Topband
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Topband: GAP VERTICAL QUESTION

To: <wa3mej@comcast.net>, <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: GAP VERTICAL QUESTION
From: "Tom W8JI" <w8ji@w8ji.com>
Reply-to: Tom W8JI <w8ji@w8ji.com>
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2012 18:13:37 -0500
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>

So my question is.... does anyone have actual experience with these antennas (especially the voyager) as compared to other antennas for a specific frequency. Now guys .. I know you cant really compare a 6 element beam to a vertical of this kind but I am talking about a comparison that is realistic.. like how does it hear, tune, match & get out compared to something like another vertical or a dipole up some reasonable distance.


Jim,

Years ago someone purchased and had me measure a GAP vertical. The Gap was terrible on 160 and 80 meters. It was OK on most other bands. On 160 meters, although I have a pretty good mobile antenna, I had about the same field strength from my mobile antenna. The Gap was down about 10 dB from a 1/4 wave on 80 meters, as I recall. My mobile antenna is about 20 dB down from my 1/4 wave 160 meter vertical.

The ARRL reviewed one Gap vertical in an on-the-air A-B test, and a small ground mounted trap vertical was equal or better. I'm sure you can search ARRL reviews and find this review.

Also, the HF Verticals test by K7LXC and Ward Silver compared many verticals, and had about the same results on 80 meters as I found and the ARRL found.

All of these completely independent tests were A-B tests against other reference verticals, and all pretty much agreed with each other.

This doesn't mean you can't work DX with a Gap, because I can work VK, JA, and Europe on 160 with my mobile antenna. I've worked several Europeans on 160 SSB while driving down the highway. I can, at times, even beat others in pileups from the mobile on 80 meters. Obviously if the Gap is as good as a better mobile antenna, you can probably work a lot of DX with it.

73 Tom
_______________________________________________
Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>