----- Original Message -----
From: Dick Green
Sent: 5/11/2003 3:26:13 PM
To: Dinsterdog@aol.com;towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] 20M Gap Titan very Early results
> Paul,
>
> It's been almost six years since I've used my GAP Titan. It's still erected
> in the woods as an emergency backup antenna, but now that I have at least
> two other superior antennas on each band from 80-15, I doubt I'll ever use
> it. My recollection is that the GAP Titan is a pretty good antenna on 40, 20
> and 15. I worked lots of DX and a fair number of contest stations on those
> bands for over two years. As I said, it's a dummy load on 80m and I've never
> found a ground-mounted vertical that could do anything on 10m (but you won't
> have to worry about that for very long, since 10m will be leaving us soon!)
> No problem pumping 1500w into the bands above 80m. I would have to say that
> performance on 20m was the best of the lot, followed closely by 15.
>
> 40m was pretty good for a multiband vertical with no radials. I later built
> a single full-size 40m monopole with 60 radials (the first element of my
> 4-square), and was able to compare it side-by-side with the GAP. Hard to
> remember now, but I think the monopole was 10-20dB better. I periodically
> had to play around with the GAP counterpoise to get proper matching on 40m.
> As I recall, snow would sometimes knock the 40m tuning around. Another
> problem was that bugs (spiders, I think) would build nests inside the
> insulators at the end of the crossed tubes that support the counterpoise
> wires. When the nests got wet, a path was created between the wire and
> tubing. The resulting arc would leave a carbon trail in the plastic
> insulator that was impossible to remove -- replacement was the only fix. If
> the design still uses those little sections of PVC for insulators, some
> non-conductive plastic mesh around each one might be good insurance.
>
> 73, Dick WC1M
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Dinsterdog@aol.com [mailto:Dinsterdog@aol.com]
> > Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2003 9:36 AM
> > To: towertalk@contesting.com
> > Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] 20M Gap Titan very Early results
> >
> >
> > Well,
> >
> > It's is up in the air, on a 12 foot mast sunk 4 feet in
> > concrete sticking
> > above ground 8 feet-
> >
> > On 20M....Testing it compared to a Hustler 6BTV and Cushcraft
> > MA5V as a
> > reference. Results vary as many predicted. On receive, by
> > as much as
> > nothing or up to 2 S-units, typically in favor of the MA5V
> > which averaged at
> > least a S unit louder with less noise in the back ground. A
> > nice combo-
> >
> > All seem to do pretty well over-all in transmit, but
> > something is different
> > between them for at times, they would jockey around for the
> > best rx and/or tx
> > signal reports. Of note, the Hustler 6BTV was way down
> > compared to either of
> > them by at least 2 S units on average but had it's moments of
> > equality.
> > (hint, for 20M, take the MA5V if you don't run an amp....)
> >
> > Conclusion, thus far, my laid back multiband vertical test
> > has been fun but
> > should not be taken too seriously. For 20M, the MA5V over-all
> > did better, but
> > can't handle more than 250 watts and has about 70KHz of
> > bandwidth. It is
> > also made of poor cheesy craftsmanship easy to fix if you
> > have some antenna
> > experience. Is it high Q or what?
> >
> > Personally, I'll take the Titan for 20M....I like the use of
> > the entire band
> > without a tuner and I like using an amp when needed. Both
> > the MA5V (70KHz
> > 2:1 BW)and 6BTV (200KHz 2:1 BW) need a tuner to cover the
> > entire band. But
> > the neighbors hate it- it looks like a Mar's Lander device
> > but I just love
> > the look myself-
> >
> > As I make progress, I'llreport more- these were first
> > night/day results and
> > thus far, the Gap is doing well- Not a barn burner, but well
> > and has it's
> > advantages. I think the Eham reviews are a bit high but
> > compared to nothing
> > else sitting in the yard for comparisions, I can see how many
> > hams would give
> > this thing a five. I'm just at 4 for now- You just can't let
> > a little MA5V
> > smoke you on RX man! All for grins eh?!
> >
> > 73 Paul N0AH-
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless
> Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any
> questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
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