Maybe they think pre-amp means "preliminary amplifier? As in a stage that is preliminary to the other circuit elements. And just happens to be a an amplifier!
Sorry - not really helping 
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Summit-to-Summit is both difficult and easy 
Difficult because both of you are in non-optimal locations with low power, easy because polite chasers (and most of them are, thank you!) will take up your call and say “summit-to-summit station calling, please stand by for the S2S station” or listen to this request from the other activator. You might have to say it several times though. Just be patient and try over and over again.
73 de Martin / HB9GVW
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Well, basically I agree with you, but I also see an alternative way of looking at it. The RF amp is a switchable option, therefore the receiver can be viewed as already complete without the RF amp, therefore the RF amp is a preamp to that complete receiver. Yes, I know, tortuous reasoning, but not everybody thinks like an engineer!
Somehow it reminds me of a bit of Pratchett dialogue: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” “Yes, but it wouldn’t be a rose!”
I thought I need to explain that a bit better. It is the conflict between two propositions. 1) A thing is what it is, whatever you call it, or 2) A thing is identified by its name. You could have fun with that, or shrug and move on. Anyway, I prefer to use the attenuator!
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Thanks for all the bits of advice.
I’ve started converting the antenna to a linked dipole using the Sotamaps calculator as a start and adjusting the wire length to tune.
I’ve got it almost tuned on 10, 15 and 20m (SWR < 1.5) with some scope for trimming further if needed.
I will add 40m when I’ve got a longer pole and there’s no thunderstorms around.
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It’s always a pleasure for me Frazer when I hear you as I don’t have a fantastic setup but the way you always boom through to this location makes me say “Wow at least I can get through to Bonnie Scotland”.
As For being an experienced chaser, I don’t know, I’ve only been doing it 18 months o0r so and I like to think I am learning all the time from things that our operators say , plus I feel I have a lot of patience so it’s nothing for me to wait quietly for half an hour or so until the pileups have settled down. I might add that I really do admire you activators for I know that in that I really would lose my cool when I hear other chasers walking all over a contact.
Stay safe and best 73.de Allen
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Always a pleasure to hear you on 40m Allen. The main reason I use 40m is the shorter hop. I even worked a GM station near Glasgow once!
73, Fraser
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