Topband: Salt-Water Qth!

[Ed Sawyer]

The best write up and data I have seen on this subject was the "team
vertical" report on test done in Jamaica back about 10 or more years ago.

 

As I recall, the vertical signal strength to low angle DX went up
"dramatically" within 2 or less wavelengths of the edge of the high water
mark and maybe leveled off as "fantastic" from within 0.5 wavelength.  But
further and further away past 2 wavelengths, the signal strengths dropped
away and had very diminishing effects.  I don't recall how far back before
the benefits were disappointing but that article has the answers you need.
Just scale it for 160 or 80M vs their 40 - 10M data.

 

By the way, I used a vertical as 9M6/N1UR at Layang Layang island in the
Spratlys in 1998.  40 and 30M performance was "amazing" but 20 - 10 was good
but not great.  The vertical was placed about 100 feet from the edge of the
water.  So it would have been just under a wavelength on 40, just over on
30, and 2 - 3 wavelengths on 20 - 10.

 

Ed  N1UR