Deaf????

At some point every Amateur Radio operator must get filled with self doubt and wonder whether or not his signal is getting anywhere. Likewise, when listening to a fairly deserted band, is it imagination or is there actually a signal in that noise that I can just not make out. It must be sign of my insecurity in that, when I get some adverse criticism, I always think that it is me to blame.

In July, FISTS started a two meter activity event for an hour on Saturday evenings and another hour on Sunday mornings. In that first month I received more listener reports than I had QSOs. On the Yahoo group conversations it became evident that many operators were using low power and a  vertical antenna: the cross polarization losses are quite large so I was not too concerned.

In August, a suggestion was made that I was running huge power and  was extremely deaf! Perhaps someone should talk to me about it? Comments like this only fuel my anxiety so was starting to become a little concerned. I usually run 75 watts to an 11 element beam up about 10 to 15 meters agl depending upon wx conditions (and whether or not I got up early enough to pump up the mast).

Fortunately I have been competing in the RSGB UKAC Contests for a few years now and, if nothing else, they have given me a very good idea how well or poorly my signals have been radiating around Europe. For instance, when I first started contesting it was with a vertical antenna and 8 watts. Not surprisingly, my signal did not get very far, a maximum of 100Km, so it wasn't long before I upgraded to a 6 element 2 meter beam. That made a huge difference and I was working stations up to 250 Km away without too much trouble. Next came an upgrade to my current set up; an 11 element beam and 100 watts. With this station I find that I do fairly well and am confident in having a good idea on what I can expect from it. attaining 450 Kms is not unreasonable.

CW is a mode much more suited to making longer distance contacts so I was quite keen when the FISTS 2 meter activity sessions were announced. When I look at the log and analyse the QSOs they are however a bit disappointing. I have had two, quite hard work, contacts at 300 and 220 Kms where I gave 429 reports and received 579. Most other contacts have been quite local.

Interestingly, during one session I was called by a Contest station in IO75 and we exchanged very good signal reports (not unsurprising for contests!) but the QSO was pretty much as I expected - easy copy both ways and that was at 479 Kms.

So am I deaf or do FISTS members just not put out big signals? As I mentioned earlier many are using verticals, assuming a cross polarization loss of 25 Db and my antenna has a gain of 12 DB (assuming I have them perfectly aligned) that still leaves a loss of 13 Db. If the other station is running 5 watts from an FT817 or similar, that 13 Db loss is extremely significant. Not surprising then that if I am not perfectly aligned they are simply not audible here.

G0ILN has installed an HB9CV antenna at his stataion in JO00 square and he runs just 5 watts. I gave him a 429 report and I received 579 in return at a distance of 217 Kms. Another station in IO83 has a dipole sellotaped to his wardrobe door and can hear me, but I cannot hear his 5 watts. I really do not find that very surprising. Or am I too easily satisfied?

73 es good dx de Jim GØHGH