CQ-Contest
[Top] [All Lists]

Multi-Amp Confession

Subject: Multi-Amp Confession
From: Steve_Fraasch@ATK.COM (Steve Fraasch)
Date: Tue Mar 23 09:51:51 1993
Yesterday, I was speaking more from experience than theory.  In our "impetuous 
days of youth" (1974), we operated field day using two 4 element 20 beams @ 70'
 with a SB-220 feeding each.  The driver was a Drake T4XC at full tilt (~ 200 
watts).  Therefore, we were definately exceeding the 1kw input limit of the 
day.  We thought we would set all time qso rate records on 20m.  We would, in 
our terms, be the "loudest thing in North America" (at least Field Day) and "
take no prisoners."

Instead, we were weak.

The replies were from areas other than the direction of the beams, and the 
qsos were non-existant from the areas we were supposedly beaming.
It was as if the radiator had become omni-directional, with deep nulls into 
the areas we wanted to work.

I wouldn't bother with the multi-amp approach because it doesn't work unless 
you properly adjust currents and their phases at the antenna ports (unless you 
don't care where you're radiating).  My concerns are technical, not moral.  I 
don't care if anyone actually trys it, because in the "black hole" region (MN) 
where I live, receiving, not transmitting, is the limitation.  You'll never 
win a DX contest from here; but who cares, it's only a hobby,          Steve 
K0SF                     



<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
  • Multi-Amp Confession, Steve Fraasch <=