Scott Neader KA9FOX wrote:
>I have a Cushcraft 13 ele 'boomer' 2 meter beam that I planned to put on
>the top of my mast. I don't have an all mode rig YET, but am considering
>one. So, do I:
>
>1) mount it horizontally and live with having less range for repeaters?
>
>2) mount it horizontally and also mount a 2 meter vertical above it? (I
>have a spare G6 available)
>
>3) buy one of those new Cushcraft A148-20T two meter antennas that have ten
>vertical elements and ten horizontal elements with separate feedlines (see
>http://www.cushcraft.com/%20Ham/index51.html - $110.00)
>
>4) find some contraption that turns my boomer horizontal OR vertical
>(wouldn't that be neat!)
Let's re-phrase option 1: mount the yagi horizontally and discover the
pleasures of 2m DXing - which is universally horizontal.
Option 2 gives you (almost) the best of everything.
Options 3 and 4 are dead-ends. You will not get optimum performance from
the vertical yagi while there is a mast and/or feedline in the same
vertical plane. Gain degradation can run from about 1dB at best, to
worse than 3dB.
I'd recommend option 2 because it opens up a new area of interest. For
stacking distances for vhf yagis, see my web page.
If you really do need a vertical beam for distant repeaters, make it a
short rear-mounted yagi in front of the mast... or ask the other guy to
go on horizontal SSB and work him direct!
73 from Ian G3SEK Editor, 'The VHF/UHF DX Book'
'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
http://www.ifwtech.demon.co.uk/g3sek
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