TopBand: Unihat flap

[Tom Rauch (W8JI)]

dennis g. peterson wrote:
> 
> Tom;   I didn't know you purchased a uni-hat and tested it.   I thought
> that in order to test something you had to own one or use one and not
just
> SLAM somebody because of personal differences.  Why don't you buy one and
> see for yourself instead of spreading rumors and coments about something
> you can't prove or verify.  N7CKD

Hi Dennis,

I spoke to Los Alamos back when Uni-hat first started advertising
scientists there tested the Uni-hat. I was puzzled by these claims,
since I knew Los Alamos had no facilities for measuring large HF
antennas.

Not only that, the claims of "increased radiation resistance" reducing
dependence on a good ground were physically impossible. Any good antenna
engineer understands that.

To be sure I wasn't mistaken, I called Los Alamos. No one in engineering
there knew anything about an antenna test range for HF antennas.
Eventually they located a Mr. Wheeler, who was doing some personal work
with Uni-hat. Mr. Wheeler told me the Uni-hat was never tested at the
Lab, but he (Mr. Wheeler) did "borrow" a FSM from the lab and help some
guys measure FS on a Uni-hat antenna at a Hams house.

Mr. Wheeler also agreed that the radiation resistance claims could not
be true, and was sure the antenna was NEVER compared to a full sized
vertical.

I received an e-mail from the owner of Uni-hat, and he claims the
antenna was tested at Los Alamos. I'll look into that claim further, if
he supplies the name of a contact at the Lab. Perhaps Los Alamos'
employees do not know they have a test range. 

As it is, the only person at Los Alamos who knew anything about the
Uni-hat was NOT a scientist. He claimed the antenna was never tested on
a real test range site, and was never compared to a full sized antenna.

But perhaps Mr. Wheeler and others were mistaken. If I find out they
were, I'll post a correction of the facts.

73, Tom


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