Running massive linears.What's the point??
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Re: Running massive linears.What's the point??
If you're a serious DXer the challenge is in trying to make contacts with a decent antenna and rig, anyone can put more power out with the aid of a linear but to me that defeats the object. If the conditions allow you'll get the contacts, your height ASL will have an affect, the topography of the area around you, type and position of antenna, example, Yesterday whilst chatting to a close station we had a QSK, that station was in mid Germany using 25W with a car battery and 1/4 wave whip on his bicycle, yes, his bicycle and he was giving me an S7. That's what I call DXing.
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Re: Running massive linears.What's the point??
WHO dictates what is a serious DXER? Not the QRP guys, they sit in the cheap seats,
There's nothing wrong with QRP if that's your thing, I did it for some years, you don't need amplifiers or good antennas to make contacts, mother nature decides on who makes the trip, there's no skill in dxing, its luck & the time your willing or can afford to put into it,
better antennas & higher power both make it easier to make contacts when conditions are poor or very busy,
saying what's the point if you can't hear the other guy shows a lack of understanding of what & who is out there in radioland
There are many people out there running high power & huge antennas that you can hear, some of those guys are deadly serious literally, their cb hobby kills some of them like so many other hobbies,
what about guys that like a fight, want to break through the melee of a pileup of like minded people who are not QRP ops,
its just a different way of enjoying radio,
anybody thinking all you need to run 148's amp to its FULL potential is to borrow the leisure battery from your caravan & some 2awg welding cable, wire it in parallel with the cars battery and away you go are wrong,
you have to know what you are doing to run 16 x 2879's or more in that type of circuit, most UK cbers & amateurs can't even get a kl500 working to its full potential mobile,
Anybody can sit for hours calling on low power to make a few QRP contacts, or you can run higher power and try to work that big gun in the pileup cruising his 3cw40,000 & 16cylinder 200kw generator that everybody and his dog is calling, or anything inbetween,
Its all radio, there's much more know-how & cost & danger involved in running high power, you still need nature on your side the same as the QRP guy on a bicycle,
There's nothing wrong with QRP if that's your thing, I did it for some years, you don't need amplifiers or good antennas to make contacts, mother nature decides on who makes the trip, there's no skill in dxing, its luck & the time your willing or can afford to put into it,
better antennas & higher power both make it easier to make contacts when conditions are poor or very busy,
saying what's the point if you can't hear the other guy shows a lack of understanding of what & who is out there in radioland
There are many people out there running high power & huge antennas that you can hear, some of those guys are deadly serious literally, their cb hobby kills some of them like so many other hobbies,
what about guys that like a fight, want to break through the melee of a pileup of like minded people who are not QRP ops,
its just a different way of enjoying radio,
anybody thinking all you need to run 148's amp to its FULL potential is to borrow the leisure battery from your caravan & some 2awg welding cable, wire it in parallel with the cars battery and away you go are wrong,
you have to know what you are doing to run 16 x 2879's or more in that type of circuit, most UK cbers & amateurs can't even get a kl500 working to its full potential mobile,
Anybody can sit for hours calling on low power to make a few QRP contacts, or you can run higher power and try to work that big gun in the pileup cruising his 3cw40,000 & 16cylinder 200kw generator that everybody and his dog is calling, or anything inbetween,
Its all radio, there's much more know-how & cost & danger involved in running high power, you still need nature on your side the same as the QRP guy on a bicycle,
W8JI
"An antenna with a poor ground using few radials cannot have a support mast grounded to the radial common point (at least it shouldn't if designed properly) There is no exception to this!
"An antenna with a poor ground using few radials cannot have a support mast grounded to the radial common point (at least it shouldn't if designed properly) There is no exception to this!
- Farty
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Re: Running massive linears.What's the point??
Its the same in amateur radio. A gazillion watts and vast antenna arrays make QSOs to the opposite side of the planet so unchallenging they might as well pick up the phone.
In Before The Lock Champion of Total Magnificenceness May 2016
- JAFO
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Re: Running massive linears.What's the point??
...the point is to be heard when there's an issue which would preclude the receiving station from hearing you with less power.
Poor band conditions making it impossible for the base station to hear you otherwise, a high noise level on the band, someone cranially deficient, jealous, drunk, asleep & snoring with the VOX stuck on, etc. keying up and making it impossible for the receiving station to hear you, hearing someone coming in you'd like to talk with but whom has his beam pointed away from you requiring you to power-up to get his attention over the stations in his beaming direction, etc., etc. - I can go on and on if you like and fill several more paragraphs with instances I can imagine wherein having more than average power would be beneficial, however, it seems like this rather pessimistic thread is more about finding reasons why not to have an elevated power option, or whining about those who do.
Poor band conditions making it impossible for the base station to hear you otherwise, a high noise level on the band, someone cranially deficient, jealous, drunk, asleep & snoring with the VOX stuck on, etc. keying up and making it impossible for the receiving station to hear you, hearing someone coming in you'd like to talk with but whom has his beam pointed away from you requiring you to power-up to get his attention over the stations in his beaming direction, etc., etc. - I can go on and on if you like and fill several more paragraphs with instances I can imagine wherein having more than average power would be beneficial, however, it seems like this rather pessimistic thread is more about finding reasons why not to have an elevated power option, or whining about those who do.
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Re: Running massive linears.What's the point??
So jafo, are you one of those drunk VOX on 'operators' with huge power that wipes everyone else out keying up and whistling shouting over every other operator? It's exactly this that defeats the object. Extra power can be useful providing it is used responsibly but not essential, there's no 'skill' in it whatsoever, you are still governed and restricted by conditions and other radio traffic. It's similar with stations that have an echo wound up whilst transmitting, totally unnecessary and ruins their audio. Personally I would rather improve my antenna system and keep my audio and transmission clean rather than spend a shed load on something like extra power that I don't really need.
- prettypolly
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Re: Running massive linears.What's the point??
I've just ordered a 2 kw Heathkit for the USA season up and coming ..
- Farty
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Re: Running massive linears.What's the point??
It'd be easier to move to America and buy a rig there.
In Before The Lock Champion of Total Magnificenceness May 2016
- NightProwler
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Re: Running massive linears.What's the point??
I got to say that I have had more satisfaction making contacts using my inverted V dipole in the attic with 15 watts than using my Imax with 100 watts. Anyone can chuck up a huge beam and run a massive amp and work the world but it can be more rewarding doing it with no amp and a homemade dipole.
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
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Re: Running massive linears.What's the point??
+1 X 10.NightProwler wrote:I got to say that I have had more satisfaction making contacts using my inverted V dipole in the attic with 15 watts than using my Imax with 100 watts. Anyone can chuck up a huge beam and run a massive amp and work the world but it can be more rewarding doing it with no amp and a homemade dipole.
- ch25
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Re: Running massive linears.What's the point??
Getting DX while transmitting into dummy load, that is real DXing folks. Only noobs are using antennas.
WE ARE MOTÖRHEAD, AND WE PLAY ROCK N' ROLL
You can't have too many antennas...
You can't have too many antennas...
- NightProwler
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Re: Running massive linears.What's the point??
I dont like the look of that kid, I bet he has a 1KW amp strapped behind his arse and he's shouting abuse on the 19.
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
- JAFO
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Re: Running massive linears.What's the point??
I can't answer your first question because I usually black out after drinking excessively, but I do always turn off <VOX> upon awakening from my drunken stupor, several days later.Tim wrote: ↑30 Aug 2017, 08:28 So jafo, are you one of those drunk VOX on 'operators' with huge power that wipes everyone else out keying up and whistling shouting over every other operator? It's exactly this that defeats the object. Extra power can be useful providing it is used responsibly but not essential, there's no 'skill' in it whatsoever, you are still governed and restricted by conditions and other radio traffic. It's similar with stations that have an echo wound up whilst transmitting, totally unnecessary and ruins their audio. Personally I would rather improve my antenna system and keep my audio and transmission clean rather than spend a shed load on something like extra power that I don't really need.
To your next statement, I agree with you when you wrote, "Extra power can be useful".
To your next implication, I agree with you that ruined audio is unnecessary.
Regarding your statement, "Personally I would rather improve my antenna system and keep my audio and transmission clean rather than spend a shed load on something like extra power that I don't really need." - I only buy extra power I need to make certain that during my blacked-out drunken stupor I have enough power to totally wipe out the entire band for thousands of miles with keying up - whistling, farting, wanking noises and grunts & groans as I shout over every other operator in your imagination.