I will agree, that this antenna is far from ideal on 80 meters. Did finish my 5
band WAC a couple of years ago by working Japan on 80 with it. I am sure that
the 3 element yagi on the other end did most of the work. Still, it is a
better antenna than nothing. It really doesn't get out on 160m, but did make a
few QSOs in the contest last night and this morning. Will have to get a
vertical up someday, but really don't have a good setup for one right now with
a 3 year old daughter roaming around the backyard and all. Plus I am just too
lazy to lay down radials.
73s John NE0P
---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Bill Coleman <aa4lr@arrl.net>
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 11:05:24 -0500
>
>On Jan 23, 2006, at 2:22 PM, John Geiger wrote:
>
>> Low antennas are less than ideal, but will still work. I have a 40
>> meter
>> DXCC hanging on the way which was earned running 100 watts to
>> pretty poor
>> antennas-mainly a long wire at about 25 feet high or a dipole with
>> a max
>> height of 30 feet at the apex. Most small lots will still handle a
>> vertical, even if you can't get alot of radials down. A vertical with
>> nothing but a ground rod is better than QRT.
>
>A dipole at a modest height will work well on 40m, but I had a lot of
>trouble with 80m using a dipole at 30-40 feet.
>
>I did some modeling with MMANA, and it's pretty obvious why - at that
>height, just about all of the pattern is straight up. That may be
>useful for NVIS contacts out to a couple of hundred miles. Depending
>on where you live, that may be good for a domestic contest, but it is
>no good for DX. For me in Georgia, most of the domestic ham
>population is going to come in at angles below 50 degrees, and
>certainly all of the DX.
>
>I've had much more success the last couple of years by shunt feeding
>my 15m tower for 80m and 160m. (The matching network has proved to be
>an interesting challenge, as right now I am QRT on those bands
>pending a repair) The models of even short verticals with a handful
>of radials show nearly all of the pattern is below 45 degrees.
>
>Seems like anyone in a small lot with trees or a modest tower can
>have an effective vertical on the low bands. Plan for 20-30 radials,
>as long as you can make them, up to about 1/4 wave.
>
>Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: aa4lr@arrl.net
>Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
> -- Wilbur Wright, 1901
>
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