[TenTec] Vertical Dipole "Fringe Benefits"

[Robert & Linda McGraw K4TAX]

I agree.  All this discussion, while not directly Tentec related, has got me 
to thinking about putting up a vertical dipole.

73
Bob, K4TAX

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "NJ0IP" <Rick at DJ0IP.de>
To: "'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'" <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 4:59 AM
Subject: [TenTec] Vertical Dipole "Fringe Benefits"


> Ten-Tec is my first love in radio equipment, that's why I'm on this
> reflector.
>
>
>
> I guess it's time for Ten-Tec to release a new product because we haven't
> seen much complaining here for quite some time now (hi).
>
>
>
> Until then, I am enjoying these antenna discussions.
>
>
>
> THE VERTICAL DIPOLE AND 80m SURPRISE: DX better than on the full size
> dipole.(often)
>
>
>
> I put up the vertical dipole for the first time ever in 1993 when I moved
> into my previous QTH, which didn't have much ground space.
>
> I took it down once I got the beam and openwire fed horizontal dipole up.
>
>
>
> Here at the new QTH I use the vertical dipole everyday, though each side 
> is
> now 1m longer than it was at the previous QTH.
>
>
>
> I have had horizontal dipoles (dublets) fed with openwire at my last 3
> locations.
>
> Each was a different size, based on the space I had available.
>
> All were about the same height: 13m (40 ft.).
>
> They were: 2x 20m (now, used 6 years), 2x 10m previously (used 7 years), 
> and
> 2x 13m (used 5 years)
>
>
>
> The first interesting question might be, how did these 3 compare?
>
> Hey, this is about as subjective as it gets, because they were used during
> different times, different sunspot cycles and at different locations.
>
>
>
> My highly subjective gut feeling, for 40m and above, all performed about
> equally well.
>
> For 80m, the 2x13m performed about the same as the 2x20m and the 2x10m was
> noticeably weaker.  This is based on my ability to work multis in contests
> with the first or second call, as well as the day to day reports I got in 
> my
> 80m skeds.
>
>
>
> Now the surprise.  I have always tried to orient these horizontal antennas
> such that I could have the major lobe facing stateside, and as a result,
> working Asiatic Russia has always been a real challenge.  In contests, I
> could hear those guys 599 for hours but simply couldn't work them.
> Eventually I would snag one but the time wasted wasn't helping my contest
> score.
>
>
>
> At the last QTH, 2x10m, I pulled the openwire feedline out of the Annecke
> and stuck just one side of it into an MFJ Differential-T.  My only ground
> was the cold water pipe. I had no radials or counterpoise.  This was a 
> panic
> effort in the middle of a CQWW to try and work UK9/0.  Hey, I worked it in 
> a
> relatively short time.  This tells me the radiation pattern of the
> "Inverted-L" which I had converted my horizontal dipole into was more
> favorable for the east  in that configuration than in the classical dipole
> configuration.  Remember, I had already taken down my vertical dipole and
> didn't have it.
>
>
>
> Here at the new QTH, I have the vertical dipole.  I found I can call for
> hours using the horizontal dipole and still don't manage to work UK9/0 -
> even with maximum legal power.  However, switching to the vertical dipole, 
> I
> can work them even with 100w with just a few calls.
>
>
>
> So two years ago, I worked a CQWW single band 80m from home and spent most
> of the time just switching between antennas.  For transatlantic work it 
> was
> a wash.  One time the signal was louder on the horizontal (full size up
> 13m), the next time it was louder on the vertical.  For working the 
> European
> multipliers, the horizontal was almost always a couple of S-units louder.
> Asiatic Russia only worked on the Vertical Dipole.
>
>
>
> The following year (last year) I stayed home again for CQWW but didn't put
> in a serious effort.  Still, I made another valuable experience.  On 40m,
> the vertical dipole was almost always 1 S-Unit better than the 2x20m
> horizontal on long-haul, but the big surprise was that for EU multipliers,
> the vertical dipole was also stronger - almost always, except for the
> countries which are very close to Bavaria.
>
>
>
> The Bottom Line:  It's sure nice to have two antennas instead of just one.
> The vertical dipole is a significant enhancement to my station even on the
> low bands, where I, for many years, only had a horizontal dipole.  This 
> was
> a pleasant surprise because I had initially put the vertical up for the 
> high
> bands.
>
>
>
> 73
>
> Rick
>
>
>
>
>
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