Back to the endless amp forum posts.
*The Plain Truth*
Better antennas = better communication.
Transmit antennas are not always be best antennas for reception.
Propagation determines communications.
Power has little to do with propagation when it is in your favor.
If you cant hear them you cant work them. And even then, if you can hear
them many times, propagation is not 2 way.
Having a 1500 watt signal on the air has nothing to do with being
able to
hear who is hearing you. Otherwise, your just QRM. Alligator syndrome.
RFI from 1500 watts, Near Field interference, Electrical energy cost are
all added problems of excessive power.
Water soaked Coax with poor antenna installation with negative 12 db
loss takes 1500 watts to 100 watts on a 100 ft run, using, 100 watts
going
down to 1/2 watt, you can still talk because: QRP works!
A 1500 watt amplifier is not going to make you a better operator.
Many amps today that are being produced over seas have tetrode finals
that
will put out 2500 watts easily, check your coax at the frequency that
you
want to run and you may be in for a surprise. If you swr is greater than
near unity, you may have problems with the reflected power melting
down the
foam by heat and creating more loss. With an amp you have to have
resonant
antennas, you don't want RF in the shack. And at that power level
antenna
tuners become a very effective Ozone generator, keeps you shack smelling
nice and fresh but it does not do much for your finals and spark gap was
outlawed quite some time back.
I have a 1.2 kw amp and run it at 450 to 500 watts, why, because it
puts me
in a contest class that I can be competitive in because I don't have 6
towers with stacked beams. Hell I don't even have a beam, just a good
vertical and made 1500 QSO in CQWW WPX, from the middle of the USA,
Kansas.
I do have a NCC1 Dxengineering 2 antenna receiving array that I put
up for
contests only. But, on the other hand, I run CW and CW gets through 599
with 100 watts where the same would take 15000 watts on SSB for the same
arm chair communication.
The cheapest way to communicate with less power is painful for some, but
the truth is always painful when you take the easy way out.
Drum Roll,
Learn CW
My 2 cents, and add that to 3$ and you might be able to get a good
cup of
coffee or a good sized can or Monster III.
Vy 73,
Morgan NJ8M
