[CQ-Contest] Monster antennas

[Randy Thompson, K5ZD]

You would be better to think about several towers.  The key to HF contesting
success is to have a decent signal on all bands plus some diversity.  The
easiest way to get loud on multiple bands is monobanders.  You can only put
so many on one tower and to gain diversity, it is better to have them on
separate towers with independent rotators.

If you have unlimited money and 3 acres, I would start with something like
this:

140' tower with 3-ele full sized 40 with sidemount stack on 10m
100' tower with 20m stack
100' tower with 15m stack
Wires for everything else.

Notice, it is not the height of the tower but how many of them that counts!
Try to orient them so the antennas are side to side when beaming your most
used direction (i.e. don't make it so one antenna has to beam through
another for a prime direction).

Randy, K5ZD

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cq-contest-admin at contesting.com
> [mailto:cq-contest-admin at contesting.com]On Behalf Of Ford Peterson
> Sent: Friday, May 10, 2002 05:31 AM
> To: cq-Contest at contesting.com
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] Monster antennas
>
>
> I'd like to hear from some of you guys with the monster antennas.
>  I've got
> about 3 extra acres here that could hold a monster.  Yes, it would be cool
> to have a system that reaches to 200' or so, but would it play well?
>
> I've never played a radio with an HF antenna >70 feet or so.
> What should I
> expect at 160'?  Oh what the heck, why not 300'?  Seriously, I'm
> looking at
> a new tower and am unsure about the "bang for the buck" on a big
> boy tower.
>
> My gut tells me that a high tower is a handicap on SS and any
> other domestic
> contest.  Long haul DX may be different but is it going to make a
> difference
> in my score in ARRL DX, CQWW, etc.?
>
> I'd be interested in any and all informed responses.
>
> Ford-N0FP
> ford at cmgate.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
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