09-01-2018, 03:53 PM
(09-01-2018, 10:54 AM)Hi Leigh,We will be around as usual from QF22DM, always looking for you and others in the northern and easterly directions.Chas is right - the concept of distance based scoring doesn\t seen to have improved the situation regarding the number of stations who are prepared to come up and operate from distant locations.Personally, I felt there was more activity when grid squares were the go, as it encouraged more stations to get out and provide at least the dozen or so grid squares adjacent to your operating position. With GPS locking, we have got to the stage where we can work a number of stations from 6 metres through to 24 Ghz in less than 2 minutes,AND THEN SPEND THE NEXT 2 HOURS ENDLESSLY CALLING CQ or trying to arrange qsos with other stations via all sorts of other means, especially on the bands from 1.2 Ghz upwards.Still, every contest brings up new equipment to try and propagation paths to conquer - when we can arouse someone from a great distance to try and come on and operate.Last Summer we had qsos with ZL on 2metres before the contest, but nothing when it really mattered!I guess the reality is that a small active ham population and vast distances between population centres is not conducive to high participation rates. I hope you can manage to bypass the preamp on 1.2 Ghz - we'll just have to shout an extra 10db louder!CheersPeter VK3QI (VK3ER/p) Wrote: I should be around but I wont be spending all my weekend time listening to noise. I'll have WSPR running on 2m & 6m if thats the case or im not in the shack. Otherwise will be on 144.150 initially.
I now have 4 x 13 elem yagis up with 8m booms, top antennas probably about 26m up, will be good to test them out with a few stations.
Running 4 x 30 ele on 70cm with 8m booms, top yagis about 15m. If I get a chance can see if I can get the PA online.
On 23cm I've not yet done anything about the RX pre-amp which was damaged from previous contest. Will see if I can by-pass it.
I'll also be monitoring the KST Chat page for 144 MHz, Region 3 if your looking for me.
http://www.on4kst.org/chat/index.php