Topband: Efficiency

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Would working EU on the first try be worth moving east away from the rain
forest?

On Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 2:30 AM, Lee K7TJR <k7tjr at msn.com> wrote:

>      I just spent a few fruitless moments trying to work an OZ1 that
> couldn't hear me at 1500 Watts. I thought of Lew W7EW. While the expenditure
> of effort on receiving antennas is generally well spent, sometimes it does
> not help. We just keep pushing the envelope for all of our stations. It is
> what we do. We get better receiving, we need better transmitting. We get
> better transmitting, we need better receiving. It is the mystique of
> Top-Band.
>    I have built some fantastic receiving antennas. I have not come close to
> being able to work everything I am able to hear. I have built a great
> transmitting antenna. I am not able to hear everything I am able to send a
> signal to. Its the mystique of top-band.
>   So what is the bottom line? I wish I could give tribute to whomever said
> it but "get you current maximums up in the air" for transmit. And from me,
> get your receiving angles down on the ground. I, just a few minutes ago
> worked XR0Y for #164. Not a big deal to many but this is Oregon! I
> transmitted to them with a top-loaded vertical that gets the current up in
> the air, and I heard them on a small RX array using 3 vertical elements (6
> directions) that has a maximum gain/RDF at 20 degrees elevation, down on the
> ground. It seemed easy.
>    It was almost 40 years ago when an engineer said to me "plagiarize,
> plagiarize, let nothing done escape your eyes". I say for all, take
> advantage of every bit of information you can to upgrade your stations.
> Study it all. Get your TX current maximums up in the air if you can and get
> the RX angles down on the ground.
>    For me, Top loading TX antennas and small vertical arrays for RX are the
> Cats meow! YMMV
> Lee   K7TJR  OR
> _______________________________________________
> 160 meters is a serious band, it should be treated with respect. - TF4M
>