I look at it like this: What you personally get out of an antenna
chasing DX doesn't mean a whole lot to what anyone else will get. In
comparison, quite a few have worked a lot of DX QRP and simple
antennas. I can get 'em on the first call QRO, but have poor luck even
with 200 watts, let alone QRP. IOW Skill is often much more effective
than power. Oh so many years ago, my late cousin, WA8AFY, used to say,
he'd call CQ DX and hope for an answer outside the township.
When you look at the real gain when comparing antennas, the performance
difference often seem to violate the gain figures. A couple of db should
be barely noticeable on a noisy band. For any particular QSO the
antenna height above effective ground is probably much more important
than the gain figures alone.
Yes the early pro series did have some problems, but I understand they
fixed them.
Testing antennas on a well designed range is not simple or cheap and the
random objects at most QTHs render those range tests questionable to any
specific installation.
I can model an installation, but how do I know if I've included
everything that affects the gain, F/B, as well as the vertical and
horizontal patterns? To the East and South the land is pretty much flat
and more or less farm land. There are two shallow ridges spaced about a
third of a mile apart with the first about a quarter mile distant. To
the North it's pretty much flat woodland with a peat floor, with water
standing in the spring and dry to quite a depth later on into Summer.
West the land rises gently to a height of about 20 feet in about a third
to a half mile. For a couple hundred feet it is mainly that same
woodland with a peat floor, but turns quickly to sand. Conductivity
varies widely throughout the year. As far as HF antenna performance It
appears as if I'm located pretty much on flatland.
I've had good results with most of the antennas I've tried and worked
the world with a 40 meter, center fed, half wave, sloping dipole.
As was said earlier, if you are happy with it, that's all that counts.
Backing up to the original question. How about the feedline connection
if it affects all bands and the feed for 40 is a linear loading?
73
Roger (K8RI)
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