Nicely put, Tom!
> On Apr 24, 2014, at 13:28, "Tom W8JI" <w8ji@w8ji.com> wrote:
>
> The best antenna is always the one that makes us feel good, no matter how the
> antenna really works.
>
> The problems with most of the suggestions are:
>
> 1.) most are anecdotal "feelings", where there were no lengthy blind A-B
> tests against a known good reference antenna
>
> 2.) different paths and locations produce different results
>
> 3.) installations are often cluttered with random things that interact with
> antennas. Even 400-500 feet is fairly close spacing for antennas on 160
>
> Without a series of blind A-B tests against a known *good* antenna over a
> period of time, it is all just feelings. I went through all the grief of
> installing a 300ft plus tall tower because I remembered how well a dipole
> 300ft high worked. I can't get someone to use a dipole on that tower once
> they use a tall vertical with a good ground system. I can't get someone to
> use the tall vertical once they use a four square. Going back over my logs
> 30+ years ago, I realize the high dipole wasn't actually that good in Ohio. I
> just remembered it better than it was, like a 14-15 second car that I thought
> was a rocket ship.
>
> Someplace below the high dipole's performance come the delta loops and
> sloppers.
>
> Of course this can be different for different regional locations. Not only
> does the quality of the installation affect opinions, so does the mental
> attitude of the operator and the world location.
>
> All that said and done, there are very few properly installed 160 meter
> verticals that won't work well, and there are darned few horizontals that
> will work better than good verticals, when looked at over a long period of
> time. I can't even imagine trying to predict results or give advice when a
> wire is stuck in between a bunch of random things, like conductive guylines
> and other antennas.
>
> 73 Tom
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