TopBand: Balloon

[w8ji.tom]

---------
> From: Bob Eldridge <eldridge@direct.ca>
> To: topband@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: TopBand: Balloon
> Date: Saturday, August 01, 1998 2:09 PM

> Everything Bill says in this posting accords with my observations. I have
> only one question.
> What is a good low angle for a 160 station on land?

>From all indications my 3/8 wl should have max rad at a pretty low angle.
Much lower than  my dipole at 260 ft.

By the way folks, do NOT depend on hamNEC's for showing "TOA" of real
systems over real earth. These programs, so far as I know, calculate FS at
a very large distance over flat earth. They give the appearance there is no
low angle in a vertical at all, and we know that isn't true. If it were, AM
BCB stations would be in deep doodoo.

Groundwave on 160 meters easily extends for twenty or thirty miles, and
that would be a more reasonable distance to view the systems.   
 
> I ask this because just this morning a VK station said somewhat the same
> thing, and I thought "Here we go again..." and asked "What do you mean by
> low angle. How many degrees?"   He answered "About 25 or 30 with a broad
> lobe."  That is my opinion too.

That isn't my opinion. If that were true, a vertical would hardly ever beat
a low dipole at any distance, and we KNOW that isn't the case.

We will know for sure soon Bob, because my 200 ft and 260 ft towers are
being augmented with a 330 ft base insulated tower over the next month. We
are taking it down this weekend, and will start installing it in a few
weeks out back. That tower should give a better idea of what really low
wave angle radiators will do.

73 Tom

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