On 2/1/2018 8:34 AM, Chuck Chandler wrote:
So, in about 2 years or so She Who Must Be Obeyed and I will be moving
again. I will be finally retired and am hoping to build a modest station
that will satisfy my goals.
Hi Chuck,
Thinking about towers and antenna choices at this stage is putting the
cart WAY before the horse. It is FAR more important to think about real
estate, neighbors (ideally the lack of), and terrain. Neighbors bring RF
noise. If you can't hear 'em, you can't work 'em. Most "developments,"
which includes most homes, come with restrictions that prevent ANY
antenna, and lots of neighbors with lots of noise.
Terrain can be a major plus or minus. A QTH on even a modest rise that
provides a downward slope in the direction of the DX can be good for 10
dB. I've got a long downslope to the Pacific, so I'm strong anywhere in
the Pacific -- VK/ZL, JA, BA, JT, etc., but I'm 200 ft below a ridge to
the east, especially northeast, so I have a hard time into EU.
Tall trees can hold dipoles, which are great for 80 and 40 if they're
high enough. There's a piece in QST this month about trees absorbing RF
from VERTICAL antennas. They have much less effect on horizontal
antennas. I suggest you take a look at my applications note on Antenna
Planning.
http://k9yc.com/AntennaPlanning.pdf
If you want to work 160 in a serious way, you'll want a vertical, and
you'll need some form of counterpoise. If you have a tower, you can load
it. Here are slides for a talk I've given at Pacificon and Visalia about
antenna planning for 160.
http://k9yc.com/160MPacificon.pdf
73, Jim K9YC
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