Hawaii’s Foremost Contest Station – KH6YY

Because he's that wide in the Utah sdr, my sdr and the KFS sdr. He's also the same width on a sdrplay panadapter plugged I to the if out on my ts850.

I'm not the first to bring it up, but I am the first to post a screenshot, AFAIK.

Please don't insult my intelligence by pretending I don't know how to see imd on an sdr, Chip.

--Shane
KD6VXI

 

Nice to hear from you Shane.

I am sorry you think its a matter of intelligence, rather than the limited dynamic range of ham receivers, and the nonlinear products of digital SDR's and digital power spectrum type devices.

I assume your are a smart fellow, hence my suggested methodology proffered.

If 4 receivers have similar error conditions at high SNR signal inputs, it is almost guaranteed that you would see the potential for bogus results in all of them.

Unless you have calibrated tones injected, the only passive way you can get a handle in a ham receiver--rather than a precise value-- of IMD;PIM; etc. is to MAP the dynamic range and nonlinearities of your receiver, by removing the receiver from the signal's strength. That you have to do with a precision attenuator between the antenna and the RX port, and vary and test as I described. No adjustments made on the receiver for RF gain; AGC; etc in the comparison methodology I suggested. Also, its a good idea to do that type of test with various passband bandwidths.

Do you know--through measurement-- the dynamic range of your receiver--with the AGC's turned off? Then turned on?

AGC's are a form of dynamic rage RX compression and looking at 'spurs' and other TX heterodynes (for example) is not valid to do with the AGC on.

If you have genuine concerns about the transmitted signal of KH6YY, then why haven't you made a formal complaint to the FCC? They certainly have the capability of answering that question.

73
Chip W1YW

 

Chip, I believe Shane @KD6VXI is not criticizing KH6YY, but rather KH7XS, which was also mentioned in a post before his comments, as another club contest station in Hawaii that in performance certainly also contends as "foremost".

Bill also aka @K4XS has had several QTH's, a couple up the road from me in FL. I first met him OTA and several times at hamfests as a major player in tower trade. A decade ago or so I visited his QTH in the north Tampa suburbs.

He is a high energy and prodigious contest station builder and IMO a respectable, very competitive and active, contest operator, especially on SSB. Some impressive results even this year, those interested should search 3830scores on his call sign for the whole history.

His stations are always BIG & LOUD, audio heavily processed toward optimum communications punching through heavy QRM, and can certainly sound distorted and therefore prejudicially wide bandwidth to some ears. A heavy footprint signal can have advantages in contests.

Of course, as you pointed out, the reality of that subjective observation has to be carefully verified. Powerful signals often and easily overload many casually operated receivers as indicated in the posted panadapter graphics. However that quality combined with an aggressive contest operating style rubs many, mainly non-contest op's, the wrong way, such as the poster of this video, which to me seems perfectly acceptable in both signal quality and contest operation.

73, John WØPV

 

Hi John,

Contesters use a number of techniques to 'keep the frequency', all of which are legal.

One of the cleverest ones is to split the TX signal so a dB or so less power in the main direction is afforded to a lower tower with less antenna-gain on it--but chosen so the launch angle maximizes the TX reception in the direction of competitors. That way the competitors hear a super loud station on your frequency and stay away.

In the past, some put separate amps on each tower simulatenously so the total power exceeded 1500. That's a no no.

Some Euro stations are still rumored to run illegally QRO+ + in contests.

 

Clever indeed. Jostling for position on the band is a tactic of the contesting game.

I am a proponent of contest station design that doesn't only provide well elevated higher gain yet narrow beamwidth directional array antennas, useful for that rare long DX multiplier found via S&P, but instead or also has lower smaller more omni or broad pattern alternatives for running CQ's when best to accommodate multiple propagation paths. And avoid ignoring any station calling no matter how weak.

The age-old "nuke-leer arms race" of hi-QRO is a whole 'nother issue ! California KW's !!

 

If you think that's what it's all about (ego) you really don't understand why people have big stations, Ham radio has been competitive since it began...distance challenges after WW 1, DXing, contesting. It is not necessary to spend millions even in KH6 to have a competitive signal...mine was done for a tiny fraction of the "millions". and has a signal equal or better than KH6YY's with the exception of one band. (80 meters) They have a Yagi and I have a 4 square. Maintaining it? I have not been up the tower to fix anything since I installed the antennas three years ago.

 

Old saying..."Tall trees attract the most lightning" Not a day goes by that I don't get an UNSOLICITED "great audio report", "looks good on the scope" etc. They think it sounds good, and looking at the scope and monitoring it looks good here too.

 

Sorry dude, I'm sticking with the ego syndrome, and it seems your posts prove it. BEST Big Signal and non-bragging station owners on the Big Island/O'ahu has always been KH6YY and KH7Y. Enjoy what you have, but a little modesty never hurt anyone. Mike K6MYC had a great station there too but they kept ripping him off. Aloha......

 

Bill,

This just serves to prove my point about it being a technical problem.

You can't see IMD on a scope.

Being loud and being clean are two different things.

You can't purchase technical prowess.

Thanks for replying, finally, though. My multiple emails to you to keep this a private matter went unanswered.

Hopefully the balls to the wall mentality will finally end.

--Shane
KD6VXI

 

Hi there Tommy, been a long time OM hope you are doing well. As for Bill, KH7XS (K4XS) we cross paths all the time, he has a clean signal. Due to his great location looking over water and plenty of antenna gain he is strong, very strong. I can operate a few KHz away from him without any problems. And when I was living on the big island we operated 2- 300 hz apart on Cw with meter pinning signal. Shane you might want to take a look at your receiver? I have also operated the KH6YY station at that time they were using KH7X call before the KH6J they use most to the time now At times you will find Alex around working DX as KH6YY and NH6P Aloha, Fred KH7Y/w6

 

Aloha Fred (and Sandy)!

I never got into the argument regarding quality of signals, that can get very subjective! I wish Bill K4XS the best always. Always enjoyed our times together on the Big Island, maybe see you at Visalia IDXC next April?

NH7R and KH6CA

 

Tommy, very nice to hear from you, Texas is a long ways from the big island of Hawaii..... I will be a Visalia along with Lloyd KH6LC, so will look forward to a eyeball there. We may be moving to eastern Tx. if the fire insurance keeps going up in price.

 

I operated out at the Pupakea station for many contests. What a great QTH and contest station. All of the various owners were really super guys! I moved to XE 14 years ago. I miss Ops out at Pupakea. The whole world and the rarest DX was calling us.

Aloha and 73,
WH6H

 

for all hallo have a nice qso withh KH6YY from hawai hi wish all the best vy73 DJOAJ ekrem

 

I'm on Maui now and I'm pretty sure I haven't seen any antenna installations like that here