In article , Mike Coslo
writes:

Sure. Point is, though, that by setting the number at 400, we don't have
the
problem of having to shut the GOTA station down because the quota has been
reached.

Well true, but in that vein of thought, we might as well not have a
limit at all.

If we didn't, it becomes like another station only without being put in the
totals.

FWIW, I don't mind limits on the GOTA station, mainly because I'm the
control op for our club. I sit with the newbies and hams getting back
into the fold all day, and then after the station closes down, I can
kick in the afterburners on the night shift. I've made good friends
working the overnight. (yeah, us crazies gotta stick together!)

Oyez!First time I did that was...1968?

The big problem with the GOTA station in a 5F group is interference.
It's bad enough when two stations of different modes try to use the
same band at the same time, but when the GOTA folks show up on the
same band....

Yup. I would highly suggest a 5F group try to put up a Beverage antenna

as their common receive antenna, and get it as far away as the FD rules
allow 1000 foot circle that all the equipment has to be in. Don't know
if that EOC center will accommodate that or not.


Why a Beverage? It receives well in one direction only, but in most of the
USA you need more than one direction.

When you use a multiple wavelength Beverage the directivity isn't quite

as bad. (or good - depending on what you are trying to achieve) I don't
recall the length of ours, but it was at least 2 wavelengths on 80 meters.

2 wavelenghts on 80 is over 500 feet...

In any event, it quieted the interference between the rigs, and I don't

recall any significant losses to the east of us, since we still heard
the stations in that direction.

Thye physical separation alone may have been the trick.

Seems to me the optimum setup for a multi is to put the stations on the rim of
a circle and the generator in the center. Adjacent stations are on widely
different bands and modes. Antennas are just inside the 1000 foot line.

73 de Jim, N2EY