Couldn't agree more Jim. You'll note in my original post I had already
mentioned:
".This testing was before I was used to using the RBN and what it could do
for me. Today I would definitely do proper RBN comparisons for sure. Maybe
that would open my eyes to a larger difference or maybe it would show
nothing. One is left guessing.
."
n 3/16/2021 7:14 AM, Mike Smith VE9AA wrote:
Most of the time through an A/B switch the verticals were close enough that
I would really be guessing which one was loudest/best and other times the
one with all the 60 on-ground radials was definitely best by a small margin.
The fly in the ointment with listening tests is AGC. A FAR better test is
A/B RBN testing, alternating between the two antennas for a half dozen "TEST
VE9AA" on one, QSY, then the other, pause 10 minutes, QSY, repeat at least a
dozen times, and average the results.
I did this recently to confirm a problem with one of my 160M antennas that
was suggested by responses (or lack thereof) to my CQs during a contest. I
plugged the reports into a spreadsheet, with the calls of the reporting
stations, averaged them for each reporting station, and sorted them by
azimuth to take directivity into account (the antennas I tested have
interactions that cause them to be directional).
The antenna that was underperforming HEARD a lot better than the one that
produced the loudest signal on the other end.
73, Jim K9YC
Mike, Coreen & Corey
Keswick Ridge, NB
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