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Posted: 3/29/2024 2:23:44 AM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By tyrex13: One of my neighbors has been calling a station in Sweden for the last hour and a half. He's a couple miles away. I know he has 100w and and end fed. I called twice and got through with 500w and 80m horizontal delta loop. I was S9 to the station and strong enough that he took a little break from his pileup to ask what city I was in and my station conditions. Going from and endfed to a loop was a big step. Going from 100w to 500w appears to be an equally big step. With just the loop I could often hear stations that couldn't hear me. Today I was able to work Sweden and a station in Chile that I've never worked due to high noise floor on his end. Now my questions, is legal limit worth it?  Congrats on the 500 watts and the loop. You're going to find that you will be the DX now. 
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Posted: 3/29/2024 8:52:05 AM EDT
[#2]
As for the 500 watt to 1500 watt jump. It CAN make a difference sometimes, but you have already made the more important jump.
The law of diminishing returns kicks in after 500 watts. and the price for the additional 1000 watts is a lot higher. Finding some used tower sections and an old beam to put up will yield a lot more results on the higher bands than that expensive amp. Always put more into antennas than ANY kind of rig or amp at the shack. Just my 2 cents from an old man with over 50 years in this game. |
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Posted: 3/29/2024 9:26:40 AM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By tyrex13: One of my neighbors has been calling a station in Sweden for the last hour and a half. He's a couple miles away. I know he has 100w and and end fed. I called twice and got through with 500w and 80m horizontal delta loop. I was S9 to the station and strong enough that he took a little break from his pileup to ask what city I was in and my station conditions. Going from and endfed to a loop was a big step. Going from 100w to 500w appears to be an equally big step. With just the loop I could often hear stations that couldn't hear me. Today I was able to work Sweden and a station in Chile that I've never worked due to high noise floor on his end. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By tyrex13: One of my neighbors has been calling a station in Sweden for the last hour and a half. He's a couple miles away. I know he has 100w and and end fed. I called twice and got through with 500w and 80m horizontal delta loop. I was S9 to the station and strong enough that he took a little break from his pileup to ask what city I was in and my station conditions. Going from and endfed to a loop was a big step. Going from 100w to 500w appears to be an equally big step. With just the loop I could often hear stations that couldn't hear me. Today I was able to work Sweden and a station in Chile that I've never worked due to high noise floor on his end.   In a world of low end-feds and 100W radios resulting in just enough contacts to keep people interested, it's truly one of those IYKYK moments. Once you get a big antenna up, especially if you can get it over 50ft high, and hit that 500W mark, it makes the hobby so much more enjoyable. At least it did for me. Now my questions, is legal limit worth it? Which begs the question: what radio and amp are you running? |
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Posted: 3/29/2024 12:33:21 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By aa777888-2: Congratulations on your elevation to a "real" antenna and QRO operations In a world of low end-feds and 100W radios resulting in just enough contacts to keep people interested, it's truly one of those IYKYK moments. Once you get a big antenna up, especially if you can get it over 50ft high, and hit that 500W mark, it makes the hobby so much more enjoyable. At least it did for me. Having gone through the 500W step on my way to 1500W, I'd have to say "Probably not". If you are into the local/regional 80/160M rag-chew scene then yes, but for most other aspects of the hobby 500W is plenty and spend the $2K to $3K differential on a better radio and/or more antenna. Which begs the question: what radio and amp are you running? I put the loop up last spring, so not quite a year, so I've gotten a good feel for it. There has been a few situations where I couldn't break the pileup or I could clearly hear the station, but they couldn't hear me. My loop is 40' up at the corners, maybe 40' at the feed point and 45' in the trees. I have an FTDX101D and I just picked up a used KPA500. Currently using a LDG AT-600PROII, but I think I'll get the KAT500 pretty soon. I also just ordered a TS890S. I've been wanting one for awhile since I like my 590S so much and the ergos are similar. If the 890S DNR works ok and I like it I'll sell the 101D and my HF will be 890S primary, 590SG backup. |
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Posted: 3/29/2024 1:36:31 PM EDT
[#5]
I think another amplifier point is,…it depends on which HF band
IMHO, the higher you go in frequency, the less important an amplifier is when 10meters is hot, a 25 watt mobile and snipped mag mount CB antenna can work europe and Japan with ease Try that on 160m and not many will hear your 25watts I tend to gravitate to 20-10meters, especially mobile or POTA I don’t even own an HF amp anymore |
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Posted: 3/29/2024 2:06:35 PM EDT
[#6]
Picked up 2 new countries this morning. East Malaysia and India.
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Posted: 3/29/2024 4:03:39 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Frank_B]
[#7]
Too easy?
1) Drop your power down to 5 Watts 2) Quit relying on a computer and learn CW. It's not as hard as most people make it out to be. |
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Posted: 3/29/2024 4:15:23 PM EDT
[#8]
The KPA is a fantastic amplifier. Just about bulletproof. I had one before moving up to the KPA1500.
LDG tuners are weak sauce. Be careful about running digi at higher power than the LDG tuner can handle. Not sure about the KAT500. The tuner in the KPA1500 works much better than spec. MFJ QRO tuners are bulletproof and are not derated for digi or RTTY. |
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Posted: 3/29/2024 6:13:02 PM EDT
[Last Edit: K9-Bob]
[#9]
 Attached FileThis combo is bullet proof....I ran multiple RTTY contests at 500 watts on all bands for hours at a time with Elecraft KPA-500 and KAT-500 tuner. I've been running this combo for over 10 years on all modes and highly recommend it as it will work with any modern HF radio. QRO helps especially since Alaska is DX for most of the world and guys chasing you will appreciate that extra signal on the receive end. |
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OH, USA
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Posted: 3/29/2024 7:47:24 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Colt653: I think another amplifier point is,…it depends on which HF band IMHO, the higher you go in frequency, the less important an amplifier is when 10meters is hot, a 25 watt mobile and snipped mag mount CB antenna can work europe and Japan with ease Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Colt653: I think another amplifier point is,…it depends on which HF band IMHO, the higher you go in frequency, the less important an amplifier is when 10meters is hot, a 25 watt mobile and snipped mag mount CB antenna can work europe and Japan with ease BTDT with an HR2510 and various antennas. Try that on 160m and not many will hear your 25watts Last we spoke several years ago, a buddy/ex-coworker had close to DXCC on Top-Band confirmed on his K2/10. Antenna is an inverted L with a decent radial system. |
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Posted: 3/29/2024 9:27:14 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Frank_B: Too easy? 1) Drop your power down to 5 Watts 2) Quit relying on a computer and learn CW. It's not as hard as most people make it out to be. 
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Posted: 3/29/2024 10:02:05 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Frank_B: Too easy? 1) Drop your power down to 5 Watts 2) Quit relying on a computer and learn CW. It's not as hard as most people make it out to be. Wait! You mean I shouldn't be running FT8 at 1500W? Which I've done many times 
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OH, USA
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Posted: 3/30/2024 8:02:10 AM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By aa777888-2: Wait! You mean I shouldn't be running FT8 at 1500W? Which I've done many times Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By aa777888-2: Originally Posted By Frank_B: Too easy? 1) Drop your power down to 5 Watts 2) Quit relying on a computer and learn CW. It's not as hard as most people make it out to be. Wait! You mean I shouldn't be running FT8 at 1500W? Which I've done many times Several of my solid state, FT8 capable stations will do a brick-on-the-key 300w. If the stations I'm trying to work still aren't hearing me it's time to spend the money on antennas. Most times it's with a barefoot transceiver. 100w or less. I've a few "V" (10w output JA Novice model rigs) in my collection that are always challenging to use for DX work. |
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Posted: 3/30/2024 9:49:53 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Colt653: I think another amplifier point is,…it depends on which HF band IMHO, the higher you go in frequency, the less important an amplifier is when 10meters is hot, a 25 watt mobile and snipped mag mount CB antenna can work europe and Japan with ease Try that on 160m and not many will hear your 25watts I tend to gravitate to 20-10meters, especially mobile or POTA I don’t even own an HF amp anymore Yeah adding that the hams tend to be a bit different on different bands. Most hams rag chew on 160. Most DX on 20 meters and it makes a difference. You can find many hams that will work with you at working you for a long time with a very faint signal just to get your call sign and make that contact on 20 meters. Try to make a barely above the noise floor contact on 160m and you will likely get this response. “ hey W1 what ever you call is, you are very light, get rid of that crappy antenna, get a bigger amp, and a better mic and try again next month you are very light and your audio sucks” |
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Posted: 3/30/2024 9:54:07 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By aa777888-2: Wait! You mean I shouldn't be running FT8 at 1500W? Which I've done many times Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By aa777888-2: Originally Posted By Frank_B: Too easy? 1) Drop your power down to 5 Watts 2) Quit relying on a computer and learn CW. It's not as hard as most people make it out to be. Wait! You mean I shouldn't be running FT8 at 1500W? Which I've done many times Yep me too although only a meager 1kw not legal limit, most people think FT8 is a low power mode, it isn’t, it is a low signal strength mode and even 1500 watts may just get you into western or SE Asia with a low signal and is therefore certainly appropriate on FT8 or any other mode. Although it helps if you aren’t splattering all over the USA to do it. |
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