BIG GUNS

Pat Ross – VE3CNX London Amateur Radio Club 11/09/08

Big Guns are all operators who can hear and be heard better than I can!

Pat Ross – VE3CNX

Seriously – Big Guns are those operators who usually: Chase DX Big Contesters Have Big Antennas/Antenna Farms/ Antenna Arrays “Hot” Receivers Run “Big Power”

“Alligators” Have “big mouth” Run California Kilowatt But Have “Small Ears” Can’t hear stations returning their “CQ’s” Big Guns can “Copy” as well/better than they can “Transmit”

Who Are These Big Guns?

First off – Need to Recognize that they represent a small percentage of total (Global) Ham Population Few Govt’s maintain detailed demographic stats of their amateur radio operator populations

Majority of hams worldwide reside in Japan, US, Thailand, South Korea, Europe. Only Yemen and North Korea currently prohibit their citizens from becoming hams.

Ham Population

• • • • • • • • • • • • • JAPAN USA THAILAND SOUTH KOREA GERMANY TAIWAN CANADA SPAIN UNITED KINGDOM RUSSIA BRAZIL ITALY INDONESIA 1,296,059 722,330 141,241 141,000 79,666 68,692 63,547 58,700 58,426 38,000 32,053 30,000 27,815 1999 2007 1999 2000 2000 1999 2007 1999 2000 1993 1997 1993 1997

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

HAM POPULATION

FRANCE UKRAINE ARGENTINA 18,500 17,265 16,889 1997 2000 1999 AUSTRALIA SWEDEN INDIA VENEZUELA SOUTH AFRICA FINLAND NORWAY MALAYSIA CUBA CHINA PAKISTAN 214 15,328 10,817 10,679 10,600 6,000 5,900 5,302 2,730 1,870 800 2000 2000 2000 1999 2000 1994 2000 2000 2006 2000 2000

HAM POPULATION

• • • • • • • • • • • BANGLADESH IRAN United Arab Emirates VIETNAM LIBERIA ETHIOPIA SYRIA SUDAN DPR Congo LAOS LIBYA 6 5 5 2* 1* 8 7 6 28 10 10 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 • * denotes only have Club Station(s)

HAM POPULATION

• • • • In vast majority of countries, hams are predominately male.

US – approx 15% are women China – approx 12% are women In most countries – no minimum age requirements to earn licence • Average age of radio operators in some countries is over 60 years of age

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POWER LIMITATIONS

• • • • Most countries limit output power USA 1500 Watts PEP Canada 1000 W (Advanced Qualification) UK/Australia/South Africa/and many other countries – only 400W SOLUTION:

“Antenna! Antenna! Antenna!”

• • • • • • • • •

SOME CLUES AS TO WHO ARE THE BIG GUNS

Usually very active on the air 10,000 + lookups on QRZ.com good indicator QRZ counter used to stop at 25,000 That changed last year Recently have seen some with 70,000+ lookups QRZ profile includes link to their website Pictures of Antenna farms/arrays/walls of awards Many have 2 letter Call signs Usually break through pileups on first attempt

BIG GUNS I HAVE WORKED

• • • • • • • • 7J4AAL – “Kan” – Hiroshima Japan 34,000+ lookups on QRZ.com

Have worked him on 75 Meters But he is big gun on all bands This antenna CL75 CX-M (Monster) is triband 5 element Yagi-type antenna for 1.9 3.5 3.8MHz band, the whole antenna operates as a dipole antenna for 1.9 MHz band. Completed in 2003 This scale is the world biggest among those of the existing ham antennas.

7J4AAL

7J4AAL

7J4AAL

7J4AAL Construction

Monster Tower

G0EVY

• • • • • • • • G0EVY – “Dave” – Bromsgrove UK 75 meters – Can hear him every night 3.788

17,000+ lookups on QRZ.com

Has 80 meter beam mounted on a crane 46 meters above ground. The boom is two 60 foot towers welded togtherr and Crane can drop beam in 3.5 mins. Footprint of the antenna covers 1000 sq. meters Dave is a Rag Chewer.

G0EVY crane mounted Beam

VE3EJ

• • • • • • • • • • • VE3EJ – “John” - Grassie, ON Big DX’er 29,874 lookups on QRZ.com

160M Base loaded ¼ wave vertical and 4 square and beverages for receiving.

80M – 4 square ¼ wave verticals 40M - Full size 3 element yagi on 56 foot boom @ 150 feet, 2 element yagi @t 110 feet 5 towers - 150, 150, 130, 100 and 60 feet 20M - 5 element yagis on 56 foot booms @ 50, 100 and 150 feet. 15M - 5 element yagis on 40 foot booms @ 160, 120 and 80 feet. 5 element yagi at 50 feet 10M - 5 element yagis on 28 foot booms @ 160, 75 and 40 feet. 5 element @ 80 feet. 6M - 6 element yagi @ 75 feet

VE3EJ

• • Worked 338 Countries (All) and 350 with deletes Of these John has worked – – 243 on 160 and 327 on 80!!

– Has 29,000 feet of ground radials for 80 meter 4 square!

VE3EJ 4 Square

VE3EJ Towers

VE3EJ

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VE3EJ – John’s Shack

ZS6CCY

• • • • • • • • ZS6CCY “Bill” – South Africa – 75M and 20M 49,864 lookups on QRZ.com

Uses 4 square on 75M For 20 M has six element KLM Yagi with 58' boom mounted at 95' on the tower Previously worked in Port Hedland, WA Where I was stationed for 4 years – but I have never met him off the air

ZS6CCY 4 square

ZS6CCY 20 M

ZS6CCY SHACK

ZS6CC6 SHACK

ZL3SV

• • • • • • ZL3SV “Gary” – NEW ZEALAND 75 METERS 34,427 lookups on QRZ.com

Owns Comms business Ant is 500 metre (1500 feet) long, sloper antenna - average height 80 metres (240 feet) I worked him on Field Day 2007 on 100W with longwire antenna

ZL3SV with 50-600 ohm balun

ZL3SV Feed Line

ZL3SV – 300 ft above ground - high point

K1JJ -

• • • • • • • • K1JJ “Tom” – Connecticut 19,998 lookups on QRZ.com

Towers on a ridge, 805' above sea level Two 190' self-supporters One guyed 150' One guyed 110' One guyed 60' Dual quads system. (4 elements total) A two element quad on a 40' boom at 190' high (63 meters) phased to a second identical two-element quad at 190' high on a separate tower

K1JJ’s Antenna Farm

K1JJ 20M Stacked Arrary

K1JJ one 20M beam - 300 pounds on 60' boom 80 meter Dual Quad in back

NQ4I

• • • • • • • • • NQ4I “Rick”– Georgia 70,270 lookups on QRZ.com

Commercial Pilot – QSO’s Aeronautical Mobile on 20M QTH is a fully equipped “Super” Contest Station Incl. 8 Yaesu FT1000D’s and 5 Yaesu FT1000 Mk V’s All With Alpha 78’s and Henry Linears For 75 Meters – had a full sized beam up 125 feet – but disassembled it and turned it into A full sized 3 X 3 phased Vertical Array.

NQ4I Antenna Farm

PA0GMW

• • • • • • • PA0GMW “Paul” – NETHERLANDS 75M 35, 893 lookups on QRZ.com

Uses set of Drakes R4C & T4XC Antenna 4 square built on reclaimed land (salt marsh) In wet weather, base of antenna 4 feet under water.

Great signal!

PA0GMW 4 Sqare

W2ZM

• • • • • • • • W2ZM “Bob” – Central NY 9824 lookups on QRZ.com

75 M – Works mostly am grey line to JA/VK/ZL Wire Beam for TX and Beverages for RX Double ended extended ZEPP up 90 feet with reflector on either side. Usually does better than the 4 squares Using a FT1000MarkV for exciter on transmit full legal power and FT1000D for receive and Bob is big on running antique gear vintage gear.

– google W2ZM and see his fascinating collection of

W2ZM operating his 1921 1KW rotary spark set

GI0AIJ

• • • • • • GI0AIJ “Ivor” – Northern Ireland 20 M 20,661 lookups on QRZ.com

Professional Race Car Driver Antenna farm includes 130 ft. free standing tower 60 ft. crank up tower 210 ft. rotating tower Ivor is an entertaining Ragchewer

GI0AIJ Antennas

VK3MO

• • • • • “Ian” – Victoria, Australia 20 meters 30,200 lookups on QRZ.com

Running TS-140 @ 100 watts into Four (4) -5 Element yagis on 44 foot booms on 200 foot tower with 19 db gain! Bottom yagii 54 feet high. • I worked him Long Path (LP)

VK3MO Stacked Array

VE3XN

• • • • • • • • • • VE3XN – Garry Hammond – Listowel Works all bands – big contester Writes for TCA 30,933 lookups on QRZ.com

4 element SteppIR Yagi including 2 element 40M beam 80 Meter Delta Loop Worked all countries (338) including N. Korea QSL Card Field Checker Seemingly endless list of Awards

VE3XN

Garry’s Shack/Geochron

• • • • • • • • • • •

VA3DX

VA3DX – “Glenn” – St. Catharines Big DX’er/Contester 22,173 lookups on QRZ.com

Worked 337 countries 238 countries confirmed on 160M 4 element SteppIR yagi at 72 feet D3W Cushcraft Warc band rotary dipole at 78 feet 2 El 40 mtr Hygain 4O2BA at 83 feet 80 mtr Inv Vee and 160 meter Inv L ( 70 feet vertical ) All on a City –sized lot!!

Glenn and “Bennie”

VE3YJ

• • • • • • • • VE3YJ “Rocco” - Guelph 75M Big Antenna Farm 4 square Various towers Has one of best signals in Ontario on 75M Very personable/hospitable – always willing to give a helping hand.

Sadly, Rocco is winding down/selling his gear on Kijiji

VE3NH

• • • • • • • • • VE3NH - Bill McHugh – Ailsa Craig Also fondly referred to as “Mr. 160”.

My Elmer Has several towers, verticals Has 5 beverage antennas between 1 and 1.5 wavelengths permanently installed in the pasture, and Adds two more 1.5 wavelength antennas across neighbouring farm fields in winter.

All are at a height of 10 feet to permit cattle grazing underneath.

Bill has s worked 335 countries including 209 countries on 160M!

VE3NH aka “Mr. 160”

VE3NH 160/80/40M Linear Loaded Vertical

BIG GUN-SMALL GUN

• • • • • • QUESTION – – Should we set our sights on being a Big Gun?

ANSWER – – Nice if you could – but not necessary Always Remember: “Propagation is the Great Equalizer” Many operators do just as well or better than Big Guns in pileups, contests and Awards Just by listening and good operating techniques

VE3UZ

• • • • • • • • • • VE3UZ - Dave Steels – “Mr. DX” My other Elmer VE3GYL – “Kathy” is Dave’s XYL Dave has Worked 330 countries (confirmed) 125 confirmed on 80 Meters on a vertical Has WAZ and has WAS on 160M DXCC on 5 Bands 30 wpm CW Dave is an Excellent operator - very patient – good listener – and very perseverant Like Churchill – Dave “never gives up”.

VE3UZ Log Periodic Beam

VE3UZ

W6UC – “Phil” waiting for DX’pedition NA only

BIG GUNS

• • • • • • • So, get out there and “work em” Don’t be intimidated by the Big Guns In fact, they are usually very polite/helpful Once they make contact, they usually turn the frequency over so others can work em.

And they usually don’t mind it if you piggyback on them – I do it all the time I doubt I will ever be a “Big Gun” But it sure gives me something to dream about.

Thank You

• • • • Thank you all for “staying the course” Appreciate your friendship/fellowship Look forward to working you down the bands.

And Don’t Forget……..

Antenna! Antenna! Antenna!

London Amateur Radio Club 11 Sept. 2008 Pat Ross – VE3CNX

VE3CNX

Erecting 40M Long Long Wire Field Day 2008

Erecting 40M Long Long Wire Field Day 2008