TopBand: VP8/G4VFU

[Richard McLachlan]

In article <199804251508.LAA22761@sable.cc.vt.edu>, John Mitchell
<jbmitch@vt.edu> writes
>This all has given me plenty to think about regarding salt water paths for
>propagation.  I know Jack has a great setup, and perhaps conditions were
>favorable between far north and far south paths, but....  30 db is a lot of
>difference.  Seems to me that being fairly close to the coast is a
>TREMENDOUS advantage on Top Band, more than I realized.  So, even stations
>within, say 100 miles or so, probably have a boost.  I have a new
>appreciation for the difficulties of those who are more than one hop from
>the beach, which makes their achievements all the more impressive.
>

Many years ago I received a tape recorded by Mick ZL3RB of the results
of several weeks of G/ZL tests on 160. The most noticeable thing was
that the signal from Ern, G3PU, stood out many S points higher than
everybody else consistently day after day.

Later that year I visited Ern's QTH. He literally lived on the beach on
the South coast of the UK. His antenna was a dipole about 60 ft up and
at high tide the water was almost underneath it along its whole length.
I am convinced that that was the factor that made the difference.
-- 
Richard McLachlan

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