRZ or AGN in response to a
partial call, giving the other op enough
time to start a QSO if that op has a full
call. Experienced ops learn to do this with-
out much trouble. The second op can also
use a subreceiver to line up mults and
work them in between, or interleaved be-
tween QSOs by the first op. Switching is
handled by simply changing transmit fo-
cus from VFO A to VFO B, then back
again. The mult-chasing op can usually
hear enough of the run operators voice
to coordinate the timing. Hand signals are
sometimes useful.
During slow times, both ops can be in
S&P mode or both in run mode with ping-
ponging CQs, again by interleaving trans-
mit focus between the VFOs.
Even without a set of paddles or a mi-
crophone, the second op can still assist
and improve the score. The second op
can, for example, put the subreceiver on
a mult and queue the first op either by
hand or via computer. When the first op
has a break in his run, he can switch
VFOs, work the mult and return to the run.
N4RV and K2SS were operating this way
in Figure 1.
SR2OSome Tangential Benefits
One way to determine the discipline
level of a multi-operator effort is to watch
what the off-duty ops are doing. Ideally,
they are either sleeping or quietly follow-
ing the contest and plotting strategy. I said
ideally. Even the smoothest running multi
efforts have at least occasional periods
of distraction caused by the off-duty ops
holding a hamfest in the back of the room,
or running around checking the score.
Putting the off-duty ops on duty via SR2O
operation can cut distractions, reduce
boredom and increase the score.
SR2O also provides a good way to
change shifts. Sitting down cold in a hot
run chair is not as efficient as listening to
the run frequency for a few minutes, as a
second op, before taking over the run
position.
SR2O also has lots of potential for op-
erator training. Who among us cant learn
something by assisting, or simply listen-
ing-in on, a top-notch operator in the run
chair?
Summing Up
All the respondents to my cq-contest
reflector inquiry were enthusiastic about
SR2O operation and claims for significant
score improvements were made. Imple-
menting rudimentary SR2O can be as
simple as building an audio patch cord.
The next time your off-duty ops are hold-
ing a hamfest in the back of the room, it
might be time to break out the extra head-
phones!
Figure 1N4RV and K2SS operating
SR2O at PJ2T.
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NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 23
24 November/December 2005 NCJ
Ten years ago, a new contest was de-
signed by committee. A handful of Top
Band operators, who also were interested
in contests, started working on the per-
fect top band contest. There were lots of
ideas thrown aroundlike what to do with
the different power levels. Do you put the
scores into different categoriesor try to
apply some kind of multiplier and let them
compete against each other.
A lot of energy was spent on the time
off rule. The goal was to make it simple
and make it unnecessary to CQ forever
during daylight hours. It took about 5
years to finally get that rule figured out
although someone operating from north-
ern Scandinavia might not agree.
The most provocative concept was no
doubt the distance scoring method. No
other top band contest had done this
The Stew Perry Top Band
Distance Challenge
Boring Amateur Radio Club, K7RAT
15125 SE Bartell Rd
Boring, OR 97009
and it proved to be a popular concept. In-
troducing grid squares to the exchange
enabled the distance scoring and many
people learned what their grid square was
as a result.
A further refinement to the distance
scoring method was to introduce the QRP
multiplier for QSOs with a QRP station.
This recent addition has helped distrib-
ute the points to where the work is done
to make these QSOs.
It is obvious that the rather verbose
name of the contest was designed by
Plaque Winners
The following plaques will be awarded as shown in the following table. Many
thanks go to Lew Sayre, W7EW, who administers the plaque program. Your
plaques should be in the mail before Guy Fawkes Day. If you are interested in
sponsoring a plaque for the 2005 event, please contact Lew directly at his new e-
mail address lew@dsl-only.net. Each plaque sponsored costs $50. Wed like to
express a big thank you to each sponsor.
We had a hard time deciding who the winner of the best whine plaque should
be. The entries are listed in the soapbox. We had to DQ K1TNs entry, since it was
not submitted with his log. Instead, it was posted to the Internet, and while we
choose to include it here, we felt it would be unfair to award Jims entry over the
ones that followed the rules. Perhaps this will be something Jim can whine about
next time
Sponsor Category Winner
KL7RA Top QSO Total K5GO
WA2DFI Top Score, Single-Op, Canada VE3OSZ
W7EW Best DX Distance K9DX
K7RAT Top Score, Multi-Op, World W2GD
N5IA Most Grid Squares Worked OHR
N7KQ Top Score, Low Power, Rest of World 9V1GO
N9ADG Top Score, Low Power, Western Washington W7TMT
K1PX Top Score, Low Power, Europe UA6LFQ
K5KA Top Score, Low Power, US/VE WUO
K8ND Top Score, Single-Op, Caribbean KV4FZ
W7GG Top Score, Single-Op, QRP KS0T
KB5NJD Top Score, Antenna < 40 feet tall WHW
KI7Y W7BX MemorialTop Score, Japan JH4UYB
K9DX Top Score, Single-Op, High-Power, Europe UA2FF
N7JW Top Score, Asia (not Japan) JT1CO
K7CA Top Score, Mainland South America YV5MBX
W2GD Team Top Score, Multi-Op, Europe RL3A
WA9IRV Calcutta Award, Top Score, Single-Op, Ohio,
VE4, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota WA9IRV
Low Band Monitor Top Score, Single-Op, North America WB9Z/PJ2
W4SAA Top Score, Single-Op, World K7CA
N6TR Best Whine / Excuse / Explanation for
performance NFP
W7AT Top Score from All Water Grid No Entries
N6ZFO SPACE AwardStew Perry Award for Chemical
Elements. (Points for Chemical element symbols
contained in call signs worked). An explanation
of the rules for this award at
web.jzap.com/k7rat/elements.txt KE9I
VK6VZ The VK5AX Small Backyard MemorialTop
Score with antenna in space < 20m x 10m or
66ft x 33ft. Winner gets coveted Royal Flying
Doctors Service of Australia hat. JA2ZJW
Plaque-meister, W7EW
committee. People still get confused
about what to call it.
After the first running of the contest, it
seemed that the founding fathers had
scattered to the winds. When the time
came to generate the results, the Boring
Amateur Radio Club stepped in and
pi cked up the pi eces. Lew, W7EW,
stepped in to administer the highly suc-
cessful plaque program. He has sent out
over 200 plaques that have been spon-
sored solely by the participants. Also, Jim
Monahan, K1PX, joined the team and
Steve, VK6VZ, is a regular in the Stew.
He won the event in 1999, and is often
the best DX for many stations.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 24
NCJ November/December 2005 25
How NFP Won the Best Whine /
Excuse / Explanation for
Performance Plaque
What a night! It all started with a new
roofing filter mod for the MK V that showed
up on Friday. The contest starts at 1500Z
and I dont start the mod until 2000Z! Big
mistake. My rig is all over the shack and
Im supposed to be in a contest!
Then the temp starts to drop (eventually
to -7F) and a relay in the Beverage
sticks on West. Brother! Now what? I
finally get a work-around by leaving
current run through the relay for a while,
and then it would switch.
Then the wood stove in the shack starts
giving me fits. Wheres the Girl Scout
water when you need to light the stove?
My bride decides that 2200Z is a good
time to start painting a bedroom. Want
to help honey? Not really. It reminded
me of the Geico ad on TV where the lady
of the house walks in the door and asks
Honey, does this dress make me look
fat? The guy doesnt even look at her
and responds Yep! The announcer says
In the time it takes to make your bed on
the sofa, you could have new car
insurance. When I responded No to her
request, I could see the pillows and
blankets getting pulled from the closet
before my breath had passed my lips! I
wonder if shell let me put up that second
tower next spring? Bad time to ask, huh?
With the shack basically at 50 degrees F,
the computer starts to whine. Obviously,
it doesnt like the cold weather, either. In
desperation, I place the computer in my
lap and start hugging the cabinet in an
attempt to warm the innards to the point
where it will actually start without a hitch.
I dont know if it helped do anything
other than make me very cold. My hands
were numb from clutching the cold steel
of the cabinet. It finally did start. And
WriteLog booted just fine. Whew!
Another bullet dodged.
After the No remark, well, candy bars
or soda are nowhere to be found. Cold,
hungry, and thirsty, I attempt to start the
contest. After putzing with my new keyer
for about 20 minutes, I finally start the
contest. Conditions are absolutely lousy!
Even K9DX is light into Minnesota.
Great! Just what I need. Now the Sun is
against me, too!
Ive never had so many ESP QSOs in a
contest. Is everybody running QRP? I
dont even hear the left coast until mid-
evening. And the right coast is faint for
all but a few of the usual big guns. Early
this AM, still cold, and even hungrier, I
am chasing the illusive 300th QSO. Ive
got to make 300! I thought. So here is
my log. All 299 QSOs. The 300th Q
never did appear in the pass band. But
Lord knows I tried. Thanks to everybody
for the Qs. Another great running of the
Stew.Ford, NFP
Resources for Information about Operating on 160
If you are looking for general information about operating on 160 meters, here
are several resources you might be interested in.
ON4UNs Low-Band DXing. Lots of information on all topics related to low-band
operation. An absolute necessity. Written by John Devoldere, ON4UN. Available
from the ARRL. The fourth edition was released in the spring of 2005.
Vertical Phased Arrays. A six-part series of articles written by Forrest Gehrke,
K2BT, and appearing in Ham Radio magazine from May 1983 through May 1984.
Complete treatment of both the mathematical and practical aspects of phased
vertical arrays. Old issues of Ham Radio are now available from the ARRL on
CD-ROM, although this series happens to cross a boundary, so you need to
purchase two collections to get all six parts.
The Beverage Antenna Handbook. Beverage antenna theory and a number of
practical designs. Written by Victor Misek, W1WCR. Available from the Radioware
and Radio Bookstore. A third edition is now available.
DXing on the EdgeHistory of 160 Meters. Companion CD with audio clips.
Practical antenna design. Written by Jeff Briggs, K1ZM. Available from the ARRL.
The Low Band Monitor. A monthly mailing with information on 160, 80 and 40
meters. More information at www.lowbandmonitor.com.
Reflections II by Walter Maxwell, W2DU. Organized as a set of chapters that
each cover a topic. A focus on transmission lines and impedance
transformations/matching. Available from ARRL.
started up the certificate program for the
top scores who didnt get a plaque, but
still deserved recognition. Jim has also
assisted with entering the paper logs we
receive. Tree, N6TR, modified his log
checking software to automatically score
the contest based upon a distance calcu-
lator that was provided by Earl, K6SE.
The first few contests were blessed with
fantastic conditions. I can still remember
sitting down with N5KO, listening to Clive,
GM3POI, coming through loud and clear
an hour before sunset on the US west
coast. As conditions started to slide with
the increasing sunspots, the increased
activity helped keep the scores up. Now
that the sunspots are gone, the contest
has reached maturity with high activity
and good conditions.
The Stew Perry Top Band Distance
Challenge is a good example of what can
be done without the backing of a major
contest sponsor. It ranks right up there
with the NCJ contests (the Sprint and the
NAQP) and some of the more popular
QSO parties in participation. It has made
the sponsors of the major 160 meter con-
tests take noticeand was even consid-
ered as a replacement for one of them.
However, the Boring Amateur Radio Club
knows a good thing when they see it, and
have been reluctant to merging with one
of the major contests.
The ninth running of the contest was
held on December 18 and 19, 2004. Con-
ditions were not stellar, but better than
they were during the sunspot peak. We
are still waiting for the great openings to
reappear that were enjoyed when the
contest was still in diapers.
The high score in the contest was gen-
erated by K7CA, who took full advantage
of the 5-W QRP multiplier to hold off
KV4FZ in the low power category (who
had the second highest score) and UA2FF
in the high power category (with the third
highest score). W2GD led the multi-op-
erator teams, edging out KE9I in the
States, RL3A in Europe and JA3YBK in
Japan. WB9Z operated from PJ2 with a
competitive score in the high power cat-
egory along with LY7Z. In the QRP cat-
egory, KST, N5IA and K7NJ all had over
3000 points. It seems that the west half
of the US did fairly well in the QRP cat-
egory this year.
Log submission was strong with 359
logs submitted. This is down slightly from
last years record total of 368 logs, but
continues to show strong growth com-
pared to the early years. We are asking
for one change moving forward, that all
l ogs be submi tted el ectroni cal l y. If
you hand log, a simple computer program
is available that will allow you to enter
your log and generate the Cabrillo file. You
can downl oad thi s program from
web.jzap.com/k7rat/stew.html.
The tenth running of this great event
will be on December 17 and 18. The rules
will be the same as last year. You can find
complete information, including the rules
and sponsored plaques at our Web site
web.jzap.com/k7rat/stew.html.
Thanks again for all of the participation.
See you on the Top Band this winter.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 25
26 November/December 2005 NCJ
2004 Scores
Bold type indicates certificate winners.
Single operatorHigh Power
Call Grid Raw Dup Bust QSOs Pts Grids Best DX Km QRP LP
UA2FF KO04 470 2 15 453 4148 239 VK6HD 13411 9 61
WB9Z/PJ2 FK52 385 1 23 361 3794 188 ZL3IX 13208 13 63
LY7Z KO15 405 0 18 387 3033 222 VK6HD 13406 8 43
K9DX EN52 603 8 17 578 2889 248 VK3ZL 15779 29 106
OHR KP00 426 6 20 400 2796 231 VK6HD 13590 7 45
K5GO EM36 508 7 4 497 2706 229 JF7DZA 11003 30 104
SN7Q JO91 360 9 19 332 2665 201 VK6HZ 13205 8 45
RK1AM KO59 356 6 16 334 2660 208 VK6VZ 12751 5 48
LY3UM KO24 346 1 16 329 2512 202 VK6HD 13248 8 47
KU1CW EM29 459 2 12 445 2394 203 JH8SRI 10941 27 101
N2IC DM52 434 4 5 425 2381 188 ZL3IX 11551 26 96
G3BJ IO82 357 7 10 340 2352 205 W9UCW 7977 7 47
K5ZD FN42 419 5 11 403 2116 197 5B4AGN 8514 20 84
K7RAT CN85 343 2 5 336 2059 168 ZL3IX 11711 20 76
AE9B EM28 449 3 33 413 2043 194 JH4UYB 10538 25 93
K5BG EM12 396 7 6 383 2002 181 ZL3IX 12407 28 95
OK1RF JN79 312 1 13 298 1925 182 9V1GO 9740 7 43
KC7V DM43 347 5 10 332 1890 164 JA6GCE 10245 15 76
JH4UYB PM64 125 0 7 118 1811 90 K5GO 10821 2 16
LY9Y KO16 295 2 15 278 1705 167 VK6VZ 13099 5 37
JA5DQH PM73 111 1 6 104 1602 83 K5GO 10801 2 16
ON4WW JO11 261 2 7 252 1558 170 9V1GO 10572 6 35
JT1CO ON38 154 0 6 148 1501 109 VK6HD 9247 0 19
K9NW EN71 408 13 8 387 1490 171 RW4PL 8391 25 95
N4PN EM82 372 2 20 350 1459 159 RL3A 8723 19 78
OK1DX JN69 275 2 11 262 1457 163 VK6VZ 13566 8 35
WE3C FN20 364 8 21 335 1434 154 SV3RF 7944 19 73
W3GH FN00 332 4 6 322 1374 158 SV3RF 8219 22 78
DJMDR JN68 246 0 8 238 1348 161 9V1GO 9887 9 35
K1KI FN32 204 0 4 200 1254 125 SV3RF 7681 14 47
N5UM EM13 327 0 7 320 1248 150 KH6AT 5911 19 77
N6RO CM98 256 1 7 248 1233 139 DU9/N0NO 11529 11 64
VE3QAA FN15 253 1 5 247 1169 136 S58A 6813 18 58
N5UL DM82 261 2 5 254 1164 139 JA5DQH 10517 12 72
N1EU FN32 286 5 5 276 1159 138 NH6KB 7931 17 66
N4XD FM05 304 7 13 284 1148 138 LY3UM 7694 23 69
NI6T CM97 251 0 8 243 1138 128 JH4UYB 8977 10 64
NTT EM29 319 4 12 303 1137 157 PY2FUS 8574 20 76
VE3PN FN25 244 2 16 226 1123 126 RA6LBS 8069 16 51
K6SE DM04 233 0 8 225 1113 130 JA6GCE 9606 7 57
UA3DPX KO86 204 0 8 196 1108 134 RX9AX 17637 3 34
W9IU EN60 353 0 17 336 1077 140 SN7Q 7563 22 82
UA9CDC MO06 160 2 1 157 1060 122 VK6HD 11381 3 18
DL9YX JO43 223 0 15 208 1046 138 9V1GO 10142 6 34
F5IN JN18 204 0 8 196 1033 132 JA6LCJ 9850 6 26
N8EA EN82 296 5 5 286 1022 151 RL3A 7769 22 68
K5UN EM13 261 0 7 254 1021 140 SN7Q 8720 14 65
K1GU EM75 282 1 1 280 1012 136 UA2FF 7803 20 70
S57M JN76 213 0 6 207 940 136 VK6VZ 13341 7 34
N5PO EM12 218 1 6 211 911 121 G3LZQ 7548 11 51
VE3NE FN03 271 0 23 248 911 131 RW4PL 7982 14 59
NO2R FN20 244 4 5 235 901 116 RW4PL 8127 16 52
N2ED FN20 200 0 19 181 897 112 KH6CD 7836 14 46
N9RV EN70 262 0 4 258 870 134 S58A 7669 18 60
W4EF DM14 174 1 3 170 857 119 JH4UYB 9466 8 47
W3SO FN00 223 0 3 220 825 122 KH6AT 7466 15 54
F6IRA IN94 142 1 11 130 809 97 N5TY 7995 3 18
S57DX JN75 201 0 8 193 712 123 JA3YBK 9408 6 29
K3WW FN20 208 0 13 195 702 104 IT9ZGY 7231 11 44
WUCE FM05 190 0 6 184 694 104 UA2FR 8665 12 49
K8IR EN65 221 2 1 218 677 108 PJ2/WB9Z 4036 16 54
G3XGC IO91 141 1 9 131 618 101 PJ2/WB9Z 7411 2 20
WHW EN35 177 4 7 166 585 97 KV4FZ 4047 11 47
VE3EJ FN03 150 0 2 148 582 94 RL3A 7500 7 37
RV1CC KO59 143 0 5 138 580 103 PJ2/WB9Z 9377 3 23
WX9U EN50 148 0 2 146 575 95 SN7Q 7672 10 36
G3LZQ IO93 93 0 1 92 562 74 K5BG 7548 1 14
K9YC EN61 216 1 6 209 537 110 PJ2/WB9Z 3660 15 58
K4BAI EM72 171 1 2 168 531 92 K7RAT 3553 10 39
KUK DM59 124 0 24 100 516 75 JA5DQS 9672 7 23
W1WEF FN31 78 0 2 76 515 63 RK1AM 6848 5 11
UR5IOK KN87 126 2 5 119 504 92 PJ2/WB9Z 10164 2 16
N4XR FN31 171 0 10 161 498 95 S58A 6834 8 43
AA3B FN20 160 0 1 159 495 90 LY3UM 7041 11 44
KCS DM79 117 0 16 101 482 73 JA3YBK 9639 8 26
K1DT FN41 103 5 1 97 481 74 9A3B 6892 6 19
N1CGP FN54 109 0 3 106 478 63 RK1AM 6387 8 26
XE2MX DM11 132 0 4 128 469 71 KV4FZ 5442 4 32
N2BJ EN61 150 0 5 145 460 86 KH6AT 6787 12 38
N3JT FM18 212 0 19 193 459 95 K7CA 3145 12 54
W1FJ FN42 107 1 7 99 458 71 RW4PL 7771 2 20
KI7Y CN85 125 1 2 122 449 72 PJ2/WB9Z 6249 7 32
N4DW EM86 118 2 0 116 442 77 UA2FF 7606 7 32
WA8WV EM98 191 2 5 184 441 92 UA2FF 7322 11 50
K4XS EL88 130 1 1 128 425 82 KG6WXJ 3662 2 34
UYZG KN56 120 0 3 117 425 88 K9DX 8514 2 20
UAACG NO76 57 0 4 53 419 50 KH6AT 9384 0 7
K1JB FN43 112 1 1 110 412 69 LY3UM 6573 5 25
N4GG EM74 136 1 6 129 402 86 W7TMT 3465 5 31
LY2CU KO14 127 7 2 118 400 87 JH4UYB 8106 1 20
YV5MBX FK60 63 2 7 54 394 43 EM3W 9727 0 4
RA6LBS LN17 98 2 19 77 386 63 PJ2/WB9Z 10581 2 11
NNM PJ27 32 0 0 32 383 26 N6RO 11529 0 1
K7UIR CN85 128 1 4 123 379 61 PJ2/WB9Z 6249 8 33
WT6G CM98 91 0 3 88 374 59 KV4FZ 5879 4 28
W4NTI EM73 99 0 2 97 369 68 K7RAT 3491 8 26
K3SV FN10 108 0 2 106 367 76 YZ7A 7484 5 29
IV3PRK JN66 120 0 15 105 361 82 JA6GCE 9284 1 15
WA7LNW DM37 103 0 5 98 355 60 JH4UYB 9528 4 29
KSR EN34 133 1 5 127 352 74 PJ2/WB9Z 4220 4 36
W4VQ EL98 78 0 0 78 324 57 K7RAT 4127 4 22
W5KI FM29 100 0 1 99 323 66 LY7Z 6960 7 24
UASC OO06 43 0 1 42 305 36 RA9YLX 6730 0 6
K8JQ EM98 138 0 4 134 286 72 K8FC 2088 8 31
Call Grid Raw Dup Bust QSOs Pts Grids Best DX Km QRP LP
N4SL CN88 69 0 0 69 283 49 K5ZD 4040 4 18
N6XI CM99 90 0 1 89 282 52 JA5DQH 8777 6 23
KG9N EN50 105 0 11 94 265 63 KV4FZ 3436 6 28
OH2BO KP20 74 0 4 70 265 61 JH4UYB 7631 1 11
N3PXF EM17 109 1 16 92 259 72 N1BUG 2486 5 24
KI6IV CM99 139 4 33 102 241 55 KH6AT 3936 5 29
NI5F EM42 64 0 1 63 239 45 RK1AM 8512 1 17
SA1A JO97 89 0 1 88 230 64 UA9AYA 2556 1 10
RX9TX LO71 45 0 4 41 209 36 JA2ZJW 6581 1 5
I3VWK JN55 94 1 11 82 208 65 JT1CO 6799 0 13
N3AM FM19 91 1 1 89 203 52 KC7V 3099 4 28
W2LK FN21 52 0 3 49 197 43 LY3UM 6957 2 14
WA4GLH EM75 76 3 5 68 172 51 K7RAT 3372 4 21
G4BJM IO92 50 0 0 50 169 44 K9DX 6305 1 8
N4ZR FM19 63 0 0 63 164 50 N6RO 3776 1 17
W8RU EN82 60 0 0 60 159 47 OHR 6693 2 12
K5AM DM62 47 0 1 46 158 40 PJ2/WB9Z 4458 1 11
RA4SD LO36 36 0 3 33 134 31 JT1CO 4035 0 2
PA5TT JO11 40 0 0 40 123 38 UA9AYA 3763 0 2
LY2LE KO24 56 0 7 49 119 45 UA9AYA 2282 0 5
KU7Z DN41 42 0 5 37 100 28 N2BJ 1998 1 8
N7BF CN87 34 0 2 32 84 22 WD5R 2958 2 10
WA6BOB DM04 28 0 1 27 55 18 K7RE 1763 0 7
RA3CO KO85 16 0 0 16 55 16 F6IRA 2940 0 1
K1AR FN42 17 0 0 17 41 14 N2IC 3506 0 2
OK1AYY JO70 11 0 0 11 23 11 UUJM 1726 0 0
Single OperatorLow Power
KV4FZ FK77 291 8 32 251 4612 157 UA9SP 10644 5 40
WUO EM12 347 7 3 337 2666 155 G3LZQ 7548 15 81
WA9IRV EN54 348 3 3 342 2558 154 LY3UM 7396 24 83
K1PX FN31 329 0 5 324 2520 147 KH6AT 7950 20 74
K8FC DM78 300 1 22 277 2460 143 F/F6GNZ 6402 19 68
N8VW EN70 333 2 9 322 2154 152 SN7Q 7453 24 83
NFP EN25 311 12 13 286 2050 140 PJ2/WB9Z 4408 16 76
VE3OSZ FN25 256 1 0 255 2044 124 LY3UM 6621 15 61
W9XT EN53 326 4 3 319 2018 139 SN7Q 7416 24 69
K9WJU EN71 333 5 4 324 2004 138 SN7Q 7369 25 81
K5KA EM26 261 2 4 255 1996 137 LY3UM 8417 17 57
K8IA DM43 233 7 3 223 1984 126 JA6JPS 10245 9 62
NXB EN34 286 0 11 275 1906 130 PJ2/WB9Z 4220 19 72
K1EP FN42 234 1 3 230 1712 111 RK1AM 6662 13 60
K9MMS EN51 260 0 5 255 1544 130 PJ2/WB9Z 3756 16 70
KJ9C EM69 236 1 0 235 1542 118 UA2FF 7552 20 61
K7RE DN84 169 1 1 167 1482 101 JH4UYB 9598 13 41
KJ7WY DM45 173 0 18 155 1430 103 JA6GCE 10097 12 40
W8AEF DM33 156 0 6 150 1418 98 JH4UYB 9820 6 44
NY1S FN54 183 0 6 177 1386 90 LY3UM 6382 12 41
W5BL EM23 207 0 10 197 1354 111 PJ2/WB9Z 3518 11 49
K9CS EN60 216 0 6 210 1334 114 PJ2/WB9Z 3568 22 56
AD4EB EM65 223 4 5 214 1326 112 W7AWA 3274 17 55
KB5NJD EM12 182 0 3 179 1314 107 PJ2/WB9Z 3613 13 48
WJ9B EL89 180 0 4 176 1292 92 W7AT 3882 12 44
W3EF FM19 229 1 3 225 1284 102 UA2FF 7016 15 57
N6RK CM98 157 0 2 155 1276 93 JH4UYB 8911 7 36
UA6LFQ KN97 139 0 4 135 1250 108 PJ2/WB9Z 10304 2 21
9V1GO OJ11 43 0 3 40 1214 37 N7UA 12993 0 2
K1JT FN20 216 0 11 205 1202 102 UA2FF 6821 13 47
WT9U EN71 234 2 5 227 1184 100 K6SE 3065 18 58
KB7Q DN45 175 4 8 163 1172 98 PJ2/WB9Z 5389 9 42
F8BPN JN05 162 0 2 160 1152 107 K5GO 7511 2 24
K5PTC EM20 160 0 7 153 1150 97 KV4FZ 3361 7 42
AA5WH EM13 160 4 4 152 1088 92 PJ2/WB9Z 3672 9 37
W7TMT CN87 144 0 4 140 1066 80 JH4UYB 8203 6 34
N9ADG CN97 141 1 9 131 1038 78 FO/F6COW 6510 9 36
VE5UF DO61 111 2 4 105 1028 67 PJ2/WB9Z 5510 9 28
NAX CN87 134 0 2 132 1010 74 PJ2/WB9Z 6320 8 33
K6KM CM99 167 4 2 161 986 81 PJ2/WB9Z 5899 8 46
K8MR EN91 176 0 1 175 982 87 PJ2/WB9Z 3419 15 46
K3MD FN10 195 2 6 187 974 95 K7RAT 3741 14 50
JE1SPY PM95 49 1 7 41 936 38 AE9B 10116 0 4
KCAT EN34 143 0 4 139 934 82 PJ2/WB9Z 4220 11 46
W0ZR EN34 146 0 4 142 932 80 JA3YBK 9912 11 39
N4IR EM86 193 2 1 190 922 89 PJ2/WB9Z 3005 10 53
W1TO FN32 139 0 1 138 922 81 LY3UM 6764 10 34
N6ZFO CM87 121 0 3 118 902 72 PJ2/WB9Z 6015 7 30
UA9SP LO91 81 1 2 78 878 71 KV4FZ 10644 1 10
ACW EN33 139 2 6 131 872 80 PJ2/WB9Z 4136 10 34
NAT EN34 139 2 3 134 868 78 N6NF 2625 9 43
RZ9IR NO26 59 0 5 54 856 47 9V1GO 6308 0 10
EU1AZ KO33 146 0 3 143 850 101 W1MK 6825 2 20
W1JQ FN31 111 0 5 106 848 68 RK1AM 6848 9 22
W4OWY EM84 129 0 3 126 830 82 K7RAT 3585 7 36
N3CO EN72 148 0 4 144 828 82 UA2FF 7185 12 36
N7IR DM43 105 0 0 105 826 69 JH4UYB 9959 5 30
N8AA EN91 150 0 3 147 822 80 RK1AM 7210 9 37
K8FH EN91 157 0 5 152 784 87 UA2FF 7064 7 44
K6XT DM67 106 0 2 104 776 68 K1EA 3101 6 29
K5NZ EM20 85 0 0 85 754 62 SM4Z 8229 4 20
WB2ABD FN02 148 1 1 146 750 78 SO2R 6714 12 40
KO7X DN71 100 0 4 96 742 61 JA3YBK 9487 8 25
W3CP DN05 105 2 4 99 730 61 PJ2/WB9Z 5955 6 26
SP4Z KO12 107 0 4 103 700 78 PJ2/WB9Z 9052 3 17
W7UT DM37 78 0 0 78 684 62 KV4FZ 5167 3 15
W7WKR CN98 79 3 4 72 670 54 K1PX 3800 4 23
K3SWZ FN10 138 0 2 136 662 70 UA2FF 6932 6 36
N9CK EN53 109 0 1 108 644 77 SN7Q 7416 6 25
K8GT EN82 134 0 3 131 640 75 N6RO 3225 8 33
K9OM EL98 85 0 4 81 634 58 SN7Q 8230 2 23
G3KNU IO93 103 2 0 101 634 69 JT1CO 6841 2 14
W9RE EM69 125 0 0 125 626 73 PJ2/WB9Z 3477 6 36
W9RM EN52 100 0 4 96 622 63 RK1AM 7446 6 28
K1IB FN33 107 0 1 106 616 61 LY3UM 6681 6 29
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 26
NCJ November/December 2005 27
Call Grid Raw Dup Bust QSOs Pts Grids Best DX Km QRP LP
N8BJQ EN80 104 0 2 102 606 69 PJ2/WB9Z 3392 12 29
EV6M KO55 96 0 8 88 572 75 JA3YBK 7832 1 11
AI7H DN17 87 0 3 84 566 58 K1PX 3515 4 23
N6AA DM04 73 0 0 73 556 48 PJ2/WB9Z 5589 5 21
DL8DWW JO70 107 3 3 101 532 73 W2GD 6760 2 16
K8AB EN91 102 0 1 101 530 64 PJ2/WB9Z 3419 6 23
VE3NZ FN03 105 0 2 103 484 56 PJ2/WB9Z 3568 6 25
RK9CWW MO06 47 0 0 47 478 45 JA3YBK 6063 0 4
KN4Y EM70 100 0 12 88 468 61 N2IC 2286 1 24
N2CU FN02 65 0 1 64 468 52 LY7Z 6914 3 20
K6XX CM87 72 0 1 71 458 47 N8VW 3284 4 28
AD8J FN00 109 0 3 106 456 62 K5BG 1836 5 31
UA6BAE KN95 66 0 3 63 440 55 JT1CO 5011 2 7
W2GDJ FN32 51 0 2 49 432 41 LY3UM 6764 0 12
W9WI EM66 56 0 0 56 420 45 K7RAT 3160 9 15
NA2M FN31 70 0 3 67 412 50 N2IC 3330 5 16
N6NF CM87 88 0 15 73 410 50 W3TDF 4121 2 12
NY4N EM66 85 0 3 82 404 61 K7RAT 3160 4 21
VA3XRZ EN93 86 0 3 83 402 51 PJ2/WB9Z 3624 6 20
WC9C EM69 80 0 2 78 390 54 K7RAT 3007 3 21
OM4DN JN98 81 0 0 81 390 67 RW4PL 2323 1 13
KE6QR CM88 86 3 3 80 384 36 K9DX 2897 5 23
JH1GVY PM95 26 0 4 22 382 20 K5GO 10400 0 1
K9OR EN62 83 0 0 83 374 56 PJ2/WB9Z 3752 3 23
K6OWL CM87 73 0 2 71 370 40 K9DX 2936 3 19
W9OA EN61 74 0 2 72 370 53 W7AT 2931 6 20
K9CW EN50 71 0 0 71 342 51 KV4FZ 3436 1 22
OM1AW JN88 73 1 1 71 342 59 UA9AYA 3066 0 9
DL5SVB JO63 73 2 3 68 338 54 JT1CO 6130 1 10
K3HX FN00 98 3 12 83 336 53 K5BG 1836 3 21
WTY EM48 63 0 0 63 312 45 N2IC 1760 4 15
DJ3RA JO72 49 0 0 49 306 39 WE3C 6580 0 7
RU6FA LN05 42 0 1 41 306 38 JT1CO 4874 1 4
N2ZU FN20 76 0 1 75 298 42 AE9B 1731 4 16
AD6FR DM13 55 0 4 51 294 34 VE3EJ 3462 2 16
W8PN EN91 76 0 1 75 294 46 K5BG 1735 1 17
OK1DKO JO60 68 0 2 66 292 54 UA9CDC 3187 0 12
OK1HX JO70 65 0 1 64 276 51 UA9AYA 3080 1 10
KA2BZS FN20 70 0 9 61 272 44 KC7V 3274 2 17
K6OQ CM97 46 0 4 42 268 31 K9DX 2772 3 10
SM6IQD JO57 43 0 4 39 266 35 W2GD 6198 0 5
KQ6ES DM14 60 0 1 59 264 33 K9DX 2585 3 17
VA7ST DO00 43 0 0 43 262 26 KE9I 2648 1 14
WA4OSD EM66 58 0 0 58 256 46 N2IC 2064 0 15
W8IDM EN91 56 0 1 55 248 40 N5UM 1667 6 13
HA5PT JN97 48 0 1 47 246 41 UA9CDC 3000 0 5
PG4I JO22 43 0 1 42 246 39 JT1CO 6619 1 5
W6OAT CM87 38 0 0 38 240 27 PJ2/WB9Z 6015 1 9
K1TN EM79 58 0 2 56 240 42 PJ2/WB9Z 3381 2 13
ON6TJ JO20 52 1 1 50 230 44 UUJM 2432 0 3
SQ9FMU JO90 55 0 1 54 230 46 RW4PL 2204 0 7
KD6WW CM98 30 0 0 30 226 23 W3SO 3586 0 6
W2JU FN31 56 0 0 56 222 36 KU1CW 1874 2 12
OM3BA JN88 57 0 3 54 220 47 UA3TCJ 1962 0 8
K6DGW CM98 39 0 0 39 216 27 K9NW 3071 1 10
W5GZ DM52 43 0 3 40 210 29 W2GD 3143 2 9
W4ATL EM73 38 0 1 37 208 29 KC7V 2410 2 10
VA3IX EN93 50 0 7 43 200 33 N5PO 1856 4 8
VA7MM CN89 42 0 3 39 192 21 N2IC 2217 1 9
DL5MO JO50 43 0 3 40 186 36 UUJM 2007 0 5
NS3T FM19 51 0 1 50 180 35 K0HA 1708 1 11
DJ4KW JO53 42 0 4 38 180 34 UA9CDC 3147 0 2
PA3AFF JO21 39 0 2 37 178 31 RL3A 2150 2 5
IK3ORD JN55 37 0 1 36 176 35 KT1V 6227 0 2
VE3TAZ FN03 50 0 1 49 174 33 AE9B 1454 1 10
PA3BFH JO22 31 0 0 31 154 28 RL3A 2107 0 2
GMTN IO92 26 0 0 26 150 26 RA6LBS 3154 0 1
AAAW EN36 25 0 0 25 146 24 PJ2/WB9Z 4392 0 2
VO1HP GN37 15 0 0 15 144 14 K5GO 3488 0 4
KZ1O FN42 40 0 3 37 136 26 N4PN 1533 2 7
K6TA CM98 30 0 0 30 128 18 VE5UF 1812 1 9
KM4FO EM67 36 0 2 34 126 27 K5ZD 1472 0 7
N7WA CN87 27 0 2 25 120 16 AE9B 2476 1 5
W9LYA EN62 41 0 6 35 116 28 K5BG 1417 1 3
Call Grid Raw Dup Bust QSOs Pts Grids Best DX Km QRP LP
AA4VV EM95 31 0 1 30 114 27 KHA 1509 0 2
AD6ZJ DM13 28 0 6 22 104 18 K5GO 2211 1 5
N7MAL DM25 19 0 1 18 82 15 K5BG 1694 0 5
LZ9R KN32 14 0 0 14 78 13 OHR 2043 0 1
JF2SKV PM85 10 0 1 9 34 7 JT1CO 2848 0 1
K7AWB DN17 6 0 0 6 28 5 N2IC 1798 0 1
NJ7I DM43 3 0 0 3 6 2 N2IC 217 0 1
Single operatorQRP
Call Grid Raw Dup Bust QSOs Pts Grids Best DX Km QRP LP
K7CA DM37 250 0 3 247 5312 121 JA2ZJW 9257 20 61
KST EN36 248 6 2 240 3512 125 PJ2/WB9Z 4392 15 61
N5IA DM52 195 3 1 191 3224 114 JH4UYB 10171 9 49
K7NJ DM37 188 0 3 185 3208 110 JH4UYB 9528 7 52
N2NT FN20 184 0 2 182 2212 88 LY3UM 7041 11 44
N4ROA EM86 201 0 6 195 2140 97 PJ2/WB9Z 3005 18 48
KB8U EN71 196 0 9 187 1984 94 PJ2/WB9Z 3571 18 46
WA4PGM FM07 180 0 0 180 1800 85 K7RAT 3731 13 48
K9FO EN61 153 0 3 150 1644 86 PJ2/WB9Z 3660 11 38
KT0R EN35 104 0 2 102 1320 63 KV4FZ 4047 6 32
N9UC EN61 139 0 3 136 1248 81 PJ2/WB9Z 3660 7 34
N6WG CM87 108 0 0 108 1220 53 PJ2/WB9Z 6015 4 30
KR2Q FN20 121 0 0 121 1212 64 K7CA 3284 9 32
W5WMU EM40 66 0 1 65 1088 51 N5TM 7213 5 19
W6UB EM75 103 0 8 95 980 63 K7RAT 3372 3 25
VE3MGY FN03 100 0 10 90 968 53 K7CA 2937 10 25
W8VE EN90 111 0 3 108 916 58 K8FC 2070 7 34
N8ET EN81 75 0 3 72 820 51 K7RAT 3233 7 18
WCH EM26 69 0 1 68 804 52 K7RAT 2543 4 25
NUR EN35 75 0 1 74 780 50 KC7V 2034 6 21
W3TS FN10 82 0 4 78 708 59 N2IC 2983 5 21
K7TQ DN16 65 0 3 62 668 33 K5BG 2307 4 18
KBYH DM79 51 0 3 48 656 38 N1EU 2698 3 13
RV3QX LO00 61 0 2 59 652 51 F5IN 2732 0 8
OH4MFA KP32 52 1 1 50 636 44 F6HKA 2513 0 2
US2IFH KN98 50 0 4 46 596 38 RV3YR 5542 0 5
NOCT EM48 60 1 4 55 568 42 K7CA 1931 5 20
VE7VV CN88 44 0 1 43 560 29 K5PTC 3099 3 11
W1CSM FN42 65 0 0 65 512 36 KHA 2174 2 18
GW4ALG IO81 50 1 1 48 492 40 RL3A 2654 1 5
N9NE EN54 51 0 0 51 448 37 K7BG 1731 4 19
N4CW FM05 50 0 1 49 408 35 K5UN 1666 2 12
KKX EN35 27 0 0 27 344 26 PJ2/WB9Z 4306 1 4
N6TR CN85 31 0 0 31 332 24 PJ2/WB9Z 6249 0 6
G3YMC IO91 36 0 1 35 320 32 7S2E 1927 1 1
DL1LAW JN59 35 0 2 33 252 30 7S2E 1773 0 2
DJ3GE JO30 28 0 0 28 252 27 RL3A 2072 0 1
KM4CH EM78 35 0 6 29 156 25 K5ZD 1266 0 4
K4AQ EM73 17 0 0 17 104 16 KHA 1319 0 3
K6MI DM06 9 0 1 8 92 8 NNI 2145 0 2
NU7T DM09 15 0 2 13 80 11 K8FC 1217 0 5
Multi operatorLow Power
Call Grid Raw Dup Bust QSOs Pts Grids Best DX Km QRP LP
YU1RA KN04 45 0 2 43 226 39 7S2E 2226 0 6
Multi operatorHigh Power
Call Grid Raw Dup Bust QSOs Pts Grids Best DX Km QRP LP
W2GD FM29 485 10 25 450 2267 211 5B4AGN 8983 22 91
KE9I EN61 489 7 7 475 1936 202 JA5DQH 10663 28 100
RL3A KO85 306 8 11 287 1840 180 VK6HD 12510 5 42
JA3YBK PM84 113 2 2 109 1720 90 K5BG 10698 2 16
WD5R EM45 453 0 30 423 1714 193 ZL3IX 13050 18 93
K1LT EM89 433 5 7 421 1634 180 SV3RF 8556 28 95
YZ7A KN05 271 0 17 254 1280 162 VK6VZ 12864 7 38
KG6WXJ CM97 250 1 5 244 1200 133 ZL3IX 11170 9 64
UU5A KN74 105 1 6 98 362 72 9V1GO 8163 3 17
Some ice makes UA3DPXs 160 meter
antennas more visibleespecially the
Beverages.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 27
28 November/December 2005 NCJ
Although this article is slanted toward
DXing, it is also applicable to contest-
ing. Perhaps it will give you some ideas
to improve your station.
A while back the Topband (160-meter)
reflector moderated by W4ZV had a num-
ber of Topband antenna e-mails. These
suggested a number of antenna ideas
and a number of related topics. Almost
all were related to topband, but they sug-
gested the need to be pragmatic and
strive for more simplicity. Most applied
to the average topband DXer. QRP or
super stations might need different treat-
ment.
Rather than using traps, relays, coils,
switches, etc, part way up a vertical, it is
a lot simpler and more effective to have
just a single vertical and do all the match-
ing at the base (see ON4UNs Low-Band
DXing, Third Edition, page 9-56 for a
photo of my 90 foot vertical for 80 and
160 meters). Previously, I used a 70 foot
vertical for 40, 80 and 160 meters (see
my article titled Remote-controlled 40,
80, and 160-meter vertical in the May
1984 issue of Ham Radio). Tall verticals
work fine on these bands. For 40, I now
use a Lazy-V for 6 dB gain in each of
four directions, which are relay switched.
Topband TopicsSimplicity in Antennas
Bob Leo, W7LR
w7lr@arrl.net
The corrected Figure 2 from A Receiving Antenna System in the March/April 2000 issue of NCJ. This is a schematic
diagram of a single EWE antenna direction switching system.
The corrected Figure 4 with trace, jumper details and component locations for
a termination/feedpoint switch.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 28
NCJ November/December 2005 29
Radials can be simple, too. I use #14
house wire (it could be colored to see it
better) to fashi on 20 to 60 ground
mounted radials of whatever length fits
in the antenna field.
Si mpl i ci t y shoul d al so appl y t o
Topband receiving antennas. I like the
EWE for easy mechanical assembly
just two 2 4s, some wire, ground rods,
a resistor and a transformer at the ends.
I think that most small wire antennas
work about the same. I tried a FLAG,
which was no better than a EWE and
was a lot harder to build.
A Beverage is even better, even a
short one. I put up a 300 foot Beverage
through trees, garden, etc, just to QSO
ZP6CW. It had the edge over the broad-
side EWE array (160 foot spacing), even
though the Beverage was not oriented
just right due to the lot geometry.
Ive found a simple way to change di-
rections on a EWE or Beverage an-
tenna. I run coax to each end and use a
small switch box at each end. See my
article titled A Receiving Antenna Sys-
tem in the March/April 2000 issue of
NCJ. There were a couple errors in Fig-
ure 2 and Figure 4; the corrected fig-
ures accompany this article.
Receive and transmit antennas should
be separated, but I dont have that much
room, so they share the same field. We
do whatever it takes!
Finally, here are some short notes on
antennas for other bands. I prefer a Yagi
over a quad for mechanical reasons. I
dont worry about traps on tribanders or
the need for monobanders. Propagation
differences are huge, and I can work
anything with a TH7 and legal power
(maybe not first in the pileup!). What re-
ally does matter is the height of those
antennas (see my article titled Horizon-
tal-antenna gain in the February 1976
issue of Ham Radio).
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Custom built by Paul Schrader, N4XM

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Models Available
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 29
30 November/December 2005 NCJ
I recently received several questions
regarding the proper wiring of the four
bent antenna elements in the K3LR 160-
meter sloper system, which is a very com-
petitive contest antenna for Topband. This
design was described some years ago in
QST (Christman K3LC, Duffy K3LR,
Breakall WA3FET; The 160-Meter Sloper
System at K3LR; August 1994; pp 36-
38) and also in Volume 4 of The ARRL
Antenna Compendium (Christman K3LC,
Duffy K3LR, Breakall WA3FET; The 160-
Meter Sloper System at K3LR; pp 9-17).
In the article, a balun composed of fer-
rite beads placed over the outside of the
coax was used at each feed point, but no
mention was made concerning how to
orient the Budwig center insulator. Typi-
cally, the upper half of each antenna ele-
ment should be connected to the center
conductor of the coax, with the outer con-
ductor (coax shield) connected to the
Figure 5 from the Antenna Compendium Volume 4 article with additional
annotations to clarify the connection of the feedline.
A Note on Feeding the K3LR
160-Meter Sloper System
Al Christman, K3LC
Grove City College
100 Campus Dr
Grove City, PA 16127-2104
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lower half of the element. See the accom-
panying figure.
It is very important that all four feedlines
be connected to their corresponding ele-
ments in exactly the same sense. If one
of the feed-point connections is acciden-
tally reversed, this will introduce a 180-
degree phase shift at the input terminals
of that particular element. This will reduce
the gain of the array, and the radiation
pattern will be very distorted.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 30
NCJ November/December 2005 31
With the advent of using wire verticals
around our towers to make a phased ar-
ray system, it has become apparent that
the tower can affect the arrays perfor-
mance, usually for the worse. Many times
I am asked about detuning a tower and
how to do it. This short article is the result
of trying one commonly cited way that did
not work, and doing research on how the
broadcast industry does it, and how we
finally, successfully, detuned a tower with
a 160-meter 4-Square array.
The tower in Figure 1 belongs to W5IZ,
and it is a 200 foot tower with an 80-meter
beam on top and four canti l evered
Phillystran guys that hold up a 160-meter
4-Square system. Each vertical is one
quarter-wavelength tall and is fed at
ground level with buried radials. The 4-
Square system is an Array Solutions op-
timized box that uses what has become
known as the Lahlum method of tuning.
(The namesake i s Robye Lahl um,
W1MKsee his two articles Phase Ad-
justment Technique for a 4-Element
Square Phased Vertical Array and Phase
Correction for a Quadrature Hybrid-Fed
Antenna Array in the May/June 2005 is-
sue of NCJ). The object of this method is
to increase the front-to-back ratio and gain
of the array by using optimized phase
settings of the elements.
We installed the system and noticed the
F/B of the array was down from the pre-
dicted pattern, which should have been
on the order of 30+ dB. We were only see-
ing about 12 dB of front to back using a
signal source that was carefully placed to
give us a good reference to adjust the ar-
ray. By measuring the currents in the tower
legs we could see there was significant
amounts of current as viewed on an os-
cilloscope (that had a current probe
around a leg of the tower) when we trans-
mitted on the array. This was not predicted
in the NEC model of the tower we made.
What to do? We needed to detune the
tower.
Method 1
Doing some Internet research, we found
that one solution was to create a loop
around the tower at some midpoint. Then,
we could drop a wire down below it at 40-
60 feet and put a capacitor in series to
tune the circuit to resonance. We tried this
at various heights and we spent a lot of
time without success. The tower was just
not going to be detuned using this method
no matter if we resonated the loop by
increasing or decreasing the currents in
it. We still had significant currents in the
tower and this disturbed the pattern.
How to Detune a Tower
By Jay Terleski, WXB
Figure 1The 200 foot tower at W5IZ,
with an 80-meter Yagi on top and a 4-
Square system around it.
Figure 2A typical detuning skirt.
Method 2
I knew the broadcast industry often
grappled with this problem, so I started
doing more research about AM broadcast
detuning systems. This is a serious issue
in the broadcast industry. An AM broad-
cast station has to maintain a pattern
based on FCC regulations. If the pattern
is changed by a newly erected cell tower,
for example, the cell tower owner is re-
quired to detune his tower so as not to
affect the pattern of the AM broadcaster.
There are several companies that make
tower skirts to accomplish this.
As you drive around you may notice that
some cell towers have these skirts around
them. This is a sure sign that they are lo-
cated near AM broadcast stationsand
that their presence has disrupted the sta-
tions patterns.
I called my friend Goose Steingass,
W8AV, who is a broadcast engineer, and
he agreed the best way to detune a tower
was to skirt it. With the W5IZ tower he
recommended to skirt the whole thing to
make it disappear, versus just detuning
one quarter-wavelength of it.
Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram
of a typical detuning skirt. It usually has 3
or more detuning wires running the full-
length of a tower. The top wires are elec-
trically attached to the tower. The lower
end of the skirt is insulated from the tower,
tied together in a halo around the tower
Figure 3W5IZs tower with the
detuning skirt (you have to look closely
to see the wires around the tower).
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 31
32 November/December 2005 NCJ
and attached to a detuning LC network
to adjust the skirt to be nonresonant at
the desired frequency. This is a much
more rigorous application to build versus
the Method 1 approach, but thats what
we had to do. We built a 3-wire skirt using
water pipe standoffs at the top, midway
down (which were insulated), and at the
bottom. See Figures 3 and 4.
Figure 4The insulated bottom of the skirt. Note the halo
wires that tie the skirt wires together.
Figure 5The LC network used to used to detune the tower.
Its made of a coil of enamel wire and an RF capacitor.
At the bottom of the tower the three
wires were tied together and held down
from the top with turnbuckles and an in-
sulator to electrically isolate them from the
water pipe standoffs. I built an LC network
(see Figure 5) just out of trial and error
with #12 AWG magnet wire. We brought
down one wire from the skirt and tied it to
one end of the coil. I scrapped insulation
on top of the magnet wire to allow me to
adjust a jumper from the coil. I also had a
handful of RF capacitors.
For measurement we used a 500 MHz
oscilloscope and placed a current probe
in the wire that was feeding the coil from
the skirt. The trick is to minimize the cur-
rent in the skirt, or the voltage read on
the scope.
The current probe can be made simply
with just some hook-up wire. Place five
or more turns around your network wire,
or just enough turns to easily produce 1-
2 volts on your scope when transmitting
into the array with 10 W or more. The
scope I used easily picked up the trans-
mit signal. As a reference, we adjusted
the scope down to the millivolt scale and
we could see AM broadcast signals mov-
ing the trace. Al, W5IZ, lives way out in
the country and has no nearby AM broad-
casters, so these signals were in the
range of 2-3 millivolts. We knew we prob-
ably could not make the 160-meter sig-
nal that weak, but we could try.
Adjusting the coil and capacitance val-
ues I found a sweet spot for a tap point on
the coil that minimized the 160-meter sig-
nal being transmitted. I was further able
to reduce the signal by changing different
values of capacitors. I ended up using a
100pF cap soldered to the coil to form a T-
network. Al and I were amazed that yes,
indeed, the signal on the skirt was down
at the same level as the AM broadcast sta-
tions. Now to see if it worked!
We set up the measurement system
and, lo and behold, the F/B had jumped
up 18 dB or more. I readjusted the
4-Square system and we saw 30 + dB of
F/B.
The moral of the story is towers can
significantly adversely affect the vertical
phased arrays we hams build around
them. The good news is we can fix the
problem by carefully building industry-
standard skirts. But you get what you put
into it, and trying to cut corners just may
not pay off in the long run.
www.writelog.com
e-mail:k5dj@writelog.com
Ron Stailey, K5DJ
504 Dove Haven Dr
Round Rock, TX 78664-5926
Tel/Fax (512) 255-5000
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Features:
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NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 32
NCJ November/December 2005 33
NCJ Review
Green Heron RT-20 Universal Rotator Controller
By Jim Idelson, K1IR
This years Dayton
Hamvention gave me
an injection of new en-
thusiasm for Amateur
Radio and contesting.
The new RT-20 Univer-
sal Rotator Controller
from Green Heron En-
gineering is one of the
big reasons.
As I was doing my
annual tour of the
Hamvention interior dis-
plays, I was suddenly
collared from behind
and dragged into one of
the many 10 10
booths. As I regained
my composure, I could
see the smiling face of
Jeff Ach, W2FU. Jeff
was thrusting something
in my face saying, Hey,
Jim! Look at this! Its just
what you need for your
station! How many do
you want?
Now you have to un-
derstand that I have known Jeff for a few
years through HF contesting. Jeff has a
world-class station in Western New York.
We often find ourselves competing with
each other in the multi-single category of
the major DX contests. Although we are
good friends, I view him as one of my pri-
mary competitors. So, when a competitor
says he wants to help me out, I am im-
mediately suspicious!
In this case, what Jeff was offering
sounded fantastica rotator control box
that would run any rotator I wanted to
connect to it! I immediately had visions of
a stack of these babies on my operating
table. A standard control box would be a
tremendous advantage in my world of
multi-op contesting. Imagineoperators
only needing to learn how to use one type
of controller!
Background
Necessity is the mother of invention.
And necessity is clearly the driving force
behind creating the RT-20. At W2FU, ro-
tator control is a major challenge. With TIC
Rings, M
2
Orions, Creates and various
other rotators installed on multiple tow-
ers, the challenge of learning and main-
taining all these rotators is substantial.
Even when everything is working perfectly,
there is a whole wish list of capabilities
that are difficult to implement with the mix
of equipment from all
those different manu-
facturers.
So, Jeff set out to
simplify and improve
his ability to control the
rotators in his station.
The result is the won-
derful new RT-20 con-
troller.
Getting Started with
the RT-20
Getting the RT-20 to
control your rotator is
easy to do. It takes just
a few simple steps:
1. Setup hardware
2. Setup software
3. Connect
4. Calibrate
5. Rotate!
Since the RT-20 can
control just about any-
thing, it needs to be
configured initially. Two
pri mar y opti ons are
configured with hard-
ware settingsac or dc motor and volt-
age level. Position feedback method
(counter or potentiometer) is set in the
RT-20 menu. A few other parameters may
need to be configured in the menu, de-
pending on the rotator you are control-
ling.
Next, you will make sure you know ex-
actly what bearing your rotator is currently
set to and then connect your existing con-
trol cable to the RT20.
Your final step is to calibrate the RT20
to the heading you noted previously. Ro-
tators using potentiometers for position
feedback also need to be calibrated at
zero and full-scale.
You are now ready to rotate!
Basic Functions
The RT-20 does everything you need
a rotator control box to do. Regardless of
the rotator you have, the RT-20 is an ex-
cellent choice. With its large and compre-
hensive display, intuitive interface and
computer control port, all the capabilities
of your original rotator manu-facturers
control box are available. Sometimes, the
features of the RT-20 will exceed the ca-
pabilities of the original controller.
Point-and-shoot antenna positioning
from the front panel is popular for its sim-
plicity. This approach to setting antenna
Jeff Ach, W2FU, introduced the Green Heron RT-20 at Dayton 2005.
The RT-20 provides easy control of all
these rotators.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 33
34 November/December 2005 NCJ
strokes in the menu. The M
2
rotator would
now be the Master and the TIC would be
the Slave. When you change the direc-
tion of the Master, both the Master and
Slave will go to the new heading. Perhaps
the greatest benefit of Master/Slave mode
is the ability to separate antennas for dif-
ferent directions and then reconverge the
stack. Its better than a rotating tower
where you must have the stack pointed
in the same direction. If you change the
direction of a Slave, it will go to that head-
ing by itself. If you want to move only the
direction is available on some rotators, but
not all. If you own any Hy-Gain rotator or
the M
2
Orion, for example, the RT-20s
point-and-shoot feature will be a welcome
addition in your shack.
The RT-20 is an excellent choice to re-
place a busted, missing or no-longer-
available rotator controller. For example,
you cannot get par ts for the Yaesu
2700SDX anymore, and parts for Creates
(wonderful mechanics in the motor part)
must come from Japan.
Advanced Functions
With RT-20s controlling all the rotators
in your station, you have some exciting
opportunities to go beyond the standard
range of rotator functions. Green Heron
has taken rotator control to a new level.
Master/Slave Mode
Coordinated rotation of a stack of two
or more Yagis is a challenge. There are
several approaches. One is to use a ro-
tating tower with all antennas fixed in the
same orientation. When you rotate the
tower, all antennas turn to the same head-
ing. This is a great solution if you have
multiple towers and can afford to dedicate
a tower to a single direction. You can also
rotate only an upper portion of the tower
containing the stack or a long, side-
mounted mast with swinging gate style
side-mounts. Rotating tower solutions are
exciting and powerful, but it is difficult to
convert an existing tower to one that ro-
tates, and the cost of hardware needed
to set up rotating towers is high.
Step in the RT-20. You can now emu-
late the rotating tower by using the RT-
20s Master/Slave control mode. In this
mode, you control a stack of Yagis turned
by independent rotators from a single
control box. These antennas could be
mounted on the same tower as a vertical
stack, or on different towers in a horizon-
tal arrangement, giving you even more
flexibility than the rotating tower approach.
See the Master/Slave mode diagram in
Figure 1.
With a second rotator and another RT-
20, I set out to configure the two rotators
on my tower in Master/Slave mode. It
didnt take more than 20 minutes to get it
running. My first RT-20 was set up to con-
trol the M
2
Orion that turns my main mast
that supports a 20/15/10-meter Christ-
mas tree. I set up the second control box
to control the TIC Ringrotor on the same
tower. This rotator turns a 40-meter Yagi.
With the second rotator configured and
turning the 40-meter beam reliably (and
with more functions than the original TIC
controller), I added the interconnect cable
that Green Heron had supplied to con-
nect the two controllers together.
The next step was to configure one of
the controllers to act as Master. This was
quickly accomplished with a few key-
Backpanel of the RT-20.
VHFing and the RT-20 Controller
By Mark Hoffman, K2AXX
Besides having a killer HF station, Jeff Ach, W2FU, also has a killer VHF+ station
at his home. Part of the reason for the creation of Green Heron Engineering and
the RT-20 was to allow both ease-of-use and provide the pinpoint accuracy
needed above 50MHz. I have used the RT-20 in a multi-op environment and from
home as a single-op, and here are a few things I found invaluable.
Point-and-shoot positioning
Turn the knob to your target heading, and your antennas head there. What could
be better?
Accuracy
The resolution is up to 0.1 degrees (depending on your rotator, counting
mechanism, and installation accuracy) so you can be sure that youre pointing
exactly where you need to be. My azimuth calculator would give me a heading, I
would turn the antennas, and signals were there. This is a far cry from the old days
of an analog pointer giving you a rough heading.
Computer Control
RoverLog, my favorite VHF+ contesting software package, provides rotator control
support. After some simple software configuration, plugging the PC COM port into
the controller and starting the software, I could then command my rotator to do my
bidding. I would enter a call sign, and if the station were in my database, the grid
locator would fill in. With a keystroke, the rotator turned to that heading. Thats a
big advantage to a 10-band single-operator VHF station.
Flexibility
I have an odd mix of old rotators that the RT-20 has no problems with. For years,
my Create RC5A-3 and RC5-3 were used with a modified controller since the
stock version would habitually quit indicating. The RT-20 was able to replace
these, and provide me with 1-degree accuracy to boot. No changes on the tower,
just use the wiring chart in the manual and I was ready to recalibrate and go.
This controller has removed the difficulty of antenna positioning from my shack.
Now I can focus on more important things, such as tracking down that strange
smell of smoke from my amplifier rack.
Master to a new heading, just push Can-
cel to allow the Master to operate inde-
pendently. Antennas now out of sync? Go
back to Master/Slave mode and set a new
heading. Both rotators will converge on
the same heading from wherever they
happen to be pointed.
You can also adjust the speed of each
rotator independently, so whatever rota-
tors you have installed, you can set the
speeds so the two antennas turn exactly
in sync.
Since 20 meters is such an important
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 34
NCJ November/December 2005 35
Figure 1RT-20 Master/Slave mode. Rotators start at
different headings. Setting Master to a new heading
causes both rotators to converge on the new direction.
Figure 2RT-20 Slave Counter-Rotate mode. As tower
rotates clockwise to new heading, Slave counter-rotates to
keep its original heading.
hits the tower. As soon as I ask for a bear-
ing thats in the Slaves OK zone, the
rotators automatically sync up again.
Sweet!
Counter-Rotation Mode
Is this the sweetest idea youve heard
about in a long time? I think so. Its an
idea I have long felt would be useful, and
Green Heron has done it. Lets look at a
scenario where it is applied.
You are the proud owner of a rotating
tower. As a DXer, you have been satis-
fied with this setup. You turn the tower with
all its stacks to work the DX station. You
are first in the pileup every time. But, lately
youve begun to enjoy contesting a bit and
you notice that having all those antennas
pointed in the same direction all the time
is a disadvantage. Youd like to add inde-
pendent control of a multiplier antenna.
But, how can you do it with your rotating
tower? Do you need to put up a second
tower? The RT-20s counter-rotation
makes this a simple and far less costly
endeavor. See the Slave Counter-Rotate
mode diagram in Figure 2. Using this fea-
ture, you can install an antenna and rota-
tor on the tower controlled by an RT-20 to
achieve your goal. When two rotators are
stacked one above the other and con-
trolled by RT-20s in counter-rotation
mode, a change in position of the lower
rotator causes an equal and opposite
change in position of the upper rotator.
So, when you rotate the lower from north
to east, the antenna on the top remains
pointed toward its target through active
rotation in the opposite direction of the
movement of the lower rotator.
Computer Control
Now lets add computer control and
software to the mix. Green Heron includes
the computer control port on every con-
troller. The connection is a simple three-
wire RS-232 cable back to a com port on
your shack computer. The controller un-
derstands the HyGain DCU-1 control pro-
tocol. So, all you have to do to get com-
puter control running is to set your soft-
ware to use DCU-1 control and hook-up
the cable. I was able to get WriteLog,
DXLab and LP-Rotor to control the rota-
tor in minutes.
Jeff Ach tells me hes got a lot more in
store from the computer control side of
things. Hes looking at a rotator control
server for remote control solutions and
larger stations.
band in these sunspot-free days, I de-
cided to add a swinging gate style side-
mount for the lower 20-meter Yagi. I used
my spare Orion 2800 to turn it, and
switched one of the RT-20s over to con-
trol the rotator. When you install a swing-
ing gate, you have to choose which 60
degree arc you will lose because of inter-
ference between the gate and the tower.
Then you set the rotator limits so they give
you continuous rotation through the re-
maining 300 degrees. This may force you
to use a limit that is not exactly 0 or 180
degrees. The RT-20 allows you to do ev-
erything necessary to deal with this situ-
ation. You can easily program the ends of
rotation to be limited to your 300 degree
arc, and you can set the offset to any
value you need.
The digital display will always give you
the correct information. The scale printed
on the front panel only knows about north
and south centering, so I overlaid my own
computer-generated scale that matches
my nonstandard center of rotation. It
works great. When I ask the Master con-
troller to turn the stack to a position thats
in the Slaves restricted zone, the Master
rotator goes to the desired heading while
the Slave rotator stops just before the gate
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 35
36 November/December 2005 NCJ
Performance with Various Rotators
Ive been able to test the RT-20 with two
different rotator types, and the Green
Heron controller is clearly superior to the
original controller in each case.
M
2
Orion 2800: The 2800 uses pulse
counting for position feedback. The RT-
20 provides several advantages in this
case. Point-and-shoot control is the pri-
mary advantage. And the display on the
RT-20 is easier to read. Calibration of the
RT-20 is a snap. And, the RT-20 is a whole
lot smaller than the M
2
controller.
TIC Ringrotor: TIC uses a pot for po-
sition feedback, and provides a basic
point-and-shoot controller. There are two
modelsone with an analog meter for
direction indication, the other with a small
digital display of rotator heading. The RT-
20 is slightly larger than the TIC control-
ler, but it gives you a much larger display
and another key feature: speed control.
Speed control is an important tool in con-
trolling a large array such as those often
driven by the TIC rotators. Having the
ability to control speed and ramp the
speed up and down is an invaluable fea-
ture addition you can only get with the RT-
20. With all this adjustment flexibility, the
RT-20 can give you a much higher level
of accuracy than either the TIC analog or
digital control box.
HyGain Ham-X and TailTwisters: The
ubiquitous HyGain rotator family benefits
from the RT-20. Improved display, point-
and-shoot, and speed/ramp control, plus
programmable brake delay are all pro-
vided with the RT-20. This controller adds
a whole new dimension of flexibility and
control to the HyGain series.
RT-20 currently supports these addi-
tional rotators: Yaesu, Alfa Spid, Create,
Alliance, Prosistel and others. With its
universal capabilities, just about any ro-
tator out there can be controlled with the
RT-20. If yours isnt in the list of supported
rotators, just contact Jeff and hell help
you out.
Overall Impressions
Jeff set out to simplify and improve his
ability to control all the rotators in his sta-
tion. The result is the wonderful new RT-
20 controller. The RT-20 opens a whole
new range of antenna control possibili-
ties to those who simply need to replace
a control box as well as those who are
setting out to build the perfect antenna
system.
Price and Availability
The RT-20 is priced at US$569. It is ship-
ping now. Contact Green Heron Engineer-
ing at info@greenheronengineering.com
or call 585-217-9093.
micro KEYER
www.microHAM.com
CW KEYER
USB port Interfaces
NEW
RT-20 on top of a TIC Ringrotor and an M
2
Orion 2800.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 36
NCJ November/December 2005 37
The World Radio Team Championship (WRTC) established
an important cornerstone in Tokyo last August by securing sup-
port from a major equipment manufacturer: Vertex Standard
(Yaesu in the Amateur Radio Division). Announcement of the
agreement came from Oms, PY5EG, president of the
WRTC2006 organizing committee.
More than 80% of the teams in WRTC2002 were using Yaesu
FT1000-series transceivers, so it was natural that WRTC would
seek a partnership with Yaesu for 2006. Further discussions
are underway, and arrangements will be extended to cover sev-
eral radio-related options on location in Brazil next year.
WRTC2006 participants will have an opportunity to view and
use the new Elite-Class FTDX-9000 transceiver at the WRTC
headquarters station during their visit.
It is important to note that the new relationship with Vertex
Standard is being extended beyond WRTC2006, and this will
encourage other countries to apply for the honor of hosting this
wonderful international event. Martti Laine, OH2BH, from the
WRTC Sanctioning Committee, was present in Tokyo as the
Letter of Intent was signed with Vertex Standard.
Yaesu and WRTC2006
in Brazil, and Beyond
Left to right: Martti, OH2BH; Jun Hasegawa, President, Vertex
Standard (Yaesu), and Oms, PY5EG, at JARLs HamFair 2005
Mon-Fri 10am-6pm * Fax (603) 899 6826
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NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 37
38 November/December 2005 NCJ
In my write-up in the March 2005 issue
of QST of the results of the 2004 IARU
contest, I commented that K7RL reported
a fantastic 15-meter opening to Japan at
1AM local time. In response to this com-
ment, Jon NJK (VHF/UHF Contesting
columnist for NCJ), said in a personal e-
mail that he suspected this was multi-hop
E
s
(sporadic E). Jon further noted that the
peak period for multi-hop 6-meter E
s
from
the Pacific Northwest to Japan is 0500
0700 UTC in the summer. Lets take a
closer look at K7RLs 15-meter opening
JA, with the result being a table that gives
the best times for E
s
from the West Coast
to Japan, from the Midwest to Japan and
Europe, and from the East Coast to Eu-
rope.
Figure 1 (tnx DXAID from P. Oldfield)
shows a great circle map from K7RL to
Japan for July 11 at 1AM local time (that
works out to 0800 UTC). The auroral ovals
are shown for a K index of 1, which is the
Propagation
Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA
k9la@gte.net
value reported by the Meanook (western
Canada) magnetometer during the 0600-
0900 UTC period on July 11.
The obvious conclusion from Figure 1
is that auroral-E propagation was not the
likely explanation for these QSOs, as the
path was not under the auroral oval.
What does VOACAP predict for F2
propagation on 15 meters around 0800
UTC? It says there is a very low probabil-
ity (on only one day of the month) of an
opening around 0800 UTC, and the SNR
(Signal-to-Noise Ratio) is predicted to be
many dB below my assumption for the
noise level at K7RLs station. Thus F2
propagation isnt likely to be the explana-
tion, either.
Could It Have Been Sporadic E?
This brings us to NJKs comment
about E
s
. The best way to look at the pos-
sibility of E
s
is to look at the probabilities
of E
s
versus month and local time. Figure
2 (tnx Handbook of Geophysics from the
USAF) does this. If you receive the
ARRLs weekly Propagation Bulletin, ed-
ited by K7RA, youll recognize this plot
from the August 12, 2005 Web version of
the Bulletin.
Figure 2 shows contours of average
monthly percentages of the time E
s
is
present on 6 meters from 1957 and 1958
data. Note that Ive assumed that the
best-times are 6PM to 9PM local time and
10AM to noon local time in the summer
months (June, July and August). For a
best times analysis, this data should be
applied to the mid point of the path (more
on this later). Well assume this data also
gives a decent indication of 15-meter E
s
,
when the F2 ionization is just too low (like
for K7RLs case when he was well into
the night).
To confirm that E
s
was the likely
mechanism for the K7RL-to-JA opening,
we need to do some time translation.
Figure 1The path from K7RL to JA During the 2004 IARU Contest.
Sporadic E During the 2004 IARU Contest
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 38
NCJ November/December 2005 39
Specifically, 1AM local time at K7RL dur-
ing the summer is 5PM local time in JA.
The mid point of this path would be 9PM.
Going to the month of July at 9PM local
time (2100) puts us very near to the very
high probabilities. Thus it is likely that E
s
was the mechanism for these QSOs.
We can do this best-time analysis for
some other paths, too. Doing this, and
adding in the West Coast to Japan analy-
sis, gives us Table 1the most likely times
for E
s
during the summer months.
Please realize that these are general
guidelines, and should be treated as such.
Since were dealing with probability data
(Figure 2), sporadic E propagation on 6
meters and on the other bands could very
well happen an hour or two or three on
either side of these windows.
Note that Table 1 includes both the mid-
point evening local times (6PM to 9PM)
and the midpoint morning local times
(10AM to noon). The midpoint evening
local times are always listed first in Table
1. The problem with the midpoint morn-
ing local times is that they may be hard to
separate from normal F2 propagation.
Improbable, but Not Impossible
One final comment about the data in
Figure 2 is appropriate. Although the high-
est probabilities are in the 50% of the
time neighborhood, this would only be
applicable to a one-hop path at the best
local time. Since the K7RL-to-JA distance
is about 7600km, its likely that four E
s
hops are required. In actuality we have
four probabilities that would need to be
multiplied together (assuming the four E
s
clouds are independent) to come up with
the overall probability of all four E
s
hops
happening at the same time. Based on
local time considerations along the K7RL-
to-JA path, the middle two hops would be
in the 40% ballpark. The two end hops
would be around 5%. The product of these
Figure 2Sporadic E probabilities on 6 meters.
Table 1
Summary of Best Times for E
s
During
Summer Months
Path Most likely times, UTC
West Coast to Japan 0500-0800, 2100-2300
Midwest to Japan 0400-0700, 2000-2200
Midwest to Europe 2100-0000, 1300-1500
East Coast to Europe 2000-2300, 1200-1400
four probabilities is 0.04%. That says the
probability of lining up four E
s
hops is very
lowand it sure does make it an unusual
opening as K7RL commented.
So if nothing else is going on when
youre in front of the radio at the times
indicated in Table 1, think about E
s
you
may be surprised with some extra QSOs
for your contest effort.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 39
40 November/December 2005 NCJ
The Prioritization MatrixA Smart Way to Make
Purchasing Decisions
I do consulting work for a variety of companies. Over the
years, Ive used a lot of tools to help companies make busi-
ness decisions. The prioritization matrix is a very simple tool to
help quantify various criteria to help make a decision.
Meet Ed. Recently retired, he and his wife live on a modest
fixed income on a small residential lot in the Midwest. Ed has
been a dedicated low-power contester over the years and has
enjoyed some successes. His small lot hosts a tribander at 50
feet and dipoles for 80 and 40 meters. He doesnt have suffi-
cient room for a 160-meter antenna.
Now that Ed is retired, he finally has the opportunity to wall-
paper his shack with awards he has never had time to chase
before: WAZ, 5BDXCC, etc. He really enjoys low-power con-
testing and intends to stay in the low power category. However,
for chasing DX, hed really like a little more power to compete
in the pileups.
Ed expressed an interest in a small amplifier. I asked him
what the fixed criteria were for the ampin other words, the
features that the amp must have to be considered. Ed replied
that he felt the amp must be capable of 400-500W output in
order to make any significant difference in his signal strength,
he doesnt want to spend more than $500 on the used market,
it must cover 80-10 meters at the minimum, and it must run off
of 120V, as he doesnt want the expense or hassle of doing
electrical work. Since Ed would only use the amp for those
pileups that require it, and only on CW and SSB, a light duty
cycle amp would suit his needs.
Looking at Eds fixed criteria, we then identified three candi-
dates:
Amplifier AA small sweep-tube amp by a now-defunct
manufacturer capable of 500W. Parts are available, but tubes
are hard to find and are expensive. Can be found on the used
market with good tubes for around $250.
Amplifier BAn 811 two-hole amp that was made by a
former kit company. Many are still in service, parts are avail-
able and tubes are available and are reasonable. There are
some complaints on ergonomics, meter size and readability,
and rough controls. Its available on the used market for around
$350.
Amplifier CAn 811 three-holer, still being manufactured,
covers 160 meters also, good parts availability and factory sup-
port. Good ergonomicsVernier knobs make tune-up easy. Can
be found for under $500 on the used market.
All three of these amps met the fixed criteria. I then asked
him what variable criteria he wanted to consider with the am-
plifierin other words, things that can be rank ordered by de-
sirability. He told me that price was also a variable factor and
set a $500 limit, but he also felt that anything cheaper would
be better if it met his needs. He also felt that the physical foot-
print was a factor as his desk space is limited. He expressed a
concern about sustainability, mostly tube costs, as he didnt
want to go poor keeping the amplifier on the air. Finally, he had
Contesting on a Budget
Paul Schaffenberger, K5AF
concerns about ergonomics. He liked bigger controls and
meters, if possible.
I asked Ed to take each of the variable factors and assign
them a value of one to five, based on increased importance.
Here is how Ed responded:
Price: 5
Sustainability: 4
Footprint: 3
Ergonomics: 2
Each amp was scored based on how well it did against the
criteria. Amplifier A, being the cheapest and smallest, scored
well on cost and footprint, but low on sustainability and ergo-
nomics. The total score is determined by the 1 to 5 score Ed
assigned to each factor, multiplied by how well the amp scored
against that factor. The results are in the following table.
Amplifier A B C
Price (5) 5 4 3
Score 5x5 = 25 4x5 = 20 3x5 = 15
Sustainability (4) 2 4 5
Score 4x2 = 8 4x4 = 16 5x4 = 20
Footprint (3) 5 3 5
Score 3x5 = 15 3x3 = 9 3x5 = 15
Ergonomics (2) 3 3 4
Score 2x3 = 6 2x3 =6 2x4 = 8
Total Score 54 51 58
As you can see, the sustainability score really hurt the small
amp (A), while ergonomics and footprint hurt Amplifier B. Ironi-
cally, the most expensive amp scored best overall.
By using the prioritization matrix, Ed was able to make an
objective decision on his amplifier choice. He can spend the
money knowing that the choice he made best met his indi-
vidual needs. Should he make another choice than Amplifier
C, he will know the tradeoffs and their relative rankings.
While this is a simple example, I hope it is instructive. This
same type of analysis can be used for not only rank ordering
similar types of equipment, but can also be used to rank alter-
native improvement scenarios, such as antennas versus amps,
automation versus a new transceiver, etc.
The priority matrix is a very helpful tool in decision making
for businesses. Like businesses, contesters want the best bang
for the buck, whether that bang is raw power, agility,
sustainability, or even paint scheme. The importance of these
factors is up to you. This tool helps you make an objective de-
cision.
Next month: Inexpensive portable and make-do antennas.
How do you inexpensively improvise when you are away from
home? Mobile whips? Simple wires? Multi-band verticals? Tell
me what works best for you.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 40
NCJ November/December 2005 41
The following is what I said in my prior
column: What kind of propagation may
appear in this years September VHF
Contest? Tropo can certainly occur. In
September 2003 there was an outstand-
ing tropospheric opening associated with
a stagnating high-pressure system. I
would not expect much from E
s
on 50
MHz. September is near the fall equinox,
and this is one of the low points during
the year for E
s
to occur. The 2005 sum-
mer E
s
season slumped after July 4. The
years I have seen good E
s
in a Septem-
ber contest usually followed a long sum-
mer E
s
season that was strong through
the end of August. Aurora could make a
contest appearance. September is a fa-
vorable month for auroras, which occur
most frequently at the equinoxes.
I was right about tropo and aurora, but
underestimated good old E-skip. There was
an outstanding Sunday afternoon-evening
contest E
s
opening to the delight of many!
Jeff, K1TEO, gave a good summary of
much of the propagation that graced this
years September VHF Contest in his post
to the VHF Contest Reflector:
Before every contest, you hope for
some interesting conditions. Some aurora,
some E-skip, some tropo. Well, this con-
test we hit the Trifecta, as all 3 occurred
and made for a lot of fun.
The aurora finally kicked in around
0545Z (September 11). I worked a few
strong signals on 2 meters, but there didnt
seem to be all that much activity.
Jeff worked tropo most on Sunday,
mostly to North Carolina. He noted that
AA4ZZ in EM96 was loud and had a con-
sistent signal all-day Sunday. Jeff notes
the Hepburn Tropo forecast Web site
suggested the tropo opening.
Jeff, like many others, enjoyed the end
of the contest E-skip opening on 6 meters.
He also found some 6-meter DX earlier on
Sunday. I worked VP5 and HI3 around
midday (Sunday). The (6-meter) band
opened around 2200 UTC to 4 and 5 land.
From Kansas, I ran single op (QRP)
portable Sunday morning and evening. No
tropo, but good local activity on 2 meters.
Sunday evening I worked a few 50 MHz
E-skip QSOs to W4 land. I had to shut
down by 2300 UTC as I had tickets to the
ZZ Top concert at the Kansas State Fair
Sunday evening. Billy Gibbons still can
play a mean guitar. I regret not working
the entire E-skip opening, as E
s
is rare in
a September contest. But the ZZ Top con-
cert was good.
Bill, KHA, in Nebraska e-mailed a de-
tailed report of his activity and observa-
VHF-UHF Contesting
Jon K. Jones, NJK
n0jk@hotmail.com
tions in the contest. He also sent some
interesting audio recordings. Bill notes he
worked pure aurora from 0524 to 0851
UTC September 11. He notes a second
short aurora opening between 2119-2143
UTC Sunday afternoon with K8EB EN73,
KMT EN13 and KSQ EN35 logged. The
second Sunday afternoon aurora obser-
vation is important, as the geomagnetic
activity spike may have boosted the F2
MUF (maximum usable frequency) briefly
over 50 MHz from the central USA to
northern South America an hour later. Bill
worked the Sunday evening 50 MHz E
s
opening from 2205 to 0147 UTC. NLL
reported making 95 6-meter QSOs with
E
s
during the same time.
KAKCI Rover Report
Dave Powers, KAKCI, ran rover in the
contest from EM06, 07, 08, 09, 16, 17,
18, and 18 in the contest. Dave caught
two and a half hours of the Sunday
evening E
s
opening while roving in EM16.
He drove 613 miles and made 123 QSOs
for 9984 points.
DX Stations Active In The Contest
This September contest was good for
DX stations. Normally the June VHF QSO
Party is the best one for DX stations to
take part in as there is usually some E
s
.
The September contest is often a dud
for them. I know from personal experience.
Back in 2003 I worked the September
VHF QSO Party from Bermuda. I made
about a dozen 6-meter QSOs by meteor
scatter. It was a lot of work. This year, Kyle,
WA4PGM, worked from Bermuda in the
September contest as VP9/WA4PGM.
Kyle e-mailed that he caught two 50 MHz
E-skip opening in the contest on Sunday.
The first started at 1715 UTC with NJ2F
EL96 going in Kyles log. He worked 35
QSOs on 6 meters over the next hour in
grids EL86, 87, 89, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99,
EM62, 72, 73, 80, 82, 90, 92, 93, FM18
and 72. Six meters was back open at
2312 UTC until 2345 UTC. Kyle worked
EL96, 98, 99, EM73 and 90. Kyle did not
report any double hop E
s
QSOs to the
US Midwest despite single hop E
s
from
the Midwest to W4 occurring at the time.
Kyles total for the contest was 44 QSOs
in 18 grids for 702 points. Great job.
Other DX stations active in the contest
worked by eager contest ops by E
s
were
HI3TEJ, VO1KVT, KG4WW (Gi tmo,
Cuba), XE2OR and VP5KE.
Two other propagation modes were
worked in the 2005 September VHF QSO
Par tyAurora E
s
and F2. Saturday
evening there was aurora E
s
from the
Midwest USA to Oregon and Washington
State, and W1 to VE4, VE5, etc. VE8NSD
and KL7NO were DX stations worked via
aurora E
s
. Sunday afternoon during the
E-skip opening Don, W9/VE3CDP, found
Gus, HC2FG, in Ecuador on 50.110 MHz
around 2230 UTC. This may have been
via direct F2! The geomagnetic field was
active at the time. Surprisingly, I saw no
spots for the Galapagos HC8GR/b. It is
often heard on F2perhaps it is inactive.
A possible E
s
links to F2/TEP was spot-
ted by K3XA at 2225 UTC, who heard
47.9 MHz CE Muzak. Dons 6-meter F2
contest QSO with Ecuador, like VE5UFs
June 2005 VHF QSO Party aurora E
s
50
MHz QSO with Scotland, is amazing at
the bottom of the solar cycle.
Sunspot Region 798
The source of the interesting iono-
Region 798/808, which gave us some
good VHF propagation.
W9/VE2CDPs 6-meter QSO with HC2FG
in the September 2005 VHF QSO Party.
The 2005 September VHF QSO Party
A Contest Trifecta of Propagation!
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 41
42 November/December 2005 NCJ
spheric propagation in this contest was
old sunspot region 798 (which was num-
bered 808 for this rotation of the Sun). This
huge sunspot region could be seen with
the naked eye (but dont do that!), and
was the source of high solar activity in
the days leading up to the contest. It was
responsible for many X-class solar flares,
including one X17 monster solar flare. The
aurora and F2 was directly related to CME
impacts and high solar flux from sunspot
798, with resulting geomagnetic storming.
The E-skip openings were likely a result
of this, too. Ken, WB2AMU, and I recently
wrote an article for CQ VHF magazine
discussing aurora related E-skip open-
VP9/WA4PGM looking for 6-meter
contacts in the September 2005 VHF
QSO Party.
ings. These are not aurora E
s
(which
occur under an active aurora formation
or i n the aurora zone) but rather
midlatitude E
s
spawned after the breakup
of an aurora. Thus the Sunday afternoon
and evening contest E
s
openings oc-
curred after the aurora and aurora E
s
openings earlier Saturday evening and
Sunday morning.
E
s
Openings In September VHF QSO
PartiesRare!
Anyone who has operated September
VHF QSO Parties for a few years knows
that E-skip (or E
s
) openings are rare.
Longtime VHF propagation observer and
author Ken Neubeck, WB2AMU, notes E
s
is rare in September. He recalls only one
other September VHF QSO Party with E
s

1994. Worked KD4HXT EM90, N4EJW

EL97, N4TWX EL89, NU4Y EM90,
WD4MGB EL87, etc.
Back in 1984 I ran the September VHF
QSO Party with WD5AGO from Mena Mt
(AR) in grid EM24. Saturday evening I re-
call Tommy, WD5AGO, working 6-meter
E-skip to W4, and W8. Ken goes on to
note that September VHF QSO Party E-
skip openings occur every 1011 years.
The solar cycle is about 1011 years long.
Coincidence? Or is the occurrence of
September E
s
related in some manner to
the solar cycle?
Contest Tip
September VHF QSO Party E
s
open-
ings, if they occur, develop most often in
the afternoon or evening, and are usually
better for southerly stations like those in
Florida. Ionosonde data supports this.
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NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 42
NCJ November/December 2005 43
This column represents a slight depar-
ture, in deference to one Maryland Multi-
Multi station owners chastisement of my
cavalier attitude toward jolly old Sol, evi-
denced during this years annual PVRC
Field Day.
To wit, Rundy Junior (aka K4ZA) was
willingly about to set out to set up some
of the several AB-577 rocket launcher
masts, when he was asked by said sta-
tion owner what precautions he was tak-
ing for sun protection.
Having grown up on a farm in the Mid-
west, Junior admitted to never having
taken such a precaution once in his life.
The folly or failure of this, and the fal-
lacy of such thinking, was fodder enough
for thi s stati on owner, who qui ckl y
pointed out the lack of reasoning in a
manner similar to something mothers
everywhere have used forever. There-
fore, some l ot i on was summoned,
shared, and slathered on, after which we
then set out once more to act like real
hams, although protected from the Suns
damaging rays.
Which brings me to the point of this
NCJ column. Ill admit to never giving a
moments thought to the Suns other
action. Even after K4BVQ, a local here
in Charlotte, pointed out to me that he
had a mild case of skin cancer from too
much exposure and was now taking ex-
tra precautions. I still operated outdoors
with my boyhood mind-set. But after a
few minutes of searching and reading on
the Internet, those warnings, precau-
tions and preventive measures
seem, to put it mildly, mere hints
at the potential dangers from the
Sun. Never mind 11-year cycles,
or the affects on radio propaga-
tion, were talking hazards from
sunup to sundown, always pos-
sible and everywhere present.
Many of us spend hours out-
doors in the blazing Sun, work-
ing on antennas, operating, do-
ing station maintenance, etc.
The possi bl e hazards of so
much Sun exposure deserves
some discussion. After all, we
often discuss such safety mea-
sures as eye protection when
working with tools. Why not Sun
protection as well?
Serious Exposure
Here are some sobering statis-
tics. Over 90% of skin cancers are
the result of too much Sun expo-
sure. Even though this cancer
Workshop Chronicles
Dan Daso, K4ZA
occurs in adults, the more serious skin
cancers are caused by radiation damage
(the sunburns) that occur during our child-
hood. And, theres plenty of evidence sug-
gesting adult cataracts result from too
much Sun in the eyes during our child-
hood. Most of this damage is caused by
UV (ultraviolet) B radiation, although UVA
radiation can also be a cause. For what-
ever reason, the radiation risk has in-
creased over the past 20 years.
Children suffer the highest risks. More
than half of a lifetimes exposure to the
Sun happens during childhood! We
probably know that the lighter ones
complexion, the greater the risk of sun-
burn. Remember that just like light, UV
radiation reflects off snow, sand, water,
cement and even grass, increasing the
potential for damage. So even if you feel
safer on a bright, but cloudy day, signifi-
cant Sun damage can still occur. The risk
of developing malignant melanoma has
more than tripled since 1980. Thats
jumped from one in 250 to one in 71. A
person dies every hour from melanoma
in the US! Skin cancer was once a dis-
ease of the middle-aged and elderly, but
its quickly becoming a disease of people
in their 20s and 30s. Again, remember
that skin damage that results in mela-
noma happens during childhood.
Protect Yourself
When buying sunscreen, select a
PABA (ParaAminoBenzoic Acid) -free
brand with an SPF (sun protection fac-
tor) of at least 15. Typically, childrens
skin is thinner and more sensitive to the
Sun than adult skin, even in those indi-
viduals with darker complexions. The
amount of sunscreen needed depends
on how light the childs complexion. Most
recommendations suggest using sun-
screen with an SPF of 30 or greater for
fair-skinned folks. Sunscreen is most ef-
fective if applied 20-30 minutes before
exposure. Use sunscreen whenever you
expect to be in the Sun at least 30 min-
utes or more. And sunscreens should be
reapplied every 90 minutes or so after
having been in contact with water.
We often apply sunscreens to ex-
posed areas of skin, such as the arms,
hands, and face, but feel safe about ar-
eas under our clothes. Yet, ultraviolet
radiation can penetrate clothing. Re-
member that prolonged exposure can
damage the skin. A typical cotton T-shirt
is the equivalent to SPF 7 protection. So
whats the solution for long outdoor
days? The answer is sunscreen under
the clothes, or sun-protective clothing.
Sun protection depends on the fiber,
weave and fabric color. Sometimes
a substance that blocks UV radiation
i s added to fabri cs. The ul travi ol et
protection factor (UPF) of fabrics is
similar to the SPF of sunscreens. A high
UPF (40 to 50) is great. Wear and tear
on the material, stretching, shrinking,
laundering, will all affect the protection
level.
Sunglasses protect your eyes from
harmful UV rays and de-
crease the risk of cataracts
in adulthood.
Remember Moms man-
tra: slip slap slop. Slip on
some clothing; dont go out
unprotected. Slap on pro-
tective headgear. Wear a
hat. Slop on some protec-
tive sunscreen (follow the
guidelines above).
So, forget tanning. Re-
gardless of whether you
think it makes you look
good or not, the rewards
arent worth the risk. De-
spite lack of knowledge, or
a cavalier attitude, this is
serious business, and one
new tool in my toolbox col-
lection is sunscreen. Aloe
Up, Pro 30 sunscreen is
one such suitable product
with a nice featureit will
not sting your eyes.
Sun Sense
The latest addition to the K4ZA toolboxsunscreen.
Search for one thats sweatproof, to avoid burning your
eyes on those sweltering summer days while protecting
your skin!
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 43
44 November/December 2005 NCJ
At any given time during a contest you
choose between any number of activities.
You could be running (calling CQ) or tun-
ing up the band answering CQs, com-
monly called Search and Pounce (S&P).
You could be searching out rare and dis-
tant multipliers on a path that is only open
for a short time. Not only do you have to
decide what to do, you also have to de-
cide what band to do it on. You could also
be taking break to eat or sleep, either as
part of a required time off, or just some-
thing you need to do to keep from collaps-
ing at the rig. The decisions you make can
mean the difference between winning and
being an also-ran.
CQ vs S&P
The first sign that you need to change
tactics is when the rate drops, as pointed
out by several respondents. Mel, KJ9C,
makes an Excel graph for rates from past
contests. He also notes if these were made
CQing or S&Ping. If his rate varies too
much from previous operations, he knows
it is time to make a switch.
A common advice is to call CQ when-
ever you can. If conditions are right, you
can work stations faster calling CQ than
you ever could S&Ping. In addition, there
will be many stations that only S&P. You
will never work them if you never call CQ
yourself notes N3BB, who thinks you
should almost always be calling CQ.
It is interesting to note the type of sta-
tions you work in Sweepstakes. When you
are calling CQ, you work mostly A (low
power) and Q (QRP) stations. When you
S&P, you work mostly B (high power) sta-
tions. You can see similar trends in the
ARRL DX contests where the DX stations
send their power as part of the exchange.
The results dont match up as well as in
SS, as a DX prefix is worth at least 20 dB
in signal strength. This is not to say you
cant call CQ effectively as a low power or
QRP station. You have to pick your times,
but if you never CQ you will leave many
potential contacts out of the log.
One technique suggested by K9AY and
others is to combine S&P with CQ. As you
tune and find a clear frequency, try a few
CQs. This can be especially effective for low
power and QRP stations. Eventually you
might be forced to move by a higher power
station, but 4 or 5 quick QSOs here and there
can have a big impact on the score.
GW4BLE passes on the European per-
spective of this aspect for CQWW. When
the band is open to 3 point QSOs he has
to run. Steve will not even think of S&Ping
until he hears only 2 point QSO stations.
One factor that N9ADG uses to decide
to do a switch is what will help him keep
Contest Tips, Tricks & Techniques
By Gary Sutcliffe, W9XT
Tactical DecisionsPart 1
alert. Endless CQs can lull you to sleep
when you are tired.
Band Selection
One simple recommendation is to try to
be on the highest band open. There are
several reasons for this. At times like this
part of the sunspot cycle the higher bands
may not be open that long, so you better
take advantage of them while you can.
During better times, modest stations tend
to be more effective on the higher bands,
so being there can result in higher rates.
K5ZD recommends a more complex
plan. Randy says you need to be on the
band that will increase your score. Most
of this will be the band that gives the high-
est rate. Randy also factors in which band
is most likely to provide more new multi-
pliers. Randy likes to do a little fishing by
making some CQs on 40 or 160 meter
phone. Picking up more multipliers can
more than offset the lower QSO rates.
K5AF will sometimes listen to his com-
petition on a second radio. If the contest
has serial numbers in the exchange, and
Paul hears that a rival is ahead of him, it
is a signal to do something different. Also
if he hears a local station on another band
with a high rate, it may be time to switch
to that band. Of course you should listen
to what he is working. If he is just working
stations you already worked, changing
may not be the best idea.
SO2R Tactics
Running Single Op 2 Radio (SO2R) al-
lows you to CQ and S&P the whole con-
test notes Mike, W9RE, and George,
K5TR. You dont have to decide to call CQ
or S&P.
Normally you will want to be CQing on
the band that will give you the highest rate.
George comments that the band that gives
the best rate CQing may also be the best
band for S&Ping, and the rate may be
higher S&Ping. For example, you might be
calling CQ on 20 meters and S&Ping on
15. After a period of time the rate will drop
on 20 because you have worked most of
the stations answering CQs. At that point
your best move might be to run on 15 and
S&P on 20 because 20 meter S&P rate is
faster than the CQing on either band.
SO2R is a technique that requires much
practice to get proficient in. K5TR notes
that you should concentrate on one radio
when things are so fast that trying to run
two radios will distract you to the point
where you hurt your overall score.
AA4LR also picks the run band where
he feels he will get his best rate. Bill notes
that it is getting harder to get a good rate
with his modest station now that the sun-
spots are disappearing. The second radio
is usually on an adjacent band. The ex-
ception is around sunset or sunrise when
he might be running on 20 and hunting on
80 or 160 meters.
Off Times
W9RE sets regular times for breaks, but
is flexible. In 48-hour DX contests, Mike
forces himself to take a sleep break be-
fore sunrise on Sunday, even if he is work-
ing new multipliers. He knows from expe-
rience that if he doesnt, he will be too tired
to handle the morning European run ef-
fectively. He also tries to eat at normal
times. This can be a problem on phone
during the JA run around 0000Z. Mike flips
up the headset microphone and uses a
boom mike to make eating easier.
AA4LR has a general idea of when he
takes his times off, but tries to be flexible.
Bill mentions one Sweepstakes when he
noted the 80 meter rate was lower than
he expected. He decided to take his break
early, and return later to get back on 40
meters early. He thinks that was a good
decision. Other times, Bill says his wife
decides when he takes his breaks be-
cause she has other things for him to do.
Like others, Steve, GW4BLE, believes
in planning for breaks, but being flexible
when they are taken. Steve also suggests
that the family should be told that your
schedule needs to be flexible. If you are
taking part in a contest that lets you oper-
ate 36 of the 48 hours, they should know
that you might need to be able to operate
any of the 48 hours.
AA4NUs tip, which he credits to N4KG,
is to be awake when the Europeans are
awake, and sleep when they do. This of
course applies to DX contests where it is
important to be working that continent
whenever you can.
This was obviously a popular topic
based on the number of responses re-
ceived. We are only halfway through and
are out of space. The second part of con-
test tactics will continue in the next issue.
At that time we will continue with tactics
for multiplier hunting, mixed mode contest,
and miscellaneous tactics that dont fit well
in the other categories. If you have any
suggestions or tips you would like to pass
on, it is not too late!
Topic for Jan-Feb 2006 (deadline Nov.
12, 2005): Tactical DecisionsPart 2
Send in your ideas on these subjects or
suggestions for future topics. Mail: 3310
Bonnie Lane, Slinger, WI 53086. E-mail:
w9xt@qth.com. Be sure to get them to
me by the deadline.
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 44
NCJ November/December 2005 45
CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest (October 29-30, 2005)
Call Entity Class Operators
3Z3Z Poland SOSB 10M SQ3ET
4M5DX Venezuela SOSB 40M YV5SSB
4M5R Venezuela SOSB 20M YV5TX
4XWV Israel M/S W8HC, K8OQL
5B/HA5PP Cyprus SOSB HA5PP
6W1RY Senegal SOAB HP F5VHJ
8P9R Barbados M/M K3LP, K1LZ, W3ARS, N3KS,
N3VOP, W3ADC, W3ADX,
WB6CBU
8Q7EA Maldives M/M EA1DGZ, EA1DBC, EA1AAW,
EA1CNF
C6A Bahamas M/S W2GJ, AA4V
CN2R Morocco SOSB 40M W7EJ
E21IZC Thailand SOAB LP E21IZC
EA8/F6GOE Canary Is SOSB 20M F6GOE
EY8MM Tajikistan SOSB 40M EY8MM
FR/F5SGI Reunion SOAB LP F5SGI
FS/AH8DX St Martin SOAB HP AH8DX
FY5KE French Guiana M/S F5MZN, F6FGZ, F5HRY, F1HAR,
FY5FY, F5LND, I4UFH
GD6IA Isle of Man M/S K1JB, K1EU
GMB Scotland M/M Mid Lanark ARS
HI3CCP Dominican Rep M/? HI3CCP, HI3NR, HI8ROX
HL50 South Korea M/M HL1OYF, HL1EJT, DS1KOQ,
DS4NMA, DS4NYE
HQ9R Honduras SOAB LP WQ7R
IG9R African Italy M/S IK8HCG IZ8DFO IZ8FBU
IZ8EFD IV3OWC
IH9GPI African Italy M/S IH9GPI + team
IH9P African Italy M/? IT9BLB + team
J3A Grenada M/? AC8G + others
J49Z Crete M/S I2WIJ, IK8UND, DL6LAU,
DL4LAM
JW5E Svalbard M/S JW5NM, JW7FD, JW7QIA
KH2X Guam SOAB KH2X
KG4 Guantanamo ? N4BAA, KG4WW
LY7A Lithuania M/M KTU RC
LX/ON4ACA Luxembourg SOAB ON4ACA
LZ9W Bulgaria M/M LZ Contest Team
NP2B Virgin Is M/? NP2B, WD4R, W4OV, W4DTA,
W1RG, K9VV + Others
OE4A Austria SOAB HP OE1EMS
OHZ Aland TBD TBD
OL7R Czech Rep M/S contest team
P4A Aruba SOAB KK9A
P4W Aruba SOAB W2GD
PJ2T Neth Antilles M/2 WCG, W1MD, W9JUV, N4RV,
K1XX
RU1A Russia M/M UA1AKC, UA1ARX, RK1AM,
RV1AW, RW1AC, RN1AM
TF/NHJZ Iceland SOAB HP NHJZ
UA3R Russia M/S UA3RAR, UA3RJ, UA3RC,
RA3RFA, RN3RCW, RN3RDA
V31MD Belize M/? V31MD, AB5K, AA4SW, W5ZL,
WOZ
V31MQ Belize SOSB WQ5C
VK9XD Christmas SOAB VK2CZ
VP2EAZ Anguilla SOSB W9AAZ
VP2ECM Anguilla SOSB N1WON
VP2EDP Anguilla SOSB WA4ET
VP2EWX Anguilla SOSB W4WX
VP2M Montserrat M/S G3VZT,
GVDR,
M3VZT
VY2PA Canada SOAB HP W4PA
WP3C Puerto Rico SOAB LP WP3C
ZB Gibraltar ? ON5UR,
ON5MRT,
ON6NP
ZD8Z Ascension SOSB 20M N6TJ
ZPR Paraguay SOAB ZP5AZL
Thanks to: 425DXN, AC8G, AH8DX, DS4NYE,
E21IZC, EA1CNF, EY8MM, F5SGI, F5VHJ, F6GOE,
G3VZT, GMEGI, HA5PP, HI3CCP, I4UFH, IK8HCG,
IK8UND, IT9BLB, JW5NM, K1JB, K3LP, K9VV,
KH2X, KK9A, LZ2CJ, NHJZ, N4BAA, N6TJ, NG3K,
OE1EMS, OH5DX, OK1WMV, ON4ACA, OPDX,
RW1AC, SQ3ET, VA3RJ, VK2CZ, WCG, W2GD,
W4PA, W7EJ, W8HC, WP3C, WQ5C, WQ7R,
YV5SSB, ZP5AZL.
See www.ng3k.com/Misc/cqs2005.html for further
details
DX Contest Activity Announcements
Bill Feidt, NG3K
CQ World Wide DX CW Contest (November 26-27, 2005)
Call Entity Class Operators
5J1W Colombia M/S AG9A, K9ZO, NN1N
6W1RW Senegal SOAB HP F6BEE
6Y5/KN5H Jamaica M/2 KN5H, N3DXX
9M2/E21EIC West Malaysia TBD E21EIC
9M6NA East Malaysia SOSB 20M JE1JKL
9Y4AA Trinidad TobagoSOAB HP N6TJ
C6AWS Bahamas SOAB LP W6SJ
CN2R Morocco SOSB 80M W7EJ
CT3 Madeira SOAB HP CT1BOH
E21IZC Thailand SOAB LP E21IZC
EY8MM Tajikistan SOSB 40M EY8MM
FP/K8DD St Pierre Miq M/M AC8W, K8DD, K8GL, K8MM,
K8AQM
FS/K7ZUM St Martin SOAB HP K7ZUM
GD6IA Isle of Man SOAB DL2OBF
HC8N Galapagos M/2 N5KO + others
HI3A Dominican Rep ? HI3A
HSZGH Thailand SOAB LP G4UZN
IH9P African Italy M/2 IT9BLB + team
J43F Greece ? SM4DHF
KP2/K3MD Virgin Is SOAB HP K3MD
LY7A Lithuania M/M KTU RC
LZ9W Bulgaria M/M LZ Contest Team
M8C England M/? UK team
OHZ Aland Is SO OH5DX
P4W Aruba SOAB HP W2GD
PJ2T Neth Antilles M/? K8ND, N1ZZ, N8BJQ, NP2L,
S50R, WNB, W4PA, W8WTS,
W9EFL, WA9S
PJ5NA St Maarten SOAB K1NA
TZ5A Mali M/M AA7A, G3SXW, G4BWP,
G4IRN, K7WP, KC7V, KY7M,
KY7M, G3PJT, K5VT
V26K Antigua SOAB LP AA3B
VK9AA Cocos (Keeling)SOAB VK2IA
WP3C Puerto Rico SOAB LP WP3C
Thanks to: CT1BOH, DL2OBF, E21EIC, E21IZC, EY8MM, F6BEE, G4IRN,
G4UZN, HI3A, IT9BLB, JE1JKL, K1NA, K3MD, K7ZUM, K8AQM, K8ND,
KN5H, LY2UF, LZ2CJ, M3CVN, N5KO, N6TJ, NN1N, OH5DX, OPDX,
SM4DHF, VK2IA, W2GD, W6SJ, W7EJ, WP3C.
See www.ng3k.com/Misc/cqc2005.html for further details.
CQ World-Wide 160-Meter CW Contest (January 28-29, 2006)
Call Entity Class Operators
HB/T94DX Liechtenstein MO T93M, T93Y, T94DX (DJ2MX),
T94JJ (OE1EMS)
PJ2T Neth Antilles SO HP K8ND
Thanks to: K8ND, OE1EMS.
See www.ng3k.com/Misc/cq160c2006.html for further details
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NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 45
46 November/December 2005 NCJ
Some operators use only the keyboard
during a contest, but I like the combina-
tion of mouse and keyboard for the speed
and versatility it gives. With RTTY con-
testing being heavily dependent on mac-
ros, wise use of the mouse can reduce
operator fatigue while improving accuracy
(clicking the correct button)!
There is a freeware program called
AutoHotKey that can make your mouse
do some magic tricks, especially if your
mouse is the kind with a wheel. For ex-
ample, you can make the wheel send CQ
when rotated in one direction, and send
the exchange when rotated the other. It
can also make the buttons do tricks, too.
You probably want to leave the left button
as is since thats the one used to click on
call signs and exchanges, but the right
button is open for anything youd like.
Some newer mice have two additional
buttons, which AutoHotKey claims to op-
erate, too, but I havent tried one of those
yet.
I came across this remarkable program
by chance while browsing the Usenet
newsgroup alt.comp.freeware, a great
source of free programs. If youre a
freeware junkie like me, you know that
many free programs are worth exactly
what they cost, but AutoHotKey is an ex-
ception. Dont tell anybody, but Id be glad
to pay cash for this jewel! Perhaps its best
feature is the very extensive help file, a
common Achilles heel for many freeware
programs. This help file is among the best
Ive ever seen, including many for-pay
programs. The author is to be congratu-
lated for putting as much or more effort
into the help file as the program itselfa
rare thing indeed.
Getting Started With AutoHotKey
First, download the program from
www.autohotkey.com. The file size is
about 1.56 MB. This is not a zipped file,
just an executable with an installer. Run
autohotkey.exe and the installation will
begin. At the end of the installation, read
the quick start file. You will need to create
a simple text file to begin with. Use
NotePad or a similar ASCII text editor
do not use a word processor like Word or
WordPerfect. Start NotePad with a blank
page and type in the following:
^h::send, {F1}
Close NotePad and when it asks you
to if you want to save the file, click Yes
and name i t somethi ng si mpl e l i ke
test.ahk. Notice the ahk extension. Do
RTTY Contesting
Teach Your Old Mouse Some New Tricks
Bill Turner, W6WRT
not name it with the usual .txt extension
or AutoHotKey will not be able to use it.
Save it to your desktop for now. If any other
programs are running, either minimize or
close them so the desktop is showing.
Next, double-click the file. A window will
appear asking you to select the program
you want to use to open the file. Browse
to the folder containing autohotkey.exe
(C:\Program Files\AutoHotKey) and select
that file. Also check the box that says Al-
ways use the selected program to open
this kind of file. Now whenever you
double-click an .ahk file, AutoHotKey will
start and load that file. You could do it
another way by starting AutoHotKey first
and loading the .ahk file, but this way is
faster. You may also put a shortcut to the
.ahk file in your startup folder so it will run
every time Windows starts.
You should see an icon in the system
tray, down in the lower right corner of your
screen, with a white H on a green back-
ground. This tells you AutoHotKey is run-
ning. Now hold the Ctrl key down and
press and release the h key. In a few
seconds the Windows help file will open.
Heres what that cryptic stuff you just
typed means: The ^ is AutoHotKeys
shorthand for the Ctrl key. The h is sim-
ply the h key. The two colons separate
the hotkeys from the command to be
executed. The send, tells AutoHotKey to
send whatever follows. The brackets
around the F1 tell AutoHotKey to send the
command F1, not the characters F and 1.
Pretty simple, once you get the hang of it.
Okay, lets add another macro to our
.ahk script file. Right-click on the icon in
the system tray and select Edit this
script. NotePad will open and youll see
the macro you previously typed. On the
line below it, type:
^w::send, I love macros.
Close NotePad and save your changes.
Now, right-click the icon again and select
Reload this script. This reloads the
changes you just made. Now open a new
blank NotePad file and type Ctrl-w like
before. Astute readers can guess what will
appear: I love macros..
We now know how to send a keystroke
command such as the F1 key and also
how to send text. So far we have only used
the keyboard and now its time for the
mouse. Here are the mouse commands:
LButton - the left mouse button
RButton - the right mouse button
MButton - the middle or wheel mouse
button (press down on the wheel)
WheelDown - this is equivalent to ro-
tating the mouse wheel down (toward you)
WheelUp - the opposite of the above
Lets open our macro script again and
add the following: Wheelup::send {F1}.
Reload the script as before. By know
you can guess that when you rotate the
wheel away from you, the help file will
open agai n. Try thi s one:
Wheeldown::send, !{F4}. . The exclama-
tion point is a special AutoHotKey char-
acter that stands for the Alt key. So when
you rotate the wheel toward you, it will
send Alt-F4 which will close whatever pro-
gram is running. Likewise, you can remap
the left and right mouse buttons and the
center wheel switch to anything you like.
There are two other special AutoHotKey
characters you can use like the ^ and !
keys: + is the same as the Shift key, and
# is the same as the Windows key (the
one with the Windows flag). Use these
special characters as is on the left side of
the colons, and with brackets on the right
if you want to send the actual character
instead of using it as a special command
character. As with many scripts, you can
place a semicolon in front of an individual
line to temporarily disable it without eras-
ing, like this: ;Wheelup::send, {F1}.
Wheelup will now have no effect after re-
loading the script. Remove the semico-
lon, reload, and its active again.
Putting AutoHotKey to Work
I use two different contest programs,
WriteLog and N1MM Logger, so I have a
di fferent .ahk fi l e for each, named
writelog.ahk and n1mm.ahk. My WriteLog
file looks like this:
rbutton::send, {F2}
wheeldown::send, {F3}
wheelup::send, {F11}
The first line sends the F2 macro (the
exchange) when I press the right mouse
button. The second line sends the TU
message when I rotate the wheel toward
me. The third line sends CQ when I ro-
tate the wheel away from me. (The order
of lines in the script is not important).
The sequence of operations is 1. Ro-
tate away to call CQ. 2. Left click to cap-
ture the call. 3. Right click to send the
exchange. 4. Left click again to capture
his exchange 5. Wheel toward me to send
TU and log the contact. A complete QSO
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 46
NCJ November/December 2005 47
without clicking any buttons (and maybe
clicking the wrong one!). WriteLog users
can type these directly into their .ahk file
if they wish.
N1MM Logger is a little different be-
cause I use the Enter Sends Message
(ESM) function. Since the enter key is
used so often, I have assigned it to the
mouse:
rbutton::send, {F6}
wheeldown::send, {F7}
wheelup::send, {ENTER}
F6 is the grab key and F7 is QRZ?
Of course, these can be mapped any way
you like.
Dont Stop With the Mouse
Once your mouse is up and running you
may want to put some macros on your
keyboard, too. One very useful key is the
` key, just to the left of the number 1 and
above the Tab key. In a contest this key is
all but useless so its just begging for a
new assignment! In WriteLog I remap it
to the F11 key for calling CQ, and in
Se Habla Espaol We Export
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N1MM Logger I remap it towhat else?
the ENTER key. Since I no longer need
the F1 key, I remap it to Alt-w (wipe QSO).
Al t-k (transmi t/recei ve) shoul d be
remapped to a single key, too. Why use
two fingers when one will do? I use the ]
key, but any key not used during a con-
test will do. Likewise, those arithmetic
keys around the keypad are candidates
for remapping. Keep in mind the position
of your hands and remap accordingly. I
like to remap keys that I can feel without
looking at the keyboard, so I can move
my hand from mouse to VFO to keyboard
and back without looking at any of them.
As you gai n experi ence wi th
AutoHotKey, you will realize there are
ways to emulate a macro button without
tying one up. For example, it is possible
to create a keyboard macro that will turn
on the transmitter, send a text message
and turn off the transmitter, just like a
macro button. This will be left as an exer-
cise for the reader. Please feel free to e-
mail me (dezrat1242@ispwest.com) if
you have any questions. See you on the
air!
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Two Models Available:
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FB2 43 g, 2 x 4 in; kit, $40 (+S/H)
Cylindrical Crystals
3560, 7030, 7038, 7040, 7042, 7190,
10106, 10125, 14025, 14060, 14200,
14285, 18096, 21026, 21060, 24906,
28060 kHz
+/100 PPM, 18 pF, 3 x 8 mm
(3560 - 3 x 10 mm)
Software Radio Now!
4421 West 87th Street, Hometown, IL 60456
Email: iix@w9iix.com
708-423-0605

Fax: 708-423-1691
www.w9iix.com
MM-Series Mobile Mounts
Gin Pole KIts Climbing
Steps

Custom Fabrication

Hot Dip Galvanizing

Standoffs and
Gin Poles
Rotating Standoff
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 47
48 November/December 2005 NCJ
Heres the list of major contests of possible interest to North American contesters to help you plan your contesting activity
through February 2006. The web version of this calendar is updated more frequently and lists contests for a 12-month period.
It can be found at www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/.
As usual, please notify me of any corrections or additions to this calendar. I can be contacted via e-mail at:
bhorn@hornucopia.com. Good luck and have fun!
Contest Calendar
Compiled by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM
November 2005
Contest Time and Date
IPARC Contest, CW 0600Z-1000Z, Nov 5 and
1400Z-1800Z, Nov 5
Ukrainian DX Contest 1200Z, Nov 5 to 1200Z, Nov 6
ARRL Sweepstakes, CW 2100Z, Nov 5 to 0300Z, Nov 7
NA Collegiate ARC Championship,
CW 2100Z, Nov 5 to 0300Z, Nov 7
IPARC Contest, SSB 0600Z-1000Z, Nov 6 and
1400Z-1800Z, Nov 6
High Speed Club CW Contest 0900Z-1100Z, Nov 6 and
1500Z-1700Z, Nov 6
DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest 1100Z-1700Z, Nov 6
WAE DX Contest, RTTY 0000Z, Nov 12 to 2359Z, Nov 13
ARRL EME 50-1296 MHz 0000Z, Nov 12 to 2359Z, Nov 13
JIDX Phone Contest 0700Z, Nov 12 to 1300Z, Nov 13
OK/OM DX Contest, CW 1200Z, Nov 12 to 1200Z, Nov 13
LZ DX Contest 0200Z, Nov 19 to 1200Z, Nov 20
All Austrian 160-Meter Contest 1600Z, Nov 19 to 0700Z, Nov 20
ARRL Sweepstakes, SSB 2100Z, Nov 19 to 0300Z, Nov 21
NA Collegiate ARC Championship,
SSB 2100Z, Nov 19 to 0300Z, Nov 21
RSGB 2nd 1.8 MHz Contest, CW 2100Z, Nov 19 to 0100Z, Nov 20
CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW 0000Z, Nov 26 to 2400Z, Nov 27
December 2005
Contest Time and Date
ARRL 160-Meter Contest 2200Z, Dec 2 to 1600Z, Dec 4
TARA RTTY Melee 0000Z-2400Z, Dec 3
Wake-Up! QRP Sprint 0400Z-0600Z, Dec 3
ARRL 10-Meter Contest 0000Z, Dec 10 to 2400Z, Dec 11
CQC Great Colorado Snowshoe
Run 0200Z-0359Z, Dec 11
Russian 160-Meter Contest 2100Z-2300Z, Dec 16
MDXA PSK DeathMatch 0000Z, Dec 17 to 2400Z, Dec 18
OK DX RTTY Contest 0000Z-2400Z, Dec 17
RAC Winter Contest 0000Z-2359Z, Dec 17
Croatian CW Contest 1400Z, Dec 17 to 1400Z, Dec 18
Stew Perry Topband Challenge 1500Z, Dec 17 to 1500Z, Dec 18
DARC Christmas Contest 0830Z-1059Z, Dec 26
Original QRP Contest 1500Z, Dec 31 to 1500Z, Jan 1
January 2006
Contest Time and Date
SARTG New Year RTTY Contest 0800Z-1100Z, Jan 1
AGCW Happy New Year Contest 0900Z-1200Z, Jan 1
WQF QRP Party 0000Z-2400Z, Jan 6
Midwinter Contest, CW 1400Z-2000Z, Jan 7
ARRL RTTY Roundup 1800Z, Jan 7 to 2400Z, Jan 8
EUCW 160m Contest 2000Z-2300Z, Jan 7 and
0400Z-0700Z, Jan 8
Midwinter Contest, Phone 0800Z-1400Z, Jan 8
DARC 10-Meter Contest 0900Z-1059Z, Jan 8
Hunting Lions in the Air Contest 0000Z, Jan 14 to 2400Z, Jan 15
MI QRP January CW Contest 1200Z, Jan 14 to 2359Z, Jan 15
North American QSO Party, CW 1800Z, Jan 14 to 0600Z, Jan 15
NRAU-Baltic Contest, CW 0530Z-0730Z, Jan 15
NRAU-Baltic Contest, SSB 0800Z-1000Z, Jan 15
LZ Open Contest 1200Z-2000Z, Jan 21
Hungarian DX Contest 1200Z, Jan 21 to 1200Z, Jan 22
BARTG RTTY Sprint 1200Z, Jan 21 to 1200Z, Jan 22
North American QSO Party, SSB 1800Z, Jan 21 to 0600Z, Jan 22
ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes 1900Z, Jan 21 to 0400Z, Jan 23
CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW 0000Z, Jan 28 to 2359Z, Jan 29
REF Contest, CW 0600Z, Jan 28 to 1800Z, Jan 29
UK DX Contest, RTTY 1200Z, Jan 28 to 1200Z, Jan 29
UBA DX Contest, SSB 1300Z, Jan 28 to 1300Z, Jan 29
February 2006
Contest Time and Date
Vermont QSO Party 0000Z, Feb 4 to 2400Z, Feb 5
10-10 Int. Winter Contest, SSB 0001Z, Feb 4 to 2359Z, Feb 5
Minnesota QSO Party 1600Z-1900Z, Feb 4
Delaware QSO Party 1700Z, Feb 4 to 0500Z, Feb 5
and 1300Z, Feb 5 to 0100Z, Feb 6
Mexico RTTY International Contest 1800Z, Feb 4 to 1759Z, Feb 5
North American Sprint, SSB 0000Z-0400Z, Feb 5
KCJ Topband Contest 1200Z, Feb 9 to 1200Z, Feb 10
CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest 0000Z, Feb 11 to 2359Z, Feb 12
Asia-Pacific Spring Sprint, CW 1100Z-1300Z, Feb 11
Dutch PACC Contest 1200Z, Feb 11 to 1200Z, Feb 12
Louisiana QSO Party 1500Z, Feb 11 to 0300Z, Feb 12
FISTS Winter Sprint 1700Z-2100Z, Feb 11
RSGB 1
st
1.8 MHz Contest, CW 2100Z, Feb 11 to 0100Z, Feb 12
North American Sprint, CW 0000Z-0400Z, Feb 12
ARRL School Club Roundup 1300Z, Feb 13 to 0100Z, Feb 18
AGCW Semi-Automatic Keying
Evening 1900Z-2030Z, Feb 15
ARRL International DX Contest,
CW 0000Z, Feb 18 to 2400Z, Feb 19
Russian PSK WW Contest 2100Z, Feb 24 to 2100Z, Feb 25
CQ 160-Meter Contest, SSB 0000Z, Feb 25 to 2359Z, Feb 26
REF Contest, SSB 0600Z, Feb 25 to 1800Z, Feb 26
UBA DX Contest, CW 1300Z, Feb 25 to 1300Z, Feb 26
CZEBRIS Contest 1600Z, Feb 25 to 2400Z, Feb 26
North American QSO Party, RTTY 1800Z, Feb 25 to 0600Z, Feb 26
High Speed Club CW Contest 0900Z-1100Z, Feb 26 and
1500Z-1700Z, Feb 26
NovDec.pmd 10/13/2005, 1:47 PM 48
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.500" ................$.90/ft 1.500" ........... $2.05/ft
.625" ..............$1.00/ft 1.625" ........... $2.35/ft
.750" ..............$1.10/ft 1.750" ........... $2.60/ft
.875" ..............$1.20/ft 1.875" ........... $2.85/ft
1.000 .............$1.30/ft 2.000" ........... $3.10/ft
1.125 .............$1.45/ft 2.125" ........... $3.60/ft
lk1800l0 011 .188" rod ......... $.35/ft
.250" rod .........$.50/ft 4"x.375" bar . $6.50/ft
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HPTG2100 .....................................$.59/ft
PLP2738 Big Grip (2100) ................. $7.00
HPTG4000 .....................................$.89/ft
PLP2739 Big Grip (4000) .................$9.50
HPTG6700 ...................................$1.29/ft
PLP2755 Big Grip (6700) ...............$13.50
HPTG11200 ..................................$1.89/ft
PLP2758 Big Grip (11200) .............$16.00
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GP6, 2m/70cm Vertical ..................... $149
GP9 2m/70cm Vertical ...................... $189
GP15, 6m/2m/70cm Vertical ............. $159
GP98, 2m/70cm/23cm Vertical ........ $189
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X700HNA 2m/70cm Vertical ............. $399
V2000A 6m/2m/70cm Vertical .......... $172
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RG-8X, Mini RG-8 Foam ................. $.25/ft
RG-213/U Jumpers ................. Please Call
RG-8X Jumpers ....................... Please Call
CALL FOR MORE COAX/CONNECTORS.
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LMR-400 .......................................... $.59/ft
LMR-400DB Direct Bury ................. $.74/ft
LMR-400 Ultrafex ........................... $.89/ft
LMR-600 ........................................ $1.19/ft
LMR600 Ultrafex ........................... $1.95/ft
CALL FOR MORE SIZES & CONNECTORS.
81l88 801108$
M2 OR-2800PDX ............................. $1279
Hygain HAM V .................................. $499
Hygain T2X Tailtwister ...................... $569
Yaesu G-450A ................................... $249
Yaesu G-800SA/G-800DXA ....... $329/409
G-1000DXA ....................................... $499
Yaesu G-2800SDX .......................... $1089
Yaesu G-550 ..................................... $299
Yaesu G-5500 ................................... $599
801108 08ll
R62 (#18), HD 6 conductor ............ $.35/ft.
R81/82/84, 8 cond. ..... $.29/ft./.45/ft./.89/ft.
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6M5X/6M7JHV .......................... $219/289
6M2WLC/6M9KHW ................... $489/529
2M4/2M7/2M9SSBFM ........ $105/119/139
2M12/2M5WL ............................ $179/219
2M5-440XP, 2m/70cm ..................... $189
440-470-5W/420-450-11 ........... $149/105
432-9WL/432-13WLA ................ $189/255
440-18/440-21ATV .................... $135/159
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CALL FOR MORE IN-STOCK M2 ITEMS.
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AV18HT Hightower ............................ $739
DS71/72 .................................... $269/569
TH3JRS/TH3MK4 ...................... $319/399
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TH7DX/TH11DX ......................... $749/995
Nfl
259B/269, Analyzers .................. $219/319
948/949E, Tuners ...................... $129/149
969, HF6m Tuner ............................ $179
986, 3kW Tuner ................................. $299
989D, Deluxe 3kW Tuner .................. $319
991/993 Autotuners .................... $199/229
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7-50'/60'/70' ................... $1039/1499/1969
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12-30'/40' .................................... $599/949
15-40'/50' ................................ $1069/1529
16-60'/80' ...............................$2219/3389
21-50'/60'/70' ............... $1759/2339/2929
23-30'/40' .................................. $959/1419
35-40' ............................................... $1649
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SELF-SUPPORTING STEEL TOWERS
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T200-96 96', 15 square feet .......... $2639
T300-88 88', 22 square feet .......... $2549
T400-80 80', 34 square feet .......... $2469
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3/16"/1/4" Big Grips ............................ $5/6
3/16"EHS-500'/1/4"EHS-500' .... $119/149
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20 FT x .18" / 22 FT x .12" ......... $249/199
23 FT x .25" / 24 FT x .18" .......... $369/299
COMING SOON! i7000
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35W OUTPUT IN 70CM BAND. High power MOS-FET amps supply 35W output
power in 70CM band as well as 100W in HF/50MHz bands and 50W in 2M.
HIGH STABILITY CRYSTAL UNIT. The '7000 incorporates a high-stability master
oscillator, providing 0.5ppm (-0C to +50C). A must for data mode operation.
DDS (DIRECT DIGITAL SYNTHESIZER) CIRCUIT. Icoms new DDS circuit
improves C/N ratio, providing clear, clean transmit signal in all bands.
USER-FRIENDLY KEY ALLOCATION. Eight of the most used radio functions such
as NB, NR, MNF, and ANF are controlled by dedicated function keys grouped
around the display for easy visibility.
2.5 INCH COLOR TFT DISPLAY. The 2.5 inch color TFT display presents numbers
and indicators in bright,concentrated colors for easy recognition.
BUILT-IN TV TUNER AND VIDEO OUTPUT JACK. Not only does the display
provide radio status, but you can watch NTSC or PAL analog VHF TV channels!
The IC-7000 represents a remarkable advancement in compact mobile/base rig
technology. Experience digital performance formerly reserved for Icom's big rigs!
IF DSP. FIRST IN ITS CLASS. Two DSP processors deliver superior digital
performance and incorporate the latest digital features including Digital IF
lter, manual notch lter, digital twin PBT and more.
AGC LOOP MANAGEMENT. The digital IF lter, manual notch lter are
included in the AGC loop, so you won't have AGC pumping.
DIGITAL IF FILTERS. No optional lters to buy! All the lters you want at your
ngertips, just dial-in the width you want and select sharp or soft shapes for
SSB and CW modes.
TWO POINT MANUAL NOTCH FILTER. Pull out the weak signals! Apply 70dB
of rejection to two signals at once!
DIGITAL NOISE REDUCTION and DIGITAL NOISE BLANKER are also included.