----- Original Message -----
From: "D. Scott MacKenzie" <kb0fhp@comcast.net>
To: <k2xx@swva.net>; <ersmar@comcast.net>
Cc: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 07, 2006 1:49 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] HAAT calculator
> OK - I tried it - and not surprisingly, it shows I am down in a hole -
> with
> the average decifficent being -14 meters. The only way out is to raise
> the
> antennas substantially, or use a much higher angle of radiation...now my
> question - can I tilt my antenna upwards to partially compensate for the
> local terrain?
>
> Thanks
>
> Scott
14 meters or 14 degrees, Scott? If 14 meters, it may not be too bad
depending on how far away the obstruction is. If 14 degrees, then be
prepared for some disappointment in pileups, especially during periods
of low sunspot activity. I have a 12 to 14 degree obstruction here
towards the ENE. Although I can work stuff in that direction, I generally
don't do as well as others with more neutral or favorable terrain. I have
also noticed that my deficit in that direction seems to be getting worse as
the sunspots have declined. As far as tilting the antenna goes, unless
the angle of the terrain deficit is on the same order as your antenna's
vertical pattern half-power beamwidth, then you are wasting your time
by tilting the antenna to match the tilt of the terrain. If, on the other
hand,
you have a very high gain antenna pointed at a very high-angle terrain
obstruction then it could help, but this would typically only apply in the
case of a high-gain VHF/UHF, or an extremely steep obstruction (> 45
degrees in the case of a high gain HF yagi).
73, Mike W4EF................................
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