[Lowfer] Does 2 db make more than a slight difference??

[lowfer@mailman.qth.net]

YES, in EME, a db makes a significant difference.  When I was editor of
the EME Newsletter a few years ago, it was considered  "rule of thumb"
that by improving your system 2 db, you could double your number of
initials (EME contacts). I don't know if the same would be true in typical
lowfer weak signal communications, but I suspect that over the 1600 mile+
path between here and New England where I had ARGO copy of several
different stations last year, that 2 db would be a huge difference.  My
Medfer and Lowfer beacons are down until sometime in October.
Doug W0AH
>
> That will be interesting Bill.
> In uWave EME, 1dB is HUGE and 0.1dB improvement in either LNA NF or
> feed translates into typically 0.5dB S/N and is easily seen in sun
> noise measurements. Of course, the noise floor is pretty much
> determined by device noise as opposed to atmospherics.
>
> Dale W4OP