Hi Chris,
I've thrown a few comments following some of your questions .
73
Chet, N8RA
-----Original Message-----
From: vhfcontesting-bounces@contesting.com
[mailto:vhfcontesting-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of w0ep
Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 5:53 PM
To: vhfcontesting@contesting.com
Subject: [VHFcontesting] contesting and directional antenna
I enjoyed Gene's writeup in the June 2010 QST which I just received.
I am not much of a contester, I just enjoy taking advantage of occasions
with lots of stations on the air willing to talk to me.
I've pretty much been a dipole guy on HF.
I am also rather new to non-FM VHF. I am planning my station. I'd like to
know what are the modern solutions for the directionality problem, as in,
how to find stations on the air when both ends have directional antennas,
weak signals and no coordination? Rotating a dish like radar?
------------->Make your antennas broader in the horizontal plane. For
example, instead of a 10 element yagi, use two stacked 5 element ones. This
covers a wider compass arc.
------------->Think of a scheme to fill in all directions. E.g. call cq or
listen in one direction for xx minutes, turn the antenna, call or listen
again, repeat. This is like when your child gets lost in the crowd, agree
which of you stands still and who searches. Better chance of finding if both
ends are not continuously turning antennas.
--------------> Favor beaming toward higher population density directions.
Listen to what direction other locals are getting contacts.
------------>Use a logging program that shows which grid squares within your
range you have not worked yet, and cq in that direction more often.
multiple antennas pointing various directions?
---------------> Sure. Like HF, more are better.
Is there an electrically steerable, horizontally polarized array like the
verticals that 160 meter guys get to play with?
If I'm stuck with at the technology of a Ham IV rotator sweeping back and
forth, is there a pattern or timing or other conventional wisdom?
Thanks!
Chris
w0ep
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