[SECC] Need advice

Bill Coleman aa4lr@arrl.net
Sat, 29 Jun 2002 08:57:40 -0400


On 6/29/02 1:57 AM, David L. Thompson at thompson@mindspring.com wrote:

>Here is what I am considering:

You ought to consider getting the K7LXC/N0AX report on tribanders:

<http://www.championradio.com/cgi-bin/WebStore/web_store.cgi?page=publicati
ons.html&category=yes&cart_id=4490356_23251>

It is $17 (it used to be $60!), and contains some very interesting 
information. I have not read it, but K7LXC has hinted at the contents 
over the last year or two. He and Ward presented this information at at 
Dayton talk in 1999.

>1.  A Sommer XP80X.   The version I am looking at covers 20 to 10 including
>17 and 12.  Its heavy and sometimes hard to work with but N4VZ did well with
>his and I know KM1E likes his as well as a couple of W2's I hear on 17.
>N4VZ was top of the pile on 12 and 17 and the antenna worked well on
>10/15/20 as he did well in the CQ WW.   W4KJ has the smaller version.

Sommer antennas have been around a long time, and yet they haven't been 
well adopted by contesters. I wonder why? They seem like heavy, complex 
antennas that potentially have a lot that could break. 

>2.   TH 11.   K4SB has(or had) one up and said it was gangbusters on 17 and
>12 but weakest on 20 where the KT34X is tops.   I hear several Dx stations
> a 5B4 is very loud can't remember his call .. he is a G3 retired) using the
>beam.
>
>3.    KT36XA.  Several guys tell me the new version really improves 15 and
>is better structurally and they plan on adding 17 and 12 (from K6MYC
>himself).   I am using my 40 meter beam on 17 now and it works OK but lately
>I have to bring up my Henry 2K (600 watts out) to be competitive after
>working 340 countries with 100 watts. I have a W9PNE X beam on 12 but it
>messes up 15 and 10 on the KT34X and I have the same problem with now having
>to use high power (that Henry again) after nearly 300 countries with 100
>watts.  The 40 meter beam and X beam do as well as the A3WS but I need more
>antenna if I am going to change.

The TH11 and KT36XA are good antennas -- but why not consider something 
of more modern (eg computer-optimized) design? There's basically three to 
consider:

* Force-12 products (many to choose from)
* Bencher Skyhawk
* Cushcraft X7(/X9)

I know these don't all support 12/17m (you didn't mention 30m), but they 
offer excellent performance on the other bands. Perhaps using the amp on 
12/17m isn't so bad.

>I have also considered Log Periodic but don't see any gain over the TH 11
>for the 32 footer I have looked at. 

There's no way an LP is going to have the gain/Front/Back of a good 
tribander of similar boom length. LPs give away on these parameters to 
gain continuous frequency coverage.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr@arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901