Topband: Let's try stuff

[Steve Ireland]

At 03:19 PM 14/02/2002 -0500, you wrote:
G'day all

Us radio amateurs do so love talking (and listening) and sometimes we talk
(or listen) ourselves out of trying something.  Some antennas work well in
particular situations, while sometimes antennas that work well in most
places don't work well at your particular QTH.  David K3KY is right - let's
keep an open mind and actually try different rx and tx antennas -
particularly if they don't take too much effort to try.

Before I came to Western Australia I lived in the UK and was a vertical
antenna 'nut'.  I used vertical antennas - inverted-Ls, Marconi-Ts, HF
ground planes - all the way from 160 - 10 metres  - and found horizontal
dipoles markedly inferior to them for DX.  Since I came down here, I mainly
use dipole-type antennas, as these just seem to work better - whatever I do
in the way of an earth system.  Sometimes we just have to accept the
evidence of our own ears.

Tom W8JI mentioned an article on a simple counterpoise system, recently
written about in CQ - I think it is the one in January 2002, in which case
the author is a friend of mine (as, I should add, I also consider Tom).
The article doesn't actually say a couple of radials with a loading coil
(i.e. a tuned counterpoise) is better than a full-sized ground screen, but
that you can get much better performance with it than with the randomised
radial systems we sometimes use on the low-bands - and with much less effort.

At my QTH I have tried this counterpoise system and the only earth systems
that have outperformed this on 160 is when I have put down AT LEAST two
dozen radials of at least 20 metres in length.  Being a topband 'nut' means
I prefer to do the latter - even though it takes me about 40 times more
time/effort than to put up the counterpoise and for barely an extra 'S'
unit or so improvement in performance.

That being said, for 95% of the time my inverted vee dipole at 90'
outperforms my Marconi-T with a 20m vertical section over a full density
1/8 wave earth screen - to the amazement/disbelief of many people on this
reflector.  IT WORKS FOR ME (but not necessarily for you).

Just because something doesn't work for me at my present location, it
surely don't mean it won't work elsewhere (and when I move elsewhere,
particularly if it is a simple idea, proven by others, I'll try it again).

Vy 73,

Steve, VK6VZ
 

>I believe the K6STI loop and even
>the Flag/Pennant family are getting unfairly slammed in the
>informal ham 'press' such as the Topband group. While the
>temptation to compare them is absolutely irresistable, it is
>simply unfair to compare them with Beverages. The latter
>type need a lot more room- at least a couple hundred linear
>feet, and really more like 500 feet plus- they are simply
>in a class by themselves. I think the problem is that hams
>seem to forget the former types are *low output* antennas.
>It is certainly not fair to declare that the antennas did not work
>or were deaf without trying them on their own terms

snip

73, David K3KY
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