Topband: HFTA, Radio Arcala, general comments

[Tom W8JI]

Radio Arcala - I have always believed that a horizontal antenna on 160m at 
very high latitudes would generally be worse (note that I didn't say always) 
than a vertical due to the effect of the Earth's magnetic field. How 
"theory" translates to "the real world" is always subject to careful 
consideration, but I've seen enough data in the technical literature to 
stand by my belief.>>>>

I think before I spent money like that, assuming I had the money, I would 
have asked around or maybe tried a simple high dipole for several weeks in 
comparison to a vertical.

I was regretful enough after installing a tall tower and using wire 
antennas. At one point I had a two element wire dipole phased array up at 
maybe 250-260 feet. When it fell down in an ice storm, I was relieved I 
didn't have to take it down.

All of that was based on my memory of how well a dipole worked on a ~350 ft 
tower. A few good signal reports corrupted my objectivity. :-)

73 Tom