[CQ-Contest] Stack Switching

[Bill Tippett]

K5TR:

 >The example I will give you is my 10 meter tower.

 >Four antennas.

- 6 ele OWA that rotates
- 6 ele OWA fixed to the northeast
- 4 ele Cushcraft fixed to the southeast
- 3 ele Mosely fixed to the west

         I would consider the following:

1.  Using a 3-way coax switch, make an
Upper/Lower/Both switch for the two OWAs.

2.  Buy or make a WX0B Stack Match (3-position) and
feed #1 above to one input with the Cushcraft and
Mosely on the other two inputs.  You can then select
any combination of the 3 Stack Match inputs with
the condition that power will be divided by the
number of antennas.  If all 3 are selected the
OWA Yagis will only get 1/6 of the total power each
but they will compensate by adding 3 dB if both are
set NE.  Another alternative is a 4-antenna divider
like Stack Match (someone makes one...I forget who).

         If it were me, I would prefer a separately
rotatable 3-stack and ditch your 3 and 4 el antennas.
I use that and almost always use it with two antennas
inline in a primary direction (EU or JA) with the
third either toward SA or the Pacific.  Another big
advantage is selecting the best TOAs for different
times of the day since that can vary greatly from
start to finish for a given direction.  I don't
feel any need for more than the 3-stack unless it
might be a separate antenna for RX only with a 2nd
receiver (some day).

                                         73,  Bill  W4ZV