On Ev's original topic:
One interesting HF comparison is the monthly QRP
Spartan Sprint run by the Adventure Radio Society (
www.arsqrp.com ). This contest is run on a Monday
evening, the entries (just summaries for all entrants,
by email or web entry form only) are due by that
Wednesday and the scores are published within a few
days after that. The soapbox, along with the scores
are also published in the group's on-line monthly
magazine before the next sprint.
Obviously, since there are no logs submitted there is
no log checking, so it can not be a really formal
top-level prestige contest, but it is certainly an
interesting and fun approach, and it has started to
attract a number of well known HF contesters along
with the core of QRP backpacking enthusiasts it was
originally aimed at.
On K8CC's offshoot antenna topic:
Yes, it seems that a 3-band 50/144/432 antenna is
something of a challenge (due to the combination of a
wide overall frequency range and near-odd-harmonic
relationship of the three bands). But Cushcraft makes
some small interlaced 144/432 Yagis and Hy-gain used
to make (a looong time ago) a 50/144 Yagi (my
recollection is that it had some sort of traps). So,
at least where the performance requirements are
moderate two out of three can be done. So, even if
only by putting a 432 Yagi in front of a dual bander
for 6 & 2 and conecting to a single feeder with a
diplexer or triplexer, something could be made to
work. Even a moderate gain version could be a really
elegant way to get a Rover station started.
Or you could consider a TV antenna clone - a
vee-log-periodic for 6 & 2 with a corner reflector for
432 on the front end. The gain wll hardly be
competitive, but it might get some people on the air
with no complaints from the neighbours about unsightly
antennas. A little longer log-periodic section would
add 222 (and 70 MHz for Europeans).
But I will be really impressed if someone comes up
with a single long boom design that gives the full
gain available (in a single band antenna)from the boom
length on each band.
73,
Steve VE3SMA
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