Out of curiosity... with so many narrow-pattern receive antenna configs,
how do typical contest stations check different directions after a CQ?
Frank, I still want to come visit your station during a test and see how
it all works.
Diversity and stereo headphones gets you to two different directions but I
wonder if there's some more powerful technique.
Not from here, except having more ears on the ground with independent
controls. Each operator has two ears.
I have switches that lock one ear in a prime direction like NE, and the
other ear can go some other direction (at some loss in really weak signal
copy).
It is always a real problem remembering to use things at the max (stereo and
same direction with wide array separation) and to always remember to change
directions often. This is always a problem with 8 directions.
http://www.w8ji.com/my_shack.htm
Over the years, off and on, I have tried to use "auto scanners". My first
was around 1980, and I've tried off and on since, but it just has not worked
so well unless very few people are calling and those that do call keep
trying. By far the best system is just popping the buttons around to likely
directions, although I do have an idea to double the odds of getting lucky.
The problem is getting trained in how to lock on a signal fast when it is
heard.
One real problem is that listening in multiple directions hurts the copy of
noise floor or weaker signals. Stereo with widely separated antennas is
good for maybe 3-6 dB in perception of signals in noise if the operator is
trained to use stereo.
Missing callers, unless the operator scans and the caller is persistent, is
inevitable.
73 Tom
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Topband Reflector
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