Topband: Franklin antenna. & 1/2 wave verticals.

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

W0NFL writes:

>     With a small city lot and little room. I use a 65 foot
> vertical as a 1/2 wave on 40, a 1/4 wave on 80 and a 1/8 wave
> with a base load coil on 160. On both 40 and 80 I have had
> excellent results but on 160 results I still can work
> DX but results are only fair to poor.  My ground system is
> about 180 short radials most about 35 foot in length.  I
> have always been pleased with the 1/2 wave vertical on 40.

Remember, the skin depth of the ground gets progressively
less as one moves up in frequency.  At 40 meters you seem
a much smaller VOLUME of lossy ground.  The ground losses
should be lower on 40, the man-made noise is less and the
antenna in general is much more efficient on 40 meters.
Comparing a 1/2 wave antenna on 40 and an 1/8 wave antenna
on 160 is a real apples-to-oranges comparison.

73,

    ... Joe, W4TV