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Re: [TowerTalk] "experts" on loading towers on low bands

To: David Gilbert <xdavid@cis-broadband.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] "experts" on loading towers on low bands
From: Craig Smith <ac0ds@sent.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2019 16:10:16 -0600
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
In my experience, math is always more logical than instinctual human hunches 
based on word-of-mouth.

Craig   AC0DS



> On 10, Sep2019, at 4:01 PM, David Gilbert <xdavid@cis-broadband.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> You and N5OT aren't saying the same thing at all.  He said to just experiment 
> and see what works well enough to be acceptable, while you said you ignored 
> the practical experience of other hams (stuff that "works" or doesn't) and 
> instead used a modeling program (which is based purely on math and theory) to 
> make your decision.
> 
> It's odd to see two guys pat each other on the back for reinforcement when 
> they don't even understand they have opposite stances.   Whatever happened to 
> logical thinking?
> 
> Dave   AB7E
> 
> 
> On 9/10/2019 1:44 PM, Bob Shohet, KQ2M wrote:
>> Mark has nailed it!
>> 
>> One of the nice things about making something and seeing it it works well 
>> enough is that what you make doesn’t know how well it is supposed to work 
>> and doesn’t care.  :-)
>> So if it works it works regardless of what anyone thought beforehand.
>> 
>> Usually if it works (and no one thought it would), we find out long after 
>> the fact why it worked, and generally it was something that wasn’t known or 
>> understood at the time, and now the field advances with the “Gee, I wonder 
>> why it works so well?” study and discoveries afterwards.
>> 
>> Simple example...  I wanted to put up a 4-stack on 15 meters when I built my 
>> station.  I new that I needed heights of 30’, 60’ and 90’, but with 100’ of 
>> tower it didn’t seem to make sense to put another 15 above that.  The 
>> thinking was that even on a tall mast, the 90’ and another 15 at 109’ would 
>> be too close and would phase poorly especially if they were pointed in 
>> different directions.  Everyone that I asked about this said so.  These guys 
>> built great stations and are great ops.  You know all of their calls.  But I 
>> modeled the stack with K6STI’s YO and it looked GOOD!  I asked them again.  
>> “NO!  I would not do it” came the answer in unison.   Thankfully I did my 
>> homework beforehand and I chose not to listen to the advice of people that I 
>> respect.
>> 
>> So I built it and put it up anyway.  The 5L at 109’ was and is a KILLER!, 
>> especially when in phase with the 90’.  I believed the modeling over my 
>> terrain.  The software was correct and my 15 meter experience has been 
>> awesome for the past 20 years.  (And I have thanked Brian, K6STI many times 
>> over the years)
>> 
>> Before I put it up I reasoned that if it didn’t work I could always take it 
>> down.  But if it did work, I would never want to!  :-)   Very high reward to 
>> risk ratio!
>> 
>> Moral of the story:  Model it, build it well, put it up and see how it does!
>> 
>> 73
>> 
>> Bob KQ2M
>> 
>> 
>> From: Mark - N5OT
>> Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2019 4:11 PM
>> To: towertalk@contesting.com
>> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] "experts" on loading towers on low bands
>> 
>> I'm a big fan of "experiment trumps theory" and basically I have spent
>> nearly 50 years doing the following:
>> 
>> 1. Make something.
>> 2. See if it works well enough.
>> 3.  If it works well enough, you're done.  If it doesn't, change
>> something and see what happens.
>> 
>> Clearly I'm just an amateur.  But because I'm on TowerTalk™ I can say I
>> make "educated guesses."
>> 
>> Love you guys,
>> 73 - Mark N5OT
>> (intended to be humorous - everyone carries a bucket of gasoline in one
>> hand and a bucket of water in the other - they get to choose which one
>> they throw on the fire - I choose water) (most of the time)
>> _______________________________________________
>> 
>> 
>> 
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