Low dipoles CAN be a lot of fun. They aren't going to work like
a 2-el at 150', or a four-square, but sometimes they work
surprisingly well. If you can't get up something better, I would
encourage anyone to go ahead and put one up.
I have a center-fed zepp that I fed with ladder-line - the apex is about
30' and if I forget to duck when I mow the yard, the lower ends
knock my hat off. Should be just a cloud-warmer, right? Only good
for local QSOs?
That antenna has managed to work about 115 countries, including practically
all of Europe, all of south and central America, lots of countries in
Africa, many Pacific countries including ZL, VK, JA, N Cook Is, Wake Is,
etc. And this is from central Texas, too! In the first winter I worked
all states, and then did it again a few years later just for grins.
No, I didn't work VK0IR on 80, and no, I don't break most pileups on
1st call. It usually helps that I run 500W into it, too.
But I sure have had a lot of fun with that antenna, and many MANY
memorable QSOs! And the cost/performance ratio is about as good as anything I
have ever done :-)
73 Steve WQ5G
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