[SEDXC] [SECC] Question about 30 meter halfwave vertical for the antennagurus

[Bill Coleman]

On Oct 20, 2010, at 10:54 AM, Tom W8JI wrote:

> The 43 foot vertical will work fair on bands above 60 meters, but will not 
> be good at all on 80 meters and will absolutely suck on 160 meters. You'd be 
> very lucky to have 1 or 2% efficiency on 160.

I shunt-feed my 15m (50 foot) tower on 160m. I've got 160m WAS, and 25 countries confirmed, all with 100 watts.
http://boringhamradiopart.blogspot.com/2009/04/shunt-feeding-short-tower-on-80-and.html

Of course, it helps to have lots of radials. I have about 30 totaling over 1600 feet of wire. 

Even a sucky antenna can be made to work.

But I agree about the 43 foot thing. It seems to be a cult-like condition, like the 88 foot dipole in QRP circles. Of course, LB modelled the 88 foot dipole at 100 feet and 70 feet. Most of the guys who put these up rarely get them over 35 feet.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Web: http://boringhamradiopart.blogspot.com
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901