Dale;
When you are running a large amount of power this can be an issue. With our
2 meter station we are now in the higher power class, we try to do a couple
of things to make sure we don't miss any one trying to work us. First we
use several antennas, most of the time we use a stack of M2 loops and a
beam. THe trick is to switch back and forth regularly to see if some one
else maybe there with a weaker signal. At other times we have used 2 beams
and the loop stack. The beams are mounted 90 egress off each other and fed
separately. Again the issue is making sure the operator uses all the
antennas.
Tom - K9TMS
> [Original Message]
> From: Dale Dermott - K3DD <k3dd@arrl.net>
> To: <vhfcontesting@contesting.com>
> Date: 4/10/2006 7:47:53 PM
> Subject: [VHFcontesting] Pointing towards the weak ones
>
> > Zack W9SZ wrote:
> > ... Maybe instead of a frequency QSY rule,
> > we ought to have a "beam swinging" rule? :-)
>
> Not exactly sure what Zack means by this, but it sure would be nice to
know when someone in a distant grid has the beam turned your way and could
hear you. Has there ever been any discussion of stations looking, for
example, northeast at :00, northwest at :15, southwest at :30, and
southeast at :45? I realize that a station in Maine, for example, probably
doesn't want to point northeast at any time, so he could just point
southwest at :00 knowing many people are pointing his way. No, it would be
terrible for him when everyone is pointing southeast, but no worse than
those in a southwesterly location feel when everyone is pointing away from
them. I see something like this making the competition more even, widening
its appeal, and ending the isolation that some people feel during
contests..
>
> I remember reading an earlier comment from a station that pointed toward
New York during a contest and never had to turn the beam for contacts the
rest of the contest. That's great for him, but not for the people off the
back and side of his beam, nor is it good for the contest overall. Because
of regional differences in the level and location of participants,
different regional versions of this idea might be the best approach.
>
> I'd much prefer this approach to scheduling QSOs in advance. That
takes a little too much mystery out of radio for my liking. Let the big
guns who want to finish in the top three do what they want, but let's take
some steps to help the weak guys and make contests a more popular and less
frustrating experience for the majority of hams.
>
> Dale K3DD
>
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