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First preference should be to improve the antenna system. In my experience on city lots the move from 50 ft to 70 ft is significant. The addition of a 2 el shorty forty is also significant. If the present tribander is a short boom (14 ft) antenna it should be upgraded to one with a 24 ft or longer boom. The tower can be shunt fed for both 80 or 160 and should have as many radials as can be put down (length will be limited by real estate and the practical maximum is 50 or 60). It may be of some help to bond the far ends together.
Posted by
w0uo
on October 27, 2006
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$1K upgrade
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Depends a bit on which contest.
For CQ WW:
Take your mate to the Caribbean and operate from a turnkey station. Have a friend operate your home station.
For ARRL DX:
Make a gift to a friend with a big station at which you can operate, preferably one that's normally unused... Have a friend operate your home station.
Posted by
k2kq
on October 14, 2006
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If your currnet guy system would allow you to increase the height of your tower to about 70' - add the additional height and either change the tri-band antenna for one that includes 40mtrs or add a 'shorty' 40 2 ele 40 mono. This upgrade (if you are able to locate all the parts used) should be within the $1000.00 limit.
Posted by
n1ln
on October 7, 2006
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Amp!
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First choice is buy an amp. Life is too short for QRP or LP.
Second choice is SO2R, which can be done and done well from anywhere. I am SO2R with a pair of multi-band dipoles stuck in the woods, and made much bigger improvements in score with SO2R than I ever would with a better set of dipoles!
Posted by
N4GG
on October 5, 2006
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Operate from Caribbean
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Pick a contest and go to KP4 or KP2. You will then be very competitive!
73's Dan
Posted by
K4FXN
on October 5, 2006
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improve
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Add 3 sections of tower
A shorty 40 beam
Improve radial system
denny / k8do
Posted by
K8DO
on October 5, 2006
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At least 2 ele 40m beam
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Along with tri-bander add 2 ele shorty 40m yagi. It makes a ton of difference on that band. Oh and who cares about the neighbours.
Art N3DXX
Posted by
n3dxx
on October 4, 2006
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so2r ?
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Decent rig, Bandpass filter, so2r box/cables
for $1000.00? Lets be realistic you are antenna limited (try the tribander/wires catagory) spend the $1000.00 ON THE WIFE FOR MORE RADIO TIME
Posted by
NB7V
on October 3, 2006
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Devil's in details
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Since nothing was said about how good the current beam and other antennas were and only $1000 to work with I can see no better way to get a return than to improve the antenna farm.
Posted by
n1bcl
on October 2, 2006
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still no contest
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SO2R is the domain of the acerage owner. I don't argue that you can have so2r in some cities; I just say that most cities would'nt go for what you are playing in town in ve5. We all love so2r!!, and laying a good beating on us/those who don't/have had it; same class/legal advantage. Go for it!!!
For example here in yyc, a city of 1m people:::City sez'
1 Only one antenna/tower of 40'total ht
2 No wires/ guywires (I got my city letter to get rid of my backyard stuff or get legal)
3 Nothing closer than 1m (40") to the property line/ kinda tough for a shorty 40 on a 50' lot.
4 Nothing in the front yard
5 Everything that is grandfathered in (pre 1999) can't be over 60' up, get rid of the rest. They have pre 1999 pix of all the old stuff.
6 Anything not in use has to be removed/ you can't sell your ant property to another ham legally.
I see what I have as better than lots of city op's have, and playing up so2r in this survey makes it into 2 surveys. What you are really asking the contest community is;
Can you do SO2R from a city lot for less than $1000 over existing; ??? and, "Who is doing so2r in the city and did you do it for 1k over what you had b4.
Posted by
ve6ex
on October 1, 2006
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My SO2R on a city lot
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I live on a city lot. I am running full SO2R with a C31XR, EF240s, 80 dipole, 18AVQ and my 60ft tower is base loaded on 80/160. I used to have a switchable 40m sloper array attached to the tower that worked well. I have separate feedlines on the C31XR. Before I installed separate feedlines on the C31XR I used an 18AVQ as my second antenna. It cost about $1000 to upgrade to SO2R - there was no way I could upgrade the tower or antennas for that amount.
Posted by
VE5ZX
on October 1, 2006
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no contest
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Can't be done. so2r in the city with what ants are listed would be a waste of time/been there done that. 99% ot the city ant rules play less than what you have already claimed.
I'd say spend the grand on charming the neighbours to help you keep what you already have. Chances are pretty good you'll have to downsize in the future.
Posted by
ve6ex
on October 1, 2006
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Keep Adding Antennas
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As an SO2R convert (big time), I can tell you that you are much better off adding antennas/reduce losses first and then look to SO2R as you have started maxing those out for YOUR situation. I would beef up 40M with a 2 el beam on a longer mast and upgrade coax if able to AT LEAST LMR600 grade for lowest possible loss. Increasing ground radials to 60 if you are using the tower as a vertical would come to mind, as would adding wire "gain" arrays into EU and SA if you have some of the room.
SO2R is a great add but only when antennas are to a certain level.
Ed N1UR (SO2R for 7 years)
Posted by
N1UR
on October 1, 2006
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70% (251)