Topband: GAP VERTICAL QUESTION

[DGB]

K7LXC book review was with the Titan. It was a poor performer against 
the Challenger, much less my other antennas IMHO of my testing between 
the two, Junk!

de ns9i



On 12/11/2012 5:13 PM, Tom W8JI wrote:
>>
>> So my question is.... does anyone have actual experience with these 
>> antennas (especially the voyager) as compared to other antennas for a 
>> specific frequency. Now guys .. I know you cant really compare a 6 
>> element beam to a vertical of this kind but I am talking about a 
>> comparison that is realistic.. like how does it hear, tune, match & 
>> get out compared to something like another vertical or a dipole up 
>> some reasonable distance.
>>
>
> Jim,
>
> Years ago someone purchased and had me measure a GAP vertical. The Gap 
> was terrible on 160 and 80 meters. It was OK on most other bands. On 
> 160 meters, although I have a pretty good mobile antenna, I had about 
> the same field strength from my mobile antenna. The Gap was down about 
> 10 dB from a 1/4 wave on 80 meters, as I recall. My mobile antenna is 
> about 20 dB down from my 1/4 wave 160 meter vertical.
>
> The ARRL reviewed one Gap vertical in an on-the-air A-B test, and a 
> small ground  mounted trap vertical was equal or better.  I'm sure you 
> can search ARRL reviews and find this review.
>
> Also, the HF Verticals test by K7LXC and Ward Silver compared many 
> verticals, and had about the same results on 80 meters as I found and 
> the ARRL found.
>
> All of these completely independent tests were A-B tests against other 
> reference verticals, and all pretty much agreed with each other.
>
> This doesn't mean you can't work DX with a Gap, because I can work VK, 
> JA, and Europe on 160 with my mobile antenna. I've worked several 
> Europeans on 160 SSB while driving down the highway. I can, at times, 
> even beat others in pileups from the mobile on 80 meters. Obviously if 
> the Gap is as good as a better mobile antenna, you can probably work a 
> lot of DX with it.
>
> 73 Tom
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