Topband: Low Dipoles

[Roger Kennedy]

I do take offence at people suggesting that I am somehow lying about the
results I have always had with a 160m Dipole at 50ft !

Several people on this Forum have already stated how my current Signal on
160m compares favourably with other regular British DXers, all of whom use
decent Vertical Antennas.

If you don't believe them, then you can compare my signal reports on NA RBN
sites with all the other Gs on the band at the same time. (I have set up my
RBN to do that automatically) Again, you will see that, on average, there is
very little difference between mine and theirs. (sometimes I am a little
stronger, sometimes they are)

Equally the good results I have always had working DX stations in Contests,
or getting through Pileups to DX-peditions speak for themselves.

And there's nothing special about my current QTH or Antenna. I have been
working all over the world on Top Band since 1969, and ALWAYS with either a
Horizontal Half Wave Dipole or an End Fed Half Wave, at around 50ft.

In terms of people doing their own DIRECT comparisons against a Vertical at
the same QTH, I believe the problem is that the Dipole is usually above (or
near) a decent Radial system. That will have the effect of lowering the
Antenna, and therefore making it only fire at very high angles.

A Dipole that is above poor ground, and without any wires underneath it, I
believe will "think" it's much higher, and probably therefore be more
efficient at lower radiation angles.

Roger G3YRO