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"I CAN'T DO A THING WITH MY STATION!"
-or-
WHY EVEN YOUR MODEST STATION IS CONTEST-WORTHY
This is the second article in a series on basic VHF contest-
ing, the goal of which is to make us all mindful of what it
really takes to be competitive in contests: attention to the
basics.
With that out of the way, let's move on to this month's sub-
ject, which is contest stations. Station preparation takes more
time than anything else, so it will be addressed first in terms
of contest strategy.
The first question that most aspiring contesters ask is how
much station do I really need to be competitive? The answer
varies for everyone, but for most people, the answer is not all
answer is not all
that much. Really good stations don't happen all at once, they
require years of work and a lot amount of money to put together.
The point I am trying to make here is that you don't have to
start out with stacked arrays on tall towers, fed with gas filled
line from kilowatt amps. Set reasonable goals for yourself, and
rate yourself with other stations that have similar equipment.
A few years ago, a good friend of mine scored 29,000 points
single-op in the January contest with 4 bands and no more than 25
watts on any band. His antennas and location were lousy, and the
station contained older, and in some cases even tube-type equip-
ment. As in all amateur radio contesting, how the equipment is
utilized is more important than what it is.
A Typical home station, (in Rochester, anyway) has two meters
and 70 CM FM rigs. There is a good chance it has a six meter
station of some type. Many local hams have sideband capability on
one or more bands. Antennawise, there are vertical FM antennas in
the attic, or even in the shack. If it has any outdoor antennas,
chances are it has at least one VHF vertical, possibly a modest
beam for 2 meters. Any combination of this equipment is suffi-
cient to be reasonably competitive in Januaompetitive in January.
Why is this so? The answer is the high level of local activ-
ity. Especially on FM, there are so many stations out there to
work, it will keep you busy just trying to work all of them. With
just a small beam, it is possible to do some moderately serious
DX, even on FM. I have heard W2SZ (FN32) on many an occasion on 2
meter FM and many people work them there. FN14, over the lake
into Canada is very easy, even on 70 cm. So, don't write off FM
as a strictly 'local' mode.
Even if all you have is an H/T, get on. You WILL make plenty
of contacts. You WILL have fun. Getting up higher will help. For
even more fun, drive across town with your H/T and make even more
contacts. (You aren't considered a rover unless you cross a grid
square line.) Log with a tape recorder while mobile.
If you have even one band on sideband, capitalize on it! You
are almost guaranteed to work some DX stations (Outside the local
four grids) even with a vertical whip.
If your VHF gear is all in the car, consider going hilltop-
ping or roving. The 'four corners' is not that far away, nor are
several good hills. Cobb's Hill park is an excellent high spot.
Woodcliff, on route 96 in Victor is another good hilltop spot.
Remember,
Remember, you can operate your fixed station AND rove, and turn
in separate logs for each. (More about that next month.)
If you have built a 10 GHz transceiver, or laser rig, get out
and use them! I'd love to see a log with 10 or more QSO's on
laser!
If you are building or improving your station, here are some
suggestions for easy improvements:
1. Headphones. Using headphones with your radio is like a
3-6 dB boost in sensitivity. This works with any radio.
2. Antennas. Your antennas are by and far, the most import-
ant part of your station. Any improvement here will most
certainly be a good return on your investment. Try to
get your antennas higher (Even the attic is better than
in your shack or basement!). And, if you can, a direct-
ional antenna (such as a beam) will vastly improve your
station performance. Don't forget to use good feedline,
such as RG-213, or better yet, 9913, or you will lose
everything your new antenna gained. Even a telescoping
whip on an H/T, or a mag-mount mobile antenna on a cookie
sheet will help these small radios dramatically. A mag-
mount also makes hilltopping or roving easier.
3. More bands. For 3. More bands. For a typical small station, adding a band
will do more to your score than anything else. It doesn't
have to be sideband; FM will do.(But sideband is better!)
You don't have to buy a rig. Ask a friend if you can
borrow an unused rig. That way, you can experience a new
band without the financial implications, and get a better
idea of what you want when you can afford it.
4. Increase power. Adding a 80-100 watt 'brick' to a typical
mobile or base VHF rig will do much to improve your
station. It can provide that bit of an edge that could
make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful
contact.
5. Preamps. There are a number of inexpensive, RF-switched
preamps available that can be mounted at your antenna.
They aren't as easy to add as more power, but may do more
to help your station.
The subject of VHF station design could fill a book. I don't
have room to cover every possibility for easy improvement. Ask
your friends for ideas. Ask a 'big gun' contester for ideas. You
can even ask me. In fact, if you ever have any questions about
VHF contesting, don't hesitate to ask me and I will do my best to
answer them. I want t answer them. I want to see you on the air!
One last thought: The most important equipment in your sta-
tion is YOU!