[CQ-Contest] SUMMARY - FIELD DAY ANTENNAS

[PETER K CENCER]

Fellow Contesters:

The following is a summary of responses to my 3/17/98 query about field
day antenna setups specifically for Michigan.  I found the exercise to
be very informative and useful.  Thanks to all you who answered: 
Tom K1KY/TN, Hank K2UVG/FL, Steve KM0L/KC, Cleve, Milt N5IA/AZ, 
Lee K0WA, Dale K5MM, John W2GD, Mike W1NR/MA, Jim K8MR/OH, 
Bill W8LVN/IL, & Dennis W5RZ/ARK.

Original Message: 
>Discussion has begun about which antennas would be best for 
>operating Field Day in Michigan.  The radio club can 
>probably operate on all bands, SSB/CW.  Which antennas did 
>you find especially useful in previous years?  

>Please reply directly to me and I will summarize for the reflector. 
>TNX for the bandwidth.

>Pete W8RTU 74727.1066 at compuserve.com


>From k1ky at bellsouth.net:  
I used a 500' loop strung between four trees.  Awesome!
Thomas M. Delker - K1KY CFO#395 - Smyrna / Gallatin / Short Mtn. TN

>From k2uvg at gnt.net:
I have been FD Chair for 5 years and here is what I have developed for
northwest Florida (due south of Indianapolis on the Gulf of Mexico). 
Here are the HF antennas.  Don't forget the VHF antennas though.  

80 meters - a full wave loop cut for 3500 khz fed with 450 ohm ladder
line at 50 ft or higher.  I use a Double-L Balanced Tuner on this
antenna.  It works out well considering the QRN at this time of the
year.

40 meters - 2 element wire beam at 50 feet and pointed about 330 deg. 

20 meters - TH-3 at 60 ft

15 meters - TA-33 at 35 ft

10 meters - 3 elm HyGain at 30 ft.  If 10 is open, just about any
antenna will work!
73, Hank/K2UVG
Niceville, FL

>From km0l at tfs.net:
My club has used HF6V verticals for a number of years with very good
results in FD. We consistently make over 1,000 Q's on cw from here in
midwest. We also work RS-12 satellite with the verts.
Last year we put up a multi-band dipole at 40' thinking it would be an
improvement- the results were about the same as with the verticals, and
we can get the vert up in about 20 minutes!
Good luck to you guys- and be looking for K0GQ on all bands in FD.
73 de KM0L Steve in KC

>From miltj at aepnet.com:
I am the Field Day operation coordinator for the Eastern Arizona Amateur
Radio Society, Inc.  EAARS normally operates Field Day from
 a 10,000' mountain top in the 2A class.  The 40/80 meter antennas are
dual band inverted Vees, separate elements for each band, and separate
antennas for each mode.  The 10, 15, 20 Meter antennas are the smaller
three element tri-band types like the Moseley Classic 33 and the HyGain
TH-3.  Nothing fancy, but very effective with 100 Watt transceivers when
operated at the elevation that we do. 
 Good luck, es 73 de Milt, N5IA

>From dleclair at efn.org:
...phased verticals.   1/4 wave with elevated radials on 40m [abt head
hi]

and we are testing a set for 15m ... 1/4 wave with 3/4 wave to one and
1/4 wave to the other. feed with a t connector to radio.  put the one
with 3/4 toward the area u want.  we are test this w/o radials.

>From k0wa at southwind.net:
This is too good a question not to have on the reflector....

My vote is for the following:

1. A double Zepp for 40 and works on 80 really well. Ladder line uses a
lot of the 100 watts of most rigs.

2  Crossed 40 meter Dipoles feed with the same coax as high as you can
get them

3. Any beam you can get up at any height.  Yes, even a TA-33
 Lee - k0wa at southwind.net

>From : ddjones at nas.com
You didn't say what category you will be operating in, and that DOES
make a difference.  Do you want to be a very competitive station, or do
you just want to have some fun with the hams & their families?  That
makes a big difference, too.

But my belief is that for reasonable success in any category, you MUST
have a beam.  I believe a TH6 BIG tribander is best, and in fact if you
can swing it -- TWO of them from your location.  One generally pointed
toward Wash DC, and one toward......say......Denver or Salt Lake City.

If you can't swing a TH6, then a 3 element tribander is the minimum
I believe you should consider for the 2 or 3 low freq bands, I've
preferred FOLDED DIPOLES, made out of TV Twin lead.  They exhibit 
broader frequency coverage, are low noise and easy to put up.  You'll
need a tuner for each one, or a 4:1 balun, though.  Their performance is
worth the effort though.

I've used the above from All over the USA as well as in Europe during my
years of living there.  They work, and you can hold your frequency.

 GL and 73
 Dale  K5MM

>From w2gd at hotmail.com:
I have been chairman or co-chairman of our 4A FD efforts for the past 20
years.  

We use 4 ele yagis on 10 thru 20 mounted on 40 or 50 foot 25G towers.  
On 40 its a 2 ele Cushcraft at 50 feet.  Some years we put up a low 40m
wire beam with driven element at 40 feet and reflector underneath it
about 16 feet away for the high angle stuff.

On 80 and 75 simple inverted v antennas mounted end to end to minimize
interference.  Haven't done 160 in many years.  And we also put up one
or two beverages to improve rx thru the QRN.

On VHF its an 8 ele yagi on 6 and 15 ele on 2.  Don't bother with 432 or
222 anymore.  Non productive.

Novices have an A4 Tribander and 40/80 doublet/inverted V at 40 feet.

I suppose our setup is not exactly standard FD fair but sure makes a 100
watt station work well.

73, John

>From w1nr at eecorp.com:
Wire beams for 40 and 80 do wonders.  However, in Michigan, you will
need 2 per band.  One facing SE and one facing SW.  On the east-coast we
just aim them ESE and cover most of the US quite well.  It is nice being
heard on the West coast with only 100 watts on 80 M.

>From : k8mr at barf80.nshore.org
This is a no brainer.  Put up open wire dipoles (or variations like the
double extended zepp) as high as you can, and with a tuner run them on
all bands.  In practice this means using trees or other existing
structures, not push up masts, etc., in order to get the up at least 50
feet or so.  
 
If possible have them broadside towards Philadelphia.  If this is
difficult, at least don't have the ends pointing there.
 
Forget about beams from this area.  If the high bands are open with
short (sporadic E) skip, dipoles do fine.  
 
>From MI (at least the southern parts) 40 and 80 should be your big
bands.  If twenty spends some time being short, there will be as 
many people to the east as to the west.
 
We typically make 1800+ qsos from Ohio in 1A, 100 watt category. 

Maybe 100 of these are VHF, the rest are with a 135 foot center fed
dipole up about 60 feet.  
 
The best part is we can have everything down and be driving away 45
minutes after it ends.
 
73  -  Jim   K8MR

>From wgl at mcs.com:
When we operated field day at w8um and others, we got the most mileage
out of dipoles, placed as high as possible.  One or two years we tried a
beam for some of the higher bands, but it was a lot of trouble to erect.

We used the same philosiphy at the North Shore Radio Club here in Ill. 
If you are operating more than one band, it is imporant to use antennas
that have low swr at the feed point, cause that means that the feedline
is not radiating, and your cross-station interference will be as low as
possible.

Also, dipoles are omnidirectional enough that it works well for field
day from the middle of the country.  Directional antennas, as a rule,
are pointing in the wrong direction.

And, like I always say, getting a club involved in Field Day is a great
way to do a lot of things, one of which is to get hams started in
contesting.

73, w8lvn.

>From w5rz at cswnet.com:
Last year at K5PXP (Arkansas) we used a 40 M Extended Double Zepp.  It
was 180 or so feet long.  It was broadside to N-S so worked best North
and South on 40, not ideal for Ark.  On 20, the pattern turned into a
cloverleaf, favoring NE,SE, NW, and SW.  Same for 15.  Worked about like
a dipole on 80, but maybe a little better.

This was on the CW station - we made 993 Q's and spent the last few
hours desperately seeking those we hadn't worked before.  Was the best
we had ever done, in spite of using beams and towers before.  

73,
Dennis
(P.S.  It took us 1 hour to set up and 15 minutes to tear down.  The
phone guys, with their beam, weren't so lucky!)


THANKS AGAIN! 73 es GUD LUCK!
PETE W8RTU



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