>I modified the antenna in the antennex.com article from vertical to a
dipole and was quite pleased with it. I used it >when our family
moved to a condo while our house was remodelled. However, it was only
single band (40m in my >case).
Eham reviews are here: http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/6775
I'm of the opinion that as long as a tiny antenna is better than
-20dBi gain, users with it as their only antenna option would be happy
with it.
Why?
Because until you hit -20dBi you're still running more than a watt
radiated power out of your 100W, and we've seen time and time again
that QRP works just fine. I've worked a couple of Europeans on 160m
running 5W into an antenna that's probably about 25% efficient (a base
loaded 60 foot vertical over a small radial system).... So if I
reviewed an antenna that instead was 1.25% efficient (19dB down from,
say, a 1/4 wave vertical) and I was running 100W, I would possibly be
very happy that I worked DX on 160m with "just 100W"
As it is, if I'm right about my 160m antenna, I'm generally running
25W ERP (I don't have an amp... yet) and I've got 93 countries worked.
If I were running 1.25W ERP I'd probably have four. But someone
who's worked a ton of stateside guys and four DXCC counters on 160m
with, say, a 15 foot high antenna... well, 5/5 right there!
So if all you can put up is a tiny short antenna, you'll still have a
ton of ham radio fun. You'll be an unintentional QRP station, but QRP
works just fine! But I'd hate to see someone who *could* put up a
roof tower and a small beam, or some full-size dipoles in the trees
put up a tiny antenna on the strength of eHam reviews and vague
marketing statements.
I know we're all getting beaten down by CC&Rs, zoning laws, condo or
apartment dwelling, neighbors that just won't leave us alone when
their cable goes on the fritz, and whatever. But I feel like a
certain segment of the ham population is OVER-compromising on their
antenna installation... putting up a three foot antenna in the attic
when they've got four trees in the backyard spaced 50 feet apart...
and in that context, we really need good information out there on what
the options are.
Dan
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