[TowerTalk] Low beam vs. higher dipoles?

[Jeff Shelton]

I'm hoping Towertalk folks might be able to help me with my first
tower related decision -- whether or not I should bother putting one
up at all.

You see, I just moved to a new house, and my situation there will 
allow me to put dipoles up in trees about 45-55 feet above ground.  I 
can also put up a modest roof tower, but I will only be able to get a 
beam up about 25 feet.  (BTW, I'm not complaining, this is a big 
improvement over the no-outdoor-antenna townhouse we moved from!) 

It seems to me that the higher dipole is clearly the way to go for 20 
meters and down -- but what about fifteen?  25 feet is, after all, just about 
a half-wavelength at 15 meters.  It seems to me that a roof tower and 
a 2 or 3-element monobander for 15 might be enough better than the dipole 
to be worth doing.  Or should I go for a 10 meter yagi, and pray for 
sunspots?  Or just stick with wire antennas? 

As may be obvious,  I've never owned a tower or rotatable antenna of 
any description.  Any advice will be happily received . . .

                                 C. J. " Jeff" Shelton
                                 KS4TL

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