[Amps] I answered it.

[Jim Thomson]

Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 16:06:56 -0500
From: "Roger (Sub1)" <sub1 at rogerhalstead.com>
Subject: Re: [Amps] I answered it.

>     A well asked question.  I didn't recall the original question.
> First we are allowed only 200 Watts, so 3dB over a 100 Watt transceiver will not be noticeable.

### and ur typ 40m shorty 40m yagi is only 3 db as well..yet they work very good. [ a full size 40m yagi is only 4.2 db]. 
All these dbs' start to add up. Double the power output AND increase the ant gain by 3db..and now you have 6 db..which is nothing to sneeze at. 
Now increase the height of the ant/shorty 40m..and the gain goes up some more.  Now replace the 20 yr old junk coax
with some 7/8"  heliax, and you gain some more. [ 7/8"  RFS  brand heliax is dirt cheap from davis RF]. 



3db is noticeable in many instances and may make the difference between 
getting through or not on a noisy band.

##  IMO..who cares how one gets his ERP.  Bigger ants and low power will  work as good as smaller ants and more power,
with the caveat that ant gain is useful on RX as well as TX... where as the bigger amp only works on TX. 

## In any event, once you are maxed out  with ants, the bigger amp is all that's left.  Most folks  on city lots don't have room  for
4 squares on 160/80/40m.  imagine if you are maxed out on all bands for ants... then imagine what would be involved in trying to
get another 3-6 db  on ALL bands !  At that point, it's far more cost effective, simpler, to just crank the power output way up.  One
box, that has loads of gain..and works on all bands, isn't out in the rain/lousy wx, etc. 

later... Jim   VE7RF  



73

Roger (K8RI)