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[TowerTalk] Are higher HF antenna's really better?

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Are higher HF antenna's really better?
From: n4kg@juno.com (n4kg@juno.com)
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 23:46:07 -0600
Your 20M antennas at 70 and 140 ft are 1 and 2 WL high
respectively, not really what I consider to be a low antenna
on that band.  

The 140 ft beam has a second lobe from 19 to 25 degrees 
and is at least 5 dB  stronger than the 70 ft antenna from 24 
to 29 degrees, assuming level terrain.

The 70 ft antenna should be at least 5 dB stronger than 
the 140 ft antenna from 12 to 18 degrees.  

BOTH antennas have a deep null at 30 degrees.  
The 140 ft high antenna has a third lobe from 35 to 42 degrees.  

A 3L20 at 35 to 40 ft high antenna would fill in ALL of the 
NULLS for BOTH of the higher antennas, providing continuous
coverage within 3 dB of maximum from 14 through 42 degrees.

Which antenna or combination is best to EU at midday (17-21Z)?
Which antenna or combination is best to AFR in the afternoon?
or early evening?

Tom  N4KG

On Thu, 10 Jan 2002 <kk9a@arrl.net> writes:
> 
> That's interesting.  On my 6/6 on 20m @ 140 and 70 feet I usually 
> see little
> difference between lower, upper or both.  When there is a difference 
> the top
> is usually the better antenna (even to U.S. stations) and the stack 
> is never
> worse than the best anenna.   I run both antennas 99.99% of the 
> time.
> 
> 73.
> John
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ted demopoulos
> To: TOWERTALK@contesting.com
> Sent: 1/10/2002 10:13 AM
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Are higher HF antenna's really better?
> 
> 
> I've got 4/4 on 20m at 100 and 50 feet. The stack is usually louder 
> to
> Europe BUT:
> 
> often in the afternoon, maybe 1900z or so, the lower antenna is
> signifantly
> better, a couple of "S-Units." I rarely see significant benefits to 
> the
> lower antennas alone in the 10m (25/50/75') or 15m (35/70/105) 
> stacks.
> 
> 73
> Ted, KR1G
> 
> 
> >From: Pete Smith <n4zr@contesting.com>
> >To: <TOWERTALK@contesting.com>
> >Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Are higher HF antenna's really better?
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> >Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 10:29:05 -0500
> >
> >
> >At 03:12 PM 1/10/02 -0000, Sain'T Tom wrote:
> > >
> > >    I once used 2 of the same 3 element 15 meter yagis 
> simultaneously
> 
> >from
> > >my old QTH in South Carolina.  One was at 70 feet on the tower 
> top
> and
> >was
> > >rotatable.  The other was fixed on Europe at 40 feet.  Both had
> >electrically
> > >equivalent (same electrical length) feed lines of RG213.
> > >
> > >    Reports from Europe generally, but not always, gave the stack 
> a
> >slightly
> > >stronger signal report.  The lower sometimes would be reported 
> just
> as
> > >strong as the upper, but NEVER was it reported that the lower was
> >stronger.
> >
> >I think band and sunspot cycle phase have a lot to do with this.
> >Certainly, as N4KG says, if you can have multiple antennas there 
> are
> lots
> >of reasons to do so, including but not limited to stacking.  But if 
> you
> can
> >only have one, and particularly if it is a tribander, somewhere 
> between
> 75
> >and 100 feet is very nice indeed, but I'm not sure it makes a lot 
> of
> >difference which end of that range you're at.
> >
> >My 2-high stack of C-3Es is at 97 and 69 feet, and I have only 
> heard
> >signals louder on the lower antenna than the upper one, on any 
> band, on
> one
> >or two occasions.  My hunch is that if I had a third antenna at 
> 32-33
> feet,
> >there's a greater chance that I'd notice differences between single
> >antennas, but most of the time, the whole stack together would 
> still be
> >best.
> >
> >73, Pete N4ZR
> >
> >The revised World Contest
> >Station Database
> >is online at www.pvrc.org
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>_______________________________________________________________________
> _
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> >
> >-----
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> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
>
________________________________________________________________________
> This list is sponsored by the new eHam.net Store.  When you buy 
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>
________________________________________________________________________
> This list is sponsored by the new eHam.net Store.  When you buy 
> products
> like ICE filters, Array Solutions StackMatch, or M-Squared Antennas 
> from
> the eHam Store for the same price you pay direct, a portion of the 
> sale
> price goes to support this list.  Check it out at 
> http://www.eham.net.
> 
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________________________________________________________________________
This list is sponsored by the new eHam.net Store.  When you buy products
like ICE filters, Array Solutions StackMatch, or M-Squared Antennas from
the eHam Store for the same price you pay direct, a portion of the sale
price goes to support this list.  Check it out at http://www.eham.net.

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