Topband: 160m Antenna, worse than I thought !

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Hi Mike,

You certainly are not the first to experience an antenna "grounding" that
makes unbelievable the contacts actually made with it. BTDT for sure

Another thing is our common predilection for thinking that SWR means
anything other than when it has a large change, something has happened. But
surely SWR does not show every large change in antenna condition nor does
SWR predict performance. We should really get over that procedural urban
myth.

Just remember that a dummy load has a perfect SWR and, at 99.9% power loss
to heat, is a worse antenna than a light bulb.

73, and may we all somehow remember all our hard-earned lessons,

73, Guy K2AV

On Mon, Nov 26, 2018 at 3:27 PM Mike Smith VE9AA <ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca> wrote:

> de Mike VE9AA
>
>
>
> O-M-G -,If you read my 3830 report from CQWW CW.. I thought my 160m antenna
> had just 'fallen down' and was still 130' or whatever feet of wire at
> ~12'AGL, but when I was out in the woods just now, nice bright sunny day
> that it is (0*C/32*F), I *REALLY* saw what was going on.  I couldn't
> believe
> my eyes.
>
>
>
> After my 24hrs (Classic) was up post-test I went outside y'day in the late
> afternoon and instead of hiking through the snow, I used binoculars and
> looked across the field and down into the woods and 'thought' I knew what
> was up.
>
>
>
> It was only in the light of the noonday sun today, after I had hiked
> through
> the snow that I saw it..OMG, I laughed so loud.   I am not sure how I made
> *ANY* QSO's at all. (even one DX QSO into the Carib!)
>
>
>
> My inverted L antenna had broken about halfway or more.  It went up from
> about the 6' level, (where the base of the inverted L is) to about the 12'
> level, then.....wait for it...it came directly down to the ground and was
> all bunched up in a heap mostly covered in about a foot of snow!  What I
> saw
> yesterday, was apparently a raised radial from one of the 80m 4-square
> verticals .  Essentially, I was transmitting on an inverted-U antenna 6'
> up,
> then 12' back down, with a big blob of 70-80' of wire at the far end,
> laying
> on the ground in a heap, mostly buried in snow. a huge rats nest.  I see
> another bit of antenna way up in the trees over yonder which I think is the
> end of this one.
>
>
>
> So, the moral of the story is check your antennas WELL, (in person, before
> the contest) and don't assume, and don't be so lazy as to use binoculars
> when you have lots of wires zig-zagging this way and that.  With all the
> snow on top of it, I bet it's been this way for well over a week, maybe two
> and I could've probably fixed it before the contest.  I hear 160m condx
> were
> stunning and I really missed out, especially with no 10m prop and 2 broken
> antennas for 15m.  SIGH.
>
>
>
> Strange thing is, the SWR wasn't that bad.  About 2.1:1 with a nice dip @
> 1830kHz...bizarre...when VY2ZM was only 559 here, that should've been my
> clue that something was seriously wrong.
>
>
>
> What a goof I am.
>
>
>
> Learn from my mistake.  Don't assume SWR means everything is all OK.
>
>
>
> LOL! / HI HI
>
>
>
> OK, back into my igloo I go.
>
>
>
> MikeAA
>
>
>
> Mike, Coreen & Corey
>
> Keswick Ridge, NB
>
>
>
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